Tag: 2012

Paris last time

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It was 2012 when we took the kids to Disneyland Paris. Not really my scene, but you adjust your expectations and you have a great time (see my recent Sun City review to see what I mean).

We were there for a few days, and what surprised me more than anything else on that trip was my 6-year-old son’s desire to spend a day in Paris. One would imagine that an entire amusement park literally on his doorstep would have been more than enough entertainment, but no, apparently not.

And so we (just he and I – his sister wanted to go and meet Cinderella) caught the train into Paris and we went up the Eiffel Tower.

The lifts were fully booked, and so we had to walk up the stairs to the 2ème étage. Despite the dreary conditions, it was a lot more fun that you’d likely imagine. It was the first time that the boy had requested “a big thing” and we’d gone and done it, solely because he wanted to.

You can see a few more photos in this album.

Anyway. This all happened on the 26th June 2012. Exactly 6 years ago today.
I’m not planning to get into a regular June 26th trip to Paris every six years: this was entirely a chance occurrence.

Still, who knows where we’ll be on June 26th 2024?

It’s the most wonderful time of the year

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Hello again.

I really wasn’t even going to mention this, but it seems that I am duty bound to by the many (two) regular readers who have registered this blog into the 2012 SA Blog Awards.

What I am not going to do is beg for votes as some classless individuals have already been doing on twitter. Do you really think Gareth Cliff gives a flying flip about your blog? He certainly doesn’t give a toss about mine, although 5fm management did memorably have a few words to say back in February.

SA Blog Awards Badge

Click the badge above (or click here) and follow the instructions if you want to vote for 6000 miles... in the 2012 SA Blog Awards. Voting is open from the 19th until (2359 on) the 28th of December 2012.

Oh, Hello…

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Hmm. This has crept in under the radar so far (at least it seems to have done), but look what’s just opened:

Not sure quite where 6000 miles… fits into their category list, but I guess Entertainment /Lifestyle is the way forward.

After all, are you not entertained?

I’ve cheekily slipped myself in for Best Religious/Spiritual Blog as a reserve category.
Winning.

Registrations close on the 14th December and voting begins on the 19th – 28th.
What? Did you have plans for those days?

Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts 2012/13

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Download your PDF programme here

The line up for the Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concert series for 2012/13 has been released and it’s a case of the usual suspects and a few new faces. Here’s what we’re looking at this year:

  • 25 Nov 2012 – Daniel Bedingfield (R80-R110)
  • 02 Dec 2012 – Mango Groove (R80-R110)
  • 09 Dec 2012 – Zebra & Giraffe (R80-R110)
  • 13-16 Dec 2012 – Carols by Candlelight (R60)
  • 23 Dec 2012 – Prime Circle (R80-R110)
  • 30 Dec 2012 – Yoav & Tailor (R60-R85)
  • 31 Dec 2012 (NYE) – Hugh Masekela & Hot Water (R275)
  • 06 Jan 2013 – Arno Carstens (R80-R110)
  • 13 Jan 2013 – The Parlotones (R110-135) (K)
  • 20 Jan 2013 – Jimmy Dludlu (R80-R110) (K)
  • 27 Jan 2013 – Toya Delazy & Lindiwe Suttle (R80-R110)
  • 03 Feb 2013 – Freshlyground (R80-R110) (K)
  • 10 Feb 2013 – Cape Town Folk n Acoustic Music Festival (R65-R80)
  • 17 Feb 2013 – Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse (R80-R110) (K)
  • 24 Feb 2013 – The Cape Philharmonic Orchestra(R80-R110) (K)
  • 03 Mar 2013 – Goldfish (R80-R110)
  • 10 Mar 2013 – Jeremy Loops (R60-R85) (K)
  • 17 Mar 2013 – Ringo Madlingozi (R80-R110) (K)
  • 24 Mar 2013 – Shadowclub & Gangs of Ballet (R60-R85)
  • 31 Mar 2013 – Mi Casa & Natasha Meister (R80-R110) (K)
  • 07 Apr 2013 – Johnny Clegg (R80-R110) (K)

Ticket prices are for 6-21 year olds and adults. BotSoc members are somewhere in between and (K) indicates there’s a Kids Zone at the concert in question.

You’ve gotta get through the international act Daniel Bedingfield who kicks things off (see what I did there?), before the highlights (for me) of Zebra & Giraffe, Arno Carstens and the much underrated Gangs of Ballet in March.

Mango Groove, Goldfish, Freshlyground and (once you’ve remortgaged your house) The Parlotones will obviously be popular, so book early.

Tickets for all concerts are available now from Webtickets.co.za and additional tickets will be available at Kirstenbosch (021 761 2866), from the Tuesday before each concert, when online tickets are sold out.

Download your PDF programme here

London 2012 – Want to take your camera?

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Some interesting news via PetaPixel on the rules surrounding non-professionals taking their cameras along to events at the upcoming London Olympics:

While larger venues might be more lenient, camera equipment over 30cm long (about 12in), including tripods and monopods, will not be allowed in most of the venues. In addition, attendees have also be warned that there is no storage available, so if you surrender your camera equipment to security, you’re not getting it back. If you have any doubts regarding your equipment, it’s better to leave it in your room.
The most interesting rule, however, has nothing to do with the camera equipment you use, but rather with your smartphone. Attendees, while they will be allowed to bring iPhones and Android phones into the venues, will not be allowed to use them as WiFi hotspots — in other words, if you wanted to connect your SLR (with an acceptably short lens) or WiFi enabled camera to social networks via your phone to do some on-the-fly uploading, you will not be allowed to do so.

Those size rules compare favourably with those at even minor events at the Cape Town Stadium. 30cm is assuredly big enough to satisfy anyone’s needs (said the actress to the Bishop). But the wifi thing is not only rather odd, but also surely completely unenforceable, especially since they also state that they are fine with live uploads to Facebook and the like on smartphones.

At the end of the day (or indeed at any other time), it really doesn’t bother me, since I’m not going along. But overall, I think the restrictions are a lot less draconian than many people would have expected.