Book: How to build a happy sandpit - Colin J Brown

 

Really enjoyed this book as it focusses on a very important aspect of building a business  - having the right team on board.  I especially liked the fact that it focusses on inputs based on research from South African companies and how they select their teams, grow them and also knowing when and how to eliminate 'Sand Kickers.'

 

Highly recommendable read 9/10 - would go so far as to say it was one of my favourite books this year.  

Race: Velocity Silverstroomwater CANCELLED

A couple of weeks back I realised with a shock that I should be training a lot harder, in fact put some effort into a training program for the upcoming Bay to Bay in January. When I saw the Velocity race for this weekend, I saw it as a great opportunity to work in a half marathon ahead of B2B. It was out on the West Coast road, about 13kms from Melkbos. It was an early morning start, and I was LAZY! Sadly the race was cancelled, apparently not all the paperwork, marshals, water stops etc. were in place. It was quite disappointing, but it was nice to see some of the familiar faces.

So, the next day I did manage to get a 21km run in with two fellow Harriers. We ran from Hout Bay to Noordhoek! A first for me - have always been daunted by that route, but it was beautiful. The uphill back was crazy, but wow, what a feeling of accomplishment when you reach the top, and even more so when you reach your car again!

Restaurant: Raggafellas, Hout Bay

This is one of my favourite places in Hout Bay - we don't go there that often, but when we do we know that we will have an amazing plate of food served. 

FOOD: Their burgers are AMAZING! However, today I opted for their fresh tuna salad, which was sublime. Tuna perfectly prepared, anchovies, garlic croutons, crispy bacon and an egg (did not expect the egg, but it worked well!) The only thing that I was not too keen on was the lettuce, not a fan as it is, and especially not when it is white / yellow in colour. But the rest of the dish was incredibly tasty. All the flavours and textures worked really well together. 

DRINKS: Savannah Light and Mark had a Weiss Beer - very refreshing.

SERVICE: Very good and friendly.

PARKING: We walked, but there is ample on the side where Checkers is.

VALUE FOR MONEY: Yes, very good value for the quality of food.

RECOMMENDABLE: Definitely 8/10

Race: GrowthPoint Sundowner 10km, V&Waterfront

There are just SO many races at Sea Point - yes it is great for a nice flat race, but that is only if you are a fan of flat race; I am not. With that said, it was actually quite a nice race, a beautiful evening, a bit of wind, but nothing too hectic. Therese, Michele went together and registered when we got there. The race started at the back of the V&A Waterfront, at the helipad. The start was horrible - there were A LOT of people participating, and a lot of sweating bodies queuing up (it was a very warm afternoon!). A lot of trampling over each other as we made our way out of the Waterfront to the promenade. It did ease up and get better later. 

Time wise it was not great 01:07:50-something.

Race: AVBOB 15km, Tyger Valley

I realised with a start at the beginning of the week that the Bay to Bay is less than a month away and I've not done a huge amount of training for it yet! 

Investigated what other races are on this year, and was glad to see the AVBOB one. Was especially keen to do the race at the promise of watermelon and the choice between a glass or medal at the end of the race. 

Was super happy to see a fellow Harrier and we ran at a casual pace the whole race. Part of the way we ran with 70+ Boet from Spartans. Wonderful to run with the two guys. Made the run go so much faster. 

Run took 01:43:something. Not that great a time, but a great race. As from the photo I opted for the glass. The watermelon was wonderfully refreshing. 

Super proud of the other Harriers, all were sub 60 and a couple of prizes awarded too!

Restaurant: Knife, Century City

It was another day with back to back meetings. I managed to have a quick bite to eat over lunch time at Knife, Century City. 

FOOD - I had their lunch time special, a Knife's Steak Sandwich (R55), it was delicious. The meat was deliciously soft, perfectly cooked and was complimented by a very tasty mushroom sauce, rocket and onions. The roll was soft. I am a sucker for crisps, so really enjoyed the crisps it was served with. A surprisingly delicious, no fuss lunch.

DRINKS - pineapple juice. 

SERVICE - Quite friendly.

VALUE FOR MONEY - the lunch time specials definitely are. 

PARKING - there is parking but generally quite full. You can also ask Knife to stamp your parking ticket if you've had a meal there. 

RECOMMENDABLE - yip, I will definitely go back there for more meetings. (8/10)

www.knife-restaurants.co.za 

Race: Pollmoor Night Race 10kms

This was my first visit to Pollsmoor. One of (the many) reasons I love running and races, is that it takes you to places where you would not normally run.

Thérèse, Michele and I ran it. Initially I thought it was on Friday night, but luckily someone at Harriers told me it was Weds night. The race link I had looked at was from 2012! I was almost 2 years late for this race!

Had to get a temporary license, have misplaced one of my license numbers and if you don't wear both you could get disqualified. 

Thoroughly enjoyed this race. Got chatting to a fellow runner (Jane) and it went a lot faster. Sadly still no sub 60; 01:07:something. Not great, but happy with how I felt afterwards. 

Book: Once Upon a Circus...

The more I get involved and learn about Zip Zap Circus, the more I realise just how amazing they are. As they say, they are more than 'just an act'. There is so much more to this incredible socially responsible circus, providing education and a space to those that fall in between the cracks in society. 

This book celebrates their 20 year anniversary. What a journey, written from Brent van Rensburg's perspective, it wonderfully captures the history, even caused some tears as I realised just what they have been through and deal with on a daily basis. Brent and Laurence are inspiring and the passion and fun showed in their work shows that they have a winning formula. 

This book beautifully captures their 20 years and is highly recommendable to read. 

Book: Digital Minds, 12 Things Every Business Needs to Know AboutDigital Marketing

An interesting read about digital marketing. One of the key things that I have taken from this book is confirming the importance of having an integrated marketing strategy in place.  There are so many difference opportunities and elements to take into consideration with online, social-media and e-mail marketing and of course, something all too often neglected - the measurement of it all.  Digital marketing has evolved to something highly technical and intricate and definitely something to get experts on board to manage instead of trying to learn as you go long.  

Book: Nothing Left to Steal, Mzilikazi Wa Afrika

From the minute I heard the interview that Redi Thlabi had with Mzilikazi Wa Afrika on 702 earlier this year, I could not wait to get my hands on a copy of his book - Nothing Left to Steal. It was one of the few books that I could not put down, and every opportunity I could, I read a page. 

What this man has been through is bizarre beyond comprehension. The bribery and corruption that he exposed, really saddens me in terms of what is going on behind the scenes. Our hard earned cash that gets paid in taxes that sponsors Minister trips abroad for their own jollies really irks me. 

I have a deep respect for Wa Afrika, having been beaten up so many times, having to face death threats and people tempting him with bribes, but because he is a man of integrity he did not even sniff at the bribes, and rolled with the punches. In his radio interview he said that he has received more death threats in his life than gifts. 

So as much as I am really sad about the state of affairs of the country, it definitely is not the vision that Madiba had (Long Walk to Freedon is still one of my favourite reads), it is comforting to know that we have people like Wa Afrika around to expose the wrong-doings. 

This is a highly highly recommendable book - not one dull moment. 

Book: Grape, Stories of the Vineyards in South Africa, Jeanne Viall,Wilmot James & Jakes Gerwel

A fascinating take on the history of grapes and the vine industry in South Africa. What is quite sad is that there is a lot of history not captured, which we will never know about as it was never recorded. It's wonderful to have a bit more history knowledge of this industry that plays such a big part of the Western Cape, and interestingly, the Northern Cape as well - I had no idea that there is such big wine and table grape industry here.

Fascinating to learn more about the history of vineyards. I have always had this idyllic perception of how wonderful owning a vineyard must be- but boy oh boy is it a hard industry to be in. It was really interesting to learn more about the 'dop' system (not something unique to South Africa), the land ownership, 'stokkiesdraai' and the many different issues that need to be contended with.

The book is quite factual, and written fairly unemotionally, except for one story shared by Jeanne Viall at Ouap, the encounter was really not captured very nicely, which did not leave a very good impression (of the author).

Race - Vital Winelands Race, 21kms

After my initial concern of taking part in half marathons, (21.1kms), I am super chuffed with the completion of my third one this year!  I remember when I was totally exhausted for days after my first 5km, it then took me years to complete my first 10km, and 21.1km was just not something I had every considered. I definitely felt a lot less 'dead' after this race than last week's Cape Point (which was only 13kms!) and the previous week's Landmarks half marathon.

It was a super early start, the 21km was to start at 05:45 in Stellenbosch, which meant that I had to leave really early from Hout Bay (04:30), as I still needed to get my race number (and socks that I had forgotten I had ordered - the proceeds going to charity). Had arranged to go through with a neighbour - unfortunately he was  a no show, so at 04:47, I was getting really concerned about making it on time. There was also a cloud burst, so did not really want to speed through the rain. I was late for the race! First time I have ever been this late for a race; in fact the race had already started when I got there! Can't say I was too impressed, but I must admit that it was quite fun to see how many people I could pass. I am always up for a challenge! Gave another dimension to the race.

It was a lovely race, a number of up hills, but not too hectic, I managed to run up them all! There was a section through vineyards on a dirt road, as we hit this section, the skies opened and it poured down! WONDERFUL to run in the rain. We had all the seasons (thankfully no wind), during this race. I was very thankful for my red Vital socks which I used as mittens during the downpour.

My official time was 02:31:20. I did start my race 6 mins after everyone else, so my "Runtastic's" timing is 02:25:57, which I am SUPER happy about.

(Through the race I was a bit worried about my neighbour not showing - but it turned out that they had a late night and forgot to let me know.)

Book review - Super Brain, Deepak Chopra | Rudolph E. Tanzi

...and what a magnificent part of the human body the brain is!

What I particularly liked about this book was that two highly educated doctors could 'dumb it down' to make the workings of the brain a little bit more understandable. I also really liked that they don't only look at the scientific side of the brain and mind, but also embraces the 'softer' side and encourages things like the importance of meditation.

They do touch on different religious aspects as well, so this book may not be for everyone. Personally, for me - fascinating!

Race - Cape Point Nature Run 13km

A beautiful run, but quite tough with its gradual unrelenting uphill. It was an early start; even though the race only started at 07:40, we got a note (from a very entertaining organiser - love his writing style, a little un-PC with his announcements, but entertaining nonetheless), that the gates to the nature reserve were only going to be open from 06:00 - 06:45, and 'sorry for you' if you miss this. Fortunately I love early mornings, so this was not really a problem.

For some or other reason I had thought that Cape Point was closer than I remembered, clearly had not been there for some time (a reminder to self for next time -  fill up with petrol the night before; luckily on fumes we got to a petrol station on time afterwards!). 

Parking was quite far from the start, so we got quite a warm up by the time we arrived at the start.

It was quite cool and misty, but did burn off later. It was wonderful to see the Hout Bay Harrier guys running at the front and doing really well. 

There were weird distances, 11, 13, 24 and 34kms - I did the 13kms, which took us to Cape Point. 

There were no water points along the way, so I took along my Powerade bottle & juice, another note to self - don't be too generous with the concentrate, sweet drinks are heaven sent during the race, but this was just a bit too sweet after a while. I should also invest in a bottle bag, as running with a bottle in hand gets a bit clunky after a while. 

I found the race quite tough, and ended up walking a lot - especially the long uphill; I didn't feel too bad, as most of the people seemed to be walking that stretch. 

The last km, especially the last stretch to the race was a wonderful downhill. My time was unfortunately a dismal - 01:31:22

Restaurant - Bistro Sixteen82, Steenberg Tokai

This is a beautiful venue; I love the chandelier that they have hanging at the entrance area - it is made of red and green glass and represents grape segments. Their Black Swan and bubbles are two of my favourite wines.

Sadly the recent lunch did not cut the mustard.

FOOD - I understand that food prices have gone up, and am OK with paying slightly higher prices for outstanding food. When prices are outrageous for tiny portions which are not cooked particularly well, I get irked. I was with guests, so I could not and did not want to complain in front of them. We ordered their pork fillet dish, which sounded amazing on the menu, but when we received it, was sub standard, especially at R168.00 per portion. Very disappointing to receive three small pieces of  meat with no moisture in site. Dessert, was fairly redeeming, very tasty but also pricey at R64 per pop.

DRINKS - this was a healthy portion - my colleagues opted for the white wine, and I had their bubbles.

SERVICE - super slow, especially when we wanted to order dessert the waitress was no where to be seen.

AMBIANCE - lovely to sit outside.

VALUE FOR MONEY - way too expensive for what you get.

PARKING - ample

RECOMMENDABLE -  sadly not - don't go for a meal, rather go for a relaxing glass of wine or bubbles.

Race - Landmarks, Newlands 21.1km

Nothing quite like deciding to do a half marathon on the spur of the moment. For some or other bizarre reason, I had this mental block against doing another one. I did the half Two Oceans earlier this year, but have not done one since. So, during a cocktails party on Thursday evening after chatting to a fellow Hout Bay Harrier, I decided that I needed to get over myself!

The race started at 06:00 at the Western Province Cricket Club. Enroute we had to take a detour as a tree had fallen down across the road. Fortunately we made it on time. What a beautiful race in and around Rondebosch, Newlands, Claremont - there were spots next to rivers that I had never seen before (hence Landmarks!) - the hill up to Rhodes Memorial was quite tough, but what goes up must come down, and the downhill was bliss.

It REALLY helped to run with someone. Initially I felt very guilty for being super slow, but then also got over myself and was very grateful to get any advise and motivation along the way.

Time was 02:28:something -super super stoked with my time! Sub 2:30 AND 10 minutes faster than Two Oceans time!

Race - KWay Grape Run, Constantia

What a gorgeously beautiful TOUGH race! Super chuffed to have completed the 1/3 marathon. The 14km route goes through Groot Constantia and Klein Constantia and meanders in and out of the vineyards - really quite beautiful. I walked a LOT! BUT I was fine with it. I had decided before the time to not put any pressure on myself and to just enjoy it. There were a lot of uphills, but nothing quite as hectic as the Camel Run through Cape Point Vineyards. 

It was a beautiful day, clear skies - a bit breezy and chilly in the morning when we started, but the breeze was quite welcome during the race. 

It was quite a stressful start to the morning, as the fun run entrants lined up to start shortly after the 21km group left, a white VW Scirocco came flying down the road, it felt like it all happened in slow motion. I saw the car and was thinking to myself - he's going to fast - then looking at the people and thinking they should move - he's going too fast!! at the last minute a slowed down, and fortunately no one was injured. He did not stop even with traffic officers around, and sped off; must admit that that did rattle me.

Anyway, nothing like a good run to get your mind off things like that! At the 10km mark, I had done 01:11-something, which is not great, but actually not too bad considering how much I had walked up to that point. My total time was 01:38-something; I had hoped to to it within one and a half hours, so was quite happy with the time. Must admit my legs burned!

Race - Outsurance Gun Run, 10kms

A beautiful, misty start to the day and it stayed that way throughout the race, which was wonderfully cool to run in. We were supposed to start at 07:30, but at 07:25 they let us know that there was a 15 minute delay - not great, especially when it is chilly, but it was not too bad, and it was nice to start chatting with fellow runners. What I do find a bit strange or against protocol, is that non club members/walkers start right at the front - surely they should start a bit more to the middle?

We couldn't park along the beach road in Sea Point where we usually park, so we parked in a parking area across the road from the Cape Town stadium, which worked out well, half way between the start and the end.

We started at the stadium and ran along through the waterfront, past the aquarium, to the circle, past where the Hectic Nine9 studios are, past the area where Beluga is; turned right at the traffic light past the traffic department back to Sea Point through to Winchester Mansions where the end was.

There were a couple of up hills, so not as flat as the other races in that area. I found it quite a tough race, and walked once, and stopped for a Coke once, so very annoyed with myself.

Time: 01:02:34

Restaurant - Steamcraft, Woodstock

It's not very often that I take a mini break; but I decided to take some time off and have a long weekend at the beginning of October to recharge the batteries for the last stretch of the year.

Mark and I found ourselves in Woodstock on a Friday late morning, and decided to try something different. Mark is not a fan of, as he calls it "hippie places", so it was with some trepidation that I recommended we look for a place to have lunch in Woodstock as we were in the area.

FOOD - Pleasantly surprised at the quality and value. Mark had their 'Steamcraft burger', their speciality burger served with cheese & bacon served on a soft seeded role and served with sweet potato chips.The patty (200g) was huge, and well seasoned. Mark mentioned that the patty was so big, that it wasn't cooked all the way through and not hot on the inside; his personal preference is a medium-rare cooked burger, but he said it was still very tasty. The side order of sweet potato chips was tricky to eat as it looked like 'straw', but still tasty. All in all, besides currently suffering from some indigestion, he said that the presentation was good and would have preferred the patty to be cooked a bit more.

I ordered their pork belly sandwich - there were a number of pork belly dishes, so had to try it. The first couple of bites, I wasn't too sure if I had made the right decision as the pork cubes were a bit dry, and I didn't like the initial taste of the spices. But as I continued through the sandwich, the rest of the pork was quite tender, and deliciously spiced, with hints of ginger. The bread was also delicious!

DRINKS - I had a glass of dry white wine. Mark had cappuccino's, which he said was fairly average.

SERVICE - really friendly server.

AMBIANCE - we were initially the only people. I can imagine that this must be quite popular in the evening.

VALUE FOR MONEY - very affordable, my big sandwich was only R55. Mark's burger, R95 (this seems a bit more pricey), and my wine R25 - again reasonable, and Mark's coffee R20.

PARKING -parking on the road
RECOMMENDABLE - yes, it was quite pleasant. 7/10

Restaurant - Casareccio, Hout Bay

I have often run past this restaurant, and have heard that it is a wonderful spot in Hout Bay.  After a long morning helping out with the Chappies Challenge, we went to have breakfast here.

FOOD - Frittata - open Italian omelette. It was fairly average, nothing really wow. As it was breakfast, we pretty much stuck to the breakfast menu, but as far as I know it is one of the Master Chef judge's favourite places for pizza, and in one week, from two different people randomly told me about their delicious Portuguese steak. So I would like to go back and try it out at dinner time.

DRINKS - orange juice - not freshly squeezed.

SERVICE - such an incredibly friendly and on the ball server.; made up for the average food.

AMBIANCE - It is OK, it is an old restaurant with an old feel to it; I am not the biggest fan of table cloths. Will be interested to see what it is like at night.

VALUE FOR MONEY - very affordable. R55 for my frittata

RECOMMENDABLE - I doubt I'll go back for breakfast, am keen to try it out at supper time. 6/10

28 October 2014 - since my last visit, I had been very keen to try out the highly recommendable Portuguese steak. So on Sunday, Mark and I meandered down there for lunch. Initially we sat out side because it was a gorgeously hot day, but then it got too hot, so opted to move inside. As pity about the dirty table cloth  and dead fly in the window - the whole place needs a spruce up; but I think the locals / loyal patrons look past this, and are more forgiving.

FOOD - At last - I had an opportunity to order their Portuguese steak. First impressions? TOO MUCH GARLIC! As it is I am not a fan of garlic, but don't mind reasonable amounts of it, the huge amount caused the sauce to be bitter.The meat was cooked amazingly - as soft as butter. The chips were disappointing oven chips. All in all I was disappointed, especially at R130 for the dish. Mark opted for their lasagna,which at R85 was quite reasonable; it was a big potion with many layers of lasagna pasta, he said that the taste got a bit boring half way through and gave it a 6/10.. 

DRINKS - I opted for a chocolate milkshake and Mark 'n lime one - lovely large portions; mine was fairly standard, nothing spectacular. Mark really enjoyed his and said that it was very refreshing and cut through the 'cheesiness' of his lasagna.

SERVICE - Good service - looks like a great team that works here.
AMBIANCE - Still not a fan especially with the dirty table cloth.

VALUE FOR MONEY - reasonable R130 - Portuguese steak | R85 for the lasagna | R25 for the milkshakes.

RECOMMENDABLE - I doubt I'll go back. 5/10

Restaurant - Petit Caveau, Century City

03 September 2014 - this is a lovely restaurant and a quite a hidden gem. Did not realise just how big the place is. Had a couple of meetings here and it was a great, quiet venue. Lovely ambiance.

FOOD - Ordered their tapas, which was quite delicious, however drenched in garlic! I love garlic, but not when there are meetings that I need to go to.

DRINKS - had tea

SERVICE - fair, server was quite attentive

VALUE FOR MONEY - the tapas was R160, fair

PARKING - there is parking right in front, but can get pricey if you park there for a couple of hours.

RECOMMENDABLE - quite a nice option for meetings at Century City, 7/10

Book review Fat Genes to Skinny Jeans, Santie Pretorius

What a fabulous name! This easy read is all about Santie Pretorius' journey of losing 105 kgs, and going from fat to fit. I did not know all that much about gastric bypass surgery except the horror stories I've seen on television, it was fascinating to read about such a success story and it being someone that I actually knew! (so definitely no urban legend). What a personal journey, love the photos shared and how Santie's smile just gets bigger and bigger as she sheds the kgs!  I really like the approach by the clinic of having a whole team - surgeon, dietician, psychologist, sports physiotherapist that works together.

Restaurant - Dario's, Hout Bay

This is one of the other places in Hout Bay that I would love to love, sadly I don't. This morning we decided to break from routine and go down there for breakfast. There were a lot of families, i.e. A LOT of children. 

FOOD - they have eggs Benedict which was incredibly tasting, you can either have it on an English muffin or rye bread. I wanted muffins, but they were out. The rye option was fine. You can also choose between bacon, ham or spinach. Bacon for me thanks! 

Mark had the 'Fontana di Trevi' full breakfast and says it was average, nothing special. The bacon and eggs (for both) were cooked perfectly. 

However, we waited almost 30 minutes for the food to be served. This is just too long to wait. 

DRINKS - Capaccino Grande. Nice smooth coffee. 

SERVICE - there are a lot of hands on deck to take orders and clear tables. The wait for food to arrive was just too long. 

VALUE FOR MONEY - very good value, both dished R68. 

RECOMENDABLE: I find it too cliquey.  6/10

Book Review: The Rabbit in the Thorn Tree, Arthur Goldstuck

Another fun book in between all the business books. An easy read about all the different urban legends in South Africa in the '80's and '90's. 

Some are quite light hearted and others just crazy! I like Arthur's writing style; each section's ending leads to the next section and the new section referring back to the previous section, the 'golden thread' not really seen all that often anymore, but in fact how it should be done. 

I think we have considerably less urban legends these days thanks to technology and easy access to information. 

Recommendable 6/10

Book Review: A Book of English Idioms - V. H Collins

My mom is always encouraging us to speak idiomatic Afrikaans - quite a challenge! So I decided to do the same with English, and was delighted to find "A Book of English Idioms, by V H Collins" at a local charity shop.

It is fascinating to read about all the different idioms and where they come from, some even dating back to the 1500's! I just wish I could remember them better!

Interestingly there are a large number of idioms around 'squares'; I was intrigued as our logo has three of them, so was keen to learn more - here is what they have to say about squares:

...Squareness, in its usual meaning of 'four equal sided-ness, suggests regularity. A figurative extension of this is correctness, straightness, rightness... 



It is all square. It has been arranged so as to be fair to all sides.

I loved this, as it resonates so well with our reputation management building blocks and looking after reputations. "Correctness, straightness, rightness...all summed into one word - integrity, is what managing reputations is all about.  It is also so representative of our Repudometer®, where we focus specifically on the balance of all the dimensions within the organisation.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but will have to re-read it to remember all the wonderful expressions.

Restaurant - Outspan, Kalk Bay

I have often walked past this little restaurant and not really given it another thought. I honestly thought that it was a 'dingy dive' with plastic chairs.

Someone then told me that it was on of their favourite spots when visiting Cape Town, so I was intrigued and made a point of visiting it.

What a pleasant surprise. Not a plastic chair in sight! Tastefully decorated with white furniture and blue accents, and a great view of the sea. The fish is 'braai'ed' outside.


I had run a 10km race in the morning, so I WAS HUNGRY!

FOOD - I was told that their Tuna was the best, unfortunately they did not have any on the particular day. My friend and I then shared the Angelfish and Yellow-Tail, both are served with chips and a salad. I preferred the Angelfish, deliciously delicate and juicy, I found the other one a bit dry, but my friend found it the other way round.

DRINKS - I had a glass of dry white wine, as far as house wines go it was tasty.

SERVICE - good and efficient.

VALUE FOR MONEY - I found it quite pricey, each dish was R120.00

RECOMMENDABLE - yes, I will most likely go back there as I did like the atmosphere, and keen to try their Tuna. 7/10

Restaurant - Fourno's, OR Tambo Airport

After a whirlwind trip to Gauteng,  I had one last meeting at OR Tambo before heading back to Cape Town. I had just enough time to grab lunch before the meeting started.

Usually I end up at Mugg & Bean at the airport, but it is usually quite jam-packed and noisy and not great for meetings. I then saw that there was a whole food court area (!) - (I usually just rush past it and have never really noticed it before). 

My stop was at Fourno's. 

FOOD - I opted for a pancake with a poached egg, ham, mushroom and onions; I think it was on the breakfast menu, but it did the trick for lunch. IT WAS DELICIOUS! There were TWO crepes served!

DRINKS - Sparkling water, so nothing too exciting.

SERVICE - Very friendly and efficient.

VALUE FOR MONEY - These two amazing crepes only cost R25! Definitely very good value for money.

RECOMMENDABLE - Yes! 8/10

Race: Cape Town Marathon 10kms

21 September 2014 - We could not have asked for a more perfect day to have a race in Cape Town.  I know that I have mentioned this before, but it is wonderful to belong to a club. The support and morale and actually knowing people at the race is really amazing.  What was also really special about this race, was that the Rotary Club of Newlands were involved and fellow Rotarians were marshals along the way, and it was so wonderful to see the familiar faces along the way. 

It's a beautiful route in and around the Waterfront, promenade back to the Cape Town stadium. 

Unfortunately I missed my hour goal for the 10kms by 02:10 minutes, but it was still a personal best at 01:02:15! 

Book review: McDonald's behind the arches, John F. Love

Mmm...I'm lovin' it! I am not shy to admit to absolutely loving McDonald's. I fell in love with McDonald's on my first ever overseas trip to London in 1996, and had a Big Mac meal.

I found this book at a second hand book store and was enthralled from the first chapter. It's one of those books that I wanted to get through as quickly as possible to see what happens next, but not wanting to get through it too quickly as you really get to know the characters, which you'll miss when the book is finished.

At some point in the future, possibly, maybe, I would like to look at franchising options for Reputation Matters and if anyone got franchising right, then McDonald's are the blue print of doing this, and doing this well, and from whom I would like to learn as much as possible. The fact that they made their money from land ownership and not selling hamburgers is genius!

The crux of a well oiled machine, especially when it comes to franchising, or even different branches, is have proper systems in place. Even though McDonald's have very stringent systems and processes in place, they still allow their franchisees to be creative an innovative.

This book focuses on all the different possible aspects of running a business. Even Ray Kroc had his issues with partnerships (clearly happens to the best of us!). Interestingly at some point he had doubts about franchising because it comes with a host of different issues that come into play, which is definitely a good lessons to keep in mind. However, he later realised the importance of being partners towards the same goal

It also looks at the importance of communication, PR and marketing. What I really appreciated  was the value they saw in communication management, and aligning it to executive decisions and high level involvement.

They also realised the importance of engaging with the media, to be proactive and not ignoring it, especially during a crisis.

Definitely a book that I would recommend and read again - there are a lot of great lessons to be learnt.

9/10

Restaurant - Koi, Lynnwood Pretoria

My mom loves fish and we always tend to end up at the same place, so this time we tried Koi. I quite like the décor but am not too sure whether this place cut the mustard. 

FOOD - we both opted for the grilled calamari.  I had rice and Mom the chips. It was OK. Not bad, but nothing really spectacular and at those prices you would expect 'wow'. The rice was quite tasty, sweet & spicey and that was luckily fairly filling. Not too sure I can say the same about my Mom's chips. 

DRINKS - sparkling water

SERVICE - not as on the ball as one would expect and waited some time for everything. 

PARKING - ample 

VALUE FOR MONEY - it's pricey. I don't mind pricey as long as it is value for money and I don't believe it was at R120 for the plate of food we received (see pic) and still being a bit hungry afterwards.  

RECOMMENDABLE - doubt I will go back 3/10

Book Review - Awaken the Giant Within, Anthony Robbins

Sadly I did not connect with this book; had I not already been exposed to Eckhardt Tolle's New Earth, or Robin Sharma's Monk who Sold his Ferrari, I may have taken a lot more from this book. There are ideas and concepts that I liked, but it did feel a bit dated (rightly so as it was published in 1992), but at times a bit 'preachy' too - especially towards the end.

I am also not too convinced about his credibility, in one chapter he says how down in the dumps he was and in the next how he had been helping people from an early age. There are also a couple of examples that seem questionable, e.g. telling someone to get over their chocolate addiction to eat chocolate solidly for 9 days with only 4 glasses of water - yes I understand the principle behind it of causing pain associated with the addiction, but surely you can't give such advice without medical considerations?

So, as much as I did not really enjoy this book, there were good parts to it, I really enjoyed the different stories and examples shared, it made the rest of the book less laborious. The use of language and metaphors was also great, as this directly impacts on how we think and feel. Understanding how people have different rules that they live by, which is not wrong, but just to help understand how some people tick, was also interesting.

Would I recommend this book? Probably not, I think there are some other great, more up to date books out there.

Restaurant - Pure, Hout Bay

A lovely spot in Hout Bay, PURE is the restaurant at Hout Bay Manor. 

FOOD: The normal menu is really quite pricey, however they currently have a hamburger special, R85 for a hamburger, bubbles or a beer (or juice for those who don't want something alcoholic). 

It was delicious! The patti was big! perfectly cooked (medium / rare), and deliciously spiced. The chips were quite,  spicey, could be a bit hot for some. 

They also have a high tea special from 11:00 to 16:00 daily. For R50 you can select from a range of sweet goodies (lemon meringue, peacan nut pie, macaroons, scones) and tea. It was just a bit too much for dessert, definitely something I would like to try out soon*. 

DRINKS - the bubbly was delicious! 

SERVICE - very friendly and helpful. 

PARKING - parking is outside; the security guards are great and incredibly friendly and welcoming. 

VALUE FOR MONEY - the winter specials definitely are, the main menu is pricey. 

RECOMMENDABLE - definitely 8/10

*This was sadly something that was only running in August for women's month. 

Restaurant - Posticino, Hout Bay

This is (yet another) relatively new restaurant in Hout Bay. The atmosphere is OK, the murals a bit amateurish, but the food and value is really good.

FOOD: Delicious! I opted for the gnocchi with Gorgonzola sauce. My sister went for the seafood pasta with a cream base. I tasted it and it was also very tasty. 

DRINKS: The Grapetiser/Appeltisers is very reasonable less than R20 each. 

SERVICE: Very friendly server. 

VALUE FOR MONEY: Food and drinks very reasonably priced. 

RECOMMENDABLE: Yes, not bad at all 7/10

Race - Totalsports Ladies Race, Stellenbosch

09 August 2014 - A beautifully misty start to the morning. It cleared up a bit later and was a gloriously clear warm day. Really like this race. What was personally really cool for me was comparing spots where I walked last year and running them this year.

Last year I ran this race in 01:15, this year I completed it in 01:03:something. Super chuffed! 

No medals, but lovely little bracelets, which I thought was a nice change.

RECOMMENDABLE: YES! 8/10 

Restaurant - Café Paradiso, Gardens, Cape Town

This is one of the hidden gems in Gardens that I really enjoy going to. Lovely garden setting for warm sunny days and a cosy indoor setting for winter and evenings.

FOOD -  Generally a bit pricey, but the food is DELICIOUS. One of my absolute favourite desserts | guilty pleasures in life is lemon meringue and Café Paradiso arguably serves one of the best .

DRINKS - at my last visit I had the Earl Grey which was the 'fancy' type served in a silk packet.

SERVICE - always friendly and efficient.

VALUE FOR MONEY - as mentioned previously a bit pricey, but really worth it. They also have a great mid-week winter special currently that I am keen to try out - buffet for R59 including a glass of wine.

PARKING - Street parking

RECOMMENDABLE - Definitely, make sure that you try their lemon meringue 9/10



There cold meats platter is very tasty for a light afternoon snack. You may need to ask for additional bread.

 

Venue - Regus, Century City

VENUE: The Regus office options are great. We have often used the Regus boardroom at Century City because this is quite easily accessed for most people within Cape Town. At a recent workshop, they seated about 30 of us around tables fairly comfortably.

PARKING - this can be somewhat confusing, they recommend that you park at the MyCiti bus area, but I generally park in the parking area right in front of the building, the only snag is that the parking is quite pricey - about R40 for the day, which I suppose is fair for the whole day.

FOOD - the food has always been good. I think they get the pastries from Woolies, which is a guaranteed winner. At the full day session, we got lasagne, salad and rolls and it was very tasty.

VALUE FOR MONEY - compared to other venues it really is very competitively priced, and the food is good.

RECOMMENDABLE - Yes 8/10

Restaurant | Take-away - Snoekies, Hout Bay, Cape Town

Definitely with out a doubt the best fish & chips in Hout Bay. The view is not as great as Fish on the Rocks, just around the corner, but we generally get takeaways, and for me good food is more important than the view. I do love the old photos that they have in their restaurant area of the original Snoekies caravan where it all started. 

Their crispy chips are really great - you do need to ask for it specifically.

The portions are very healthy, and the value for money incredibly good. At the moment they have a winter special, R54 for two Hake portions and large chips, and they very kindly split it into two equal portions. 

PARKING - Big parking area

RECOMMENDABLE: Definitely 8/10

Venue - Hotel Verde, Cape Town Airport (area)

VENUE: What a wonderful venue! Very conveniently situated at the airport. This is one of the first totally 'green' hotels. We were fortunate enough to go on a site tour after a morning session and see all the green initiatives. 

FOOD: Delicious, baked on site. They also have their own vertical gardens, which not only looks beautiful but also great to have fresh produce on hand. 

PARKING: Seems to be ample underground parking. 

RECOMMENDABLE: Yes! 8/10

Venue - Attaché Guesthouse and Day Spa, Midrand

This four star venue unfortunately did not cut the mustard. 

VENUE: Midrand is very convenient as it is quite accessible for people coming from Johannesburg and Pretoria. 

There is just something missing. The atmosphere is not great. Everything is OK, but OK is not good enough for a four star. 

FOOD: The food was presented in the aluminium / plastic containers. They kindly changed it for us when we asked, but then the caterer came to defend the use of the platter plates in front of my clients, which I really did not appreciate. 

PARKING: Seems to be ample safe parking. 

RECOMMENDABLE: Sadly no. 3/10

Venue - Chavonnes Battery Museum, V&A Waterfront Cape Town

VENUE: What a wonderful hidden gem at the V&A Waterfront. This is an incredibly fascinating museum - when they did excavations for a new building a couple of years back, they found the ruins from this original fort; this area has now been preserved and is a heritage site. They have such interesting tours that they offer, sharing the history of South Africa (all dressed in period garb). This museum is run by the very dynamic Dale Dodgen.


Dale and her team went out of their way to give us a wonderfully memorable experience this morning.

FOOD: The spread was lovely, and beautifully presented.

PARKING: It's at the Waterfront, so there is ample parking available. However, make sure that you set enough time aside to deal with early morning traffic (if your event is early in the morning).

RECOMMENDABLE: Absolutely - they can comfortably accommodate 20 people (if not more!) in the seating arrangement that we had.

RECOMMENDABLE: Definitely! 9/10

Restaurant - Twelve Apostles Leopard Bar Restaurant

10 August 2014 - My sister came to visit, so it was a wonderful opportunity to maximise a sea view on a gloriously warm sunny day. It's wonderful when mother nature throws in these beautiful days in between all the grey and rain. We had not booked, so could not eat in the restaurant, so we found a spot on the top level at the Leopard Bar and sat outside on the veranda. 

FOOD - It was too late for breakfast, and not quite lunch time yet. We are both suckers for cheese, so opted to share the cheese board. While we waited we received corn, olives and peanuts to snack on. I think we were both hungrier than we realised, so the platter was a bit sparse. The mini loaves are delicious, we ordered two additional ones which seemed to hit the spot. 

DRINKS - I had a non-alcoholic cocktail- 'Cookie Colada' which sounded wonderful on the menu - ginger & pineapple, but when I got it, the coconut milk overpowered everything you could not taste any of the other flavours. 

SERVICE - fair, waited a bit to order the additional breads.

VALUE FOR MONEY - it's touristy, so it is pricey.

RECOMMENDABLE - The view is undoubtedly glorious, for sundowners. Parking could be an issue on a busy day.  It is definitely a lovely spot to visit. 7/10