Genre: Book store bizarre
What: Paperbacks, hard copies, leather bounds and titles from 1800s – this mystically rare book dealer has the edge. Doors swung open in 1974 and over its 36 years the collection has matured – there’s an accumulated mass of literary wealth and some 2 million books are shelved here. Astounding. The Collectors Treasury doesn’t just horde books, it carriers collectable vinyls (The Beatles, The Jackson Five), sheet music, mathematical journals, framed artworks, porcelain everything, medium format cameras and family photo albums probably from a different chapter. Spilling over four floors – there’s a rich world waiting for you.
FiftyTwo review: Books are stacked in piles everywhere (up staircases, blocking the entrance, above and below book shelves). Collectors Treasury is the most phenomenal maze to loose yourself in. Scan the shelves for titles, you’ll find volumes and volumes to read from cover to cover. Words can’t capture the wonder that this aged bookstore conjures up. Meet fascinating people while you browse, from the academic scholar wishing he were in Boston to muso hippie types, everyone speaks the same language in a space such as this – a great opportunity to not judge a book by its cover. This gallery isn’t cheap but the experience is worth the buck. Whoever thought atlases from the Ice Age would lose value, you’re wrong. FiftyTwo say, “Stay the day.”
Tip: First edition books make quite the gift so the next time you’re looking for something unique and feel mainstream bookstores offer the unadventurous, head to Collectors Treasury. Secondly, look intently as there are remarkable things on sale, very recently an original South African Parliamentary photograph from 1936 (with signatures of all parliament members) was found. Own your page of South African history.
Interesting fact: This legend store has claims of being the Southern Hemisphere’s largest bookstore of its kind.
Where: CTP House, 244 Commissioner Street, Johannesburg – call 011 334 6556 if you need help with directions.
Book: No booking necessary – it’s open from Mondays to Fridays 09:00-17:00 & Saturdays 10:00-13:00

I went on a rant the other day regarding the cost of the 2010 World Cup versus all the critical needs South Africa is facing and whether or not the most vulnerable of this country would gain anything from having the World Cup hosted in their country. At that time, I also had some very positive things to say about our hosts for the 2010 World Cup and I wanted to share that side of the coin as well, because it is equally important.

To say that I have been blown away at the hospitality South Africa has shown the rest of the world would be an understatement. I think back on recent Olympics and struggle to remember much reporting in the USA of athletes from other countries. I remember when a Togolese guy won a bronze medal in kayaking and NBC reported it and I thought to myself, “where are all the other fascinating stories like this one…like the Jamaican bobsledding team.” In today’s America, sadly, we have drifted so far towards being so US-centric that we only seem to root for the Americans.

Not so here in South Africa. I’ve been here since early May and each week I have become more and more impressed with the global embrace that South Africans have offered up to the world. On the way to the airport a couple of weeks ago, I heard a radio program that said each day they would focus on one country that would be coming to South Africa for the World Cup, and they would explore not only that sport’s history in soccer, but also their politics, religion, and socio-cultural practices. On the television, I’ve seen numerous programs that focus on a particular country and it’s history of soccer and how the history of that country is intertwined with their soccer history. I’ve seen programs on India, exploring why India enjoys soccer but hasn’t really excelled at the global level… yet. And I’ve seen shows on soccer in Muslim countries. Maybe it’s planned, maybe it’s unplanned, maybe it’s by chance, but it is happening. It’s not just about South Africans showing off their varied and multifaceted culture to their global guests, it’s also about using this opportunity to educate South Africa on the rest of Planet Earth’s inhabitants.

As I moved through my work here in the provinces over the last six weeks, I had a pivotal meeting with the Board members of a rural NGO. They were explaining their guiding program philosophy of Ubuntu. No, not the Linux program. I’m talking about the traditional African philosophy of Ubuntu that essentially says, “No man is an island.”

I found a better explanation from Wikipedia:

Archbishop Desmond Tutu further explained Ubuntu in 2008:

One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu – the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can’t exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can’t be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality — Ubuntu — you are known for your generosity.


We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.

To me, Ubuntu is the acceptance of others as parts of the sum total of each of us. And that is exactly what I have experienced during the lead up to, and the initial days of this World Cup. There is nary a South African citizen that I’ve met on the street, or in shops or restaurants or hotels, that hasn’t gone out of their way to greet me and make me feel like I am home. And I don’t mean that in the trivial, “Oh, aren’t they nice, homey people here… ” sort of way. I mean real, genuine interest and questions. People seriously want to know where I come from. What it’s like where I live. How does it compare to where I am now. What do I think of South Africa. Oh yes, and what do I think of Bafana Bafana… The questions and conversations are in earnest. They are honest. And they are had with enthusiasm and a thirst to know more. South Africans are drinking deeply from the cup of humanity that has been brought to their doorstep. I would never imagine that an American World Cup or Olympics would ever be this welcoming to the rest of the world. And that saddens me for the state of my home country, but it also makes me feel the pride of the South African people.

I have been truly humbled on this trip. And while I have my gripes regarding development here, I cannot say one negative thing about how South Africa has handled its duties as host and hostess to the world. If I could say one thing to sum up being here during this once-in-a-lifetime experience, it would be that I’ve learned the value of Ubuntu, and that when found and offered in abundance, the world is indeed a better place to live in.

So, if South Africa accomplishes nothing more on the playing field, it will still have won as a host country. I am a cynic, no doubt about that. And yet I have to admit, I’m a little teary just writing this because I leave for home next weekend and I will be leaving a little piece of myself here in South Africa. I just hope I have learned enough to bring back a little piece of Ubuntu to my homeland, where perhaps with a little caring and a little water, it will take root as naturally as it does here, in the cradle of civilization. It’s funny, many people in America still ask me, “are the people in Africa very primitive?” Yes, I know, amazing someone could ask that but they do. And when they do, I usually explain that living in a mud hut does not make one primitive, however, allowing kids to sell drugs to other kids and engage in drive-by killings — isn’t that primitive behavior? I think it is. When I think of Ubuntu and my recent experiences here, I think America has much to learn from Africa in general, in terms of living as a larger village; and as human beings who are all interconnected with each other, each of us having an affect on our brothers and sisters.

As the 2010 Cup slogan goes, “Feel it. It is here.” Well, I have felt it, because I am here. Thank you South Africa, for giving me this unexpected gift. I am humbled.

 O n Sunday 6th June I went to the opening of Andrew Lamprecht’s sculpture exhibition at the Nirox Sculpture Foundation out on the Kromdraai Rd in the Cradle. The Nirox grounds are quite beautiful – a magnificent park designed by the well-known landscape architect Patrick Watson whose most famous creation is the Sun City gardens.   This exhibition is open until the 15th August  (Wednesday to Sunday) so don’t miss the opportunity to see the exquisite grounds as well as the very impressive site-specific sculpture on show. Now that the big chill has passed, it’s a wonderful place to take a blanket, a picnic hamper and chill out on a sunny Highveld day.   It can easily be combined with a visit to the Rhino and Lion Park just down the road.
One of the activities at the opening was a performance by Samson Mudzunga, an artist born in Venda in 1938. Venda is the most northern province on South Africa, one of the 11 official languages of South Africa, as well as an ethnic group with very strong cultural traditions. It is these cultural practices that Mudzunga manipulates and works with in his public performances in an art context.  Typically Mudzunga uses a large drum which he has sculpted and which echoes the drums used in various different Venda ritual contexts. In the performance at Nirox, the drum was shaped like a giant oval seed-pod but with its schematic face it seemed to infer a fish.   This symbolism would make sense given the proximity to water of the performance at Nirox, and given the importance of the symbol of Lake Funduzi in Mudzunga’s work.  Lake Fundudzi, the Lake of Creation and the only natural lake in South Africa, is very significant in Venda mythology.  The performance at Nirox took place on a ‘natural stage’ with a stream flowing in front and the backdrop of a hillock behind the performers. The audience sat on a grassy bank on the other side of the stream.  
Once the large heavy drum had been manouevred and wheeled into place, 15 young girls dressed in skirts of Salempore cloth, danced in a snaking line from the left across the performance area, to the beat of 4 drums and the call of a man blowing a kudu horn. While this was taking place Samson, dressed in T shirt and trousers, climbed into the drum through a small ‘door’ in the side of the drum. In his previous performances, this process has symbolized ‘burial’.      

 The girls ended their dance routine to lie in positions of supplication, face down, with arms outstretched and hands folded, palms facing upwards. Heralded by the drummers and the kudu horn, and ushered out by a large woman and a young girl, Samson climbed out of the drum.   

Now wearing suit and tie, this part of the performance indicates a moment of transformation or ‘resurrection’.    

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Energetic celebratory dancing now followed from the group of young women and girls with different people taking the lead.   Then the young women took off their T shirts and bare breasted, the performance turned into an imitation of the Domba dance or python dance.         The Domba is the context in which young women of marriageable age are educated about their future roles as wives and mothers. So traditionally the python dance would only be performed in front of initiated men and women. While photographs of the traditional Domba are in circulation in academic books and journals, I felt very uncomfortable for the young, almost certainly urban women, disrobing and performing in front of clearly ‘uninitiated’ men, boys and women in an urban and leisure context.

 My discomfort increased as I watched 2 adolescent boys with cell phone cameras focused continuously on the young bare breasted dancing women.  From a private, controlled and educative initiation ritual, aspects of the Domba had now not only become a public spectacle but a theatrical event which could be spread indiscriminately via social media such as Facebook, Mixit and blog sites. The accompanying photos in this post are but one example of this – albeit that the image posted here of the bare-breasted girls and young women, deliberately does not show their faces. 
So whilst I was pleased to have finally seen one of Madzungu’s performance-events, I remain very ambivalent around the issues of spectacle, voyeurism, and the way in which social media increase indiscriminate spread of, and so access to, information. 

Drawing from 11 official languages – with English, isiZulu, isiXhosa and Afrikaans – being the most dominant, South Africa’s slang reflects the country’s diversity, history and the rapid socio-political change the nation has experienced since 1994. Here’s how to make yourself understood when you visit. Let us know if you have any more of your own to add.

Ag (a-ch). Exclamation similar to the English urgh. Pronounce the Afrikaans “g” as you would “ch” in loch. “Ag, no man! He’s missed a sitter!”
Amasi (a-mar-si). Or simply maas. Traditional drink made from soured milk. It can be drunk on its own or served with phutu – plain cooked maize meal – and sugar for breakfast.
Babbelas (bub-a-lars). Hangover – usually rather a bad one. From the isiZulu word for hangover isibhabhalazi. “Hello, hello. Great party last night. How’s your head? Are you a bit babbelas?”
Bra (brah) or bru. Nothing to do with underwear at all, but an informal term for “my friend” or “mate”, deriving from “brother”. ‘He’s my bra but that team he supports is rubbish.” Bru stems from the Afrikaans for brother, broer.
Chips! Chips!. Nothing you’ll find in the kebab shop around the corner but an expression of alarm or warning. “Chips! Chips! He’s off-side”
Doing a Bafana (bah-fah-nah). To demand more money for average service. Derives from the reputation of the weak South Africa side, the Bafana-Bafana, which has yet to make it beyond the first round of a World Cup. “A tip? You’re doing a Bafana!”
Diski (dis-ky). Football in township slang. “I love diski. I watch as many games as I can.”
Dwaal (dwahrl). To not be paying attention, or for one’s mind to wander. Derives from the Afrikaans meaning “to wander”. “I got lost in Moses Mabhida Stadium; I was in such a dwaal I didn’t look at the signs.”
Eish (ay-sh). An isiZulu and isiXhosa expression good for everything from resignation, to exasperation, to pleasant surprise. “Eish! I can’t believe they’re playing so badly,” or, “Eish! That goal was incredible. Think this could be our year.”
Eina (ay-nah). Ouch or sore. Afrikaans, but possibly from Khoikhoi before that. “Eina! Did you see where that ball hit him?” or “Is your head eina?”
Fundi (foon-dy). An expert or knowledgeable person, from the isiZulu and isiXhosa word for teacher, umfundisi. “Eh? You’re bit of a fundi on the stats then, aren’t you?”
Gatvol (gut-foll). Fed up and irritated. Literally meaning in Afrikaans “hole full”. Pronounce the “g” as the Scottish “ch” in loch. “We’ve been here for hours and this queue isn’t going anywhere. I’m gatvol.”
Gogga (gog-ga). Any insect or creepy crawly. Pronounce the “g” as the Scottish “ch” in loch. “Did you see that gogga in the hotel room the morning? It was walking away with my shoes.”
Howzit?. Common informal greeting that is a contraction of “how is it?’” More of a greeting than a specific enquiry. “Hey! Howzit man? I haven’t seen you since the Confederations Cup.”
Hayibo (hi-ie-boh). Expression of disbelief or irritation. “Hayibo! Ferdinand? Captain?”  [from isiZulu 'definitely not']
Isit (iz-it). An exclamation of surprise, similar in meaning to “is that so?”. “Isit? Really? I didn’t know Beckham’s first match for England was against Moldova.”
Jawelnofine (yar-well-no-fine). Means anything from “yes” to “ok, yes, but I think you’re being an idiot”. “Jawelnofine. Stay out until 4am tonight but remember we’re flying to Port Elizabeth at 8am tomorrow.”
Jol (jorl). From the Afrikaans meaning “to party” or “to have a good time”. “C’mon bru, we’re going jolling tonight.”
Laduma! (la-do-muh). He scores! Shouted at every goal and originates from the isiZulu for “it thunders”. “It’s in! It’s in! Laduma!”
Kif. Geat, good. “That was such a kif game. I’m so glad we came.”
Koeksister (cook-sister). Confectionary similar to Indian gulab jamun made of plaited, risen dough deep-fried and dipped into ice-cold sugar syrup. Brought to South Africa by Malay workers, the name derives from the Afrikaans koek (cake) and sissen (to sizzle), after the sound the hot dough makes upon meeting the cold syrup.
Lekker (lack-er). From the Afrikaans meaning great or good – an expression of approval. “Lekker man. You have a jersey signed by Steven Pienaar? Very cool.”
Makarapa (mak-ah-rah-pah). Highly decorated headgear worn by football fans – fashioned out of hard hats and customised to match team colours. Makarapas have their roots among migrant labourers working on Johannesburg’s gold mines.
Mampara (mum-pa-ruh). Fool or idiot, suspected to be Sotho in origin. “Hey, Rooney! Stop behaving like such a mampara.”
Muti (moo-ti). Medicine, from the isiZulu muthi. “I need to get some headache muti; I’m seriously babbelas.”
Now-now. Reference to something that will happen soon, usually within a few minutes but also within in a couple of hours. “We need a goal and it’s coming now-now. “
Oke (oak) and ou (oh). Bloke or guy, from Afrikaans. “I couldn’t see that penalty; that oke in front of us was standing up.”
Pasop (pus-orp). Watch out. “Pasop! Carry on and you’ll get a red card.”
Quagga (kwa-gh-uh). An extinct species of zebra (Equus quagga) that once habituated the Cape but was hunted out in the 1800s. Pronounce the Afrikaans “g” as you would “ch” in loch. “Bafana-Bafana? Win the World Cup? You’re seeing quaggas, mate.”
Robot. Traffic light. “There are hawkers selling great caps near the robot.”
Shibobo (she-bor-bor). To nutmeg an opponent and make a fool out of them. “Heh! Look at that shibobo.”
Skollie (skor-ly), skelm (skeh-lim) and skabenga (ska-beng-ga) Criminals or people up to no good. “Did that skollie pinch your wallet?’ or “What a skabenga – he’s headbutted him.” “Bunch of skelms!”
Tekkies (tack-ies). Trainers. “Hold on, I’ll just grab my tekkies.”
Taxi Sometimes a car, but usually refers to mini-bus taxis, which are used throughout South Africa. Taxis are not always roadworthy and can be driven dangerously.
Ubuntu (oo-boon-to). Southern African philosophy with the central tenet that a person is a person because of other people – no man is an island. Ubuntu was central to the post-Apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission. From the isiZulu word for goodness. “I gave away my tickets in the spirit of ubuntu.”
Vuvuzela (voo-voo-zeh-la). A long, plastic horn blown loudly at every football match in South Africa and thought to have been modelled on an antelope horn. No self-respecting football fan should be without one.
Wena (where-nuh). You, from isiZulu. “Hey wena. Would like a beer?”
Wors (vors). Traditional Afrikaans sausage now eaten by everyone. Flavoured with spices such as coriander and chilli, the full name is boerewors, which translates directly as farmers’ sausage. A wors roll is a length of wors in a white bread roll, topped with onions, mustard and tomato sauce. You may also have pap (cooked maize meal) and wors with a tomato and onion sauce.
Xhosa (korsa). South African tribe dominant in the Eastern Cape province. The letter “x” is pronounced with a click emanating from the sides of the mouth, as if you were clicking at a horse. “My friend Lusanda is Xhosa; she speaks isiXhosa.”
Yebo (yeah-boh). Yes, yeah. “Yebo – I’ve got the match tickets in my pocket, don’t worry.”
Zakumi - the official World Cup mascot. Designed by Andries Odendaal, Zakumi is an anthropomorphised leopard with green dreadlocks. His name comes from “ZA”, the code for South Africa, and “kumi”, which means 10 in various African languages.

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A few more additions from Liz:  
Sissie  Respectful way of addressing a woman aged from late teens to middle age.  (Like sister)
Ma Respectful way of addressing a middle aged woman
Gogo Respectful way of addressing an elderly woman; Isizulu for Grandmother
uBaba Respectful way of addressing a middle-aged man N
Nkhulu Respectful way of addressing an elderly man
Aikona Never, not on your life
Ayoba – Expression of excitement
Biltong  Jerky in the US, only much better! This is specially prepared dried raw meat, made from beef, venison or ostrich
Black Diamond Member of the new wealthy black elite
Boerewors Farmstyle sausage or “wors”. (Literally, “Farmers Sausage”). It is consumed in vast quantities on braais all over the country
Bunny chow – type of food, made with a loaf of bread filled with a curry stew
Coconut – Referring to an African black person who has adopted white culture : ‘Black on the outside and White on the inside’. (Often derogatory term used amongst city dwelling Black South Africans)
Donga – ditch  (From Zulu, “wall”; this has become a mainstream word for such a feature.)
Fundi - expert (from Nguni ‘umfundisi’ meaning teacher or preacher) – used in mainstream South African English
Just now  A immense source of amusement for foreigners – it means “very soon”, “eventually”; or “never”. If someone says he will do something “just now” it could be in 10 minutes or tomorrow. Or maybe he won’t do it at all !
Haw! – pronounced ‘how’.  Expression of disbelief
Indaba – conference (from Zulu, ‘a matter for discussion’); has become a mainstream word in South African English
Inyanga – traditional herbalist and healer (compare with sangoma)
Jova – injection, to inject (from Zulu)
Kugel an overly groomed, materialistic woman (from the Yiddish word for a plain pudding garnished as a delicacy). Older-generation Jews coined this usage as a derogatory label for Jewish women who aspired to become part of the privileged English-speaking white community. Current usage, often humorously intended, applies the word to any nouveau riche women in South African society who appear overly groomed and materialistic. Bagel and bagel-boy occur as labels for the male counterpart of the kugel. — Compare the American-English term Jewish-American princess which has subtly differing connotations.
Kwaito - popular genre of music, a mixture of South African disco, hip hop, R&B, ragga, and a heavy dose of house-music beats.
Lekgotla or kgotla – planning session, or strategy (used mostly in official government papers, but even in papers written in English) (from Sesotho (le)kgotla – courtyard
Naartjie (Citrus reticulata) (Afrikaans)- tangerine, mandarin; used as a mainstream word in South African English
Oom - an older man of authority, commonly in reference to an older Afrikaans man (Afrikaans for uncle)
Park off  To chill out – sit down and relax
Pavement In South Africa this is the sidewalk
Shame  Very typical South African expression; also found amusing by foreigners. “Ag shame, look how cute that baby and “Shame, that’s really sad”.
Sharp!  Good/Yes/O.K   ‘Please keep me a place.’ ‘Sharp! Sharp’ 
Sangoma – traditional healer or diviner
Shongololo (also spelt shongalolo) – millipede (from Zulu and Xhosa, ukushonga, ‘to roll up’)
Soapie – a soap opera
Shebeen - illegal drinking-establishment (from Irish sibín), synonymous with speakeasy. In South Africa it refers in particular to unlicensed bars in the townships, and has become a mainstream word. During the apartheid era laws prohibited non-whites from consuming any alcohol except traditional sorghum beer, and taverns selling ‘hard-tack’ became the centre of social activity
Spaza - an informal trading-post/convenience store found in townships and remote areas
Toyi-toyi – protest-dancing; used in mainstream South African English
Tsotsi - gangster, layabout, no gooder
Umlungu – white South African or the Boss (Bass) of the company; isiXhosa word for the white foam that is left on the beach sand, once a wave has retreated back into the sea.
Not slang but useful words:
Siyabonga We thank you (isiZulu) sea-ya-bonga
Ngiyabonga I thank you (isiZulu) nee-ya-bonga
Kealebogle  Thank you (SeTswana) key-alli- boch-le (boch as in Scottish loch)
Sawubona Hello greeting in Isizulu
Dumela Hello greeting in Setswana

The Market Theatre will be presenting ‘House of the Holy Afro’, Brett Bailey’s eclectic mish-mash of shamanistic ritual and gospel set to a thumping beat.   ‘People’s poet’ Mzwakhe Mbuli will be in action at Xarra Books, as will Phillippa de Villiers, Masoja Msiza, Myesha Jenkins, Boikanyo and many more.  The Market Photo Workshop, Museum Africa, the Workers’ Museum and the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre will host a number of art and photography exhibitions, many of which deal with the theme of soccer.   A selection of the continent’s best cinematic offerings will be screened during the 4th annual Africa on Screen Film Festival at Museum Africa.

Visit www.newtown.co.za for more details of performances and eve

When one imagines the art capitals of the world, Johannesburg doesn’t come to mind. This isn’t for lack of talent, but for lack of exposure. Fortunately, this situation is about to change thanks to a new initiative called Afro Centric Joburg City Art Tours.  These cleverly compiled art tours provide a safe and convenient way in which to explore the vibrant galleries and artistic areas that can be found in the city. The tours also specifically target less conventional galleries in Johannesburg with the aim of showcasing and promoting contemporary art. Touring as a group creates an atmosphere for discussion and engagement with the exhibitions. Afro Centric Joburg City Art Tours run weekly, and evening and weekend tours can be booked in advance. Where possible, walkabouts with artists can also be arranged. Tours run on Tuesdays, Thursdays and the last Saturday of every month, and includes lunch, wine and snacks.    More information:  afrocentricsa@gmail.com  www.afrocentricsa.co.za

In Jozi, on every suburban pavement, busy intersection and traffic island, is a group of hawkers selling flags, mirror covers, soccer glasses, beaded key rings  and all things promoting the national flag.  It is in the traffic that most Jozi-ites purchase their symbols of support for Bafana Bafana  and enter into the spirit of national festivity and pride.  I have been told that in Cape Town  hawkers have been removed from the streets. I have also been told that few Cape Town cars are emblazoned with the colours of South Africa’s national flag.  Is there then a direct connection between the sense of carnival festivity and display of national sentiment,  and the way in which hawkers bring the symbols  to people on the move in a fast busy city like Joburg?