From a cricket connoisseur point of view, this was another shambles for test cricket. Despite the “so-called” pundits hailing world test cricket at the moment healthy, it is far from the truth. A batsman who takes himself serious would in my opinion never play shots like some of the Sri Lankan did or SA’s batsmen against Australia.

Test cricket is supposed to be test of ability, skill and temperament over 5 days, yet what do we see? Recall the first session on the fourth day when Samaweera and Matthews were batting for an entire session, did that no make for compelling viewing either live and or via television. Now suddenly the bowlers had to come up with a plan, in other words “worked out’ the batsmen, nurture a new skill to remove the batsmen, that’s a challenge, that’s a test, not players chasing after wide deliveries and or failing to hit a boundary in an over, suddenly loses patience and play a ridiculous shot.

No, no, the current crop of test players need to catch up and quickly too. If test cricket is going to be played at this rate, I believe this format of cricket is in trouble of surviving. For the last 18 months or so, test matches around the world have lasted on average of 3 and half days. Against a weak Australian team, with no world class players, India with a start studded lineup is unable to play for 5 days. Like a colleague of me would often remark, now really?

If one were to remove Kallis, Pointing, Sangkarra, Tendulkar and one or two world performers, who is left worthwhile to go and watch. Is one surprise when leading players prefer the 20/20?

What is not appropriate behaviour? Many times we find ourselves in situations where we could have prevented something going wrong or turning sour completely.

News Editor: Melissa Nel

I remember reading about how joggers have this way of greeting each other when they pass each other alongside the road. And I could never quite understand why my parents keep hooting when they pass an unfamiliar jogger (runner). They didn’t even know the person!

But in this article of a fellow jogger, I learned it is their way of communicating with each other. Through their body language they nod their head as to acknowledge the next person. In this edition we have stories about issues like breast cancer, human rights and climate change. Hopefully what you read will let you think about your environment and your people, and what ‘appropriate’ behaviour is and what is not.

Respect that. Your Editor,

Melissa Nel

MIKHAILA CROWIE

The guitar riff blew through the air, my eyes started to swell and the butterflies in my stomach had no control. “I’m seeing my favourite band live” was what I whispered as Caleb, Nathan, Matthew and Jared Followill, collectively known as American rock band Kings of Leon, made their way on stage at the Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday night.

Kings of Leon at Cape Town Stadium. PHOTO: songkick.com

After first hearing about the Tennessee band in 2003, 14-year-old Mikhaila would have been very envious of the fact that future Mikhaila in 2011 was screaming along to songs such as Revelry, Tape Jean Girl and Sex on Fire. My heart was filled with pride as lead singer Caleb Followill, impressed with the crowd’s enthusiasm, stated his love for the Mother City. 

The crowd screamed and clapped for an encore and three minutes later, the band took the stage and granted everyone’s wish. Fireworks lit up Cape Town Stadium as the Kings of Leon bid farewell to the Mother City, marking the end of the most memorable night of my life.

Was the pricey ticket worth it? Yes, and I’ll do it all over again.   

(The above copy was submitted by Mikhaila Crowie of Mitchells Plain. Kings of Leon’s next LIVE performance is in Johannesburg on Saturday.)

In Cape Town we are a different community, covered by coloured and black communities.

Young people are very energetic and vibrant and guess what, they are in love with music, but I think there’s a barrier between these two groups. Surprisingly enough the music that we listen to, brings us together in a way that we yearn to be able to mingle and mix. I observe how the coloured kids like bumping to kwaito, and how black kids listen to dub mixes that would be played at the Galaxy.

The reason why I mention this is, it is very crucial that we first break those barriers as old people, so that we’d make it easy for our kids to embrace that difference. And since it is Heritage month it would bring joy to me to see us wanting to take the time to learn each other’s language, meaning maybe on your news paper you could research Xhosa slang words you would put up, with a meaning and a few Afrikaanse slang words.

Ons is almal Kapenaars and visitors should see that we sleep with the same blanket.

Regards, Chumani Simelela

Liewe Redakteur

Ek gaan nie Engels skryf nie. Ek weier selfs om Engels te praat in my huis, because why Afrikaans is my taal. Dis net as Lauren-hulle se vriendinne hier is dat ek Engels praat met hulle.

Ek het in Leadwoodstraat in Bonteheuwel grootgeword. Daar oorkant Yumna (Erasmus) hulle. Dit was regtig sad om te hoor van Yumna se dood. Ek het by Nerina Primêr en Modderdam Sekondêr skool gegaan.

Die mense hier in Christchurch is baie disappointed oor die World Cup nie hier gehou kan word nie. Die velde is mos opgelig deur die aardbewing. Christchurch is bietjie ver van Wellington waar alles gebeur. Dis amper soos (afstand) vanaf Kaapstad tot in Johannesburg.

Ek hoop regtig die Springbokke wen die Rugby Wêreldbeker. Die Nieu-Seelanders word baie arrogant as dit by die toernooi kom. Dan sê ek eers vir hulle: ‘Of course the South Africans will win!’

Hulle (die Nieu-Seelanders) is eintlik lieflike mense, maar nie as die by die World Cup kom nie. Hulle lewe vir sport hier.

In my neighbourhood het ons baie nationalities hier. Ons kyk die game tussen die lande se mense. Onse neighbours is van Fiji en ons het die game saam hulle gekyk. Dan skree ons as die een se span voor loop.

Dis die klein dingetjies wat ek van huis (Suid-Afrika) mis, soos Wilson blocks, Eat Sum More biscuits en Spearmint bubblegum. Hier is ʼn boer wat Suid-Afrikaanse produkte verkoop soos biltong, rusks en Mayonnaise. Maar dit maak my hartseer as ek in daai winkel is en dan Suid-Afrikaners kry wat mens nie eens wil aankyk nie.

Maar ek wens regtig die Bokke wen…

Groete, Letitia Hansen

Hansen en haar man en hul drie dogters – Lauren (14), Tiana (13) en Kelsey (2) woon reeds die afgelope ses jaar in Nieu-Seeland.

Review by MARION LE FLEUR

This four generations show was spectacularly performed as a one man act.

Kurt Egelhof took the audience on a journey across four male generations of the Eaglehof family. The family name receives much attention right across the four generations as Sonny Eaglehof, the great grandfather and first to the displayed generation, explains that he is an English man with a German surname living in South Africa.

Sonny, a jazz musician marries a Xhosa lady called Violet. As one can well imagine, this ‘mixed marriage’ back then experienced its fair share of challenges both socially and domestically. Sonny, a struggling musician ensures that his son Basil, a coloured looking boy with a strong white accent, gets a good education and Basil does well all throughout school.

Sonny leaves home to fight in the war and 9 year old Basil is left on his own to look after the family.

With the next two characters in line, Basil’s son, an actor and his son Kurt, a sportsman, it becomes clear that the choices these men make and their fathers before them, leaves the generations to follow with a mixed array of hope and disappointments. A beautifully displayed theme across the generations is the dwindling role of fathers due to circumstances such as going off to war, death and the social pressures of life.

For Generations, speaks clearly to the brazen class divisions and colour lines that a family lived through and continues to experience in some form other for generations, while living in apartheid and post- apartheid South Africa. An excellently crafted, real life, and humorous narrative by a talented actor. I certainly recommend this view but please be aware of the age restriction.

*This play is performed at the Artscape’s Women’s Festival tonight and tomorrow. Tickets available from Computicket.

MELISSA NEL

One of the lines of the movie Invictus I will never forget is: “This country is going to the dogs,” said characters in the movie. Even though “his people” were not fond of this, Pres. Nelson Mandela in the movie employs white and black men as his bodyguards.

News Editor: Melissa Nel

Recently we celebrated South Africa’s first black president’s 93th birthday and to honour him, many people made time for 67 minutes to deliver a service within their communities. People were excited to be a servant and be of help to someone else.

I remember thinking: Mandela must have thought years ago that it would be good for local citizens to be nice to each other for at least one day regardless of race, age or size.

Nowadays we in so much of a rush we forget our manners. Just as people hustle get petrol during the recent petrol strike, commuters are hustling to get a seat in the train. You get pushed and shoved out of the way, because that someone is running to make the train.

Mandela Day reminded me of how people can make an effort to be at service to another one. I just hope we see a service can be to one another on a daily basis while we are going to work, play or school. A little does go a long way.