issue 14 july 2014

JULY2014 Issue 14

Taste | Create | Discover

THE PHOTOGRAPHY ISSUE

www.flatwhiteconcepts.com | Issue 14

ED’S NOTE

“Life is like photography.

You use the negatives to develop”

This month we’re all about photography, and we have a great fea-ture where I was fortunate enough to meet some amazing photog-raphers. I was blown away by the amount of people that wanted to be a part of this issue which means another photography feature issue is definitely coming again in the future. What talented people we have in this world.

We also have a great story by a very dear friend of mine, Jess, who takes us through her personal story of falling in love with herself again through healthy and mindful eating. I urge you to follow her on Facebook and try out all her delicious recipes!

What a wonderful month it has been. I absolutely just love all the people I have met through Flat White Magazine. Interested in be-ing a part of it? Contact me and let’s meet for coffee.

Please feel free to contact me if you’d like to contribute articles or whether you’d like to advertise in an upcoming magazine. We’d love to get to know you and to shamelessly promote your com-pany!

Flat White Magazine - Made with love strong coffee.

Yours in Coffee,

ChristineWebsite: www.flatwhiteconcepts.comEmail: [email protected]

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CONTENTS

TASTEBootlegger Coffee Company

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.. but so are imperfectionsLiving Healthy Doha

ZomatoThe Bellingham Tree Series Range

CREATEThe Photography Issue:

Adrian ShieldsAlicia S

Janine ShepardAndrew Garriety

Lauren BubbsJon Meinking

Samsung NX30 ReviewNifty250

DISCOVERHotel Verde

Transportation - getting around in Cape TownJourney with the Sports Science Institute of South Africa

Book Reviews

COMPETITIONSWin Win Win!


TASTE

Bootlegger Coffee Company39 - 41 Regent Road, Sea Point, Cape Town

I finally got the chance to visit a coffee shop I’ve been hearing a lot about recently. The very popu-lar Bootlegger Coffee Company in Sea Point. Seems I wasn’t the only one with the idea, because when we arrived the place was packed. I almost didn’t get a table but luckily some people left and we scooped in before anybody else saw the empty table. I saw Cortado on the menu which is my favourite coffee, and not one that is offered at many restaurants. This Cortado, a double espresso cut with only a small amount of warm milk, arrived at my table with an air of perfection. The cof-fee was beautiful with a velvet crema on top. Delicious. I wasn’t planning on eating but after some serious order envy when all my friends were getting things like Eggs Benedict and waffles, I caved in and ordered a small nibble of rye and avo. A generous portion of avo arrived with my toast so I was happy. This coffee shop was very busy, and for good reason. When I go again, and I do believe I will, it will be another Cortado for me. Yes please!

I asked Bootlegger a few questions:

1. Tell me the story behind the name Bootlegger:Our Logo Designer asked me the following questions to get to the name BOOTLEGGER. Will this company be a male of female: MaleAge? 45-50. But young of heartFavorite era? 1920 Favorite city? Cape Town, and then New York. We had whiskey while we did all of this so endend up with the Prohibition Period in the USA. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_in_the_United_States

2. What is your most popular coffee drink:Flat White.. (Personally I only drink black coffee..but when I taste it, it is like a hug in a cup.) All our coffees are double shots.

3. What is your most popular food item on the menu:Breakfast: Eggs Benedict (OMG); Lunch: Burgers; Dinner: CBC Beer... with amazing ribs!


TASTE

39 - 41 Regent Road, Sea Point, Cape Town

Supplier of freshly roasted coffee. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Bar.

TASTE


Name it, and I have tried it…diets that is. Weight Watchers, Dukan, Atkins, “The Metabolism Diet”, no carb, cabbage soup and so many more.

A lot of these diets have great principals, which in a perfect world would benefit you, except The Me-tabolism Diet, that was all kinds of wrong; a diet that promises that you won’t put any weight back on for four years once you started eating “normal-ly” again.

I have never been abnormally overweight, but for as long as I can remember I carried a lot of weight around my mid section. I was, gratefully, blessed with thin legs and always tried to draw attention to them instead of my belly. Even as far back as pri-mary school I remember writing letters to my best friend Kyllie telling her how fat I was (letters we reminisced over just last year). I will never forget a joke, of which I was the punch line, which a nasty little girl made up about me; “what’s the difference between a snowman and Jessica?”Punch line (a punch to my self esteem): “The snow-

man has a figure.”

How is it, that from the age of 10, girls knew how to make others feel less worthy by body shaming them? The fact that I was more intelligent than her; count for nothing.

I also look back at times when friends and I would sit around picking out our own imperfections and imagining which body part we would remove if we had the chance. When skinny friends would tell me how fat they were, I would get so upset be-cause it was quite obvious, judging by the fact that I couldn’t fit into their clothes, that I was definitely bigger than them, but here they were assuring me I wasn’t fat (gosh girls can be bizarre). If I moaned about my belly, they would point out how thin my legs were, which I knew…they weren’t my issue.So I was hung up on my mid section, my friends on their arms, bums, thighs, ear lobes, you name it. No matter what anyone tells you, you know what bothers you. We all have our stuff, eh?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder… but so are imperfections.


Beauty is in the eye of the beholder… but so are imperfections.

TASTE

Fast forward to 2013, I am living in Doha where fresh fruit and veg and organic beef, raised in a palace, listening to the beats of Enya, are a scarce find, and eating out, with the average dinner start-ing at 9pm, is the norm. I met my boyfriend, fell madly in love, travelled and ate and ate and ate…oh the joys of happiness.

But it was on holiday in California in July 2013 that I started to feel hopeless. I was weighing more than I ever had and wearing Spanx at almost every occa-sion, you can sleep in Spanx right? I was constantly pulling at my clothes, readjusting them to cover bumps which others probably didn’t even notice. It got so bad that I couldn’t even look at my reflec-tion; I would actively avoid it. I actually hardly have any photos of myself from that trip, which is highly unusual for me. Sometimes I felt so low, I would cry when getting dressed.

My wonderful boyfriend, bless his soul, would con-stantly reassure me that he loved my body – but I didn’t.

You might read this and think I sound pathetic, I mean I am aware there are real problems in the world, and I would have to agree with you, I do sound pathetic. But feeling uncomfortable in my own body went beyond vanity. I felt lethargic, moody, unmotivated and the very opposite of sexy, and if a woman doesn’t feel sexy, no matter what shape or size she is (because you can sure as hell be a sexy size 14) she is a shell of herself. If you aren’t happy with yourself, it’s difficult to be happy about anything else.

I got back from holiday with a mission in mind, I needed to take control of myself and change my life; enough was enough. No one could fix me, there wasn’t a quick route and no one else besides me would be my motivator. All I needed was some-one to guide me down the right path.

So I wiped my tears and contacted my friend from school, Casey Sugden of DC Bodies. She completely transformed herself and her life after school and I could see the long hard road she had taken to bet-ter herself. She offers an online, 6-week challenge, training course and eating plan and every week I had to send her progress photos and measure-ments; 2 of the most essential things that helped me change. The eating plan involved eating con-stantly, healthily and cleanly. Lots of lean protein was my modus operandi, good quality carbs and veg. I never went extreme, never deprived my-self of anything (in hindsight I should have cut out sugar), but in general I stuck to being healthy. It’s more than just losing weight; it’s about being healthy which has more benefits than just a little less padding. I worked out 5-6 days a week and started running on the treadmill. Over the course of the next few weeks, I started to lose cms...NOT kgs. I felt better, less lethargic and more positive. Once the 6 weeks were up I had lost over 50cms all over my body, and only about 1kg, which is a true testament to the fact that muscle does weigh more than fat (cue Cartman of South Park’s “I’m not fat, I’m just big boned”). My progress was steady but I believed I was doing what was best for me, and I knew I was because I could feel it and I could see a massive difference. I still had excess weight on my belly, which I have since accepted all comes down to eating right.

Since my 6-week challenge, I have kept on the path of wellness for 10 months. I have lost 17cms around my waist and gone down to a diameter that is considered healthy (less than 80cm for women), lowering my risk for heart disease. To keep fit and motivated, I need challenges. I started looking at bodybuilding.com and began the 12-week Live Fit challenge by Jamie Eason and am now currently doing HIIT workouts as well as strength training, which have proven to burn more fat and calories than any other cardio. I have focused more on clean eating and cutting out sugar, which has al-

“No one could fix me, there wasn’t a quick route and no one else besides me would be my motivator.”


TASTE


My Inspiration: Casey Sugdenhttps://www.facebook.com/DCBodies

most immediately shown better results. It’s been a long journey, with no end in sight…because there is no end, this is my life now. The slow progress found a way into my everyday life, had I been done in 6 weeks, I would have surely gone back to my old ways.

When it comes to the kitchen, I experiment with so many recipes as I am not one for bland food or eat-ing because it's time to eat. I love food, delicious food. I trawl Pinterest and good old Google and try out clean eating recipes and share them on my Facebook page Living Healthy Doha. By the way, sugar free protein brownies are a thing!

The feeling I have within myself now is something I wouldn’t trade for anything, I feel confident, happy and at peace. I am constantly motivated by the fear of going back to where I was; I will never forget that misery. I don’t think I will ever think I have the perfect body, because I don’t think it exists, and I am still on a mission to get a flat belly (which they say can take years).

To me, all that matters is how I feel; the rest will follow.

By Jessica Bailey Ackermanwww.facebook.com/livinghealthyDoha

What has worked for me?

• Before I eat something naughty I imagine “is this worth it? Will this taste be worth the fat/sugar/calories?” and if not, I won’t eat it. Note: Sometimes the taste is totally worth it.

• I remind myself of where I was before, I look at my first “before” picture (in fact I have it stuck up on my bathroom wall) and it reminds me why I am living the life I have chosen

• I take note of how I feel after eating certain foods. If I eat bread at night I feel sick, so I don’t keep making that mistake. Listen to your body.

• I take progress photos weekly and measure-ments, I have not become complacent.

• I make sure I have something to eat every 3 hours, even if it is an apple and almonds, be-cause if I don’t I will eat whatever is put in front of me.

• PLAN!!!!! I plan work lunches; often making extra dinner so I don’t have to make another meal for lunch, and I plan my workouts before I go to gym.

• Be patient. Your body will reward you. Know, that no matter how slow your changes are, you are doing the right thing, just keep going. Quick fixes are for a short time not a long time.

• I follow fitness profiles on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook etc. The visual stimulation has a pro-found effect on your motivation.

• I lift weights. Steady cardio will get you no-where slowly. You are not going to be too bulky, do you realise how long and hard it is and the amounts of supplements it will take to be a pro-fessional body builder? Muscle burns fat, and that’s all you need to know.

• Just do what makes you happy and screw eve-ryone who tells you it’s wrong.

TASTE


Serve with 2 perfectly poached eggs

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup quinoa (uncooked)• 1.5 cups raw grated sweet potato• Salt and pepper• Dried parsley and chives• 1 large egg

Method:

• Cook quinoa in pot boiling water (aprox 2/3 cup water)• Once cooked, mix with other ingredients.• Scoop heaped 1/3 cup of mixture onto pan (on medium heat) with olive oil• Flatten into cake• Put a lid on it to help cook the potato• Cook aprox 6 min a side and flip gently

My Facebook Page: Living Healthy Doha

Sharing recipes and workouts and other health and fitness inspirations that have kept me

healthy in Doha. I have transformed my body inside and out.

www.facebook.com/livinghealthyDoha

Quinoa Sweet Potato Cakes.


TASTE

I’ve been a fan of Zomato for quite some time now. This awesome website is the perfect place to find the best restaurants in your area and see what other people have to say about them. It’s a place for good and honest reviews, so you can plan your night out more effeciently. I never go any-where without first checking out what the people of Zomato have to say. I also do my best to write as many reviews as possible myself, and it’s a great opportunity for me to branch out when wanting to eat out. I think we all tend to stick to what we know when there is a world of exciting and diverse places just waiting for us to try.

Founded in July 2008 out of a living room in New Delhi, Zomato can now be found in 41 cities across 12 countries, so you can use this awesome web-site/app the next time you are travelling.

One of the new awesome features on the site is

their ‘Collections’. Here you can browse restaurants by themes such as ‘Trending this Week, ‘World Cup Screenings’, ‘Beer in a Bar’, ‘Super Sushi’, ‘In the Vineyards’, ‘Kid Friendly Restaurants’, ‘Kickass Burgers’, ‘Romantic’, ‘Try Before you Die’, ‘Healthy Eating’, ‘Steakhouses’, ‘Live Music’, and ‘Sea View’.

Visit them on www.zomato.com

Enjoy your new food journey!

Zomato

WHY PAY MORE? From only R2.90 per cup

(all inclusive)

We always have steaming hot specials.Nespresso® compatible capsules.

www.coffeecapsulesdirect.co.za

TASTE


TASTE


The Bellingham Tree Series Range “ … an ensemble of blends that combine the best natural aspects of popular grape varieties to cre-ate harmonious wines that are greater than their individual components.”

Many of South Africa’s top wineries have a rich heritage which wafts back into history with entic-ing tails of amazing adventures leading to the pre-sent moment. Bellingham Wine Estate is one of such wineries, and the tails of its beginnings back in 1693 with the first 1000 vines planted by Hol-lander Gerrit Janz van Vuuren and his French Hu-guenot wife would probably keep us on the edge of our chairs for a few hours, however, the past three hundred years have resulted in a very special topic of conversation (and palate) … The Belling-ham Tree Series range!

Three luscious wines comprise the Tree Series range, namely the Pear Tree White, Berry Bush Rosé and Big Oak Red. Each has a unique taste-of-fering which is gaining a steady following by wine-lovers all across South Africa. Why? Because each wine offers not only delectable fruit nuances and flavours, but more so an ‘approachability’ in style which stands above the rest.

The Pear Tree White, named after the oldest pear tree in South Africa planted at the Bellingham Manor House in 1710, is a blend predominantly made up of Chenin Blanc, with a dash of Viogni-er. The Chenin is slightly barrel matured to offer the clean mid-palate enjoyed with every sip of the wine. Unwooded Viognier rounds off the experi-ence by bringing its bold, complex structure to the palate-party, offsetting the hint of wood depth. Expect enticing aromas of pineapple and passion fruit on the nose, with yellow peach, nectarine and touches of orange on the palate. Best enjoyed a vintage or two from the current, as this has given

the wine time to settle and mature in bottle.

If you’re a Rosé lover and haven’t yet put your lips to a glass of the Berry Bush Rosé … go find a bot-tle now! As a palatable ode to the first ever rosé-style wine produced in South African by yours truly (Bellingham Estate) back in 1951, this little number comes as a perfect balance between the freshness of a white wine and a hint of intensity you’d expect from a good bottle of red. Having spent just two hours on the skins, the juice for this rosé was bot-tled to be enjoyed over and over again. Look for crushed red berries and candied apple aromas on the nose, with enjoyable wafts of Turkish Delight and strawberry flavours on the palate. If you’re not a Rosé drinker this might change your mind.

And lastly, the Big Oak Red. Named after the large oak tree planted in the Bellingham Estate gardens, it’s an ideal name for a wine combining the two big varietals, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. The current 2012 vintage available is one to be enjoyed thanks to a long ripening season before the grapes were picked. This longer period allows for the fla-vours within the grapes to stretch their legs for a cleaner balance to the wine. You’ll find dark red berry aromas coupled with oak spice and peppery tones on the nose, while enjoying richer red fruit and chocolate notes on the palate. This is definite-ly a bottle of wine to enjoy with a steak this winter!

There is much to talk about surrounding the Bell-ingham Tree Series range, but that will have to wait until another article. In the mean time, go out and find a bottle of each at your closest retailer, or drop me an email and I’ll be sure to assist in getting your hands on a case or two for the upcoming month – [email protected].

By Richard Cranna


CREATE

THE PHOTOGRAPHY ISSUEADRIAN SHIELDS- WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

Email: [email protected]: www.adrianshields.co.zaFacebook: www.facebook.com/adrianshieldsphotoTwitter: @shieldsterphoto

ALICIA S - PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

Email: [email protected]: www.aliciasphotography.co.zaFacebook: www.facebook.com/aliciasphoto

JANINE SHEPARD - WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

Website: www.jinxphotography.co.za. IFacebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Jinx-PhotographyTwitter: @the_jinxy_minx Instagram: janine_shepard (jinx photography)

ANDREW MC GARRITY - FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

Website: www.andrewmcphotos.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/amphotography.jhb/

LAUREN BUBBS - FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY

Website: www.laurenbubb.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/laurenbubbphoto

JON MEINKING - SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY

Website: ishotimages.wordpress.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/ishotimagesTwitter: @ishotimageszaInstagram: ishotimagesza

CREATE


Adrian Shields - WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

I am a Cape Town based fashion and wedding photographer with a passion for capturing people and all of their emotions. With 15 years experience and a head full of amazing ideas I often find myself creating so much more than the brief I first set out to do. I just can’t help myself. I am in love with natural lighting and with the cold hard steel of my Nikon’s in my hand, the world is truly my studio.

MY FAvOURITE PHOTOGRAPH:

I love this image because it really captures the moment in a very raw but romantic way. The ocean is crashing against the concrete jetty on which Ross and Megan are sitting but they almost seem oblivious to their surroundings. I love leaving couples on their own to share moments together, that way I can capture their interaction without having to interact with them myself. People in love will respond very naturally within the space you allow them.


CREATE

Alicia S - PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

So, who is this girl with the bright red hair with the camera in her hand? It’s me! I’m Alicia, a Cape Town portrait and wedding photographer. You know I love photography but you don’t know why so let me tell you… You know that feeling you get when a song plays and you instantly relive a moment from your past? All the warm fuzzy feelings come back and you feel like you’re right there in that beautiful moment once again. That’s what I want to make you feel when you look through your photographs – to give you that special moment to keep forever and to show you how beautiful you truly are. I picked up a camera when I was 10 and loved it so much that I ended up annoying everyone with it (just ask my mom), includ-ing the neighbourhood cats. When I turned 16 I thought it might be a good idea to learn how to use it properly but common sense made me get a degree in Drama instead. I couldn’t get that camera out of my head though and soon after, went to work in London as a waitress to make the necessary funds to pay for a degree in photography and buy my very first DSLR. Best decision ever! And here I am today… following my dream and hopefully bringing your dreams to life!


It was such a difficult task to choose a favourite because each shoot is so unique. I chose this photograph of Hennie & Leani van Niekerk because it combines 5 of my favourite things to photograph - sunlight, nature, spontaneity, romance and beauty. These two were such a pleasure to work with because they enjoyed every moment together even though Hennie had just finished work and Leani had just landed from Joburg that day (they’re also newlyweds and have that happy glow that newlyweds do). They even brought balloons and Sterri Stumpies!


CREATE

Janine Shepard - WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

I was born and raised in Amanzimtoti. I am married to my best friend and have a super adorable dog with the biggest ears named Bingo. I got into photography through my own modelling experience. Jinx Photography was founded in 2010 and I found my passion by looking through the lens. I believe that you don’t just take a photo, you make it. I like going outside the box and creating pictures with lots of emo-tions. I love shooting wildlife as not one photo is the same and I have a soft spot for all animals. I am part of a great organisation and Jinx Photography supports Army saints, www.armysaints.com where we do charity work enriching the lives of animals and humans alike. We’re busy cleaning up our local river and I have provided my photography service in support of Army Saints.


What I love most about this picture is the pure stillness of this bird. I normally can get pictures from afar with my long lenses but this bird was right beside a fence in a busy thoroughfare where people were constantly making noise and walking past. All the time this bird just kept still and I felt drawn to the bird’s energy. Amongst this chaos the bird was calm. The colours on the bird were the next thing I loved. You always see cranes and eagles in the game reserves and there isn’t much colour in them. I have never seen this bird before with its vibrant colours. The contrast of the vivid colours against the neutral brown background made it stand out even more. I honestly felt like this bird was looking straight at me. After taking the picture, the bird and I must’ve stared at each other for ten minutes before another lady tried to take a picture. Then the bird left. I got a moment with wildlife that I will treasure forever, a little one on one contact. That’s what draws me to wildlife, no posing, they are just natural.


CREATE

Andrew Mc Garrity - FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

My name is Andrew Mc Garrity and I am just an easy-going guy who loves photographs, design, food and travel; and I am trying to find a way to bring them all together. I make my bed in Linden, Johannesburg and I am designer by week day - photographer by weekend…for now. I have studied art direction and have a National diploma in Photography from the Photography Institute in London


When picking up a magazine and feasting your eyes on all the delectable treats on offer, do you ever get that feeling that you wish you could just take them right off the page and devour them right then and there? That is why I love food photography; getting that very reaction from someone when they see your photo and they wish it was what was for lunch! With this high key image, I wanted to create the feeling of a light lunch. It is one of my favorites for one simple reason; it does exactly what it is supposed to…makes you a little puckish. The composition leads your eye from the front of the photo to the back without you even realising it – your eye follows the knife with the smear of cream cheese up to the basil leaf on the first scone; then further down the image to the burst of green basil and the other scones. The light and depth of field are working here to give the scone in focus the limelight, so to speak. The various burnt oranges and red’s contrast against the greens, almost jumping off the white plate and straight into your mouth.


CREATE

Jon Meinking - SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY

I’m a Cape Town based photographer specialising in commercial, events and sports photography. Com-ing from a sporting background, sports photography allows me to be part of the action and understand it on a whole different level! If I’m not out on some bike course, trail or in the ocean, you’ll find me in and around Cape Town enjoying all that the Mother City has to offer


Title of Shot: Wingsuit Proximity Flyby

There are many reasons why this is my favourite photograph. It was my first ever ‘big’ sporting com-mission where I got to work with an international team, under intense pressure and in pretty extreme circumstances. The shoot was for the Vodaphone 4G commercial which featured one of the world’s best base-jumpers in a wingsuit, plummeting through the Franschhoek Mountains, reaching speeds of up 250 kilometres per hour. To get the shot, we had to be airlifted to a peak where even the helicopter could not land, abseil 150 meters (all before sunrise!) and then hang around for 10 hours harnessed to the side of the mountain. Mine was the fourth and final station, on a blind rise which meant I only had a few seconds warning to get ready - and then even less time to compose and capture the shot as the base-jumper flew past. The margin of error was incredibly slim and with a limited number of potential takes, I had to combine technical skill and timing to get the image we were looking for. Being flown back to Cape Town via helicopter to arrive nearly two hours late for my birthday also certainly made it memorable!


CREATE

Lauren Bubb - FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY

At Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University is where I began my student life as an Introductory Arts stu-dent, and decided to specialise in photography at the end of my first year. My lecturer in first year, Jonty Hansford, was also quite an influence. He spent an entire lesson showing us photographs of his travels around the world as a student. I was sold. Photography it was. I graduated in 2010 but the dreaded stu-dent loan concern came looming. The only option for a photographer in the uninspiring giant town of PE was to go on cruise ships in order to pay it off, make some money, buy some equipment and just have a bit of traveling on the side. I came back on August 2012, and came to a wedding in September that year in Bredasdorp. Much to my mother’s dismay, I used travelling to the Western Cape for the wedding as my ticket to find a photography job in the city I had always planned on moving to. Eventually I landed up at Yuri Arcurs Productions doing what my ultimate career plan was: retouching. I love my job and the people I work with, I do photography jobs on the side which helps me understand my retouching skills more and vice versa. My plans for the future would be to graduate from full time stock retouching to full time high end fashion and beauty retouching.


I chose a photo from my Third Year university portfolio. I collaborated with Anja Wilkens on her third year university fashion range called “Spanja”. On that Saturday when we shot, I had already done an exhausting highly styled “Rag n Roll” shoot for Marjorie Erasmus, which I also loved. My camera was in for a service at the time so I was using my fellow student’s Nikon which was a bit off putting for me. I was very worried about the Spanja shoot because it was so minimal which I was not used to. But it just came out so well. The shadows on the wall where created by placing the flash behind a very tall studio ladder. I must say that without Pierre and De Wet, my heavy lifting assistants, the shoot probably would not have turned out so well. I also had the help of Delon, a makeup artist who helped me out for free as I was just a poor student. These shoots helped me understand the value of having a team behind you. It is not just about the photographer or the models. And even with the non-existent budget, everything worked out perfectly.


CREATE

I love new gadgets to fiddle with, so I was excited to try my hand at the Samsung NX30. This nifty camera made me feel like quite the cameraman (camerlady?) with its tiltable view finder. ‘Aren’t you fancy?’, my friends said to me as I walked around snapping everything around, trying to capture it all, down to their jealous faces. Yet, such a good looking camera and it only retails for R11,999. Not bad, considering the price of a professional camera these days.

Michael Gibson, Digital Imaging Part Leader at Samsung Electronics South Africa, had this to say: “The NX30 continues the evolution of our award-winning NX series of cameras, bringing with it new and improved features such as a bet-ter imaging processor and our advanced SMART CAMERA offering. Not only does this camera de-liver the performance modern users demand, it is also easy-to-use so that magical moments are never missed.”

And my favourite function: Building on the suc-cesses of Samsung’s market leading SMART CAMERA technology, the NX30′s NFC and Wi-Fi capabilities offer the next-generation of con-nectivity, making it is easier than ever to take advantage of a host of intuitive sharing features. The ‘Tag & Go’ function lets users tap and share memories instantly and easily, pairing the NX30 with NFC enabled smartphones and tablets.

It’s a great camera and suitable for established photographers or casual photo takers alike. Easy to use, great to look at and portable friendly. You just can’t go wrong with Samsung.

By Christine Bernard

Here’s some pictures we snapped while at a re-cent trip to KWV:

Samsung NX30 review


CREATE


CREATE

Time is your most valuable resource. When ti me is lost, it’s gone forever …

All Organised is passionate about people. We cater to a variety of clients, ranging from corporate businesses to private individuals looking

to improve their management and organisati onal skills. We promote order and through educati on enable you to become more producti ve

and eff ecti vely remain organised. Together we will streamline your life and your environment, creati ng balance and restoring energy, so you

can spend more ti me doing what you love most!

www.allorganised.co | [email protected]


CREATE

From the website: www.nifty250.co.za

Nifty250 is a brand spanking new tech startup based in Cape Town that was born from an ambitious desire to revive photographic print culture. We provide a user-friend-ly, fully online and outrageously fun printing service that connects directly with your Instagram™ ac-count.

In today’s digital world, most of us spend a lot of time happily snap-ping away on our phone cameras, taking countless pictures, and up-loading the best ones to a social network without the intention of ever turning pixel into paper. While we happen to be a curious bunch of digital natives who love the immediacy and share-ability of digital photography as much as the next savvy technophile, we began to realise that nothing quite com-pares to the tangibility of a glossy print, or the fuzzy nostalgic feel-ings invoked from paging through a lovingly curated family album.

This is where Nifty250 comes in: our primary service is Instagram printing, which allows you to sim-ply log in on our website with your Instagram account, and then se-lect the images you’d like to have printed. These are then printed in a timeless Polaroid style on pre-mium Epson photographic paper, using only the highest quality inks. We require a minimum order of x20 prints at a cost of R4.00 each, which will then be speedily couri-ered to your door for just R35.00 in our custom-designed packaging.

I’m a massive fan of Nifty250 (previously 250gram). I’ve been following them since the beginning and it’s been such a pleasure to see this company grow from strength to strength. Nifty250 brings your Instagram photos to life, which is much better than having them just sit on your phone with nobody to see them.

I had some prints done a few months ago (picture be-low) of my beautiful little Guinea Pigs, Smudge and Cheddar. They have since passed away and having these photos as a constant reminder means the world to me. At the time I remember being very impressed with the fast delivery service and how easy the entire process was. This is a very fun company to follow on social media sites, espeically seeing what prints other people get done.

We have three vouchers of 20 prints to give away. See our competitions page near the back of the magazine for more details.


DISCOVER

Hotel VerdeHotel Verde, by BON hotels, known as Africa’s greenest ho-tel, is the perfect place to stay when you need something close to the airport. Just a stone’s throw away from Cape Town Airport, this hotel is the place to go. My husband and I stayed over on Friday night and we were looking forward to a nice chilled evening together while we checked out the hotel’s amenities. Although we had heard good things we were quite taken aback by the lengths this hotel had gone to in order to make themselves stand out from the rest. A multitude of creativity lines this place, and every wall, nook and cranny has been addressed. For me it’s always about the small touches, and this place had them in plenty.

I was very impressed with how ‘green’ the hotel was and the importance they place on community upliftment and growth.

Mario Delicio, owner of Hotel Verde says: “We have a re-sponsibility as a company, as an employer and as a visitor on this planet to live as sustainably as possible. This is the only way we can survive long-term and hand over to our children in a responsible manner.”

Says General Manager Samantha Annandale, “We are look-ing to involve community projects in various aspects of the hotel, from service providers to entrepreneurs. We aim to tap into the local communities and be a benefit to the Air-port Industria area as a whole.”

Since it’s construction just over a year ago, Hotel Verde have made sure that every element is addressed and looked at from a green angle. They are constantly looking for ways to innovate and educate those around them and to use the hotel as a landmark of how things should be run. Thinking about energy conservation and water and waste reduction is high on their priority list, and they try to source as many local elements as possible.

I absolutely loved how they are also getting their guests in-volved in going green. One of the ways in which they do so is by rewarding guests with a ‘verdino’ each time they do something green. A verdino is a term for a silver coin that can be spent at the bar or deli that guests earn by doing things like using their towels more than once or not using the air-conditioning. It’s definitely little things like this that make them stand out.


DISCOVERThe Friday night saw us at the bar (of course) en-joying a delicious glass of red wine before heading onto dinner in which we both went for pizza (hubby chose the gluten free option), and of course, more wine. In the morning we headed down for the buf-fet breakfast, which I was interested to see opens at 4.30am for those guests that have an early flight to catch. We had such a lovely time and I will most certainly be recommending this hotel to others.

Hotel Facilities:

• 145 Rooms • 7 Meeting Rooms • VIP Lounge Area

• Room Service • Airport Shuttle (complimentary)• Freshening Up Facilities (24 hrs, complimentary) • Secure Parking • Restaurant • Deli (24 hours)• Bar • Wi-Fi • Business Centre • Gym & Outdoor Jogging Trail

www.hotelverde.com | 15 Michigan Street, Airport Industria | 021 380 5500

By Christine Bernard

DISCOVER


TransportationGetting around in Cape Town

“What do you mean you can’t call me a taxi?” I ex-claimed, only to get disapproving looks and blank stares from the three staff members at the Front Desk of the 4-star deluxe hotel.

That’s pretty much how I started delving into the means of transportation in South Africa. Or the lack thereof. You see, I had flown in from Mauri-tius, where taking buses (to go to school, to work, to the beach, on a school excursion, to visit your grandma, to go meet your date) is such a normal thing to do, and at that moment, standing in front of the receptionists, all I wanted was for them to call me a taxi so I can get started on my mission to explore. As it turned out, this was a rural area (lots of wildlife but so scarce in terms of new hu-man friends for me, I would soon discover) and the only means to go from point A to point B was, well… I still have no clue. Perhaps that’s why the majority of the staff working at the hotel lived on the hotel premises? Perhaps the only ones who did not live on the premises actually had a car

and lived a few kms on a nearby farm? It seemed that the only way for me to go into town from the hotel was if I was accompanied by someone with a car. Preferably someone I knew… Like a friend. Or my then boyfriend. Because this region being rural and all, you did NOT want to go alone as a girl. You could get mugged, assaulted, raped, who knows? All I was told was they were not calling me a taxi. There are no such things there! Never mind buses, trains, trams…

My first day in South Africa! (15 October 2006).

Fast forward to the present. I no longer live in a rural area in the province of Limpopo (further north from Johannesburg) and I no longer get baffled looks by people, because I simply do not have to ask for ways to get around. Here I am, in beautiful Cape Town, where it’s cosmopolitan and I can choose from the following means of trans-portation:


DISCOVER

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1. MyCiti - the Integrated Rapid System (IRT)With many routes covering most areas in the cen-tral part of town, the Atlantic Seaboard all the way to Hout Bay, through Camps Bay, to the suburbs (Ta-bleview), this is by far the best way to get around. Easy, convenient and cheap to use. You only need to get yourself a card from any bus station or at the Civic Centre (R30) and load it with credit and swipe whenever you get into a bus. The buses are mod-ern, clean and have space for your luggage, bicycle, pram and are wheel-chair friendly. See, the City of Cape Town has thought of everything! I have used the buses many times and love it. Granted, this is still Africa time zone – it’s not on the dot like in Zurich for instance where the trains, buses, heck everything (!!) is on time. To the millisecond. Here, you sometimes have to wait a bit longer but at least, it works.http://www.myciti.org.za/

2. Minivan taxisThese used to be quite popular (before the arrival of the IRT) and to some extent are still being used by many locals (and tourists – yes, you have got to try this experience!). Since the buses are con-venient and affordable to use, people have been moving away from the minivan taxis. What this is – minivans operated by a group of people, usu-ally from township communities, covering a wide range of places in and around Cape Town. Around town, you can usually grab them at almost every corner (from Camps Bay, along the main road of Sea Point, Somerset Road in Green Point, Strand road all the way to the main station in town and back) and in a few other places such as Gardens, Vredehoek, Woodstock, Claremont, etc. Just be careful not to use it after dark though, in terms of safety. Also, if you’re a lady alone, do not go in if you don’t see any other passenger or if it’s packed

with only men. Not that men are bad or anything (I love them, haha!), but be cautious. Better be safe than sorry isn’t it?

3. UberThis is my FAVOURITE. I will scream it out loud and will keep on screaming to whoever wants to know of the best way to get around in Cape Town. Seriously, just imagine the ease of use – you simply download the app on your smartphone, register your profile (it’s super quick), link to your credit card, a map ap-pears on your screen showing your location as well as the different taxis available and the time (in min-utes) it will take for them to reach you. Once you’ve selected between UberX (low-cost vehicle) or Uber-Black (exclusive Mercedes vehicles to arrive in style), you simply wait. You will be welcomed by a friendly driver, in a spotlessly clean car and dropped at your destination without fuss. No calling, no need to have the exact change on you (or cash at all!). The app does everything for you – you get a receipt emailed to you after the ride with a total cost breakdown. It’s cheaper than any meter cabs/taxis from my own experience (I have used meter taxis for the past 4-5 years in Cape Town, so I know what I am talking about here). Reliable, quick and user-friendly. What more could a sophisticated nomad ask for? Once you try it out, you will not regret it, trust me on that. Plus, if for some (highly unlikely) reason you are not happy with their service, they have a lovely and attentive Support team where you can vent out and they truly, truly listen. They get my utmost respect in that sense – high quality service delivery in every aspect. I might be writing some more about them – I’m this much pleased (and no, they don’t pay me to write this, just in case you are wondering! In a way, Uber is saving my arse every time I am late somewhere or stuck be-cause of the rain…). www.uber.com

By Beatrice Chanhttp://mademoisellenomad.com/


DISCOVER

I am no stranger to the gym. During my life, I have attended several different facilities over the course of a couple of decades. After I sign up, I usually get given a membership card. Then comes the grand tour. I’m shown where the weights are. Thereafter, the treadmills and the bikes and a few other contraptions which look like something out of a Transformers movie. Once that is complete, I’m normally left alone to fend for myself, unguid-ed in a foreign world of muscles, testosterone and sweat. A few months down the line, the whole experience ends and I’m left wondering what the point was and where I went wrong.

Jump to the present day and my entire perspec-tive of training has changed. After becoming a member at the Sport Science Institute of South Africa (SSISA), I immediately realised that this was no ordinary gym. This was an institute designed to help athletes and the general public alike, at-tain their peak physical fitness. Sure, it had all the usual facilities that a gym usually offered, but there was so much more to this than I had im-agined. Behind the scenes was amongst others, a vast crew of biokineticists, orthopaedic special-ists, physiotherapists, sports psychologists and di-eticians available to assist with any problems or issues that one may have. Within a week of sign-ing up, I attended a mandatory health screening and fitness test. Lasting just over an hour, this in-

teresting and informative session tested a multi-tude of things: Blood pressure, cholesterol, body fat percentage, weight distribution, cardio fitness and muscular performance to name a few. From this, my stats were reviewed and a few days later, I was presented with my own personally tailored training program. For the first time ever, it felt like I had a clear direction and knew what I needed to do to achieve my goal.

In addition to this, I learnt that the SSISA offers in house classes to help keep my fitness schedule varied and exciting. If aerobics, aqua, pilates, yoga and spinning sessions was not my cup of tea, I could try one of the more unique boxercise, pezzi & stretch, body sculpt or gyrokenisis classes. With so many to choose from, there really was some-thing for everyone to enjoy.With all this, I had the means to achieve what I wanted. The rest would be left up to my own hard work and dedication. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. But then, nothing rewarding in life ever is.

The SSISA is currently running a Winter Warmer special until the end of July 2014 for anyone want-ing to enrol. Check out their website at www.ssi-sa.com for further details or find them on Face-book and Twitter for more info.

Next month – Part two: It’s all uphill from here…

My journey with the Sport Science Institute of South Africa.

Part 1 of 3

A whole new world.


DISCOVER


I planned to review Perfect by Rachel Joyce this month. Reading it, I was enveloped by the sense of loneliness and isolation experienced by the protag-onist, Jim. The story is set on the moors which are more than just a context in which the characters exist and in which the action takes place. The book is infused by the bleak and desolate atmosphere of the moors. This is going to sound really weird, but as I was reading, I had this picture in my mind of me lying in the middle of the stark, grey-brown moor. I had the physical feeling of the bleak loneliness of it – a reflection of Jim’s inner world. I couldn’t read the book in my usual obsessive start-to-finish kind of way. It was so intense, so desperate at times that I had to take regular breaks. Joyce has done a bril-liant job of giving voice to Jim, allowing us into his internal world to experience how perplexed he is by life, which really is very perplexing indeed. Her writing is stark and without any unnecessary ex-

cess. It would be unrelenting except that she man-ages to handle the story so gently, and offer such a fragile and beautiful hope in it that it is bearable. Only just. This takes enormous skill. The book says something so important about the way that we strive for various kinds of perfection in this world, the weight of working towards it, and the ultimate and inevitable failure of ever reaching such unat-tainable goals. It’s not a light read, but it’s beauti-fully crafted. I highly recommend it.

Oh, look, I seem to have sort of reviewed it after all. Anyway, what happened to my original plan was this: It was a Sunday and I decided to read for a couple of hours. I took off the shelf a book that has been sitting there for some time. Turns out my sis-ter recommended it to me, which must have been why I bought it, but I had forgot about the recom-mendation and the book (as one does). I spent the

BOOK REvIEW: The Universe Versus Alex Woods

DISCOVER


entire day in my jammies reading The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence. And then felt compelled to review it because it has the potential, in a very unassuming way, to change your life. I love it a bit. And by a bit, I mean a lot.

A lot of things happen in Alex (Yes, we’re on a first name basis now. We’re close like that.) - unlikely, almost unbelievable things. There are meteorites, and tarot cards, and pot factories, a Kurt Vonne-gut book club, a road trip to Switzerland and other things that I can’t write about because it would give too much away. These events, however, don’t seem unlikely in the reading of the book. Really, the book is about coming of age; it’s about friendship; it’s about selflessness and selfishness, and the joy and shame of being a pariah. It’s funny without being self-conscious or cynical. It’s touching in a genuine way – it’s not sentimental and mushy.

Alex Woods, who has had an unconventional, and for a while famous childhood, hasn’t any friends when we meet him (other than his cat, Lucy, short for Lucifer). In inauspicious circumstances he

meets the elderly, somewhat crotchety Mr Peter-son and makes his first friend beginning a remark-able relationship across a generation gap or two, across two cultures, and across two very different personalities. The book deals with some serious is-sues around ethics, our right to live or die as we choose, respect in relationships, and the some-times blurred line between right and wrong. It asks us to question what may seem to be the obvious, to challenge ourselves and the messages we re-ceive from society. It does so gently, but firmly.

The book could very easily have been chaotic and disjointed, but it’s not and I applaud Extence for that. Having Alex narrate the book was a brilliant move. He takes us through the story with the per-fect amount of honesty, candour, naivety and con-viction that could not have been achieved by an older or younger character. Alex is so good that I wish I’d written it myself. I couldn’t put it down.

By Lisa Wiebesiek

DISCOVER


DISCOVER

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DISCOVER

Time to win some competitions!All competitions must be entered by 28 July 2014

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Win 1 of 5 Meal Vouchers - Scooters Pizza and Maxi’s would like to offer you five meal vouchers valued at R750.00 each

Email [email protected], Subject: Maxis

www.maxis.co.za

Three lucky readers can win 20 prints from Nifty250 including delivery

Email [email protected], Subject: Nifty250

www.nifty250.co.za

DOWNLOADTHE APP1 ENTER THE

PROMO CODE2 REQUESTYOUR RIDE3

REQUEST A PRIVATE DRIVER AT THE TAP OF A BUTTON. YOUR CARD IS AUTOMATICALLY BILLED. NO NEED TO CARRY CASH.

ENTER THE PROMO CODE

UBERFLATWHITE

IN THE UBER APP OR ON UBER.COM FOR A FREE RIDE UP TO R150.PROMO VALID IN CAPE TOWN, JOHANNESBURG, OR DURBAN. NEW USERS ONLY.

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WIN WIN WIN

Win a caricature from Martinus Van Tee

Email [email protected], Subject: Martinus

www.martinusvantee.com

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Win a silver aluminium water bottle, a navy snap back cap, a Waka branded iPhone cover and a moulded waka bowl key ring!

Prize sponsored by Wakaberry Dean Street

Email [email protected], Subject: Wakaberry

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WIN WIN WIN

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Win a 1 x Value Red & White Mixed Case from Wine Web – This includes 6 bottles, 3 red and 3 white and includes delivery.

Email [email protected], Subject: Wine

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THE END

Do you want to advertise with us?Email Christine on

[email protected]

Go on.. all the cool kids are doing it.

issue 14 july 2014

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