A Theatrical Dinner Chez Fong

10 December 2017

I recently cracked an invite to dine Chez Fong.

Su-yen preparing dinner Chez Fong
Fong, otherwise known as Su-yen, chopping up a storm before the other guests arrive.

Fong, aka Su-yen Thornhill, is part South African, part Chinese (via Hong Kong), part chef, part comedian, part yoga guru, and part Energizer Bunny. She runs a restaurant that’s not a restaurant (don’t you dare call it a pop-up), in a dining room attached to her sprawling Houghton home, where she whips up eight courses (maybe ten, if the mood strikes her) of pan-Asian taste bud excitement every Wednesday evening.

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Adventures in North West Province: 24 Hours at Sun City

08 December 2017

Last month I spent a weekend in Groot Marico, a whacky hippie town in North West Province. Soon after booking the Groot Marico trip, I received an invitation to spend the night at Sun City during the same week. I was really excited. I’d never been to Sun City – which is like a South African Vegas – and had been awaiting an opportunity for years.

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Adventures in North West Province: Whacky Groot Marico

28 November 2017

A few weeks ago I spent a weekend in Groot Marico, on a writing retreat with three friends.

Welcome to Groot Marico
Welkom (Welcome) to Groot Marico.

Groot Marico, a funky town in North West Province, is best known for its association with Herman Charles Bosman. Bosman was an acclaimed South African author who lived in Groot Marico in the 1920s and wrote a few collections of short stories based on the town.

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#Gauteng52, Week 47: Joburg's Best Handbags (and there's a sale)

24 November 2017

Welcome to Week 47 of my #Gauteng52 challenge, for which I visit and blog about a new place in Gauteng Province every week for 52 straight weeks. This week I visit Via La Moda, a workshop producing luxury handbags and other leather goods in Industria.

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Reclaim the Wilds This Sunday

20 November 2017

In April 2016 I published a blog post about the Wilds, a park near downtown Joburg. That post felt kind of controversial at the time because most Joburgers considered the Wilds to be a horribly dangerous place where no rational person would ever go.

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#Gauteng52, Week 46: Open Studios at August House

16 November 2017

Welcome to Week 46 of my #Gauteng52 challenge, for which I visit and blog about a new place in Gauteng Province every week for 52 straight weeks. This week I visit August House, a collection of artists’ studios and residences in downtown Johannesburg.

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