EVENT: Switching on the Lights in Adderley Street, CPT

Ok, I have been truly sleg! Truth be told: I have been really really busy over the past 3 weeks... Between the Exchange Server crashing, having a tummy bug, crayfishing and playing BattleField 2 online... I haven't had time to update the blog. With the Festive Season fast approaching, I will see what I can do about posting some Christmas-y stuff.

Sunday is the official switching on of the Adderley Street lights... I found this great article online:

Festive Lights on Adderley Street One of Cape Town’s largest public open-air events is the official switch on of the festive lights in Adderley Street. This year boasts 12 brand new light installations offering a kaleidoscope of colour with a strong emphasis on the 2010 Soccer World Cup. It is the 42nd year that this switch-on event is taking place. Some 50 000 people are expected to gather to watch the colourful extravaganza of light and sound.

Over the past two years, the City has reduced the electricity consumption of its festive light displays by more than 50%, using energy efficient rope lighting. Roughly nine kilometres were used to create this year’s displays. A special team designed the new light crossings to incorporate a strong emphasis on 2010 soccer themes. Some of the more traditional elements will be retained, but the huge Christmas tree at the top end of Adderley Street will be replaced with an indigenous aloe plant.

The aim of the festive lights is to spread joy by lifting the spirits of local residents and welcoming tourists during the summer holidays. Cape Town is expecting an influx of over one million visitors and the municipality has devised a comprehensive festive season co-ordination plan to promote a safe, secure and clean holiday for residents and visitors.

The 2010 mascot, Zakumi, and other soccer icons will join Cape Town’s Executive Mayor Helen Zille in officially launching the City’s summer holiday season when the lights are switched on Sunday, 30th of November 2008 at 20h00.

The festivities will kick off at 16h00 with a star-studded stage concert at the Heerengracht Fountain; featuring local stars such as Loyiso, Idols winner Jody Williams, Dr Victor & The Rasta Rebels, Dozi, Die Burger U-tune winner Alfredo Prins, Loading Zone, Maphello and Drum Café.

A 2 000 strong carnival parade which will move from the fountain up to Strand Street will include brass bands, a fire engine with Santa Claus, Cartoon Network characters, dancers, giant puppets, stilt walkers, unicyclists, acrobats, a horse and cart with Sasko Sam, Simba, Ronald Macdonald, Mr Pritt, as well as colourful floats, including a 2010 FIFA World Cup™ host city float. A special musical tribute to the late Miriam Makeba will be performed by the SA Youth Choir.

Two large LED screens will be strategically placed in Adderley Street to allow the expected 50 000 spectators to follow all the action on stage. The show will be complemented by a dazzling laser light display which will be bounced off mirrors and buildings along the street.

The Adderley Street lights will stay up until mid-January 2009.

Date: Sunday, 30th of November 2008.
Venue: Adderley Street, City Centre, Cape Town.

Source: http://cape.town.co.za

I hope to see you all there!

Mid-Week Dinner: Chicken a la King (ala Mike)

I really felt like cooking last night, don't ask me why! No idea. I had taken out a pack of chicken to defrost and got my cook on... Chicken a la King (a la Mike) served on a bed of rice with pumpkin and broccoli, drenched in a white sauce.
Sound good? Here's how simple it was making the chicken dish:

Ingredients:
1x Pack of Chicken (4x Thighs & 4x Drumsticks)
1x Packet Knorr Chicken ala King
1/2 Cup Wellington's Sweet Chilli (Hot)
2x Cups Milk (500ml)
1x Large Onion, diced
2t Garlic
1x Punnet of Mushrooms (sliced)

Method:
1. In a large saucepan, brown the Chicken, remove and set aside.
2. De-glaze the pan with white wine.
3. Add 2T Olive Oil and apply heat.
4. Add the Onions and fry until translucent, stirring ever so often.
5. Add the Garlic and Chilli Sauce, fry for a further minute or two, stirring
6. Add the Chicken, Mushrooms and Milk, bringing it up to a simmer.
7. Sprinkle the Knorr Chicken ala King spice into the pan, stir it well into the mixture.
8. Simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes, until the Chicken is cooked.
NOTE: You will need to stir quite often as this mix tends to burn to the bottom of the pan. Add more milk if liquid gets to thick.

Serve the Chicken on a bed of Rice, with a side of Broccoli and Pumpkin. Finger licking good! A quick and really tasty meal, in around 45 minutes.

Other Interests: Fishing at Zandvlei & Kalk Bay

At 5:45am, Gary and I were on the way to Zandvlei, the Rutter Road Pond in Muizenberg to attempt catching some bass. The plan was to be there for sunrise, hoping to catch a bass or two hunting in the shallows. I quickly tied up a bottom rig with a free running sinker, using a plastic worm and got my line wet. I have heard that if a fish stikes a plastic worm and the angler fails to hook him, he will come back for a second try as he would not have been shocked by an 'unnatural hardness' of other lures.
The only thing I caught was lots of grass and weeds. There was nothing doing. I changed to a frog... nothing! Gary, in the meantime, was messing around with his newly acquired fly rod. Also, I am sorry to say, nothing! One of the locals came out and we chatted to him. He pointed out a good spot for bass where he regularly catches, but you can only get their by dinghey (which we clearly didn't have). That was it! We decided to go to Kalk Bay (we were in the area anyways). Back to the ocean... It seems that fishing was bad all over today. All the fishermen on the pier were complaining... Nothing was biting! Then, Gary pulls up a tiny little hottentot! And then a rock fish and shortly after, another tiny little specimen. One of the sea-hardened fishermen came over to check out the hottentot... that is how bad the fishing was!


At around 11:30am, we called it a day! I have been craving fish this past week and I bought bought 3 from the Fresh Fish Market in Kalk Bay, right near the pier where we were fishing. Dinner tonight is thus fresh fish... I just realised I don't know what these fish are called! Oh my word!

While were were waiting for the ladies to scale and gut the fish, we were entertained by the seals. One of the locals showed off his 'seal training skills' by making a seal perform for him, coaxing him on with pieces of fish. I uploaded a video clip on YouTube - take a look.

I also noticed a guy selling freshly smoked snoek. He had whole snoek for R25 & R30, depending on the size. He also had some smaller packages for R12. I bought a small pack to give it a try... Absolutely amazing. Then again, I have always been a sucker for sea food.

All in all, the day was good. It would have been better if I had managed to land a bass at Zandvlei or a Hottentot or Elf at Kalk Bay. Well, you can't always have your cake, and eat it... LOL!