Recent travels and some updates

I've been absent from Travelling without Moving for almost a month - I apologise for that. I got into a bit of tight spot at work for my travel writing on the Travelstart blog as apparently I was in breach of a clause in my contract, which led to a decent discussion with the bosses and an amicable way forward.

I have since decided not to pursue the travel writing for Travelstart and even though I'm a little bummed about it, I understand that work practices need to be upheld so instead I'll be using this blog for more than just travel updates.

From time to time, I'll share with you interesting events, travels, musings and new learnings that life has to offer - all in an effort to keep you interested and share my experience of the world with you.

Please do feel free to let me know what you'd most like to read about as I'd like to start offering you discussions that you would want to partake in. Remember blogs do more than entertain and inform and I'd like to really hone in on the social networking phenomenon that's taking place in SA by allowing, you my readers to also get involved.

Now for some travel news: My latest long weekend was spent with family in Pietermaritzburg and Durban. I love the fresh perspective a holiday can give you and I got just that along with honing my Guitar Hero 3 Xbox gaming skills.

I'm absolutely addicted to that game and have been flirting with the idea of buying a Nintendo Wii so I can play interactive games with friends and family to my hearts content. Off course I'd have to fight off the serious urge I have on going big for my 25th that's coming up in a month's time so woe is me, I've got some decision-making to do.

What did you get up to this long weekend? Tell me, I'd really love to know and get some ideas for lazy winter weekends indoors.

Btw- I've started reading again. A fantastic start before Winter huh? I thought so;-)

Pro20 Cricket Season begins!

I'm not much of a long term cricket fan but I remember the days my granddad would steal front row seats in the lounge in order to watch the game unrivaled by us kids. It was actually a great experience as my grandfather was very much into his cricket and he became quite boisterous when things weren't going his team's way.

I used to be enthralled just watching him jump up and down rumbling at the TV screen, but nowadays I'm sometimes caught reenacting those same movements that I found so funny about my granddad:-)

I like fast paced action and that's the reason why Pro20 cricket appeals to me. It's all about the action and chasing big scores which are built up by the 4's and 6's that are pummeled out by the fearless batsmen.

This year promises to be a super series and the excitement starts on 25 march 2008 and carries through for a month until the finals on 25 April 2008. For those of you who are not familiar with Pro20 cricket, it's a new formula of cricket that was founded by Standard Bank South Africa and is all about the action and the concept of 'sportainment'. The Pro20 series is a limited–overs tournament which has added another dimension to domestic cricket in SA and it involves 20 overs per innings where each match lasts approximately three hours.

See the Standard Bank website for more info.

Why Cape Town is wow!

The Cape Town International Jazz Festival takes place from the 28-30 March 2008. It is the most anticipated music festival for the astute jazz lover and has been rated as one of the best music festivals in South Africa.

The Dutch version of the North Sea Jazz Festival-Den Haag is regarded as one of the most prestigious Jazz festivals in the world, and the concept was initiated by jazz promoter, Paul Acket.

Unlike its Dutch counterpart, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival has a unique programming line-up with a 50/50 talent split between Africa and the rest of the world. The musical event allows for "local musicians to take their rightful place alongside International musicians, to the benefit of a very dynamic art form". The A Passion for jazz website says it's no wonder the media has dubbed the Cape Town International Jazz Festival as "Africa's Grandest Gathering", as it is certainly regarded as the most prestigious on the continent.

Cape Town International Jazz Festival is hosted at Cape Town's International Convention Centre (CTICC). Did you know that more & more airlines have recognised the importance of Cape Town as a destination?

Emirates Airline has sought to launch their new non-stop Cape Town to Dubai service at the end of the month and Delta Airlines will commence their direct Cape Town to New York service on 4 June 2008.

Human Rights Day

South Africa is not a war torn country and unlike many other African countries, all South Africans are citizens of an independent state. It is with this in mind that I'd like to reflect on what Human Rights Day means in South Africa.

In a democratic South Africa, it means we all should share in the basic human right to life, first and foremost. It also means or rather symbolizes the right to freedom which was not afforded to non-white people during Apartheid rule of our country.

Now our Bill of Rights which is contained in the Constitution is the cornerstone of democracy in South Africa. The Constitution has provided for the establishment of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) of which the aim is to promote respect for human rights, promote the protection, development and attainment of human rights, and to monitor and assess the observance of human rights in SA. The SAHRC was launched on 21 March 1996, 35 years after the fateful events of 21 March 1960 when demonstrators were gunned down by police. In Apartheid South Africa, this day became known as "Sharpeville Day".

Even though South Africa has loosened its shackles of its past woes, the country is grappled with other difficulties like the current energy shortages, the crime statistics and our shaky political system. But as opposed to deflating a young person's positivity, I remain optimistic under the circumstance because life as we know it, is ever-changing, and South Africa's persistence to change and develop will only allow our country to grow for the better. That is what I choose to celebrate and commemorate on 21 March 2008 on Human Rights Day in SA.

14th MTN SAMAs

I wrote a post on Deshanta's World about the South African Music Awards and think it's worth a read if you're a South African music fan. This year's nominees are a bunch of really talented super starts in their own right and they deserve all the support they get!

Check it out here