Lion's Head

The Short & Sweet film festival is currently in Cape Town.  It also runs in London, Toronto, and New York.  They show a selection of short films, music videos, and short animations created around the world by up and coming directors.  It is on a 5 week run here, and I attended the fourth week Tuesday night.  There were 8 short films shown with a half time in the middle.  The screenings were held in the Old German Club in the city center with all the viewers packed tight on benches and chairs in the screening area. The woman hosting was very energetic and enthusiastic about everything especially as the night wore on.  I am not sure if she was drinking or what, but she became very odd by the end of the night and was just yelling excited things into the microphone as she introduced each film.

Of the first four films, two were okay (TXT Island and Watching) and two were awful (Five Ways to Kill a Man and Loom).  Loom was a lifelike animation of a spider scuttling on his web and catching the moth that was stuck in it.  It lasted over 3 minutes.  The second half had some better short films: Dark side of the Lens, Bad Man He Comin, The Surprise Demise of Francis Cooper’s Mother, and Dad’s Girlfriend.  My favorite would have to be Bad Man He Comin, which was a stop animation music video filmed in the Free State.

I have had several cab drivers here try to tell me that there are 52 States in America.  No matter how many times I insist there are only 50, they don’t believe me.  I don’t think we have added two states to the Union without me hearing about it. 

The smoking ban has passed in South Africa.  There will be a ban on all indoor smoking in public places and restrictions on smoking in public outdoor areas.  I am not sure what date this goes into effect, but I hope it is soon so I no longer smell of smoke after going out in the evenings!

This weekend had the BEST weather I have seen in a long time.  The sun was out, there was no rain, and I absolutely loved it.  The wind was still chilly at times, and it was only just warm out, but I will take it.  Saturday we went to Old Biscuit Mill for delicious food.  They have many options and ethnic foods to enjoy.  There also is a random dog wearing a sweater that was just wandering around.  In the afternoon we walked down to the waterfront to just soak up the sun and people watch.  On the way, we passed some young girls varying in age from three to thirteen wearing more traditional African clothes, playing the drums, and performing tribal dances.  It was fun to watch, especially the youngest children.  

Since it is the start of the month there was once again a change in the interns living in my building.  It is an interesting cycle of constantly changing friends and roommates.  Tze is now back in the UK studying, leaving Hayley and I as the only two in my apartment.  Another girl should be moving in, but her VISA hasn’t gone through so she can’t fly to South Africa yet.  I met some really fun new girls from the US who will be here for several months including one from Colorado (close to Nebraska).  Mostly I am told that I am the first Nebraskan everyone has ever met.

Seven of us hiked up Lion’s Head on Sunday.  This time I took the harder path where the top portion of the hike is rock climbing.  You grab on to metal handholds and chains while climbing vertically up the mountainside – this definitely would not pass the safety standards of the US.  At the top we enjoyed the sunshine while watching the paragliders soar out over the Atlantic Ocean to land next to Camps Bay beach.  On the way up I noticed the wildflowers are all starting to bloom, spreading white and yellow color throughout the side of the mountain. 

There is an unfortunate new American reality TV show, called Clifton Shores filmed here in South Africa that is now airing back in the US (it was filmed last summer here so around January/February).  The premise is 4 American attractive girls living and working in Cape Town in a mansion on Clifton beach.  I am definitely embarrassed by how the previews of the show look as it appears to be similar to Jersey Shore but with a little more class.  On the bright side, Clifton beach is a nice area and with the improving weather I plan on spending more time there enjoying nice African sunshine.

Also the Huskers won!  If only I could watch the games here….Go Big Red.

This is a photo of my weekly bus passes. I have 10 used ones now I think, plus the couple weeks in June before I knew how to buy them.