Puppy Diaries Day 23: Guard Puppies

It's nighttime. Bill is out of town.  Kids are in bed.   Our security alarm goes off. Often I accidentally set it off but this time I didn't. So when our security company (named very militarily CSS Tactical) calls to see if everything is okay, I say I'm not sure and ask them to send the officers out to check around the property just to make sure there are no bad guys lurking about (for my non-South Africa friends, this is all perfectly normal.. . all perfectly insane.)  So, the CSS Tactical officers come, bulletproof vests on, holsters unsnapped.  Using the secret code, they let themselves in our electric gate, and with torches drawn, walk around the garden checking every inch of the property.   I have the puppies inside so they won’t freak out.  But through the window, they see the guys walking around the yard.  They freak out. 

Once the CSS Tactical guys leave, I let the freaked-out puppies outside to investigate.  Shaka, tail high, fur raised, barks his little macho head off.   Sniffing around, barking, sniffing, gradually increasing his distance from the house, doing his own check of the property, following the trail of the “intruders”.  Peppa barks too, but from the safety of inside, her tail tucked between her legs in fear. I can almost hear her thinking, “Please, please, please, don’t let there be anybody out there.” 

Then for the rest of the night, they are jittery, startling easily at imagined sounds, breaking into duets of barking.  My eyes follow theirs out the glass door, staring at dangerous nothingness.  On edge myself,  I take the panic button down off the wall and put it in my pocket. I let Shaka out to do a few more rounds of the perimeter as the night progresses.

As I sit there on my sofa, the three of us jittery and on edge, I realize there is something wrong with this picture.  I’m pretty sure it is commonly held belief that dogs, in addition to the high walls, electric fence, and alarm system,* are a valuable addition to one’s security measures.  So how come I find myself sitting there, two dogs by my side, feeling more unsafe and nervous than I have in almost two years of living here?

Do you think it is because they are only Guard Puppies?   Please tell me that as they mature, they will learn to distinguish between real and imagined danger.    Tell me that they will learn to remain calm and collected until it is appropriate not to be.   Tell me one day they will actually make me feel more secure not less.  Because if not, the “con” column on this dog-owning thing is growing dangerously close to a critical tipping point. Tipping to what I am not exactly sure. But tipping to something not good. 

* For almost the whole time I have been here I have been meaning to do a blog about the incredible lengths we go here in the Northern suburbs to keep ourselves safe.  About how insane it is.   Maybe I haven't written it yet because I don't like to think how quickly I embraced it all and adapted to the insanity.  

Colored prayers, Imithandazo enembibala, Gekleurde gebede

We came upon this, clothes flapping in the breeze, laundry hung out to dry on a line zig zagging down a pretty alleyway in the middle of downtown Stellenbosch.   We stood and debated, was this real, some family’s clothes hung on a line here in town, in the tourist district, high up by the second floor?   They were real clothes.  Ordinary, very usable, real clothes.  Real clothes pins.    But it made no sense.  The lines were barely in reach of windows, and the lines were fixed, no pulleys to crank the clothes out and in.   And really, why would laundry be hanging in a commercial district?  We came to the conclusion it must be art.    

It incensed my kids. Especially Quince.  Why would someone waste perfectly good clothes like this when a person could be wearing them.  “Look at that cute little flowered skirt.   I would wear that!”  And how stupid to have all those clothes pretend drying on the line up there when there are so many people down here who need clothes.   I get why it made no sense to her.  I get why she hated it.  I get why it made her angry. 

But I loved it.   I loved  the movement, and the colors and the patterns.   The patterns on individual clothes and the patterns of them all together.   The shapes they made hanging there.  How the breeze caught the clothes and transformed them into new shapes.   A dress puffing up with air, suddenly becoming a twirling bell.  I loved how the blue sky and white buildings played their part.

Above all, though, I loved that this artist invited us to seek beauty in the ordinary.  To be present for the beauty in the moment.  To open ourselves to the richness that is everyday.

P.S.  I also get why the woman who washes and hangs some other family’s laundry for a living, and then goes home and does the same for her own family, likely by hand, might find this the most ridiculous idea of art ever.   We know life is not black and white, but grey. . .  and very, very colorful. 

Colored prayers, Imithandazo enembibala, Gekleurde gebede

The artist, Jacques Coetzer,  says, “A drive through the country side is often meditative, with mountains, field and sky drifting past.   Occasionally a flash of colour will sign domestic life, washing hung outside on a fence outside a homestead or labourers’ cottages.  Merrily blown about, strings of brightly hued clothing connect people and landscape, and so the very ordinary and intimate becomes public. Clotheslines, like prayer flags, can be imagined to send out personal mediations on the wind.”   

Art and Beauty in the Joburg CBD - Part 1

I can say, without hyperbole, that going on 4 PAST Experiences tours has transformed the way I look at and live in the city of Johannesburg. Please don't misunderstand. I loved Jozi, this City of Gold, before I ever stepped foot on one of the tours (Shoot, I love the whole damn country). 

 But sure, I had heard the stories, particularly about the CBD -downtown Johannesburg - and the surrounding areas. Dangerous, crime-ridden, gone to wrack and ruin. But I've lived in cities all of my adult life and I know every city has sections of town that get written off, mythed to unimaginable levels of danger and disrepair, invisibly cordoned off by fear -- by those who don't live there.

I'm not naive; I know there is aching urban poverty, overcrowding, inadequate service delivery, run-down streets, and the accompanying despair and crime. But I also knew that had to be only one part of the story. There had to be life and light and beauty - there always is.   I just needed a guide to show me. Enter PAST Experiences, and in particular, tour guides extraordinaire, Jo Buitendach, and Tania Ollson. 

During the third tour I went on, aptly named Creative Jozi, Jo walked us around the CBD, primarily with a focus on the public art. Turns out the CBD is chock-a- block full of public art; it's like walking through an outdoor art museum specializing in, well, everything. And it's fantastic. But in some ways, the art serves just as an excuse to get those of us who don't live there out and about in the city, inviting us to walk side by side with people who do live and make their way in this part of town, to see and feel the color and vibrancy, the beauty and energy of everyday living. And thus, to take one small step in making our way beyond those myths and stories which keep us so painfully separate.

(I know the above sounds a bit like a promotion, but I promise you, I am getting no kickback from PAST Experiences.)

If you'd like to actually see the photos of the art and some of my silly musings- and I hope you will because I think you'll be amazed of course not by my musings but by the art--  you could click on this link to get to that blog. Art and Beauty in the Joburg CBD - Part 2

And if you'd like to learn more about PAST Experiences, click here to go to their website.  PAST Experiences

Art and Beauty in the Joburg CBD -- Part 2

"Public Art provides a means of celebrating Johannesburg’s unique culture, diverse communities and rich history. It offers shared symbols which build social cohesion, contribute to civic pride and help forge a positive identity for the city. Through this art, the City projects its collective identity and vision, while individuals and community groups in neighbourhoods are also empowered to express their unique identities. Public art supports the creative industries, creating opportunities for artists, designers and fabricators. Further, public art acts as a catalyst for development and economic growth through raising confidence, attracting visitors and stimulating investment." (City of Joburg, Public Art Policy document, 2003) 

Taken from Newtown Heritage Trail website

I can't top the above.  I'll just say, the following are photos and my thoughts about some of the public art located in the Johannesburg Central Business District. I took these photos while on a PAST Experiences tour, Creative Jozi.  Jo Buitendach was our guide.

One of the things I love about Joburg's public art is that some of it is almost secret, seen only if you know where to look. Soon after the tour started from Market Theater's parking lot, Jo walked us out on Miriam Makeba Street and had us look up and over another building.   There was South African photographer Dale Yudelman's "Joburg Man."  The photograph, of a giant man walking in the city, is itself giant, but easily passed by if you do not know to turn your head and look up.

(As an aside, I did a quick google search on Dale to find out the proper spelling of his surname - not the Utelman I had written in my notes - and came across one reviewer's description of Yudelman's photography - fictive truth. Perfectly put.)

On a previous PAST Experiences' tour, I was introduced to the graffiti art of internationally known South African street artist, Rasty.  In that fabulous way of "you see what you know," I now see his distinctive mural art all over the city.   Even better, I am now tuned into street art in a new way making city life a little more colorful.

And of course we have the famous heads all over Newtown.   560 of them.  All different. Designed to reflect African diversity.   By four artists, Americo Guambe, Petrus Matsolo, Dan Guambe, and Joe Matolo.   Jo tells us that the heads have been carved from old railway sleepers .  I have heard previously the story that these heads were originally put in as a "readiness test" for rejuvenation of the Newtown area, the theory being that if the heads were not vandalized then it was a sign that the area was prime for rejuvenation.  So, the story goes that the heads were not touched and rejuvenation of Newtown as an arts and cultural mecca for the city got underway.

    

Markets, to me, are their own form of art.  So this one, with the mural behind it is like getting a two-for-one.  The wares, previously worn clothes, are laid out on cloths on the ground, and interestingly, all the vendors are male.   If you look to the bottom left of the mural, you see a depiction of contemporary artist, Mary Sibande.  It is said she wanted her picture on the mural so she could look out for the women who come to buy at this all male-vendored market.

(Turns out this stop was a three-for-one for me.  I, being fairly new to South Africa, didn't actually know who Mary Sibande is.  Again, turned to Google.  What a bonus to learn of this Johannesburg-based young artist and learn about her amazing art!  Joburg buildings wrapped in the image of Sibande's creation, Sophie, a domestic worker!  Sadly for me it was up and down before I ever arrived to this fabulous city.)

This piece, installed on a large traffic island and designed to welcome visitors to this part of the city installed , is one of my favorites for its sheer whimsy.   Apparently, folks from the nearby Chinatown are known for feeding pigeons.  In recognition of this, or maybe in celebration, the artist created 3 large metal origami pigeons. Especially delightful is that, in contrast to the typical view that pigeons defile public art, this artist, by attaching handy perching spokes to his metal pigeons, invites the living ones to come enjoy.

While I was taking photos, a man was there spreading bird food out on the ground in a long curving line (which is why none of the pigeons in the photo are on the perches.)  The birds spread themselves along the wavy path, forming a live piece of flowing art especially lovely juxtaposed next to the angular origami pigeons.  When we came back through toward the end of the tour, one of my fellow tour mates ran through the pigeons sending them fluttering as one up into the air.  What a beautiful addition of movement to this piece - or maybe I was just so taken by all the art we had seen, that by this point a piece of rubbish blowing in the wind would have seemed like art to me.




Not public art per se, but I loved the old and the new of these buildings holding the same space.

It is no accident that I look like a child sitting on the lap of Walter Sisulu.  This piece, featuring Walter and Albertina Sisulu, and entitled Parents of the Nation, sits in Ferreirasdorp, a section of town where many anti-apartheid activists worked and lived. Fittingly, this piece is installed across the street from the building, pictured above, where the Sisulus lived.  

Seriously, how can you not love a city that would do this!!!!   All the Rea Vaya (public bus system) stations are adorned with depictions of city street scenes, each by a different artist. Take a look next time you pass a station.

There is plenty of art from the old days too.  These etchings, stretched mural-like across the base of an old bank building, depict the building of the nation - from a very particular viewpoint of course.  Notice the man in the hat above with his commanding finger point.

Pretty door knobs on one of those old buildings. No more need be said.

Okay, imagine walking along beside this building, beautiful in that solid, imposing way this venerable architecture can be . . .

You come across this sign outside the door. Super trendy, Super delicious. Who can resist? So you step in. 

And there, in the large round foyer, swirling sherbet paintings of gorgeous faces and hair, fanciful scissors and hairdryers, ribbons of whimsy surround you.   It is a wonderland.

You look up, and in some odd way, the ornate sky light still beautifully intact brings the light and air and magic of the new and modern into alignment with the heavy and solid and venerable of the old.

Full of joy from the M Cafe and Hair Salon, we move onto the mining quarter, with its large pedestrian plaza and numerous pieces of art, more traditional and probably recognizable by many Johannesburgians.

This fountain sculpture represents the first nugget of gold found
in Johannesburg.  

Check out the honoring of nuclear power - greek style.
Hmmm. . .

These friezes also depict the history of the nation.
Again, a very particular version.

These leaping impala,were originally in a nearby park.  After they were damaged (vandalized for the money the metal would bring) they were repaired and moved here in front of the Anglo Gold Building, where they are watched over by security cameras.   But how fun is this--each year at Christmas, Santa's sleigh is put behind the sculpture, and for a short time, the impala pretend to be reindeer.  

Scattered around the square are beautiful mosaics bringing color to the plaza floor. Many of them depict everyday street life such as taxis and markets.   Jo pointed out this one, depicting plates of fruit for sale.   How delightful, when about 10 minutes later as we crossed into another area, there in front of us was the inspiration for the mosaic.  ( in my mind, art in and of itself.)

We are nearing the end of our walk now and my eyes are open in a new way.  Everything has the element of art; everything is appearing a little more beautiful.   The plain wall enlivened by the graffiti art. The black and grey graffiti art enlivened by the red sacks of onions.  

On a previous PAST Experiences walk, (this one of Pieter Roos Park), also near the end of
the tour, I had begun to see everything as art, so I snapped this photo
of the orange power box surrounded by razor wire, back-dropped
 by the verdant green grass.   Then, imagine my thrill when I saw. . .

. . . this power box near Bassline in Newtown protected by intentional art.  Love it!

I want to end on this one.  The tour is over and I am walking to my car parked near Market Theater.  On this small street, practically an alleyway, is this stunning mural, transforming the building from plain and barren to lively and beautiful.  Much as the art and people of the CBD transform this part of the city to lively and beautiful.   

Wild Dog Chase

We race along the washboard road in the predawn darkness.  Salani, our ranger and driver, takes the bumps at speed, rattling our teeth, jarring our bones. Our speed turns the cold night air into a biting wind.  We put on all our layers and pull the blankets tight up to our chins. The wind gets into my inner ears and they throb.   The prize is worth it. We are on the hunt for wild dogs, spotted less than an hour earlier along one of the park roads.

To  the uniformed, wild dogs may not sound very exciting but they are endangered and rare, only 400 in South Africa and only 130 in all of Kruger National Park.   They have a reputation, undeserved, for being cruel and indiscriminate killers so farmers and early colonial game administrators called for their extermination. That and habitat lost have diminished the population to dangerously low numbers.   Fortunately, now there are measures in place to protect them and reintroduce them back into some game parks.  We have seen them only in a breeding program and so are thrilled at the thought of seeing them in their natural habitat.

As we speed along, the eastern sky begins to lighten and color.   The marula trees are stark but lovely, silhouetted black against the brightening horizon, seashell pink and butter yellow.  

 The colors which had drained from the earth the night before begin slowly seeping back in but early-morning pale and thin.   An soft mist hangs in the air compounding the effect.  The grasses appear silver, only the barest of yellows and greens showing through.  The rich oranges, reds and golds still sleep, waiting to come out, till the sun is higher, warmer. 

Salani is single-minded in his mission so we don’t slow even when we come across a small herd of elephants.  We pause, but only just, when we spot the impressive bull a 100 meters later.  Despite our unusual speed, the dimwitted francolins still believe they can outrun us. They sprint ahead of our vehicle, dodging left and right, sure that even if they can’t outrun us, they can out maneuver us.  Finally, they give up, veering off into the bush or taking flight, angrily chirping a warning.  

We pull alongside game vehicles coming from the direction we are going.  In rapid Tsonga, Salani exchanges information with the other rangers.  No one has seen the dogs.   The sun has now come up fully above the horizon, big and yellow and hot. Only the warmth doesn’t reach us, we still huddle beneath our blankets.

By now our pace has slowed.  Salani says he thinks we’ve gone too far, so we double back.  As he drives, he hangs out his window looking for tracks but with no luck.  The urgency is gone.

I know when Salani slows, and cuts the engine at a herd of impala he has given up the hunt.  Without speaking we all adjust our expectations and settle in for what is before us.  Cameras and binoculars come out.   We watch the long horned male in his sisyphusian  task of keeping his herd of 100 females and off-spring in a manageable area, circling, snorting, corralling.  We watch the young ones leap and kick up their heels.   The wind gone and the sun higher, our blankets come off.   In silence, we drink in the beauty of what has been given us instead.

Evening Game Drive

“September, October is the best time to come to Kruger,” Salani, our ranger tells us.  But we are here now, in April, when the animals hide deep in the long grass.  I don’t mind though.  I am no longer so greedy for sightings of the big five, to see lion with a fresh kill, mothers with newborn babies.   I am happy just to be out in the breezy, warm afternoon sun, driving again through the South African bush.

An hour into the drive, the sun is on its way down, lending her brilliance to the land, coaxing the gold from the long autumn grasses, lighting the rose tips like thousands of tiny flames.   The air is soft, warm, and full of bush smells.   Grass and dust, musky and animal, wild mint and light flower perfume.  When we dip steeply into a riverbed crossing, the temperature drops noticeably and the sharp scent of water and rocks fills our nostrils.   As we climb back up, the engine rumbles low like a lion’s soft warning roar.  Warm air and earthy grass smells envelop us again, and the engine’s growl  is drowned out by the clicking of crickets.  

Animal sightings are few on this trip.  Someone in our party, eager to see something, cries out, “Stop, what is that over there.  Oh, never mind. . . it is just a tree stump.”  It won’t be the last time one of us, our eyes straining to be the first to spot something, calls out excitedly  for us to look – what moments before had surely been an animal is now a rock, a fallen tree, a bush in shadow.  

And then my favorite part.  We stop for sundowners in an open field.   Glass of wine in hand, I can walk out into the grasses, immersed in the smells and sounds and feel.  The sun, though very low now, is still warm on our skin, no need for a jacket yet.  But, anticipating, I can feel the first faint licks of evening’s chill on my bare arms.   

Back driving, the sunset does not disappoint.  It is everything you want, lasting over half an hour.   Gold and pink with rays shooting up; you expect to see Jesus rising like in a religious painting.   Then red and slate grey clouds, and finally that deep blue with a sliver of rose where the sun has dropped deep below the horizon.   Only once the sun is truly gone do I need to slip on my jacket.

Then the spotlight comes out. Salani sweeps it back and forth, up in the trees, down to the grass, tracing the contours of the landscape with his light.   We marvel at his skill when he stops, puts the vehicle in reverse and shines the light high in a bush, pointing out a small lime green chameleon.   During my first couple of night game drives, I used to will the sweeping light to catch yellow leopard eyes, revealing that elusive night animal, tucked in the crook of a tree.  Now, as we drive, I am content to feel the changing air, smell the nighttime scents, watch the stars appear one by one and then thousands suddenly all at once. 

So I am surprised by how much my heart quickens when white breast glowing in the spotlight is a stock still Giant Eagle Owl perched on a tree branch.   We watch her as she slowly swivels her large head to look behind and then back to us. 

When Salani moves the light off the owl, puts the Land Cruiser in gear and we drive away,  I’m full.  The rest of the drive washes over me.   I feel blessed to have once again witnessed the ordinary and extraordinary of the bush transforming from day to night.

Coming Home From Kruger

Crazy I know - I spend two days in Kruger yet what do I post? A short video of cows. What can I say? I like cows. And this sighting completely cheered me on our overly long drive home.

Whipping along this country road we see up ahead a commotion. The entire northbound lane is taken up by this long procession of cows. We estimate 400. Babies, moms, steers, every color a cow can be, horns growing every which way. Bill is not very impressed by their udders (no comment) so he guesses not milking cows.

Every 50 meters or so is a herder with a long stick keeping them orderly- for the most part. But some of the cows have crossed over the road onto our side and are contentedly having a graze. Those cows following think grazing is a good idea and the line veers over across both lanes to the tasty grass. There is a bit of a stoppage until the herders get the unruly cows back on track.

Bringing up the rear of the procession is a bakkie, man hanging out the window waving at us like King of the Parade. More likely the farmer thanking us for our patience.

In this little clip, not particularly well shot because I was driving at the same time with cows all around (very safe I know), you'll see the camera dip down and get a nice shot of the steering wheel. This is when a rogue cow crossed right in front of me. All very exciting.

Weaver Birds

All of a sudden, about a month ago, I noticed the yellow weaver birds were yellower and busier and all over the place. Spring is the time for romance, so the males had replaced their dull winter coats in favor of bright lemon yellow ones in hopes of attracting a lady friend. Although an attractive plumage will get a female to look his way, the ultimate test comes in his home construction skills. The male works diligently, pulling leaf fibers into fine strips, and using only his beak, masterfully weaves them and twigs and grass into an elaborate pouch shaped nest. The female, using criteria known only to her, inspects and gives the nod of approval or the thumbs down of rejection. If not happy, she will dismantle the nest and the weary male must begin again. P.S. Shhhhhh, don't tell anyone. Not one of these photos is mine - I just can't take a good bird photo,especially with my phone, so I resorted to stealing from the internet.

13 Things to Love, See, and Do In Live-Work-Play Braamfontein

The other weekend I went on a tour of Braamfontein lead by P.A.S.T. Experiences, a local, woman-owned small tour company that specializes in downtown Johannesburg.  


Before getting to the must-love tidbits, a bit of background.  Braamfontein, the home of Witswatersrand University, has been undergoing a major revitalization effort for the past several years led by 3 major players.  Adam Levy, a young lawyer,  turned real estate developer,  kicked off the revitalization when he, inspired by New York's Soho lofts, bought a ten story building converting it into high-end flats, moving into the top floor penthouse himself.   Since then, he has developed art galleries, office space and  renovated historic Alexander Theater.   Another now major player, a couple, got into the game modestly, investing in one student housing property as a way to earn extra income.  And then they jumped in whole hog with the goal of creating a livable, safe neighborhood for students, with outdoor open spaces, cafes and bars - and lots more housing.  You can't walk very far in Braamfontein without seeing one of their Southpoint properties.  And thirdly, the longest time player, Wits, is still at it upgrading and renovating their properties and ensuring art and music and theatre is alive and well in Braamfontein.  So below are just a few, and really this is just a start, of the many things to love about Braamfontein.

Right across from one of the big Southpoint Student residences is this cool little courtyard called The Grove (pic doesn't come close to doing it justice.) Anchored by the colorful orange and yellow Lamunu hotel, it offers an outdoor space for the community to hang out.  Holding the right side is a new minimalist coffee shop, that although doesn't (yet) have the quickest service, makes a pretty spectacular latte.  And the screen below the GROVE sign?  That is a big outdoor TV showing soapies and sports.    

See that red unreadable word in the pic to the right?  That says Branson, as in Richard Branson, founder of Virgin.  The Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship, partly funded by Virgin Unite, trains up and coming young stars, who otherwise couldn't afford it, in the art and skills of entrepreneurship.   

Don't know what this building is but loved the orange tiling detail - doesn't take much to add some zip and zing to an otherwise un-noteworthy building.  Love that Braamfontein feel!!

One of my all-time favorite things about Johannesburg is the commitment to public art.  By the year 2040, Jozi has the goal of becoming the largest open air art gallery in the world!!  Already, there are 300 pieces of public art throughout the city with a big emphasis on the CBD (central business district).  1% of the city budget is mandated to go to investment in art. This huge eland plant pot -- you can't see but those are plants growing out of the top (on purpose) --is an example of several large pieces at various entry points around the city.  Large enough so as not to be missed.   

Come March 2012, this is a location you will want to come to! The corner, known as University Corner, or more delightfully, as UniCorn, is home to a Wit's building and former Shell petrol station which are somehow, cleverly, being renovated to house  the up-to-now unhoused Wit's collection of African Art - the largest collection in the world mind you.  As a side note, on top of the building is a now defunct revolving restaurant.    Imagine - a little art gallery browsing followed by a drink up high over the city.  Begin the clammer to get it back in operation!

Maybe we could get sightings of crazy Tom Cruise

A mural from internationally known graffiti artist, Rasty.  Interestingly, due to South Africa's isolation during the Apartheid era, SA's graffiti art is lagging about 10 years behind the rest of the world.  

 Here is a shocking fact.  Did you know Wits Choir is one of only 3 fully integrated choirs in the country? From what our guide, and Wit's choir member, told us, most choirs will have white singers on one side with a white conductor and black singers on the other with a black conductor.   Some nonsense about white people not being able to sing "black people's music" and vice versa.  In any case, the Wit's choir is supposed to be fantastic and it is now high on my list of must-do-soon things.  




Would you look at this building!  So utterly nondescript and not worth a second look.  Except that the top two glass enclosed floors are a very exclusive event space which allow a 360 degree view of the city redefining what we think of when we think of the Joburg skyline.  I am now hard at work increasing my social circles so I can get invited to some fancy party up there.  

The sheer genuis!  Three things off your to-do list in one stop.  Throw your laundry in, get your hair done, answer your emails.  

 The Braamfontein trees.  30 of these fun, whimsical sculptures line Juta Street.  Please note that in case you thought these were another of those hands-off art pieces, you are welcome and encouraged to add to the spirit of Braamfontein by spinning the trees' inner cut-outs.   

How can you not love a building painted like this?  Not to mention Lomography is a very hip shop specializing in avant garde and retro camera equipment the uses of which I can't even begin to grasp. 

Kitcheners Carvery Bar -- 100 years old but don't let its venerable-ness fool you.   It is now a venue for a range of eclectic live music ranging from funk, soul and old school to house, hip hop and techno.