Red Brick Beauty

I've been living in Pietermaritzburg for about 4 months and one building I just can't stop admiring is the city hall. I can't help but look at it every time I walk or drive pass. And rightfully so, the city hall is remnant of a very interesting history of South Africa and the city itself.

The City Hall is the largest red-bricked building in the Southern Hemisphere (google confirms that it still has that title). The original red-brick building was destroyed by fire in 1895 but was rebuilt in 1901 using the same style of brick. I've only ever been inside the hall once. 

One side of the City Hall.  The largest red-brick building in the Southern Hemisphere. 

The building itself is absolutely beautiful. The city hall organ is also one of the largest pipe organs in the Southern Hemisphere. The building was declared a national landmark in 1969. The regal city hall in all its glory, is a constant reminder of our Victorian past with its prominent 47m high  bell tower which rings every hour, on the hour. 

I haven't explored much of the inside but certainly from the outside I can admire its beauty and the high level of craftsmanship that went into its construction.

The west-side of the hall. 

The building looks its best when the sun is setting and all the lights are on. It gives it an amazing glow. 

Located at the intersection of two very busy streets. 

As with most city halls, the hall is used for all sorts of events. The KZN Philharmonic Orchestra also makes regular visits to the hall and you can hear the sound of violins and harps through the hallways. 

Colourful Unspoken Legends

Although native to South America, Jacaranda trees can be found all over the country but more so in Pretoria which is popularly known as Jacaranda City due to the large number of Jacaranda trees on the streets, parks and gardens. In flowering time (October - November) the city appears blue/purple in colour when seen from a nearby hill. Other cities however, also have Jacaranda trees, but not as many as Pretoria.

Some Jacaranda trees in Pietermaritzburg CBD.

The trees have a superstition attached to them. It is said that if a Jacaranda bloom falls on your head, it's considered good luck and you are likely to pass your exams (it's also possible to be stung by bees lol). However, if you have not started studying by the time the Jacaranda blooms, it is considered bad luck and you are unlikely to do well. So the blooming of the tree becomes an unspoken time marker for when you should start studying. These superstitions exist not only in South Africa but also Australia and America. 

The blooming is a festive time as it welcomes spring. Reminds me of the cherry blossoms in Korea and Japan. Unfortunately South Africa has passed new laws regarding the planting of these invader trees in order to protect indigenous species. They don't have to be removed however, new trees are prohibited from being planted. 

Jacaranda blooms against the blue sky. 

It's a special time for matrics in South Africa, who started their final exams yesterday. It's obviously too late to start studying now but let's hope a few Jacaranda blooms fell on their heads for that extra kick of good luck. 

Workin' The Big City: SAB World Of beer

On Friday my Uncle and Aunt made a surprise visit to Jo'Burg. My weekend adventure was awesome. I really got to know city and I got the most out of my trip.

Bright and early on Saturday morning, we headed out to see a very interesting and famous site- the SAB World of Beer. Unfortunately beer was not flowing from waterfalls, but we did get a lot of freebies (including beer) all for only R55.

Up until this visit, I was unaware that such a museum existed. Again, I was excited to see what it's about.

We joined a 10:30 am tour group which had about 10 people. Our tour guide was a chirpy, middle-age man with detailed knowledge of the process of making beer as well as its history. The tour was about 90 minutes.

The World of Beer is a museum that shows the history of beer by way of videos, demonstrations, models and information from our guide. It includes the traditional and modern ways of making beer as well as specific focus on the South African Brewery (SAB). Beer is of course a staple in the alcohol-consuming world so this is a major tourist destination in the city and the country as a whole. Of course you have to be interested in history and how beer is made, otherwise you'll be extremely bored. 

Barley and hops 
growing.  

To celebrate the SAB's long brewing tradition and its 100th anniversary, SAB established the SAB World of Beer in 1995 in the heart of Johannnesburg. 

The tour starts with an introductory welcome from Charles Glass the brewmaster who brought us Castle Lager, and the man who laid the foundations of SAB as it is known today. He's projected on 6 large independent screens. 

We then take a look at beer's earliest origins in Babylonia, Mesopotamia. 

After a long and detailed tour of the origins of beer we moved on to the actual process of beer brewing. We started off with the actual planting, harvesting and curing of barley, hops and malt. You are taken on a detailed journey through the beer making hall also known as the Green Fields Greenhouse where you will be up close and personal with the natural ingredients used to brew SAB beers. The room is flooded with a natural light and you are greeted with the pungent smell of barley as you enter. 

Beer first arrived in South Africa through the harbours of Cape Town, the main stopover between Europe and the East Indians. South Africa's first brewery was first established in 1696 in Newlands. Over the next 200 years Newlands became the center of brewing activity in South Africa. 

A quick stop is made at a bar complete with draft beer and a free glass. The glass comes with beer (if you're a beer drinker). If you're not a drinker you can just give your beer to someone else or spill it down the drain, but remember to keep your free beer glass!  

A mock shebeen. 

We also stopped at a traditional South African beer house called a shebeen. This is a replica of a Sowetan shebeen. Shebeens are most often located in black townships as alternative to pubs and bars, where under apartheid and the Rhodesian era black people could not enter a pub or bar reserved for whites. Originally shebeens were operated illegally selling home brewed and home-distilled alcohol providing people with a place to meet and discuss political and social issues. Shebeens also provided music and dancing. Today, they still form an important part of the social scene. 

Still in the shebeen. 

The Sowetan shebeen concludes the historic journey through the world of beer. Thereafter we're taken to the barley tasting room which is the first step in the beer making process - the malting process. The doors of the brewing chambers swing open and you're greeted by large replicas of the brewing vats used in the SAB beer making process. After the malting process the malt rests and moves on to the other steps in the process. It's a rather long and boring process. 

The final section of the tour leads us to the Celebration Hall. A panoramic film is screened showing the celebration of beer. It shows us the final stages of the beer being delivered to the people for enjoyment. From there we are led to the Tap Room to cash in our drinks vouchers. You can take a seat on the balcony and enjoy Newtown or you can just stay inside while you sip on a selection of SAB's finest products. The two vouchers are included in the price of the ticket. 

Overall I really enjoyed the tour. You have to be really patient and remember that all the good stuff comes at the end. Great for photos and great for increasing ones knowledge of beer. 

The World of Beer website:

http://www.worldofbeer.co.za/

Hollerrrrrr!! 

Workin' the Big City: Finding our Feet and Receiving The Call

In my third month back in South Africa, I was anxious, I was bored and I wanted to be fabulous again. I needed something to do and I needed to do it fast. My lifeline came in the form of my dear cousin Rachel (Ray) who invited me on a trip to Johannesburg to visit her sister Gen and her (Gen's) husband, TK. Gen had also previously asked me to visit her and TK. 

Of course I was immediately excited by this. I had never been to Jo'burg before. I was excited to see if everything I heard about the city was true. Some people thought my excitement was quite sad. Jo'burg is, after all, considered one of the party capitals of South Africa. It's also the entertainment hub of the country where all the rich and famous are based, but apart from that there's really nothing else that entices me. 

So off we went on Tuesday June 18 at 10:30 pm, ready to take on this giant of a city. I was all kitted out in my wongas, bohemian beanie and a killer attitude. We took a 6 hour bus from Pietermaritzburg all the way to Midrand (somewhere in between Jo'burg and Pretoria). We arrived at 5 am- cold, half asleep and still lookin' fly. We were picked up about 15 mins later and whisked away to what was to be our home for the next week or so. Randburg. A nice suburb just outside the CBD. My first impressions of the city: big, cold and far too many people. 

My day ended before it began. We were so bushed so we naturally spent half of the day sleeping before waking up at about 3 pm in time to cook and sort our lives out. Highlight of my day was seeing the Coca-Cola Dome (gosh I sound so lame,but there's more lameness to come!) I had to stare at it for a few mins before realizing it was time to go. For those who don't know the Dome, it's a multi purpose events venue, but it's used mainly for concerts and shows.

On Wednesday I decided to venture out a little. I convinced my cousin to go for a walk with me to Northgate Mall (which coincidentally is across from the Dome). In my mind I knew how to get there. Up the road, turn right, turn left and then straight for about a kilometer. Well, a third of the way there I realized this trip is not happening. I admitted to my cousin that I underestimated the distance so we settled on having coffee at a little bread-and-milk mall which we had stumbled on en-route to the 'mall by the dome'. 

While sipping on my cappuccino, I received a call that was going to change my life, at least for the next few months. I was invited to an interview for the job that I have now. The interview was scheduled for the following Tuesday. I was ecstatic and over the moon! After almost 4 months I was finally making progress. I didn't realize it would be so difficult trying to secure a job in the middle of the year. Nevertheless, I was really excited just to be going to the interview!

I finished my drink on the edge of glory. Hyper and excited. I later learned that I was one of two candidates being interviewed and I knew that I stood a good chance of actually getting the job.

I walked back home hurridly so I could start preparing for the interview. I went to bed tired, dreaming of a day well spent wandering around the streets of Randburg and the prospects of a new job.

Read about my other adventures in the big city and see which local celebrities I met!! ^^