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Aya’s Ceramic Studio

A lot of artists like to settle somewhere close to the coast, in the mountains, a forest or a little town in the Karoo to draw inspiration from their environment to channel into their art.  Then there are people like Ayanda (Aya) Mji who lives in the heart of the New Brighton township of Port Elizabeth and who draws her inspiration from the African landscape around her.  She uses animals, birds and even her dreams to create some of the most interesting ceramic art…

2 Comments
13/01/2012
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Ronnie’s Sex Shop

Let's fall right in the door and explain before there are *gasps* and threats of blog boycotts because I'm posting about a sex shop (sic).  If you are a South African you may be familiar with Ronnie's Sex Shop on Route 62 near the town of Barrydale in the Klein Karoo.  If you are from elsewhere and have never heard of Ronnie's, then listen up.Some years ago a guy called Ronnie decided to fix up a building next to the popular…

12 Comments
13/01/2012
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Available here

This township entrepreneur's shop (sic) is situated at Njoli Square in Kwazakhele.  I asked one of my colleagues to help me out with a bit of translation for the Xhosa words I didn't know.  She wasn't sure what Ntintile means but her assumption is that it's the guy's surname and that Rainbow Ntintile would be the name of the shop.  The rest of the sign says: "Chips (that you know), biscuits (that you know as well), isonka (bread), bread (wonder why he…

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11/01/2012
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Bain Street Grill – Port Elizabeth

Over the last couple of years the area around Stanley Street in Richmond Hill has developed into a hub of restaurants, side walk eateries and deli's and has become one of the best places to go for a meal in Port Elizabeth.  One of the restaurants I have heard a lot about but hadn't had a chance to visit is the Bain Street Grill (32 Bain Street, Richmond Hill) just around the corner from Stanley Street.  But this was about to change…

3 Comments
11/01/2012
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Playing with cheetah

Kragga Kamma Game Park offers visitors the awesome opportunity to interact with their two tame cheetahs.  The two brothers live right next door to the park's restaurant and although fully grown adults they are as tame as kittens.  And kittens they are.  People have the idea that big cats must be in some way different from our every day house cats, but they aren't.  As soon as you start scratching between their ears they start to purr like kittens and they just…

5 Comments
10/01/2012
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“Moon light bulb”

Some of the regular visitors to the blog is probably starting to wonder why I haven't posted any pictures I took on our December holiday to beautiful Montagu and Cape Town yet.  Well, first my laptop didn't want to read my camera and after 4 days of struggle I took my old pc out of storage and got the pics downloaded.  I started going through them last night and as soon as I have done I will get them posted.Late last…

3 Comments
10/01/2012
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Stanley Street at night

Over the last couple of years Richmond Hill has developed into one of the premier restaurant districts in Port Elizabeth with a number of very good restaurants, coffee shops and deli's opening up all over the area.  In the evenings, specially over weekends, places like Stanley Street is a hive of activity with patrons dining both inside and out (depending on the weather).

3 Comments
09/01/2012
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Sweet and fruit vendor

Unemployment in the townships may be high, but there are many township residents who don't just sit back and complain about it.  They rather do something and show they entrepreneurial spirit by starting their own small businesses.  Even if its something as simple as selling fruit and sweets on the street.

2 Comments
08/01/2012
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Storm over Algoa Bay

I visited Cape Recife Nature Reserve a little while ago and there was a bit of a storm brewing over Algoa Bay.  It made for a nice contrast between the dark clouds and blue sky and a bit of late afternoon light.

4 Comments
07/01/2012