November 15, 2011

How I got into metal

I reckon some of you who've known me a long time are wondering what mental change I underwent that makes me now submit myself to such barbaric music.

The spark that would eventually ignite into a love affair with heavy metal was lit by thrash metal band Metallica. When I was in junior school, my sister and I used to watch a lot of VH1. There was this montage of clips from rock videos that would play, and the intro track was Enter Sandman by Metallica. One day I realised that I really liked this song. It took a few more years after that before I got into metal. I consider a friend of mine to be the second heavy metal spark - he was (and still is) into metal, and would often have it playing in the background when I happened to be at his house. I always used to ask him to turn it down, while resenting him for playing music that was such an aural abomination. Eventually, I decided to give some of the music on his ipod a go. I thought, ''If he thinks metal is so wonderful, I might as well try it.'' At the time (around 2009) I was starting to get into Metallica, Iron Maiden, Saxon and other older bands. I then created a station on internet radio site Jango.com for the heavier subgenres of metal, and my liking for metal has continued to grow since then. I now have about 7 metal stations on Jango!

It was the guitars that first drew me to metal. When I hear a beautiful, well-executed riff or solo, I am moved. I feel motivated to grab life by the horns, and that there is always a light hiding somewhere in the vast darkness that life sometimes seems to be.



September 24, 2011

Sublime Sunset

One of the best things about living in Hout Bay is the sublime sunsets we get on most evenings.

Tonight's sunset looked as though it was a photograph of purplish pink cotton balls falling through the air, with a faded blue/light yellow swathe below them. Electric pink ripped through the hazy blue and yellow. Whenever I see a beautiful sunset, I try to memorise it, but the picture fades very soon. While looking at this sunset, I realised that this picture would soon be lost too.


An amphibian visitor

A few weeks ago, there was an endangered Leopard Toad outside the back door at home. My mother provided a welcome distraction from studying (it was after eight o'clock) when she called me to come and see our little green visitor.

More information on Leopard Toads here: www.leopardtoad.co.za/

May 16, 2011

Leatherphilia

Leather is one of my favourite materials - its feel and scent is very distinctive. I like how it's durable, and the way it ages. I was captivated the first time I saw an item by South African leather brand Missibaba. Since 2006, Chloe Townsend and her talented team of craftswomen have given South Africa beautiful leather accessories.

What makes seeing a Missibaba design so captivating is the exciting way leather is used. The colours, patterns and stitching make me feel very happy - intricate, handcrafted details are a big design favourite of mine. Beauty combines seamlessly with practicality; the bags and wallets in the range are all good sizes.

The Missibaba range also includes jewellery. A team is based at the Ikhaya Trust Centre, Kayamandi township (close to Stellenbosch). This team's catalyst was a job creation and skills development project. The women use the off-cuts from the Missibaba workshop to make the 'sweetie' and 'caterpillar' necklaces. The women also embroider custom-made Missibaba items.

Sweetie necklace


Caterpillar necklace


Photos: 1 and 2