From my point of view Johannesburg has the best climate in the world.
It has the dry heat of southern (and northern) Africa which is my absolute favourite. It also has the cool nights of the high elevation (Jo'burg is at 1800m).
I love the cool morning with the sun already bearing the promise of hot days. I love the noon sun which feels like hot peppers on your skin and the slowly cooling evening air steeping with all the scented plants which grow in this climate.
Xmas of course here is in summer and it will make it very easy to totally ignore it this year, which is my plan.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
"Cocoa" or "Cacao"?
Early I posted about my new vice: eating "100% cocoa" and then today I noticed that the product I eat is labeled "cacao"!
I always thought that in English it was "cocoa" and in French "cacao", which of course I thought was quite funny, but now I am not sure....Well I am sure it is funny to me but I am not sure that in English it is truly "cocoa".
I had to go and check to see if these were actually two different things and it turns out that they are.
"cacao" is the evergreen tree which produce cocoa fruits and seeds (note they are not beans).
Whereas "cocoa" is either the fruit, the powder from the roasted, husked and grounded seeds of the cacao, or the drink made from the powder.
Or at least this is the way this online dictionary defines it.
So to following this the label my post was right to read "cocoa" instead of "cacao" regardless of what the product is labeled since this is not 100% of the tree and even though it is 100% of the seeds they are processed, they are not just seeds sitting there .....
The Concise Oxford Dictionary says:
"cacao": seeds of tropical tree, giving cocoa and chocolate; the tree.
"cocoa": Powder made from crushed cacao seeds often with other ingredients; drink made from this or from the seeds.
At the end I still don't know if I am eating cacao or cocoa!!!
Anyway enjoy your end of year festive chocolates, that at least is clearly called chocolate.
De Villiers Chocolate (which does not produce what I am eating these days) has an interesting post on their website about the how cacao is processed. What I get is from Willie's cacao and they also have a great site explaining how they do it.
Turns out that in a very similar fashion than coffee the cacao seeds are roasted and the husks are removed. After this the grinding, refining, conching and tempering are of course not like coffee anymore since one of the particularity of cacao is that about 50% of the cacao seeds is cocoa butter. (notice how you go "cacao seed" to "cocoa butter"!! interesting!!!). I have to admit that the process seems quite tricking but then again we all know that chocolate can take that weird texture when heated if it is not done carefully.
I always thought that in English it was "cocoa" and in French "cacao", which of course I thought was quite funny, but now I am not sure....Well I am sure it is funny to me but I am not sure that in English it is truly "cocoa".
I had to go and check to see if these were actually two different things and it turns out that they are.
"cacao" is the evergreen tree which produce cocoa fruits and seeds (note they are not beans).
Whereas "cocoa" is either the fruit, the powder from the roasted, husked and grounded seeds of the cacao, or the drink made from the powder.
Or at least this is the way this online dictionary defines it.
So to following this the label my post was right to read "cocoa" instead of "cacao" regardless of what the product is labeled since this is not 100% of the tree and even though it is 100% of the seeds they are processed, they are not just seeds sitting there .....
The Concise Oxford Dictionary says:
"cacao": seeds of tropical tree, giving cocoa and chocolate; the tree.
"cocoa": Powder made from crushed cacao seeds often with other ingredients; drink made from this or from the seeds.
At the end I still don't know if I am eating cacao or cocoa!!!
Anyway enjoy your end of year festive chocolates, that at least is clearly called chocolate.
De Villiers Chocolate (which does not produce what I am eating these days) has an interesting post on their website about the how cacao is processed. What I get is from Willie's cacao and they also have a great site explaining how they do it.
Turns out that in a very similar fashion than coffee the cacao seeds are roasted and the husks are removed. After this the grinding, refining, conching and tempering are of course not like coffee anymore since one of the particularity of cacao is that about 50% of the cacao seeds is cocoa butter. (notice how you go "cacao seed" to "cocoa butter"!! interesting!!!). I have to admit that the process seems quite tricking but then again we all know that chocolate can take that weird texture when heated if it is not done carefully.
Monday, December 12, 2011
More Modern African Fabrics
In between all my meetings in Jo'burg I somehow have to pass the time. Honestly I am starting to get quite bored so I made up some sawing project (and I am NOT a seamstress even remotely). Part of the pleasure for me is of course to choose the fabrics. I don't sew but I love fabrics. Go figure!
Anyway today I went downtown with Michelle (she is a seamstress, in fact she has a clothing stores of her own stuff and I own a lot of simple dresses with crazy bright African prints that I bought from her) and this is what I bought:
Today we went to a store called Ismail's. It is a great fabric store with loads of choices, lots of Da Gama shweshwes, Fascos and Woodin London Elegance Wax prints.
The store is at the corner of Market Street and End Street at 224 Market.
I recommend this store.
Anyway today I went downtown with Michelle (she is a seamstress, in fact she has a clothing stores of her own stuff and I own a lot of simple dresses with crazy bright African prints that I bought from her) and this is what I bought:
Today we went to a store called Ismail's. It is a great fabric store with loads of choices, lots of Da Gama shweshwes, Fascos and Woodin London Elegance Wax prints.
The store is at the corner of Market Street and End Street at 224 Market.
I recommend this store.
Thursday, December 08, 2011
My Temporary New Place
While I am in Jo'burg I have to go to a all bunch of meetings. I took a new place within walking distance of where I have to go. It is quite nice but unfortunately it has to be a temporary arrangement because I can't afford to stay there long term. However this Saturday I am visiting two places that I can afford.
the best thing about the place where I am right now I think is the small terrace at the back. Because the place is on the side of a hill I have a view above everybody else's roof.
This is a small courtyard type of thing with banana trees.
Evening view from the terrace.
.
The hill at the back of the house
The stairs of the house next door. This is all I can see of that house so it is quite nice and private.
A very South African fence made of sticks just to block the view in a pleasant way.
Another view of the little courtyard with a view through the hallway to the pool of them main house. Loike most houses in Jo'burg they have a poo but never use it.
My door back into my place from the terrace.
the best thing about the place where I am right now I think is the small terrace at the back. Because the place is on the side of a hill I have a view above everybody else's roof.
This is a small courtyard type of thing with banana trees.
Evening view from the terrace.
The hill at the back of the house
The stairs of the house next door. This is all I can see of that house so it is quite nice and private.
A very South African fence made of sticks just to block the view in a pleasant way.
Another view of the little courtyard with a view through the hallway to the pool of them main house. Loike most houses in Jo'burg they have a poo but never use it.
My door back into my place from the terrace.
100% Cocoa, My New Bad Habit
Here in South Africa you can get 100% cocoa. Because I cannot eat sugar once as a treat I bought myself some. Now I am in trouble. I like it, though I realize that it may be an acquired taste. I already know that I do not care for the Indonesian cocoa as much as the others. So far I find cocoa from both Madagascar and Venezuela quite nice. I think Venezuelan cocoa may be a little easier to like, smoother while the Madagascar cocoa has more punch....And there are more to try!
I should say that without any sugar cocoa is bitter, since I started eating this 100% cocoa stuff I once had a "nice" chocolate with 85% cocoa and I thought the sugar was ruining it. I am in deep trouble. Where am I going to find single provenance 100% cocoa when I am not in South Africa!!!!
I should say that without any sugar cocoa is bitter, since I started eating this 100% cocoa stuff I once had a "nice" chocolate with 85% cocoa and I thought the sugar was ruining it. I am in deep trouble. Where am I going to find single provenance 100% cocoa when I am not in South Africa!!!!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Columbia Valley Skulls October 2011
I don't understand such disrespect. At least take the entire head!
did they do this while there was still skin on the bones? I really do not understand. I hope I never understand.
No crown can really undo the arm.
This one was spare the infamy and is still complete, obviously not killed by a hunter.
I don't hunt but I understand hunting to eat but I do not understand trophy hunting. Also I should point out that both these skulls were found in a nature reserve.
did they do this while there was still skin on the bones? I really do not understand. I hope I never understand.
No crown can really undo the arm.
This one was spare the infamy and is still complete, obviously not killed by a hunter.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Agapanthus
I have grown to realize that the name of this blog may be more appropriate than I had realized at the time. I realize now that I am for ever smelling things around me, noticing smells and particularly the smells of flowers. This alone would make it worth it for me to be in South Africa right now.
Truly I enjoy all type of flowers and the agapanthi (I imagine this is the correct plural form of agapanthus) are not scented flowers but still I think they are stunning.
and the bees like them too.
Truly I enjoy all type of flowers and the agapanthi (I imagine this is the correct plural form of agapanthus) are not scented flowers but still I think they are stunning.
These are not small flowers either.
and the bees like them too.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Kid's photos
I always wondered why women would wear yoga outfits while shopping or generally away from yoga classes but now I know. As illustrated below: sometimes it is hard to tell where life will take you and you can find yourself in a spontaneous yoga pose.
Charlotte demonstrates the case in the photo below. One second you are walking around having a perfectly normal day. Then Kaboom, next second your body is taken over by a previous reincarnation when you were a master yogi.
Isn't she cute !?!? And not to brag or anything (OK, I'm bragging) but she let's me hold her.
Her brother with another fruit. Contrary to what the photo seems to suggest he is her BIG brother... it is not that he is small it is just the pineapple is very big!
In fact he is so big that he was a scary warlord as Halloween this year.
Charlotte demonstrates the case in the photo below. One second you are walking around having a perfectly normal day. Then Kaboom, next second your body is taken over by a previous reincarnation when you were a master yogi.
Isn't she cute !?!? And not to brag or anything (OK, I'm bragging) but she let's me hold her.
Her brother with another fruit. Contrary to what the photo seems to suggest he is her BIG brother... it is not that he is small it is just the pineapple is very big!
In fact he is so big that he was a scary warlord as Halloween this year.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Exhibition of African Photography in Bamako, Mali
You just have to go to BBC World coverage of this exhibit. How I which I could be there to see it "live".
Here is an example of the photos they show. This one is by Akintunde Akinyele.
Here is an example of the photos they show. This one is by Akintunde Akinyele.
Photos of a Normal Walk in the Area Where I am
It is hard to remember what I used to notice, but here are some totally plain and random photos of what I see when I take my friend's dogs for a walk.
Jacaranda trees lining the street.
Before the walk one of the dog is resting. It is a dog's life!
View of a house above its wall.
Hadeda sitting on the roof.
Metal representations of guinea fowls on my front steps.
Petals on the ground.
Security, security! It is Johannesburg after all.
More jacaranda shots. I never tire of them.
View of a garden from the other side of the wall.
The back of my friend's house.
One of the garden I like walking by.
African see-saw.
Yellow!!
Cacti growing back to their wild state.
They mean it. They come with AK47s. It happened to me once because of a simple misunderstanding. I was living at fourth eleven street and when they ask my name their were checking the name they had for the previous renter at 4th eleventh street. My name of course appeared wrong to them which they took as a sign that I was telling that I was in trouble and they stormed into the house with their AK47. But it all ended well.
Jacaranda trees lining the street.
Before the walk one of the dog is resting. It is a dog's life!
View of a house above its wall.
Hadeda sitting on the roof.
Metal representations of guinea fowls on my front steps.
Petals on the ground.
Security, security! It is Johannesburg after all.
More jacaranda shots. I never tire of them.
View of a garden from the other side of the wall.
The back of my friend's house.
One of the garden I like walking by.
African see-saw.
Yellow!!
Cacti growing back to their wild state.
They mean it. They come with AK47s. It happened to me once because of a simple misunderstanding. I was living at fourth eleven street and when they ask my name their were checking the name they had for the previous renter at 4th eleventh street. My name of course appeared wrong to them which they took as a sign that I was telling that I was in trouble and they stormed into the house with their AK47. But it all ended well.
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