Issue No. 1 July 2010

FACES & PLACESParis:

A Romantic City?HUMAN RIGHTS

Zimbabwe:Purgatory on Earth

GREEN ACTIONEnergy for

the New TomorrowART & CULTUREThree Stories

SPOTLIGHTGrassroot Soccer

A World Cupfor the World

Sponsored by:Free

OURCONTRIBUTORS

© Cape Chameleon, published by Projects Abroad, South Africa, 2010All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of Projects Abroad.

Views and opinions expressed in Cape Chameleon are not necessarily those of Projects Abroad. The publisher can accept no liability or loss in connection with the contents of the publication.

DIANE BARONParis, France

Diane Baron is studying journalism in Paris. She devotes her life to sports, hugs and hot chocolate, and is determined to marry a well-built rugby player.

Projects Abroad4th Floor, Letterstedt House

Newlands on MainCorner of Campground

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Phone: +27(0)21 674 4449Fax: +44(0)1903 501026www.projects-abroad.net

www.projects-abroad.org.za

ARTUR CARACCIOLORome, Italy

Artur Caracciolo was born in Rome 25 years ago. He likes to write and ask questions, which is why after University he chose to pursue journalism, but don’t take him too seriously.

Kelly Easton lives in laid-back Cape Town. Although a qualified journalist, she finds pleasure in playing the piano and drums. She also has her black belt in karate.

KELLY EASTONCape Town, South Africa

Tosin Omilaju lives in London and is studying law. She is passionate about creativity and loves to write and sing. She hopes to travel to every continent by the age of 25 and become a black belt in karate.

TOSIN OMILAJULondon, England

Directory:

Editor

Rebecca Saraceno

Assistant Editor

Kelly Easton

Design

Antonio Gallo

Fabiola Sanchez

Cover images

Front: courtesy of Media Club South

Africa

Inside back: Emma Muller

Printed by

Colourtone Press

on FSC certified paper

Contact

Cape Chameleon

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South Africa

Phone: +27(0)21 761 5707

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www.capechameleon.co.za

website under construction

This magazine is published monthly by Projects Abroad, the leading global organiser of volunteer placements. Our incredibly wide range of projects, including teaching, care, conservation, medical, journalism, business and law are designed specially for the many communities where we work and also to provide the best experience for our volunteers. Projects Abroad is a non-profit making organisation.

Editor’s Note

Welcome to the first issue of our exciting new

journal Cape Chameleon, published by Projects

Abroad. We hope you’ll be joining us regularly

for news and updates on everything that matters: from health to

human rights, and the environment to education.

Cape Chameleon is put together by a team of enthusiasts

from all over the world: we’re a serious business, but with an

ever-expanding heart! We like to think the magazine reflects some

aspects of the country we write about; a breathtaking laid-back

Cape Town, alongside some serious issues that everyone should

know about. Just as the chameleon itself changes colour to adapt

to its environment, we aim to highlight the changing world and

how people, places and attitudes can evolve into a true rainbow

nation.

In this month’s first edition we focus on the World Cup and the

importance of this event for the South African people and some

of the good side-kicks that came out of it, like Grassroot Soccer

(pp. 4–5) and Three Stories (pp. 10–11). We also hope to give some

interesting thoughts on a mixture of other fascinating topics like

solar power parks, the ongoing struggle in Zimbabwe and on a

lighter note the city of Paris through the eyes of a local.

Join us again next month for our special issue on women, to

celebrate National Women’s Day on 9 August. Ayoba!

REBECCA SARACENOEditor

ContentsJuly 2010 Issue No. 1

EDITOR’S NOTEWELCOME

COVER STORYA WORLD CUP FOR THE WORLD

SPOTLIGHTGRASSROOT SOCCER

HUMAN RIGHTSZIMBABWE: PURGATORY ON EARTH

GREEN ACTIONSOLAR ENERGY

ART & CULTURETHREE STORIES

FACES & PLACESPARIS: A ROMANTIC CITY?

NEWS ARENAUNEXPECTED NEWS

CALENDAR

01

02

04

06

08

10

12

14

16

Cape Chameleon Cover Story July 2010

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A World Cupfor the World

Celebrations and excitement are put to rest, as South Africans embark on a path of hoarding satisfied and joyful memories of hosting the FIFA World Cup! Yet, those who were experiencing nightmares about over expenses

and the unknown have woken without fear, as they have realised just how much South Africa has achieved.

Cape Chameleon Cover Story July 2010

Measures takenIn order to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup, South Africans were expected to work hard and of course spend money to fulfil the 17 requirements made by FIFA, some of them were:

• Public transportation, which is able to cope well with such an event. South Africa spent R13 billion which covered: improvements on the roads, trains and the upgrading essential for each airport around South Africa, including the construction of a classy rapid rail system (the Gautrain runs from Pretoria to Johannesburg and to O.R Tambo International Airport).• A Police Service capable of ensuring the security of everyone during the World Cup month (including security for tourists, sportsmen, media, etc). To achieve this, the government hired, taught and gave the relevant equipment to 44,000 extra policemen, this costed around R2 billion.• Sporting infrastructure, which is modern and sufficient in size to accommodate spectators. Therefore, R12 billion was spent on building five new stadiums and it covered the cost for upgrades on the existing five stadiums. For interests sake, the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg is the biggest stadium in this country and in the world, as it includes about 90,000 seats.

• Communication systems, such as: media centres, telecommunications and information technology. For this requirement to be met, a whooping R2 billion was spent.

An additional cost covered the ‘Green Point Common’ in Cape Town, a space designed for a variety of: sports, vendors, a golf course and access to the beachfront. Let’s not forget the cost of the Fan Parks, where thousands of supporters unable to get tickets gathered to watch the games on big screens. There was also a cost of R150 million, which was paid by the city and another R30 million which was spent on the beachfront and the promenade upgrade – keeping in mind the stadium itself cost R4 billion.

Since 2005, South Africa has spent over R35 billion to host the FIFA World Cup. Minister of Transport, Sbu Ndebele, announced that a further R700 billion was to be used over the next three years to build new roads, bridges and dams for South Africa. Thus, the 2010 FIFA World Cup would have been the beginning of a new era for South Africa, creating more constructions, further upgrades and improvements, so that the country has a chance to compete with the standards of Europe and the USA.

WORDS Diane Baron

PHOTOS Diane Baron, p. 3: (TR) Rebecca Saraceno

Green Point Stadium, about a week before kick-off.

An overview of the Green Point Stadium.

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Economic impactThe money spent on this huge occasion did not go to waste, as what the country put on offer for the World Cup would undoubtedly have postive effects on the economy.

• Visitors were projected to spend R9 billion during their stay in South Africa and with around 370,000 foreigners, this is a lot of shopping . According to Grant Thornton, a leading global business and audit advisory manager, the global economic impact of this World Cup would mean that out of R90 billion, only 38% of this amount would be raised during the tournament, as 62% was already counted before 2010. This means an amount of R55 billion would be for the domestic economy. Therefore, in spite of what one may think, tourism will only have a 15% impact.• This event created around 700,000 jobs for South Africans and the government employed over 200 Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) to work on the World Cup, in order to ensure that there would be a positive local economic impact. So, South Africans would be proud to hear that their economy can expect to grow by 2.3% this year, keeping in mind the 1.8% drop in the recession last year. As a result, the gross domestic product could increase by 1.5%

Social impactAll South Africans who participated in their country’s spectacular occasion, have raised hopes for a bright future, a change in their living conditions and greater purchasing power. They showed the world their country’s remarkable natural beauty and marvellous potential. Above all, it has left a long-lasting impression on foreigners and a sentimental memory for all South Africans. The opportunity to celebrate not just their team, but their country, allowed South Africans to remember their victory over the dark apartheid years and to prove to everyone they knew the great meaning of unity. ‘Soccer is not just a game, soccer is connecting people,’ said Sepp Blatter at the concert for the opening ceremony. Although, South Africans were deeply distressed by becoming the first host nation to be knocked out of the group stages, they remembered that it did not matter, as the opportunity would not have been around 20 odd years ago.

Vuvuzelas, Macarabas, big yellow glasses, armbands decorated with South African colours, all represent South Africa’s colourful personality. The FIFA 2010 World Cup was on the whole a great success and a memorable experience for everyone. Well done South Africa and your Bafana Bafana team, for creating a glorious and memorable experience for the world!

‘Soccer is not just a game, soccer is connecting people.’

Face-painted fans of the South African football team.

One of the many mosaic artworks along the subway which takes people to the stadium.

Supporter of Bafana Bafana, the South African team, blowing his vuvuzela.

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Cape Chameleon Spotlight July 2010

Football for Hopeand Grassroot SoccerLEADERS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST HIV

In 2005 FIFA and streetfootballworld (a social profit

organisation that promotes positive change through football) began to bring non-profit and community-based organisations together creating a movement called ‘Football for Hope’. The philosophy of this movement is to maximise the potential of football by making a concrete contribution to sustain social development in the community.

During the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the first hosted by an African country, the official Football for Hope campaign ‘20 Centres for 2010’ is launched. Its aim is to achieve positive social change by building 20 Football for Hope centres for public health, education and football across Africa. These centres have to address the local social challenges that young people face in disadvantaged areas. The first Football for Hope Centre opened in Khayelitsha in the outskirts of Cape Town on 5 December 2009 and is currently the only one complete.

Why Grassroot Soccer?Grassroots Soccer is the organisation chosen as the centre host managers and—with the support of many big name sponsors like Castrol, Sony, Nike, Levi’s—is running day by day activities to teach to the children from the poor communities in townships how to prevent the spread of HIV through the medium of football.

An estimated 5.7 million people were living with HIV and AIDS in South Africa in 2009, more than in any other country in the world. An unacceptably high number of babies, around 70,000, are born with HIV every year, reflecting poor prevention of mother-to-child transmission. HIV and AIDS is one of the main contributors to South Africa’s infant mortality rate, which increased significantly between 1990 (44 deaths per 1000

WORDS Artur Caracciolo

PHOTOS courtesy of Grassroot Soccer, www.grassrootsoccer.org

The team gather for a lesson about HIV on the pitch.

5

Funded by former professional soccer players, Grassroot Soccer teaches children in the most HIV-affected countries.

The first Football for Hope centre is situated in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, the third biggest township in South Africa with over one million inhabitants.

infants) and 2008 (48 per 1000), when all regions of the world had decreases. This situation highlights how imperative it is educate the young population of the poor areas like Khayelitsha. Information about protected sex and how the HIV virus can be transmitted is essential for the new generation and is the main way to stop the spread of HIV in South Africa. That’s the goal of the Grassroot soccer organisation since its foundation in 2002, and that’s why FIFA chose them to manage the Football for Hope centre of Khayelitsha.

How the programme worksGrassroot Soccer aims to inform African youth about HIV using football as a method to build basic life skills that help boys and girls adopt healthy behaviours and live risk-free. Through a ‘skillz’ HIV/AIDS curriculum and a series of interactive activities and discussions, students gain a tangible understanding of HIV and AIDS and get a chance to practise the skills necessary for sustainable behaviour change. Key curricular topics include:

• making healthy decisions• avoiding risks• building support networks• reducing stigma and discrimination• increasing knowledge about testing and treatment• addressing gender issues and assessing values

The holiday ‘skillz’ programmeBecause of the extended school break over the 2010 World Cup they are running a special ‘skillz’ holiday program at the Football for Hope centre in Khayelitsha, running from Monday to Friday. During this period, the children who where chosen for the programme are divided into different groups (named after a national World Cup

team) and each team has his own coach to teach the rules to the children. Funny activities are intertwined with serious discussion about HIV where the youngsters (between 12 and 16 years old) can show their knowledge about HIV and learn more about it in open discussions.

Usually the children are selected from schools in the poorest areas of the city, with little or no knowledge about HIV. At the beginning of the week, every child signs a contract to join the programme. The contract is called ‘Skillz Trial Contract’ where both coach and players decide to be respectful, to care for each other, to be part of the activities, to be a role model for healthy choices and behaviours and finally to share your ‘skillz’ with others. This last goal is especially important because, as Grassroot Soccer staff say, everyone of these children has to become a ‘leader in the fight against HIV’. That’s the final purpose of the programme because when they return to their community, they have to share with their friends what they learned, this is the logic of the teamwork and life-skills programme.

A coach gives her point of viewSiphokazi is one of the coaches working for Grassroot Soccer, she’s from Khayelitsha close to the centre, and she had an interesting approach to this job: ‘One year ago my best friend found out that she was HIV positive, when I knew that I was terrified and I stopped going out with her. I didn’t know anything about HIV so I thought that even staying close to her was risking infection, she was really sad about my reaction. After I went to the Grassroot

Soccer coach training programme, I understood how wrong I was and I changed my mind so now everything is fine between us.’ This is a typical reaction in a township like Khayelitsha, where people have no real information about HIV and therefore discriminate against anyone who is infected. That’s why Siphokazi feels the importance of her job as something the community really need ‘When I come back home I continue to work, I speak to people about HIV and about prevention, because behind every corner there is a person who doesn’t know anything about that and it’s dangerous.’

‘A lot of people in Khayelitsha think that having sex with a virgin could cure them from HIV, this is the kind of myth people trust about this disease. I feel that this programme is working, the kids that arrive here are ready to learn and I think they understand our message. After the end of the programme they come back to the centre to play soccer on our field and they bring other friends with them. Spreading the word within the community is essential, and is what we say at the end of the week programme, “be a leader in the fight against HIV and bring what you have learned here to others.”’

The feeling that the Football for Hope centre in Khayelitsha is a success is clear. One of the officers of Grassroot Soccer, Mr Bubele Beja, said that since the inauguration of the centre in December, the improvement of this area is tangible: ‘More and more youngsters prefer to play soccer here and join our activities than taking drugs or robbing other people. We are making a difference’.

‘Be a leader in the fight against HIV and bring what you have learned here to others.’

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Cape Chameleon Human Rights July 2010

ZimbabwePURGATORY ON EARTH

There is a country brightened by the sun’s raw light. There is a country where shack-dwellers

thirst for more than sanitary water. There is a region where the tender vista of beautiful people clash with the eeriness of seeing children who have distended tummies. And there is a nation that cries for more than indispensible support, as the hope they have for a struggle-free life diminishes every day. Before we all forget: there are people like you and me, living in Zimbabwe.

Blessings of human dignity and glee, are absent from citizens bound by the unethical laws made by their pitiless dictator, Robert Mugabe, as it is for reasons other than popularity that Mugabe is the world’s oldest Head of State. To further his 30 year reign and protect his character, Mugabe has made certain Zimbabwean’s live under laws of draconianism, making it a crime for any person to compose belittling remarks about him. Therefore, it becomes figuratively obvious that he has caused Zimbabwe’s land to fracture, due to poor deceit. For ‘his’ country wins the trophy of shame, for having the highest annual inflation rate in the world for almost seven years straight.

Inflation and more inflationThe country’s sky scraping inflation has wiped out savings, caused falling production and the inability to pay for imports. These resulted in a shortage of electricity, water, fuel, basic merchandise and why even fuss over the worthless Zim Dollar? As the catastrophic political and economic strategies of Zimbabwe’s present government has caused this scarcity and an outrageous economic fall.

On the contrary, these skyscraping inflation rates could be brought to a standstill in 12 years, if there is a dramatic political transformation. Yet, on the grounds of an unflinchingly severe law, give their government some due by remembering their personal attempts to lower their high inflation. Although, by doing away with ten zeros from their currency and by changing it fully, all they managed to do was screw up their inflation even more.

On another flat note, Zimbabwe’s tantalising food security has left white farmers to live apprehensively, due to frequent legal and political overtures neglecting to end the violent evictions of white farmers from their land. There were roughly 4,000 white-owned farms, which were given to black people, who had absolutely no ownership of land. However, this Robin Hood tale of steal from the rich and give to the poor has resulted in Zimbabwe only being able to manufacture less than 10,000 tonnes of wheat, a mere third of the national requirement. This cause-to-effect scenario continues, and if low production can have a negative impact on

WORDS Kelly Easton

PHOTOS courtesy of Irin News, www.irinnews.org

Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe is a pitiless dictator determined to have his way.

7

the middle class Zimbabweans, one can only imagine what effect this situation has on its poor.

Terminate the sufferingSo why should these innocent people suffer because of an unflattering government? So many countries seem to be lead by their pride, and for some of us the constant cues of another country’s issues only exist as sore entertainment in the news.

It’s hard to admit, but as South Africans we seem to be thanking our neighbouring country who regularly fought against the imposition of economic approval for our South African government during the dim years of apartheid, by modestly allowing: hatred, poverty and suffering to overwhelm their innocent people. It is a universal truth that South Africans have proven overtime that they have the strength and ability to overcome setbacks. So, as their neighbours, why can’t we help them, like they helped us?

How can you help? For the revival of: education, health, water, civil services and basic reconstruction of infrastructure; people willing to assist as donors in the fundamental steps to reconstruct growth could pursue a humanitarian aiding assistant strategy. One could do this by starting their own voluntary organisation – getting funds and sharing ideas to eradicate even a fraction of their problems.

The bottom line is that we as individuals need to get involved, even if the first steps taken are to create awareness on self created websites or Blogs both locally and internationally. There are so many former Zimbabweans living in first world countries who have powerful resources, if they became aware of their former Zimbabwean’s lopsided suffering, surely they would want to help too.

Jacob Zuma has recently celebrated a year as our President and promised to try to resolve disagreements between Mugabe

and Prime Minister Tsvangirai. If we, as a nation, put pressure on him in his early phases of parliament, we could beseech him to assist powerfully in this drastic state of Zimbabwe.

There are so many ways we can help. At this moment we can pray for those who endure soreness for the consequences of having nothing. We can help a naive child, who bleeds for a smile and we could care for those who bawl for a comfort and support. We can restore faith in those who have burned theirs. We can take initiative! In order live a life, we need to make a living and in order to make a living we need to give. We need to stop a country from fading away, by realising Zimbabwe is purgatory on earth.

Zimbabwean children walk far to get clean water, as safe drinking water is not easily accessible.

Most children in Zimbabwe cannot have a proper education, due to finances.

For the revival of: education, health, water, civil services and basic reconstruction of infrastructure; people willing to assist as donors in the fundamental steps to reconstruct growth could pursue a humanitarian aiding assistant strategy.

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Cape Chameleon Green Action July 2010

Solar ParksENERGY FOR THE NEW TOMORROW

With the demand of electricity set to increase

100% by 2030, it is imperative we wake up to the fact that the country of South Africa is amongst the best in the world for solar resource.

Once worshipped as a deity in ancient times, the sun has never more been at the pinnacle of our modern day times. With traditional coal-fired power stations struggling to keep up with the growth of the nation and with electricity costs soaring, the renewable energy from the sun is a lifesaver in all senses of the word.

Ryan Hammond from Solaire Direct (www.solairedirect.co.za) explains that in the past people would find it easy to argue that any kind of renewable energy was expensive, but now—with advances in technology and manufacture—the difference in cost between traditional and renewable is becoming more and more in line. For example, the solar panels (PV modules) have halved in price since 2008

and the PV solar park is designed to last 25 years which provides a longterm solution.

Solar parksThese areas of land produce 100% green electricity. There is no concrete or permanent structures involved in the creation of the solar parks, instead large metal pins are placed in the ground which allow grass to grow in between. There is a security fence around the park but there are ‘wildlife corridors’ which mean there is minimal impact on animal movement, and cattle can still graze and wildlife can retain natural habitat.

How does it work? Solaire will rent the land from a farmer for a 25 year lease and construct the solar

WORDS Rebecca Saraceno

PHOTOS courtesy of Solaire Direct, www.solairedirect.co.za

Sheep graze happily between the solar panels.

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park. As the power park is all produced environmentally, the grass

and plants will be re-seeded to rehabilitate the land around the

panels. The panels catch the sun and the energy creates electricity

that is then connected to the national grid and it is sold to the

network operator, in this case to Eskom in South Africa.

Why use solar energy?The reasons to go down the solar energy route are not just

environmental, also they are sustainable and capable of producing

a huge amount of electricity. For instance, Eskom are building two

massive power stations, Medupi (in Lephalale, Limpopo Province)

and Kusile Project (near Emalahleni, Mpumalanga) which will

create approximately 4,800 mega watts in the traditional energy

source (coal), whereas Solaire create smaller plants which can

produce up to 10 mega watts. The difference is not just how

much electricity produced, but how it is distributed. Solaire have

smaller power stations, but they are located closer to where the

energy is needed, whereas centralized power stations require an

extensive network of wires to distribute the power to where it is

needed. These extensive networks result in power losses so for

example for every unit of electricity generated in the north of the

country, only 70–80% may reach places in the south.

The green economy planSouth Africa’s Green Economy Summit (held in Johannesburg,

May 2010) highlighted the essential move ‘towards a resource

efficient, low carbon and pro-employment growth path’. The

summit intended to engage stakeholders on the development of

a ‘green economy plan’ which should be finalized by end of July

2010. This plan would outline the work required to develop key

elements to progress ‘sustainable consumption and production’.

It is reassuring to know the government are on the case for more

eco-friendly alternatives and have taken onboard the serious

nature of depleting the earth’s resources. In addition, Eskom are

offering a grant of between 15–30% off installation costs to

households that invest in solar water heaters (the geyser is the

biggest drain on household electricity bills) so although there is an

expensive initial outlay, the benefits completely outweigh the price

of the start up cost.

Immediate actionIt is also worth remembering, it’s not just about big corporations

making policies to invoke change, we can all look at how we live

and what small changes we can make to help save energy. Start

in the home, look at your lifestyle and work out how you can

reduce the amount of energy used to live your life. Small actions

like turning off standby appliances, use energy-saving bulbs,

switch off the geyser when you go away on holiday, take showers

instead of baths; all these changes will make a difference. There

is no better time to think and act responsibly when it comes to

energy-saving. And solar power is just one of players in a much

wider field of sustainable energy, we have to explore the options

of wave power and wind power. With all these different methods

of green, renewable energy, it could almost feel as if nature is

giving us a second chance...

Grass and plants are re-seeded in the land below the panels.

A solar park near Les Mees, in the south of France; the panels are tilted to catch the most rays.

It is also worth remembering, it’s not just about big corporations making policies to invoke change, we can all look at how we live and what small changes we can make to help save energy.

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Cape Chameleon Art & Culture July 2010

Three StoriesCHANGING THE WAY WE SEE ART

WORDS Tosin Omilaju

PHOTOS Artur Caracciolo, p. 11: (TL) Ricky Lee Gordon

To further the ‘Celebrate Originality’ campaign, /Word of Art are hosting the eclectic exhibition ‘Three Stories’ bringing together inspired ideas of art and youth culture whilst introducing a visually stimulating slant on the World Cup season in diverse Cape Town. At Woodstock Industrial Centre, the venue for this original concept, Gordon talks to Cape Chameleon to tell us more about bringing creativity, art and football together.

‘/WORD OF ART’ IS HOSTING ‘THREE STORIES’, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE ‘/WORD OF ART’ AS AN ORGANISATION?/Word of Art is a story. It’s my story and my philosophy towards art and the way I would like to inspire other people to feel about art. It’s been changing so much over two years already, that I don’t like to say that it is this or that. It started as a type of company where I represented artists. However, that involved a lot more work behind the laptop and stifled the creative vision of the company. So I opened the gallery in this building on the ground floor and I kept the third floor as a studio. When I did that I approached Adidas with the concept of the ‘Three Stories’ as I already had the infrastructure and the philosophy behind it so it was very easy for them to support it. The gallery is to celebrate young artists and the studio is to host creative events.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE ADIDAS AS THE BRAND TO IMPLEMENT YOUR IDEA OF ‘THREE STORIES’?I wanted to work with Adidas as I thought it was the perfect synergy. I think compared to other brands they understand the creative lifestyle more. The history of Adidas and what it has actually done for hip hop culture and creative culture is one that is so big, bigger than the brand itself even understands or can comprehend. The power that brands can have on society is very interesting and I prefer to look at branding as a positive tool to reach an audience.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE CONCEPT OF THE ‘THREE STORIES’?When I was 18 years old I had a wish list of things I wanted to do and at the end of the list was a big festival. Three days of music, art and dance. Nothing like this existed in South Africa and I have

Ricky Lee Gordon started working with graffiti at the age of 15, now 10 years later as well as being an established artist, he is the founder of two projects ‘/A Word of Art’ and ‘Write on Africa’ and is working with the world famous

sports brand, Adidas as creative director on the ‘Three Stories’ project.

/AWOA Art Space, some of the artists getting the Papergirl-SA Exhibition ready

The Apartment, third floor in the Woodstock Industrial Building

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been overseas and experienced festivals with this type of young style. When I first found this building I saw the potential for this building and I went to Adidas and said we must do something. They replied saying that there was no opportunity yet but next year we have the World Cup which would be perfect. Adidas liked the project as they saw that this wasn’t just a building it was the people in the building, the energy of the building, what the building stood for.

TELL US MORE ABOUT THE PAPERGIRL-SA EXHIBITION?We didn’t invent this concept it actually comes from Berlin. It is such a good idea that it has been adopted by 17 cities around the world. We contacted Germany saying we wanted to do it and they gave us permission as long as we kept it for everyone and followed these easy instructions: create the exhibition, create ‘Ride Day’ (so after the exhibition we take the artwork and give it away to people) and then have a party to celebrate the idea. We could interpret it uniquely to South Africa. The concept is ‘Art belongs to everyone.’ Sometimes in society people don’t understand that they can also go and experience art. So with this project we go and take this experience to people directly and maybe after this they will be inspired to go and find more artistic experiences for themselves.

PROJECTS SUCH AS ‘THREE STORIES’ APPEAR TO BENEFIT CAPE TOWN. WHY DID YOU SPECIFICALLY DECIDE TO DO THIS FOR ONE MONTH ONLY?It is part of the strategy of Adidas to have a space during the World Cup where people can feel comfortable and watch the football in a different environment. Logistically and financially it’s difficult to do something that is longer than a month.

This is already costing so much money as there is no income and the Kitchen is just a service to the customer it’s not really a money making thing. Also, I worked for six months to get to this project and I need now to take break. I live next door here and I have no life [laughs]. So it is good to pause and to and move on to the next project. I am very interested in creating projects that make a big difference to the art community.

YOU GREW UP IN JOHANNESBURG AND MOVED TO CAPE TOWN TWO YEARS AGO. HOW HAS LIVING IN THE TWO CITIES AFFECTED YOUR ART?Cape Town is closer to the world creatively, there are more international people living here. Joburg was a city that was more about work ethic and opportunities and money. I moved to Cape Town because I didn’t want to have a life of just making profit. I wanted to work with people and projects –that’s more special to me. Therefore, the shift to Cape Town has made me more aware and more appreciative of creativity. Joburg is very good at selling things and getting things funded but yet the focus and the quality is not as good as in Cape Town. I think Joburg gave me that working energy and that’s where I learnt how to take opportunities and now I have applied this to Cape Town.

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE THE ARTISTIC STYLE YOU WORK WITH?‘New-brow’, which is a new movement. It comes from ‘low-brow’. The ‘low-brow’ movement started in San Francisco in the 1970s with graffiti art, skateboard art, punk art, contemporary modern art all mixed up. It’s this attitude that I’m an artist and I don’t need to go to school and I can make something and it might be ugly to

you but my friends like it. There is also this movement called ‘high-brow’ which was very snooty and for rich people. So it’s being said now, ‘It’s not high and it’s not low, it’s just new.’ The attitude is not the same as low-brow because you can come in with a different attitude saying I want to go to school and I want to be very clever about my art. It’s saying to the system: why do we have to have labels?

ARE THERE ANY OTHER FORTHCOMING PROJECTS BEYOND ‘/WORD OF ART’?I run another project called ‘Write on Africa’ and this project is not for profit. The money I make I am putting into this project. Basically it is to do creative projects, exciting projects to inspire the youth with no agenda. I go into a community and paint a mural and younger artists contact me saying they like the project and they want to use the project to create something themselves. With this I have no criteria and can say yes to everyone. I don’t have to select because the end result is about social change so more people can identify with the philosophy of ‘Write on Africa’ which is that everyone must be exposed to art, everyone must be inspired and we must all inspire each other. It is our responsibility as South African youth to not only think about South Africa but to think about Africa and to think about the way the rest of the world sees Africa and I think art is a perfect tool to communicate that point of view.

For more information check out: www.a-word-of-art.co.za and www.writeonafrica.org

Ricky Lee Gordon relaxing in front of one of his dynamic pieces of artwork.

/Word of Art Exhibition bringing art to the people.

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Cape Chameleon Faces & Places July 2010

Paris, the capital of France, is known to be the place where

lovers from all over the world go to visit. It is also said to be a delicate and charming city, a welcoming place for all its tourists. However, it is time that someone told the truth about the city of Paris...

The most common places one would visit in Paris are: the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, Louvre Museum and the Notre Dame Church. They are indeed spectacular, unique and famous all over the world for their historical, architectural, social and religious backgrounds. I visited them all and I can agree they are worth the trip and are places one should experience at least once in one’s life.

WeatherOn a lesser note, the climate in Paris is not always that pleasant, as temperatures can reach a mere 12 degrees during the winter months. Luckily for us we have something that South African’s seem to lack in their households – heaters! It also rains much more often during the winter in Cape

Paris: A ROMANTIC CITY?

WORDS Diane Baron

PHOTOS p. 12: Ganzler Orsolya, p. 13: Enrico Nunziati, www.sxc.hu

The Eiffel Tower is an 1889 iron lattice, which is located on the Champ-de-Mars in Paris.

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Town, than it does in my home city, as one can expect pleasant drizzle that will last less than two hours.

TransportSometimes I feel privileged to live in a place like Paris for one reason only, our reliable public transport. Living in Cape Town for one month, I discovered how poor and prehistoric public transportation is in this city. Cape Town’s train stations are neither speedy nor safe and my guess is that their minibuses were likely to have been built around the time when dinosaurs were hiking on their pretty mountains. Ok maybe that is a little extreme, but Paris does have metros every three minutes and eight minutes on weekends. The metros link every district and there are many different lines (about 16) that are safe to travel on anytime, there are five main suburban high-speed lines (although they are often on strike). We also have buses, which arrive every fifteen minutes, but they are not very popular. Buses battle through the busy traffic in Paris so one cannot always estimate how long one’s journey will be. On the other hand, the only advantage of using transport in Cape Town rather than in Paris is the cost of travelling is much cheaper.

Reading this article might make one think, ‘I would rather live in Paris than Cape Town,’ if so please don’t! Transportation and significant monuments are all Paris has to offer to you, as apart from those aspects Paris is everything but a dream.

The localsThe French are known for their constant complaining and with only a few exceptions, people rarely smile. These grim Parisians always seem to be in a hurry – walking straight and looking down at their feet. There were often times when I attempted to be polite or warm towards them, but the only response I ever received was an odd look, as if to say, ‘What a weird girl, she must be a tourist.’ However, the point I’m trying to make is that even if I were a tourist I would still receive an unfriendly reaction if I were to smile at a Parisian. Most of the time Parisians aren’t eager to engage in a friendly conversation with a tourist, as that would meant they have to change from their familiar French to their hated school subject – English.

Are Parisians helpful citizens? Well, with their manner towards strangers the answer to that question is no! In fact, due to isolation and a selfish lifestyle, certain Parisians are often predictable when they respond to a tourist who may ask for directions. For instance, on elderly lady would think a person coming close to her has a desire to knock her over with her own walking stick and run away with her Louis Vuitton purse. I dare say the reaction of child, as they would bite you with whatever is left of their baby teeth! This reminds me to mention how children in Paris are educated a la Parisian, always screaming and not willing to share their chocolate éclairs. I would say that considering the behaviour of Parisians,

Cape Tonians are so much nicer, as they are always eager to talk to a foreigner.

Yet, enough about that! Allow me to tell you how Parisians drive, the right words to describe this dreadful action would be: fast, careless, disrespectful and angry. Yes, angry at other drivers who in fact drive just like them. Therefore, the roads in Paris are not at all safe for a young child to cross on their own, as Parisian drivers are always in a hurry.

Keen to visit?I always believed one’s mood can influence one’s environment and this explains why Pairs lacks vegetation. Therefore, one would see the colour grey more often than the colour green, so would it be fair to ask, if Parisians would be as happy as Cape Tonian, if they also saw greenery more often? I think it is possible, but at the moment the mood of Parisians is as grey as their environment!

Considering all the above, Paris is undoubtedly a wonderful city to visit as a holiday destination, but it is definitely not a place I would recommend for someone to live in. Whatever you heard about Paris or whatever you dreamed it looked like is likely to be wrong. It is a place full of noise and the colour grey, deceiving people with hopes of romance and unfriendly French speaking people. Yet, at the end of at all Paris is my home and home to all those who prefer solitude and dullness!

Hiking in the Andes. Bolivia.

Radiant at night time and requested by the French Emperor Napoleon, the Arc de Triomphe stands boldly in Paris.

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Cape Chameleon News Arena July 2010

Unexpected News

WORDS Diane Baron

PHOTOS p. 14: (T) Tash Whiteley, (B) Benis Arapovic, www.sxc.hu; p. 15: (TR, BR) Rebecca Saraceno;

(C) Michael Helmer, www.sxc.hu

A WORTHWHILE SHARK TALE!According to recent studies at the University of Florida, one can minimise their risk of being attacked by a wandering shark by not wearing a black-and-white swimming costume when going to the beach. George Burgess from the university has cleverly discovered just how a shark gets drawn to their prey. You have no need to read it again, as you are not dreaming! The unexpected study points out that sharks are more likely to attack swimmers when the water is shallow and on Sundays when there is either a new or a full moon. It also shows that if one is wearing a black-and-white bikini, one’s chances of being attacked can rapidly increase, as a shark’s eyes are attracted to the colour contrast of black-and-white. These claims are based on observations and statistics, which were gathered over approximately 50 years in Florida, a place known for its large amount in shark attacks. Last but not least, they are also attracted to a person’s feet movements. To sum it all up, one can safely go swimming as long as you don’t swim in these conditions! Let’s just say that we are really looking forward to the next study, maybe on spiders?

FACEBOOK: THE PRIVATE DETECTIVEWho said Facebook was just a waste of time? It was surely not for the Californian mother who found her two children after 15 years, all thanks to the social network. Her son and daughter were kidnapped by their father in 1995, at the ages of two and three. Acknowledging the growing popularity of Facebook, this determined mother decided to type her children’s names on the research page and found out that they were living in Central California. She invited them to chat with her as Facebook friends and once they accepted, they began sending messages back and forth until the day came when they finally met at the beginning of June this year for the first time. The mother had contacted her attorney and soon after her children’s father was arrested and he was put into jail. This was a Facebook story with a happy ending!

Shark alert: sharks are more likely to attack swimmers in unexpected situations.

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WHO IS THAT MAN?There is definitely not such a thing as attending a funeral for the sake of the dead, well at least that is what a 40-year-old man from New Zealand had in mind. For weeks, he invited himself to funerals of people he didn’t know and at the sporty rhythm of four per week; it was clearly becoming a bad habit! The moment when no one was looking at him, he would eat as much food as possible at the refreshment’s table. His bad habit however, was packing away extra food in plastic containers, which he hid in his man-bag to take home! Luckily for the dead, the Harbour City Funerals managed to get a photograph of the unknown funeral attendee, but he was not arrested. He merely disappeared after being kicked out by an angry family member, at one of the funerals he attended. A Wellington Undertakers simply said, ‘This kind of incident can happen... from time to time.’ It’s a shame the dead cannot speak for themselves, or can they?

SHE’S NO SPRING CHICKEN!A few weeks back, Indonesia decided to count the inhabitants of its 6,000 islands. Jackpot! It brought light to the existence of a 157-year-old woman. Her name is Turinah and she’s from a little village on the Sumatra Island. However, it is impossible to confirm if she really is as old as she claims to be, as there are no official documents to prove her actual age. Yet, the experts appear to believe her and bearing in mind the fact that her adopted daughter is 108 years old, it does not make it hard for anyone else to believe her either.

THE LONGEST POKER GAME EVER!The American poker star Phil Laak (37) participated in a record long poker game on Saturday 5 June. Laak sat focussed for 79 hours at a poker table in the Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas. He began to play on the Wednesday and had the right to a five minute break every hour. In that time he would stretch his muscles, do some yoga or take a quick shower. He also had a private dietician who would bring food to him every five hours. The dietician however, had the player on a special low fat and low sugar diet since January. Phil Laak announced immediately after his success that he now wanted to try out a 90-hour game to beat his own record!

Wynberg cemetery is a perfect example of how the dead can’t tattle-tale, if they had an unexpected guest at their funeral.

A complete poker set, including all the chips needed for the gambling game.

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Cape Chameleon Calendar July 2010

CalendarOF EVENTS FOR JULY

the ‘Comrades’ of extreme canoe racing

in South Africa. The race gets underway

from Paarl, following a time trial the

previous day to settle the seeding of the

top competitors, and ends four days later

at Velddrif on the West Coast.

> UBUNTU FESTIVALDATE Fri 16 July–Sun 18 July

VENUE Mandela Rhodes Place on

Church Street and St George’s Mall,

Cape Town City Centre

INFO 021 556 8200

WHAT IT’S ABOUT A real South African

festival with music, entertainment and

food in the city centre’s historic spot.

There will be special events to celebrate

Mandela Day on Sunday 18 July.

> FRANSCHHOEK BASTILLE FESTIVALDATE Sat 17 July–Sun 18 July

VENUE Franschhoek town centre

WHAT IT’S ABOUT This annual event

celebrates the culinary centre’s French

Huguenot heritage, a family festival with

food, wine and entertainment.

> LOERIES TRAVELLING EXHIBITIONDATE Thu 22 July

VENUE Vega — The Brand

Communication School, Cape Town

COST Free

INFO Raylene Dollie,

raylene@theloerieawards.co.za

www.theloerieawards.co.za

WHAT IT’S ABOUT The Loeries

travelling exhibition with an adobe CS5

workshop in Cape Town (Vega School).

Adobe CS5 Workshops are a showcase

of enhanced, latest and greatest

features in the newly launched Adobe

Creative Suite 5 software. The workshop

will benefit all creative professionals;

from print, web to video production,

> STELLENBOSCH FOOD & WINE MARKETDATE Thu 1 July–Sun 4 July

VENUE Oude Libertas wine estate,

Stellenbosch

COST R50 for adults, children under the

age of 12 are free

INFO www.wineroute.co.za/festival

WHAT IT’S ABOUT A gourmet market

with food and wine, plus some arts

and crafts stalls and entertainment for

children as well.

> AFRICA LEADERSHIP RETREATDATE Mon 4 July–Tue 13 July

VENUE Cape Town, Durban and Joburg

COST check online

INFO Oscar Tshifure, oscar@vumacom.

co.za, www.africaleadership2020.com

WHAT IT’S ABOUT The attendants will

gather to discover, address, and create

strategic investment and partnership

opportunities, within different industry

sectors. The ALR will be held over eight

days, at venues in Cape Town, Durban

and Johannesburg.

> CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL BALLET COMPETITIONDATE Mon 12 July–Sat 17 July

VENUE Artscape Opera House

COST tickets from computicket

WHAT IT’S ABOUT A competition for

local and international dancers, a chance

for the competitors to sign up with new

dance companies that are there to find

new talent.

> BERG RIVER MARATHONDATE Tue 13 July–Sat 17 July

VENUE starts in Paarl ends in Velddrif

INFO www.berg.org.za

WHAT’S IT ABOUT The Berg River

Canoe Marathon is sometimes called

students and photographers. The Loeries

exhibition runs from 19–26 July 2010.

> BABA INDABADATE Fri 23 July–Sun 25 July

VENUE Cape Town International

Convention Centre

COST R45 per person

INFO 021 689 3262

WHAT IT’S ABOUT Fantastic expo with

all kinds of baby and toddler retailers and

suppliers coming together to showcase

their products.

> CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIRDATE Fri 30 July–Mon 2 Aug

VENUE Cape Town International

Convention Centre

COST adults R60, students and

pensioners R25, children until the age

of 13 are free

INFO www.capetownbookfair.com

WHAT IT’S ABOUT The Cape Town

Book Fair is an exciting, vibrant meeting

place that brings together readers,

writers and publishers in meaningful

exchanges of concepts. This year the

theme of the public section of the fair

is ‘Where the Story Begins...’ The CTBF

will be opened by Archbishop Desmond

Tutu. Now in its fifth edition, the Cape

Town Book Fair is also moving towards

the digital age and the focus will be on

going digital.

Cape Chameleon Cover Story July 2010