Pamper perfect!

As an online editor, I spend most of my time staring at a PC screen, so when I received an invitation to the launch of Cradle Health Spa and Medical Centre, I just couldn’t say no.

Expecting only a handful of people to attend, to my surprise, there were two tour-bus-loads of media royalty waiting to be taken to this haven of relaxation, nestled under the beautiful Magaliesburg mountains.

Once we arrived, everyone made themselves at home – sipping on champers and smoothies and snacking on a buffet of yummy eats. Being treated to mini manis and pedis and massage treatments helped get all those niggly knots out my neck!

While mingling, I met up with Metro FM’s Melanie Bala, Michele Garforth-Venter, Top Billing’s Lorna Maseko and a host of other celebs. I couldn’t believe my luck.

The centre provides full conventional medical services (like those dreadful gynaecological visits) and combined it with a day of luxury spa pampering and treatments.

So now you can enjoy your spoil of choice in one of 12 luxurious treatment suites each with a private garden, socialise by the pool and book a medical or doctor’s appointment all in one!

For more information on the Cradle Health Spa and Medical Centre, visit www.cradlehealthspa.co.za.

Arno Carstens has released 7 studio albums, has had 18 top ten singles, won 5 South African Music Awards and supported the likes of The Rolling Stones, Paul Weller, The Police, Simple Minds and Meat Loaf on European tours. We had a chance to chat with him ahead of the Heineken® Symphonic Rocks concert in Joburg this weekend.

Do you think you have any flaws?
Many! At the moment I have my eye on my loose, reckless tongue.

What’s your most memorable moment while performing live?
I ran backwards on a catwalk stretching from the stage and didn’t stop ’till I landed in the audience after a two metre drop. It was not a rock ’n’ roll moment.

If you could invite any three people to hear you perform, who would they be?
King Kong in chains, a thirsty gremlin, and Helen Keller.

Your favourite song and place to perform?
Another Universe on acoustic in the O2 Millennium Dome London.

You’re playing at the 2011 Heineken Symphonic Rocks this weekend in Jo’burg. What can fans expect from this show?
Some good songs, done in style.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We tracked down Locnville's Andrew Chaplin to chat about performing at this weekends' Heineken® Symphonic Rocks in Joburg and how he feels about being approached in public...

What do you do to relax?
I do exactly that, and don't think about anything else!   

Do you think you have any flaws?
I'm me and I'm very happy with that. But we've all got things we need to work on. 

How do you feel about being approached in public?
Sometimes it really bothers me. Many people approach me like I should be an asshole or something, but I don't go out thinking “I'm famous”, so it catches me off guard, and I feel quite awkward.  

What was your most memorable moment while performing live?
Seeing over 20 000 people waving their hands to mine. That was epic! 

You’re playing at the 2011 Heineken Symphonic Rocks this weekend in Jo’burg. What can fans expect from this show?
Something they've never seen before – Locnville backed by a 65 piece orchestra – it's pretty next level!  

South Africa is …
the best place in the world, but like ourselves, there's always something we can work on. 

Presented by Heineken® in association with 5FM, this year’s Heineken® Symphonic Rocks line-up will feature a mixture of some of South Africa’s most popular artists representing a variety of genres including R&B, Rock and Pop.
For tickets log onto Computicket or log onto www.symphonicrocks.co.za for more.

WIN! a set of double tickets are up for grabs to the Heineken® Symphonic Rocks concert at the Big Top Arena at Carnival City this Friday, 7 October.

Email cleoonline@caxton.co.za for your chance to win.

Competition ends Tuesday 4 October 2011

Rocking the Heineken® way

With the upcoming Heineken®Symphonic Rocks, CLEO thought it'd be cool to catch up with some of the performing artists like Alan Shenton from Zebra and Giraffe and CrashCarBurn's Garth Barnes!

Read on for more info on the show and your chance to win tickets!

In the words of Z&G's Alan Shenton - "I’m a boy, and I play guitar …. a lot of guitar."

We found out what else he likes to do, his most memorable performance and what he loves about S.A!

How do you relax?
I love going to Kruger, and it's about the only time I relax properly! A good book during the day and early morning & evening game drives!

What’s your most memorable live performance?
Opening for The Killers in Cape Town and looking out at 20 000 people with the most beautiful mountains and wine estates as the backdrop...I'll never forget that!

You’re playing at the 2011 Heineken Symphonic Rocks on 1 October in Cape Town, what can fans expect from this show?
It's a one-of-a-kind Z&G show for sure! We have never played live with classical musicians, but have a lot of strings etc on our albums, so I can't wait to hear that behind us live. It's going to be an amazing experience for the bands and our fans alike, and definitely one of the highlights of 2011 for Z&G!

If you were attending the show as a punter, which artist would you most want to see perform?
I love watching Van Coke Kartel live, they give it everything from start to finish! And on the flip side, I love watching Dear Reader, with all of Cheri's intricacies & dynamics. Completely different bands who put on amazing live shows!

South Africa is….
Alive and kicking in the best ways possible. Amazing growth is taking place across all industries & I'm proud to live in the beautiful, crazy place that Jozi is!

Follow Z&G on twitter -  @zebraandgiraffe

and on Facebook - Zebra & Giraffe

_________________________________________________________

CrashCarBurn's Garth Barnes has hair issues is coastal regions and believes SA has the best rugby team ever (which we do - Go Bokke!)

Do you think you have any flaws?
Of course! Let me count the ways! My hair forms a giant afro when we play live...in coastal situations it can actually be dangerous to the front row.

How do you feel about being approached in public? 

I really don't mind, If it wasn't for fans we'd be nothing so we'll take as many photos as you like...preferably not while I'm eating a burger though:)

Do you get nervous before a show?
Yeah but it's healthy nerves...it's more like excitement. I think the day you're not at least a little bit excited to be playing a show is the day you should throw in the towel.

What can fans expect from you in Cape Town on 1 October?
Well we're going to be playing our 'biggest' tracks so you can definitely expect to at recognise at least one of the songs. Plus we'll be backed by a full-on symphonic orchestra so it will be like CrashCarBurn squared! Really amped for this show, I think it's a once in a career opportunity!

If I were attending the show, I'd most like to see...
A couple of lesser known SA bands...Irvine from Cape Town and Shortstraw from Jozi. Watch out for those names, they're gonna be huge!

South Africa is….
Without a doubt the best place in the world to be living right now! (plus our rugby team is better than yours.)

Follow CrashCarBurn on twitter - @CrashCarBurn

and on Facebook - CrashCarBurn

FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A SET OF DOUBLE TICKETS TO THE  HEINEKEN®SYMPHONIC ROCKS
CONCERT IN CAPE TOWN ON 1 OCTOBER, MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE A FOLLOWER ON THIS BLOG AND COMMENT YOUR NAME UNDERNEATH

Black and white.

 

My first year of varsity has certainly opened my eyes to the dynamic couples there are out there. From the oddly matched couples – like a 6ft tall guy with a 5.4ft girl (I didn’t see that coming) – to the Cinderella-type unions, where both partners are perfect looking and perfect for each other. However, it’s the somewhat ‘new’ (well, to South Africa, anyway) interracial couples who get us looking back discreetly over our shoulders.

A walk in the park or a picnic with your partner shouldn’t attract much attention, right? Well, at my varsity, if a couple is from different races, they’ll definitely be the entertainment feature of the day! A robbery or a shootout could be happening simultaneously, but people would give the interracial couple all the attention.

Mixed couples aren’t that new to our shores; we’ve seen many interracial couples grace magazine pages, like Kim Kardashian and Reggie Bush, or Seal and Heidi Klum, and even local celebs. But why are we so fascinated by this?

I must admit, when I see such a mixed couple I always smile to myself. On some occasions I try sneak a picture – for matters unrelated to stalkarism! One would think it’s a celeb walking past the way my heart smiles. But, call it fascination or simple curiosity, we’ll never stop staring.

Who am I?

I went for an interview at our campus radio station to be a news reader there. I was nervous, but answered all the questions perfectly in terms of current affairs. But at the end of the interview, I was asked: “Who are you?”

I froze. Those three seconds seemed like hours. I don’t know who I am! My friends and family have described me as ambitious and organised – but I’m not too sure that I know who I am. What are my dreams and ambitions for the future? Where do I see myself in five years’ time? Those questions seemed impossible to answer.

I took to the internet to Google my symptoms. But the more I searched, the more it seemed like I was clinically depressed! But how? Everything in my life is going well.

The next day I visited the varsity psychologist. To my utter relief, she said there was nothing wrong with me, and taking the time to “find myself” was perfectly normal. “You’re going through a process of self-discovery,” she said. Perhaps I should challenge my limits to limit my challenges [a cliché I know] then I’d find myself.

I thought about that all day, and maybe I could change my mindset. I learnt that finding yourself isn’t about reorganizing your goals, but about taking a different route to achieve them.

Sanitary love.

After a hectic day of classes, I was super hungry and decided to get something to eat. At  the 7 eleven on campus I was approached by a butch (albeit anxious-looking) 6ft butch guy. He asked me to do him a huge favour – could by his girlfriend sanitary towels? I had to laugh; the poor guy looked mortified to even say the words “sanitary towels”. But, I was happy to oblige.

“What brand does she use?” That question seemed harder to answer than one from a bar exam.
“Uh … the blue one.”
“But 80% of them are blue!”
By now he was irritable, so he manned up, went into the store, and bought all the ‘blue ones’. That seemed like a bit of a mission to me. Why didn’t he just go back to the dorm room and ask? I think he did it to avoid coming back.

This incident intrigued me to think about how far the male sex would go for their partner. So, I asked my friends if they’d ever got their boyfriends to buy them sanitary towels. One friend said she’d asked before, but he declined without hesitation. They’re no longer together.

I believe the value of the relationship comes down to one simple question: Will you buy me sanitary towels? If he says yes, he must love you, because men would rather slay dragons than be seen with a pack of Always Ultra. And if he says no? Well, he clearly doesn’t love you.

Virtual Stalker

Hi! I’m Zodwa Mokoena, and I’m a first-year journalism student at The University of Johannesburg.  I’ll be blogging about the weird and wonderful happenings in the life of a fresh varsity student, eager to impress, and hungry to learn.  

My varsity timetable wasn’t so busy today, because most of my classes were cancelled [screaming: YAY!]. With a two-hour gap between classes, my head instructed me to march to the library, and fast! But, I decided to do a bit of both, and go to be in the student centre for an hour and study for another.

In the library, I was eager to catch up with my ‘hubby’ (who’s not ‘technically’ my hubby). I typed Facebook into the internet address bar, and within seconds my mood changed. My university has blocked Facebook! I was sent into shock mode. Why? I am a virtual stalker. Ever had that nagging curiosity about what your ex, current, or future boyfriend is up to? Well, you’re not alone. Technology was made to service this exact purpose.

I felt rejected and confused. Why is this happening to me? I typed all the ways possible to login in to Facebook, but to no avail. I ran to the technician assistant with my big emergency, but he came to my seat and told me to stop wasting his time. Did he not know it had been three hours and 32 minutes since I caught up with my ‘hubby’? (Lots of things can happen in that time.)

I quickly headed to Campus square, and almost got knocked over buy a taxi in the process. I found an internet café (which cost R10 and hour) but I didn’t care. I logged in, checked out my victim’s profile, only to see his status said, “Off to sleep-no classes today”. After all that, this is the only information you give me.

It was then when I realised that although there’s nothing wrong with being a virtual stalker (as long as you don’t act on it) you miss out on living your life while boyfriends (whatever tense) live theirs. I almost deleted him to end my obsession, but that would be avoiding the problem, so I’m detoxing from Facebook (until I get over him).

From a professional virtual stalker, this is how you determine if you are one too:

Twice a week – you’re curious.

Three or more times a week – you’re a virtual stalker!

I’ll keep you updated on the weird and wonderful tales of a first-year student.
Zodwa