Waiting at a cross roads...

A day in the life of people I see on my commute.

                           

Hot cakes!

After reforming in 2011 the world has waited in anticipation for a new album from The Darkness. Since their 2005 hit album One way ticket to hell and back, the band has taken a break in order to pursue solo ventures. Despite the long break this album picks up exactly where they left off. Musically very similar to previous offerings, the album relies heavily on the piercing vocals of lead singer Justin Hawkins.

The band will be touring South Africa later this year, opening for Lady Gaga on the Cape Town leg of her born this way tour.

The first single off the album:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEhgNW-l2Ys

The scum of the earth

All Journalists are scum. At least according to a lovely lady I met the other day...

For those who don't yet know, I Au pair two young lads in the upmarket area of Sandton and one of my responsibilities is coercing them to go to swimming practice twice a week. My job ends once they are bundled into the pool and then my own personal horror begins.

You see their is very little to do at the side of a swimming pool - its why we drink so much waiting for our water polo games. Unfortunately Planet Fitness disapproves of this practice and so I am forced to endure 45 minutes of 'polite' conversation with Sandton mummies. 

It usually centers around two topics. Either how well their kids are doing in all aspects of life (having no kids myself it tends to be a rather one sided topic) or how terrible their child's particular school is. Having gone to a great school I struggle to relate to this and generally tend to suggest they send 'Precious' to boarding school. Hey, it worked for Spud.

Yesterday one of the mummies was telling me how her two young charges had been at O.R Tambo to welcome back the SA Olympic team and how terribly they had been treated by the Journalists trying to get pictures of the athletes. 

As far as I could determine, someone had stepped on her child's foot in the melee and this constituted a gross violation of media practice (or something even more insane). Anyway I let her rant fizzle out before informing her that I was in fact a journalist. And judging by her child's attempt to coordinate her breaststroke she probably stepped on her own foot.

We were at Oppi this past weekend and saw some amazing bands. But one of the highlights for me was running into a Photo-Journo who has already cut her teeth in the industry. She did her masters in war journalism (how cool) and her blog is here:

vsmeets.wordpress.com

Juggling on Oxford

Travelling through Sandton, one can not help but be impressed by the quality of busking on show. It was on the corner of Oxford and Corlett Drive that I came upon this gem of a man. Clearly already a master juggler, when I first approached him he was attempting to juggle and ride a unicycle - with hilarious consequences. Setting down the bike for a second he agreed to an impromptu photo shoot. 

In no time the bike was back out and I was treated to a lesson in the finer art of balancing what-was-not-designed-to-be-balanced. Ten minutes and a bruised pelvis later I realised that I was not cut out for this profession.

Along with the tarmac in my side, I was left with a memory to treasure from our city. The mans enthusiasm for what he does as well as a willingness to engage with a complete stranger is what is captured in this image. And one that shall be remembered by me every time I drive through the streets of Illovo. 

The watering hole

Sport has always been an important part of my life. I have also always had a special affinity for water sports in general. This photo was taken at Victoria Lake Club where I paddle and is one of the places where I feel most at home.

The sense of family within a club is also important and the picture from within the bar looking out is an expression of this. The bar forms the social center of the club but is not the most important aspect. This can be seen from the reflection of the water in the mirror.

The first image was taken late in the day with the sun behind me. The shutter speed was set to 1/50 of a second with a wide aperture. The second was with the same aperture and a 1/2 second shutter speed to compensate for the lack of light within the club house.