Winner’s Week of MyBBB

If you want to find out what we got up to in the MyBBB Winner’s Week – then check out my latest video 🙂

My Journey To MyBBB Finals

This was one of our vlog challenges for MyBBB. We had to document our journey to London .

– Vlog 3 – Utopia Music Festival

What do I love more than travel, making videos and kwaito?
Chocolate covered Biscuits. But I also love electronic music and music festivals. So for my next vlog I decided to show you a bit of Cape Town’s outdoor music festival scene. This is UTOPIA. Do enjoy and leave comments…
Mercy

– I’d LOVE to – Find my Irish Roots

Cape Town is my home and I’ll forever be loyal to my South African birthright. But I feel one should always pay homage to one’s ancestors by tracing their journey and learning about their origin and culture. Believers of traditional African religion trust that ancestors maintain a spiritual connection with their living relatives. As a South African this is something I fully relate too. Ancestor worship is an extension of a belief and respect for elders.  When ever I am confronted with a challenge or want to succeed in something great I call on my Irish ancestors to bless me with their ever so powerful ‘Luck ‘O the Irish’! How do you think I made it this far in the Biggest Baddest Bucket List competition? Not from that awful little video I made? Surely not.. (KIDDING)

I’m about to tell you my best-kept secret (don’t tell anyone!) I carry this little magic shamrock around with me and keep it especially close in times when I need it most. I had it stuffed in my Docs during this morning’s Expresso Show interview. Most ancestral spirits are good, especially the ones I’ve made contact with, but there are a few that African cultures believe can cause minor illness to warn people that have taken the wrong path in life. To please the unhappy ancestors, offerings of beer and meat are made.

Just like the Jewish who embark on their Birthright journey to Israel. I would like to invent and take part in my own Birthright week in Ireland. Learn about the ancient Celtic culture, find out where my forefathers came from, and perhaps instead of giving them Beer as an offering, enjoy a pint or 10  of Guiness on their behalf. Besides isn’t beer drinking part of my Irish Culture?

So I did some research and found this very exciting movement called The Gathering, a year-long celebration of all things Irish. Apparently over 70 million people around the world claim Irish ancestry- so perhaps even you could be calling on the Irish ancestors for some easy access luck yourself.. The Gathering Ireland “provides the perfect excuse to reach out to those who have moved away from their relatives, friends and descendents, and invite them home”.  It invites anyone who has a link to Ireland or anyone who just simply loves the country to come to Ireland and join in for a series of events throughout 2013.  What better way to pay homage and immerse myself in my roots than getting involved in The Gathering?  Click here to visit the website and find out more.

Other activities I’d love to do in Ireland :

Learn an Irish Jig

(londondancewear.com)

Find out how Guniness is made at the Guiness Storehouse

(kenbenoit.net , tropicalisland.de,(earlychildhoodireland.ie))

Spend a Night in an Ancient Irish Castle

]

(etadventures.com)

(worldwindhomestay.com)

And of Course Kiss the Blarney Stone

(richardtullochwriter.com )

Thousands of Lips from around the world have kissed the stone: Madonna, Zach Braff, Colin Farrell and even this guy….

For more Info on Ireland and what to get up to in Dublin or County Clare

visit the MyDestination Ireland Page here or visit Tourism Ireland here. 

– I’d LOVE to- Explore Barcelona

What do I love more than traveling, making videos and dancing to Kwaito music?

Nothing! However I do also enjoy electronic music and outdoor festivals.. This weekend I went on a little adventure to Utopia, a music festival that took place on beautiful river resort in Worcester and featured some of Cape Town’s most exciting acts (watch out for video coming soon). I danced my booty off, watched some great comedy, met lovely mental people and captured some rad footage. But I’m not going to talk too much about Utopia as you’ll see all about it in my next vlog.

However, my little field trip did get me thinking about what international electronic music festival I would like to attend if I won MyDestination’s Biggest Baddest Bucket list. I’ve actually been following this festival for a while now and had many dreams in which I get up on stage during Soulwax’s set and dance like a 7 year old on Christmas morning.

This festival is none other than the SONAR MUSIC FESTIVAL that takes place in Barcelona for three days every June, this year from the 13 to the 15^th. Created in 1994 this International Festival of Advanced Music and New Media Art “is by virtue of a carefully balanced cultural offering, combining a playful nature, the avant-garde, and experimentation with electronic dance music’s newest trends” describes MyDestination Barcelona. Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Each year Sonar hosts over 8 000 people from more than 90 countries from around the world – now that’s  a lot of potential friends, YOH. Their common goal: “to make the relationship between creativity, technology, mobility, innovation, and business more transparent and accessible”. Sounds Saucy.

Some of my favorite acts featured in this year’s line up include:

Jurrasic 5

Two Door Cinema Club

Soulwax

Diplo

Major Lazor

Nicholas Jaar

Justice

Gold Panda

And many more that I don’t even know exist….

Click here to visit MyDestination Barcelona for more Festival info.

Or check out the Festival website here for more pics and videos.

Our own local Act, Die Antwoord, played last year

(Images from the Festival Website, Barcelonapoint.com, gutierrez-rubi.es, spain-holiday.com)

A trip to Barcelona would not be complete without visiting the legendary works of Gaudi. We’ve all seen the film Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona and thought to ourselves ‘yes, now that’s where I’d like to spend my next Summer holiday’… (if we were all famous gazillion-ares) Why? To study the works of Gaudi of course, not to run off with some sexy, steamy, culturally stimulating Spanish artist!

For all the things Barcelona is famous for, including ridiculously good-looking, charming men, Antoni Gaudi stands out as one of the city’s most influential characters.

To learn more about him and his life in Barcelona visit MyDestination Barcelona’s article here.

Otherwise I shall leave you with some of my Gaudi favourites:

(landarchs.com)

(http://www.lgprisflyg.nu)

(www.libuar.bg)

(architecture.about.com)

(jainabee.com)

– I’d LOVE to – Visit The Ghost Town of Chernobyl in the Ukraine

(Images from onlyhdwallpapers.com; flicker.com; funny.funnyoldplanet.com; entertainmentfuse.com)

Ever since I watched the Horror movie “The Chernobyl Diaries” I’ve been fascinated with this Ghost Town. I’ve seen all the pictures, watched all the youtube clips but I’m sure its a completely different thrilling experience being there to explore the deserted town yourself. This place actually exists!

Here’s the story of how this eerie town in Kiev  came to be a deserted: On April 26, 1986 Reactor number 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded. Almost 9 tons of radioactive materials – 90 times as much as the Hiroshima bomb- were cast into the sky. The disaster happened at night while the 14 000 civilian’s of Chernobyl were asleep. Only 40 hours later were the residents ordered to evacuate their town and most never returned.  The town was left to rot and is still facing the effects of the disaster today. Many living in the town had no idea of the dangers of radiation and left the hundreds ill and deformed.

(Images and info from losapos.com/chernobyl)

It’s quite bloodcurdling but I’d love to visit this ghost town. Long term access to the zone is forbidden but short term visits are allowed. Several tour operators offer guided visits into the zone of alienation.  Who else wants to take a walk down the empty streets of Chernobyl Ghost Town?

To see a video slideshow on the effects the radiation had on the townsfolk- go to this link. But I warn you – The images are quite shocking..

– I’d LOVE to – Watch a Film at Thailand’s Floating Movie Theatre

You heard me! Yes, we have all watched movies at the cinema but have you ever watched a movie while floating on the ocean? No? Well, neither have I but I’d LOVE to.

This fantasy activity is situated in the the dreamworld of Kudu Island in Thailand.

The creator of this wonder cinema is German architect named Ole Scheeran. He wanted to give audience members a truly unique experience while watching movies.

“By using local lobster fisherman rafts with tires, Scheeren created a floating screen and a separate platform for the audience to sit back, relax and enjoy the show. The screen was placed in front of two beautiful rocks in the archipelago in the Bay of Benga.”

Unfortunately the cinema was created specifically for a film festival called “Film on the Rocks Yao Noi” so the rafts were given back to the fisherman after the festival concluded. But there may be a chance of them bringing it back for next year’s festival…. So there is still a chance of being apart of the magic 🙂

 “Scheeren explains his vision for the project: “

“A screen, nestled somewhere between the rocks. And the audience… floating. Hovering above the sea, somewhere in the middle of this incredible space of the lagoon, focused on the moving images across the water. A landscape of pieces playfully joined together. A sense of temporality, randomness. Almost like drift wood. Or maybe something more architectural. Modular pieces, loosely assembled, like a group of little islands. A congregation of rafts as an auditorium. Archipelago Cinema.”

(http://www.visualnews.com/2012/04/06/thailands-floating-movie-theater/ )

(Images taken from http://www.visualnews.com/2012/04/06/thailands-floating-movie-theater/)

– I’d LOVE to – Become a Geisha

(beauty.about.com)

Become Geisha for the Day in Japan. . .

(www.marcpix.com)

“Kyoto’s maiko houses are traditionally where young Japanese girls learn the 300-year-old art of being a geisha. Now the houses are open to tourists – for around 9,000 yen (£50), you can become geisha for a day: the process takes five hours.”

Carolyn Boyd from the DailyMail talks about her experience of being a Geisha for the day:

“First I was taken to a small changing room to don a pink cotton robe before going upstairs to try a colourful silk robe.

Next, the make-up, which took about an hour – kneeling down, hair scrunched into a hairnet, white make-up was brushed on to my face, neck and back. My lips were turned into a red bow.

In another room, I was hauled into an under-robe with a series of ties and ribbons before stepping into a huge kimono.

The wide obi belt with traditional folds was pulled so tight I could only take shallow breaths.

A hard hairpiece was then balanced on my head before I put on geta clogs and posed for a snap.”  (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/holidaytypeshub/article-590031/Become-geisha-day.html)

Who wants to see me transform into a Geisha?

– I’d LOVE to –

Every day I’m going to be posting a new activity from a different destination

that I’d LOVE to do if I won My Destinations #BBB..

Leave comments letting me know what you think and suggestions…

For my first activity  –

I’d LOVE to go MOUNTAIN TUBING in Kaui, Hawaii

( Kauai.Name)          ( wealth-structuring.com)

How fun does this sound?!?

“A water system that once irrigated vast sugar crops on Kauai has been unused since sugar was taken out of production in 2000. The irrigation system runs through some of the most beautiful and remote land on the island. It includes spectacular views of the ocean, coastline, mountains and valleys. Wanting to share this beauty with everyone, the land-owners have opened up the ditchand now offer tube rides down the Lihue Plantation irrigation tunnel system. The waters which originate near the top of Mount Wai‘ale‘ale, one of the wettest spots in the world, are channeled through ditches and tunnels hand-dug by plantation workers over

a century ago! “

During this leisurely cruise, guests will enjoy one of Kauai’s spectacular engineering feats which was engineered and hand dug circa 1870. During the tour, guides point out tidbits regarding the local plants, wildlife, and the history of Kauai and the sugar plantations. Following the tubing experience, guests are guided to a fresh water swim hole where they enjoy lunch and swim time before returning back to the base yard. ” (http://www.starfranevents.com/Conference/ActivityInfo/Tues_Activity_Mountain_Tubing.pdf)