Seven Days in Africa https://journals.worldnomads.com/eugeneulman/ Sat, 2 May 2026 02:11:07 GMT World Nomads Adventures This is just a quick one. I haven't been to LA since 1998, and just went back briefly for some meetings in connection with my film project, and was amazed to see a functioning subway. Okay, it doesn't go everywhere, but it's there: you go downstairs, there are trains every 10 minutes or so, and there are hardly any people using it. In fact, many LA residents don't even know it's there. Still, I got from Downtown LA to Hollywood and Vine in less than 20 minutes. You can't get to West LA, Venice or Santa Monica on the Subay though, but there has been some improvement in the bus system. The No.2 bus that goes up and down Sunset Blvd seems to come every couple of minutes during the day. And $3 gets a day pass that covers buses and trains. Still a long way to go, of course, but in another 8 years you might be able to survive LA without a car! https://journals.worldnomads.com/eugeneulman/story/3787/USA/LA-has-a-subway Travel USA eugeneulman https://journals.worldnomads.com/eugeneulman/story/3787/USA/LA-has-a-subway#comments https://journals.worldnomads.com/eugeneulman/story/3787/USA/LA-has-a-subway Mon, 12 Mar 2007 21:12:00 GMT 1 I need to say a few worlds about one of the highlights of being in Harare which is the theatre. It’s seems almost every other week there is an opening of a new production, and there are always new actors, playwrights and directors appearing on the scene. It could be tempting to give some of the credit for this to the general state of the media in Zimbabwe. There is only one free-to-air TV channel, the government-owned ZTV. For those who can afford it, and pay TV service is provided by the South African DSTV company. Zimbabwean theatres have taken on the role of providing alternative discussion programs, current affairs shows, talent and variety shows and even game shows, performed live in diverse neighbourhoods around town. Still, the current political and economic challenges faced by Zimbabwe cannot entirely explain the vibrancy of Harare’s theatre culture, which has a long and interesting history. Before Independence in 1980, when cultural life, like everything else, was more or less segregated, there were essentially four types of theatre: Theatre by White people for White people, theatre by Black people for Black people, theatre by “Coloured” (mixed race) people for “Coloured” people and theatre by White people for Black people (mostly educational in nature). The first multi-racial theatre was the Reps Theatre, in what was then the white suburb (and is today the middle-class suburb) of Belgravia. As early as the 1960s, the Reps Theatre battled against the authorities trying to shut it down for not having segregated toilets. While it was progressive socially, the Reps Theatre has always been a venue for mainstream, western-style theatre in Harare. Their recent productions include David Abuburn’s “Proof”, Yasmina Reza’s “Art” , Ray and Michael Cooney’s “Tom, Dick and Harry”, and various plays by Neil Simon. It is also the venue used by CHIPAWO, and youth theatre project founded by the prolific playwright Stephen Chifunyise. At the other end of the spectrum, African theatre traditions inform the works of the Pamuzina Theatre, based in Highfield and other theatres in the so-called “high density” areas of Harare (working class areas that were black-only before independence), incorporating poetry, dance and traditional storytelling into the performances. The most progressive theatre can be seen at the Theatre-In-The-Park, a modest looking thatched construction in Harare Gardens, the downtown park next door to the landmark Monomotapa Hotel. The most controversial and discussed plays at this venue are usually presented by Rooftop Promotions, under the leadership of its irrepressible producer Daves Guzha, who can often be seen performing in the plays himself. Another frequent actor and director at Theatre-In-the-Park is the towering figure of modern Zimbabwean theatre, Walter Muparutsa. Muparutsa is without doubt the best-loved and most respected actor in the country, bringing humour and dignity to a variety of films and plays produced in the country over the last 25 years. As a director, he brings remarkable truth and sincerity out of his actors. The most provocative and in many ways cutting edge play this year has been “PREGNANT WITH EMOTION” a few months ago, written by Raisedon Baya in collaboration with Edgar Langeveldt and co-directed by Daves Guzha and Walter Muparutsa. The story of a woman who has been pregnant for 13 months (the baby, who speaks to her, is refusing to be born), it is an imaginative and powerful reflection of the crisis in Zimbabwe. It’s at once realistic (drawing on current events in the country), and poetic – going into an area that was almost a Zimbabwean version of a spiritual martial arts film by King Hu (Dragon Gate Inn or Touch of Zen). The play featured both Guzha and Muparutsa, as well as Zimbabwe’s most prominent performance poet Chirikure Chirikure and the great musician Chiwoniso Maraire. After each performance at the theatre there is a Q&A / discussion between the audience and the artists which sometimes go on for two hours. Raisedon Baya’s new play is currently running at Theatre – in – the – Park: “What They Said, What They Got.” It is co-directed by the author and Walter Muparutsa, and the cast includes the very talented Eunice Tava Chipo Bizure, Mandla Moyo, and Zenzo Nyathi. Unfortunately I’m not in Zimbabwe now, so I’ll miss it, but anyone reading this in Harare should check it out. https://journals.worldnomads.com/eugeneulman/story/1898/Zimbabwe/Exploring-Harares-Theatres Travel Zimbabwe eugeneulman https://journals.worldnomads.com/eugeneulman/story/1898/Zimbabwe/Exploring-Harares-Theatres#comments https://journals.worldnomads.com/eugeneulman/story/1898/Zimbabwe/Exploring-Harares-Theatres Fri, 10 Nov 2006 22:00:00 GMT 2 Jozi is not generally known as a food capital, and definitely there's a lot more crappy Western fast food here than elsewhere in Africa. It's easy to fall in the Johannesburg trap of shopping malls, but you can also avoid that. Here are some of my experiences. ' Yeoville, the neighbourhood where I've been staying, is full of migrants from elsewhere in Africa, and arriving here from Zimbabwe, it's great to have that mix of vibes. I've eaten in a couple of Cameroonian, Nigerian and Ethiopian joints, but the Yeoville eating highlight for me is African Corner Restaurant, run by two women from Ghana via Ivory Coast. I love West African food, and here I found a variety of fish, meat and bean dishes. So far the fish is my favourite, but after a few visits I've now started ordering my own mixed plate - the plantains and beans are amazing. This place is as cheap as it gets in Joburg. My special order with everything ends up costing US$4, but if you stick with the menu it can cost much less. Other cool places include the restaurant at the Johannesburg Art Gallery in the city centre (pan-African food) and the fantastic Oriental Plaza in Fordsburg where you can find any kind of food as long as its Indian. And why are the African samosas so much better than the ones in Australia? There's lots of bad coffee around, but I've been quite happy at the Europa cafe in Norwood (on of the city's most pleasant neighbourhoods). Good espresso, overwhelming variety (deli food, rolls, etc) and interesting characters to watch. At the other end of the spectrum, there are "Modern African" places with innovative, expensive cuisine such as Moyo, of which there are 3 branches around town (South Africans love a chain!). True, it's hard not to focus on the branding, which always makes me feel a little like a victim. But dishes like skewered tuna with quail egg and olive, or duck and fig samosas are creative without being pretentious. And there is also live music. Speaking of live music, the most amazing food experience I've had in Joburg so far was the Melville Grill. Melville is quite a good area for food, and the atmosphere is a kind of South African Melbourne. There are bookshops, wine bars and international food, mainly Italian, Thai and Ethiopian. My friend was taking me to, I think, a Thai place, but as we were about to walk through the door, we heard live music coming from across the streets. Both she and I had the same reaction - to automatically turn from the restaurant where we had planed to go, and walked straight across the street. It was the Melville Grill, and an informal jam. The bass player was the legendary Herbie Tsoaeli; the others were young players I didn't recognize. The Melville Grill, as the name implies is a meat place. My friend recommended the ostrich, which tasted incredible. Honestly, I know I'm not using the most sophisticated language to describe this gastronomic experience, but it really was one of those very basic experiences, where the combination of good food, wine and music at the same time was so overwhelming that for a moment I thought I was going to pass out. I didn't though. https://journals.worldnomads.com/eugeneulman/story/3784/South-Africa/Some-Johannesburg-Food-Highlights Travel South Africa eugeneulman https://journals.worldnomads.com/eugeneulman/story/3784/South-Africa/Some-Johannesburg-Food-Highlights#comments https://journals.worldnomads.com/eugeneulman/story/3784/South-Africa/Some-Johannesburg-Food-Highlights Thu, 12 Oct 2006 18:45:00 GMT 0 I am currently working on a documentary project that involves travelling to many countries around Africa. World Nomads Insurance is one of the sponsors of this project. I find it interesting that of all the questions I get about my travels in Africa, the most common one is: "Is it dangerous?" Interesting because I have generally never felt so safe as in Africa. African cities usually have very low crime statistics - my Ethiopian friends were genuinely shocked when I told them that my house in Sydney once got broken into. "That never happens here..." they said. So Johannesburg has been my first experience of an African city where crime is on everyone's mind. No one carries a bag walking in the street... in fact no one really walks, they run. Everyone has 10 walls around their house, with razor wire, electric wire and private security. Is the paranoia justified? In a sense, yes. In my first week here I was almost mugged and almost carjacked. Almost. The first time I got away, the second time I talked my way out of it. Maybe this is why all the tourists go to Cape Town. That and the beach. Still, while Johannesburg is not yet cohesive enough to be called "the New York of Africa" as it so much would like to be, it is big, interesting and diverse enough to maybe be labelled "the LA of Africa." You can't be bored in Jo'burg. There are millions of African migrants here from all over the continent, trying to make it in the "streets paved with gold." Although it has a traumautuc history of Apartheid and racial conflict, Joburg more than any other city, is the laboratory for the New South Africa, where Black and White people are still learning to relate to each other in a new and workable way. While "interesting" is still more the word I'd use rather than "Wonderful", I decided not to be negative and bought a "I Heart Jo'burg" sticker for my camera box. Get the power of suggestion working. In the meantime, I am still learning how to get beyond the paranoia and learn what Jo'burg has to offer. https://journals.worldnomads.com/eugeneulman/story/1609/South-Africa/South-Africa-without-fear Travel South Africa eugeneulman https://journals.worldnomads.com/eugeneulman/story/1609/South-Africa/South-Africa-without-fear#comments https://journals.worldnomads.com/eugeneulman/story/1609/South-Africa/South-Africa-without-fear Tue, 19 Sep 2006 05:24:00 GMT 5