title photo

title photo
collecting our moving crates from long-term storage

Friday, July 1, 2011

Sardine Run, Obama and Oprah: News from SA

Some big headlines from the last few weeks here in SA are listed below.  I have linked the news items to their sources so you can click on each link and read more about the items that you are interested in. Just double click with your mouse on each highlighted term and you should be re-directed to each link.

The Sardine Run along the Kwazulu-Natal Coast (where we just were 2 weeks ago in Durban) is always big news and an interesting natural phenomenon.  The blog title photo is of the sardines running with a shark watching from below.
Sardine Run
The sharks circle!


South Africa is gaining its own claim to royalty this weekend when Prince Albert of Monaco marries South African Charlene Wittstock today in a civil ceremony.  The festivities continue all weekend. The couple are honeymooning in Umhlanga (pronounced Umshlanga) at the Oyster Box Hotel, which is north of Durban. We drove by this hotel when we were in Durban 2 weeks ago.  Jonathan and I looked at staying there when we were trying to find hotels on the beach.  We quickly nixed it when we saw that rooms started about $10,000 USD per night. We figured Jon would feed us to the sharks if we booked that room!

Michelle Obama and her mother and daughters were in SA last week for an historical visit.  She was quite a popular attraction.  Coincidence or not but the same week that the Obamas were here, Oprah Winfrey was here to be awarded an honorary doctorate.  Stealing the limelight? Who knows.

Michelle Obama visited the Zandspruit settlement when she was here last week.  Today it is back in the news as protests and riots resume over unfulfilled candidate promises and lack of basic services.

Julius Malema, the head of the ANC (African National Congress) Youth League, is in the news daily.  Many South Africans are concerned about his growing popularity. You can read to find out why so many are worried.

Wal-Mart is coming to South Africa!  Need I say more? South Africans have a lot to say about it. 

Ever wonder why South Africa's websites end in ZA and not SA? It is a nod to the Dutch influence here-Zuid Afrika (South Africa in Dutch).  Just thought you'd like to know!  (Also-the dot com .sa got snatched up by Saudi Arabia)

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