PACK PARTY BREAKS OUT ON EMPIRE ROAD
While driving along Empire road at about 22h30pm on Saturday night, we popped into our usual petrol garage to stock up for the next party destination…What we didn’t realise was that the SASOL garage would become the next party destination, thanks to the cool young urban group jolling the night away in the parking lot… and I mean cool. Brand managers – here is your target market waitin…g for you – you know who I am talking to… As our car pulled up to the shop, I felt my head start to bounce to the sweet beats pumping out of a convertible beamer parked right next to us,.surrounding the beamer and another 10 or 15 other cars all parked at the garage was a bunch of “slicker than most” party people… I wandered into the shop and bought some chewing gum, entranced by the good vibes in the parking lot. Where do these people come from, how come their group of friends is so huge and why did they choose to have a party here? My curiosity got the better of me, I put a bit of the old lip gloss on and decided to get amongst the revellers, in a manner of speaking, to infiltrate the ranks and get to the bottom of it. I hooked up with two cute guys, Happy and Olwandle (aka Sindane and Ocean to me – I had had a few by now – ED 🙂 ) who explained… they’re a big group of friends coming from all over Joburg – they met at high school, college, through family, work, friends and connections, they hail from Soweto, Tswane, Joburg – basically all over – and they PARTY IN A PACK. Every weekend they all meet in a central place, the chosen location is sent out by sms and phone to the whole crew, they then gather at the appointed time, put the tunes on, get the drinks out and wait for the ENTIRE crew to be there, before they set off in a major convoy to the Party destination. They have several meeting spots centrally situated in different areas around Joburg and Tswane – North South East West and this was the CENTRAL one – they all hook up at the one closest to where the party is at. I can’t remember the other places they mentioned… but I definitely want to get onto that sms mailing list. These guys look like the ideal RENT-A_CROWD – all those brands trying to find their market – they’re waiting at a petrol station near you. [Happy or Olwandle if you read this – make sure...
Lee Kasumba: Miking what she likes.
Ymag editor and DJ Leslie Nabunya Theresa Kasumba, popularly known as Lee, is a bit of an enigma. The only thing we really know about this sassy sister is that she has an undying love for the mic and hip-hop and that her presence on radio is not about bosses being politcally correct. Here, she tells Represent what spins her wheels. …How did you end-up in South Africa? My parents moved here when I was young so yeah I moved with them Do you consider yourself South African? Yes I do consider myself South African I mean this is the country that raised me and gave me so many opportunities and friends and all. Though I do consider myself Ugandan too because as much as I grew up in this country my mom raised me in Ugandan ways and tradition etc. I never forgot or lost pride in who I am or where I am from. I guess it’s a little hard because both countries make up who I am in so many ways. But I am proudly Ugandan everyone will tell you and I visit Uganda often and when I am in Uganda I also rep for South Africa to the fullest. So to save myself going round in circles I guess I will put it this way, I love South Africa I am south Africa its the land that raised me, but in Uganda is where I would want to be buried because my family ties links are not here really outside of my dad, sisters and brother. My late mom was buried in Uganda and I would want to be buried there too, sounds sentimental but its true, as I have grown older I have discovered so much about who I am and why I do things the way that I do, that is because I am typically Ugandan, I even look like a typical Baganda girl! I am in the same breathe typically South African and am so humbled at the way the country has embraced me and the opportunities and I also have found new family here in the form of friends and also I am the god mother of a couple that is extremely Xhosa in culture and tradition which is so cool. But I guess I also have issues with borders etc and I am made up of so many different things so I am African first, think that is best. That’s how I view myself… Do you ever get flack for being from Uganda? Flack is an understatement! Yoh its craze growing up and thinking that you are like everyone else...
The RAND CLUB nearly burns down!
This February Represent’s Editorista celebrated a rather decadent birthday party in the hallowed rooms of the glam Rand Club in downtown Joburg…It was a night to remember as the masala of party guests turned it’s snotty history on it’s head. It is thus with great shock that we heard that a fire had gutted the first floor and mezzanine level of this robust institution. The Bar on the fi…rst floor was legendary and gorgeous, the mezzanine level was completely over the top and to die for darl… In September last year Johannesburg tragically lost an ancient architectural and historical treasure, the Wanderers Club, which sadly did not make it through the ravages of an electrical fire… We will go and get some pics of the Rand Club, but in the meantime check out this article from the TELEGRAPH that tells it as they see it. This pic is of a section of the LIBRARY at the Rand Club – for more pics check out our photo’s on FLICKR...
South Africans live in small spaces like New Yorkers
South Africa has a history of small houses – just look at the thousands of famous four-roomed houses in Soweto and other townships – neatly stacked together row after row… although these days many owners have done alterations, some even building a second level to increase the living space – The point is, we’re not the only people to live in small spaces – so do many other people the wor…ld over – we look to New York for inspiration on how to make a small space work. The shortage of housing and the high-crime rate in Johannesburg (not to mention unscrupulous tasteless developers) has resulted in the building of an unbelievable number of townhouse complexes, duplexes, simplexes, you name it – all made compact and small to satisfy the exploding suburban emerging market. For most of us, this is where we will live at some point or for much of our lives, as it’s the only option we can afford – that is of course until more affordable large city apartments become the norm – come on urban regenerators! For now, dreams of spacious living areas may never materialise for many suburban inhabitants as the price of larger homes cuts the average house buyer out and restricts them to the low-end “can’t swing a cat in this” townhouse. But don’t despair, small living spaces are the norm in the most fabulous of cities the world over – just ask any South African that has lived in London or New York… Property is expensive and they pack ’em in in both those metropolises. Everybody wants their home to be comfortable and many of us like it to look good and feel good. As the saying goes – it’s not about the size, in this case it’s about how you use the space. Today we look towards the city of NEW YORK for inspiration on how to make the most of a small living space and really make it look fantastic. APARTMENT THERAPY is a fabulara BLOG that held a competitiion amongst it’s readers based in New York called “the SMALLEST COOLEST APARTMENT CONTEST” and invited people to send in pics of their space and how they made a small space work beautifully. Go and have a look and scroll through some of the apartments on show – be inspired by a range of fantastic ideas. It’s a pity we don’t have IKEA in our country – for those not-in-the-know, IKEA is an affordable house decorating shop loved and adored by people all over the world… we will send them an email and ask them where they are. We give...
HARARE Squatter camp – pre and post removals
Thanks to Varan who pointed out this set of interesting satellite photographs of a squatter camp in HARARE – Apparently the one on the left was taken before the troops were sent in to clear out all illegal squatters and the one on the right was taken once they had mowed down their shacks during the recent ‘CLEAN UP’.. If anyone has anymore info on this or can recognise where it is and substant…iate that it is genuine – please mail...
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