I attended a full day at the Audi High Performance Driving Course at Killarney race track in Cape Town. I don’t know if it was because of that speeding fine I got, but my boys at Audi Centre Cape Town felt I couldn’t carry on driving the R8 or the TT without attending the course. It sounded like fun, and anyway, it also allows a reduction in insurance premiums. I’m FINE with that!

It was on a Friday (the whole day 08h30 to 16h30) and I realised at that moment that we have NO idea that, at any given time in our week, normally people like you and me could be SCREAMING around a race track during working hours! And that’s exactly what I did! Not that I have “working hours” per se, but you know what I mean!

Wernich, from Audi Centre Cape Town ensured that I was settled and then bolted then moment the head instructor walked into the room.

I turned to the front and that’s when it all fell into place.

Do you remember this guy from Top Gun?

“Viper” – from Top Gun

Of course you do. His name in the movie was Mike Metcalf (callsign: Viper) and he was the instructor at the Top Gun fighter pilot academy.

That was basically the vibe I got at the beginning of the day. I sat there in my chair as the head instructor, John Simpson (same vibe as Viper) explained the day’s schedule. I looked around and sized up the other people attending. I couldn’t help but wonder, who was the best of the best?

I caught the end of something he was saying – “in case any of you are wondering who the best is, it’s not you – it’s these guys right here.” As he pointed to the professional driving instructors standing beside him.

Viper runs us through the day’s lineup

The Audi Top Gun pilots

“These men will be taking three of you in each car and they will gauge your strengths and weaknesses. Listen to them and you will learn a lot.”

Nice vibe..

My team mates, Lorinda and Allan and I got the best instructor of the day, Gary. Try and get him when you go – he’s an ex-racing champion. I get on well with ex-racing champions so I knew we would have a good day.

I beg your pardon? You want to know my involvement with ex-racing champions.

Seriously, do I have to?

Okaaaaaay, if I MUST!

  
Michael Schumacher asked if he could record this moment.
“No problem,” I said, “as long as you get my Judrons in the shot.”

So anyway, back to the Audi High Performance Driving Course. I can categorically state that I have never become so enlightened in just eight hours, as I was at Killarney that day. I did the fixed-wing glider course once – and that took a week. Not a lot of people have that kind of time.

Besides hurtling around the track at (by the end of the day) at 180 km/h and TEARING into corners, the learning that went down was something to behold! In this one test, they show you how where the car stops if you slam on brakes at 60 km/h. Then, after marking that off, they do it again at 120 km/h. Do you know how much further the stopping point was?

Just a bit more the original distance?

Twice the original distance?

No my friend, it’s something like four or five times the distance!

These are the kind of things you get exposed to which result in your insurance premiums going down. Because you leave a better informed and more skilled driver.

The guys also take you through technologies like ABS and ESP and explain to you exactly how they work. But they don’t just explain, they get you to try it out yourself. slamming on anchors at 100 km/h, violently turning from one side to the other, trying to roll the car – stuff like that. It’s pretty hairy stuff but totally in control at all times.

That’s the one beautiful thing about the day, is the slickness of the whole operation. Not for one second did I worry about my safety – such is the calming effect of being around professionals like these.

And THIS is the result!

Seth becomes a Top Gun pilot

Oh yes! Not to be silly or anything, I would prefer it if you called me “Maverick” from now on. Thanks very much.

Check out their vibe at the official Audi High Performance Driving Course website for these training days – www.4rings.co.za

Besides the reduction in insurance premiums, this is a brilliant way to spend a day and learn at the same time. I couldn’t imagine a better team building initiative for companies out there looking for something different.

Here are some pics from our day.

Thanks again to Audi Centre Cape Town for such an incredible experience. And remember, if you’re in the market for a new car, give them a shout. I’ve got the TT and the R8 and can’t say enough about them. Go for a test drive – apparently they’re got some HOT new S4’s in..

You don’t get better service and, if you give me a shout before, I can probably organise you a cheeky little discount to make your buying experience even more fun! CLICK HERE

My search for the best people, brands and places continues; as I simply cannot hold back from telling you about the dentist du jour!

I hadn’t been to the dentist for a while and, with mother’s recent visit to Cape Town, it was impossible to avoid. She told me about this guy, and went on to say that it was the same place that Ian Crooks uses. “Well! If it’s good enough for Ian…,” I enthused.

The prospect of driving through to Milnerton tweaked me a bit and, having done so twice now, I must just tell you that it’s easier to get to Milnerton than Claremont – FACT. You’re on the N1 from the Waterfront, bang a left and drive through Paarden Eiland (one straight road) and you’re in Milnerton. Honestly, it’s 10 minutes “door-to-door” (one of my earlier sayings I made up. Think I was 7 at the time).

And that, my sweet, beautiful children, is where I found this:

The Sopranos on DVD at the dentist

Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you – that IS The Sopranos playing on DVD on the CEILING of the dentist’s rooms. Dr. Cohen is his name and visual satisfaction is his game!

I went the week before I got that cheeky little filling, to let him see what’s what in mine mouth. It was then that I spotted the device on the ceiling.

“What is that, Doc?” I enquired.

“Why, that’s a flat screen television,” he replied.

“Oh reeeeally…”

“Yup, really.”

“Is it linked to a DVD player?”

“Very much so – we use it for the kids – they watch cartoons to take their minds off the dental activity.”

“Fuck the kids!” I exclaimed.

“I beg your pardon?” he asked.

“LUCKY kids,” I said.

So the next time I came to get that filling, I took along one of my Sopranos DVD’s (remember we chatted about this – from DVD Nouveau) and popped one in. I should, at this juncture, mention that the Sopranos DVD has given trouble on one or two machines in the past (to do with region codes) but I’m ecstatic to mention that Dr. Cohen’s DVD player had absolutely no problem, with it. He probably saw the article I wrote a while back on how to make your DVD player region free.

We used the remote to choose The Sopranos episode I wanted and off we went. One hour in the chair = one episode of Sopranos. Please, man, it’s silly! Now, whilst the sound from the screen is perfectly clear, one needs to take into account a bit of drilling noise. That’s why we popped on subtitles, my boet!

I can honestly tell you it was the most incredible dentist visit of my life. I couldn’t POSSIBLY imagine not watching DVD’s whilst at the dentist and I HIGHLY recommend that you give it a bash. And, what’s more, Dr. Cohen is pretty amusing anyway – so you’re scoring everywhere you look.

Dr. Cohen is a VERY popular dentist and he has confirmed that if you mention 2oceansvibe when making a booking, he’ll not only find you an appointment, but he’ll throw in a discount as well.

He gave me his card as well.

It’s too easy! Give him a shout:

Dr. Jonathan Cohen
Family Dental Practitioner

Annex 116
Milnerton Mediclinic (closer than you think)
Racecourse Road
Milnerton

Phone : 021 551 6604
Fax : I beg your pardon?

Go! Do it! Do it! Do it!

I’m *cough* sure this website has all the right intensions but, honestly, from where I’m sitting it looks tailor made for middle-age affairs and mid-life crises (yes, that is how you spell the plural of “crisis”).

Time for an upgrade? Pop on down to sugarcupid.com!

The website goes for this vibe – and I quote:

Sugar Daddy – rich and successful. No time for games? Looking to support and pamper women (Prada handbags) who will treat you like a king (daily blow jobs)? Interested in a discrete and mutually beneficial relationship? Time to be a Sugar Daddy!

Sugar Baby – attractive and young. Struggling in the early part of your career? Seeking a generous benefactor to mentor and take care of you – perhaps financially? You will make the perfect Sugar Baby!

And what’s more – it’s LOCAL! Jeepers! This thing will be a HIT on Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard!

Sugarcupid.com
Check at the honey our boy has picked up!

“..discrete and mutually beneficial?” – ie. an affair? (I assume they meant “discreet”?)

“PERHAPS financially?” - Hahaha, as if it’s an afterthought! That’s just too special! In English : Studies, car, iPhone, handbags, holidays and jewellery.

I’d like to see the state of the angels in their database. Better yet, I’d dig to check the state of the guys who reckon they make the “sugar daddy” grade!

These guys should do a deal with Harley Davidson and create some kind of a mid-life crisis package. Better yet, rope in a law firm to take care of the divorce at the same time!

Aaah, good times..

[thanks brett]

The fact that capetowntrafficcam.co.za gives you live webcam footage of the traffic situation on Cape Town’s roads, is one thing – but there is surely nothing wrong with taking in the sites while you’re doing it?

Check out these STUNNING pics spotted on the site this morning.

Milnerton region

Camps Bay beach

Nothing wrong with that!

Welcome to summer, my darlings.

Check out how backed up things are on the roads and other beautiful vistas at www.capetowntrafficcam.co.za

[thanks paul]

A handful of people send me links to this website called No Bucks, which is an “online portal of happy hours, specials and budget nights out in Cape Town.” I enjoyed the concept but didn’t know if it fitted “the vibe” correctly. But then I remembered that getting deals and paying less would take anyone that little bit closer to living the holiday. I mean, if you earn hardly anything and spend your days on the beach, you can probably maintain that by getting good deals – and I’m FINE with that!

www.nobucks.co.za

Now it’s one thing living cheaply on food stamps, but the cool thing about these kids behind nobucks.co.za is they’re including 2oceansvibe approved bars and restaurants. So you’re getting discounts at the likes of Caprice, Hudsons, Cafe Sofia, Andiamo, Beluga etc. So you’re skimping it, but you’re doing it in style.

I suppose, in way, that’s what I do. I mean, besides my fabulous wealth which allows me this lifestyle anyway, it is generally accepted that I am not charged when frequenting Cape Town establishments. So, indirectly, I guess I’m doing the same thing! Weird.

Look, my good looks help as well, granted – but let’s keep our eye on the ball here.

[thanks herman]

Here at 2oceansvibe we tread a fine line as we deliver images of the beautiful life, including beautiful places, beautiful brands, beautiful people and beautiful models . With eating disorders on the rise, this line of work can be a dangerous business. As editor, I am acutely aware of how impressionable some of our readers might be, in particular the angels out there – and you know how much we love the angels!

We do not support the concept of zero-sized models and have always celebrated the likes of Cosmopolitan magazine, whose recent lingerie fashion show featured refreshingly “normal” sized models. Emaciated celebrities do not impress us.

Seriously – what is that?

The issue is therefore close to my heart and I was very impressed when I heard about Montrose Manor, the new eating disorder treatment clinic which has been established in Cape Town. The treatment clinic deals with everything from anorexia and bulimia to overeating and binge eating disorders.

Montrose Manor has been setup by the same people behind the incredibly successfull Montrose Place (which deals with addictions and compulsive disorders).

Montrose Manor
Eating Disorder Treatment Clinic

 

Based in a spacious and comfortably appointed residence, surrounded by acres of garden and located in the exclusive suburb of Bishopscourt, Cape Town, Montrose Manor boasts the unrivalled combination of a luxurious environment, world-class facilities and a step-forward clinical programme.

 

Inside the beautifully appointed
Eating Disorder Treatment Clinic

 

The eating disorder treatment clinic features
designer-styled interiors & antique furnishings

 

Montrose Manor is a turn-of-the century manor house, lying adjacent to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, with clear views of Table Mountain. A combination of elegant, designer-styled interiors and antique furnishings befit both the location and the house’s history. With careful attention paid to the finest detail, the Montrose Manor ambience ensures that long-term treatment can be undertaken within a comfortable and luxurious environment.

 

Long term eating disorder treatment
can be taken within a luxurious environment.

 

With a homely atmosphere and gentle clinical ethos, Montrose Manor is less institutional than that of the standard primary in-patient eating disorder facility and it is, therefore, the ideal setting for extended care treatment.

I took a walk around the Montrose Manor eating disorder treatment clinic in Bishopscourt the other day and I can genuinely say that I’d be more than happy to move in there! I mean, really, there are staff everywhere and very luxurious fittings and furnishings – right up my street! With the patients so often coming from well-to-do backgrounds, it must be encouraging to note that they wouldn’t have to adjust too much to their surroundings!

Montrose head, Johnny Graaff, told me about how acutely aware they are of the type of person they’re dealing with. “We know that these highly intelligent people require non-verbal interventions to by-pass their intellectual defences and access the underlying psychological issues – hence our use of drama and art therapy.”

“The family program at Montrose is run by two counselors with in-depth experience of the entire eating disorder treatment program. Amongst their many strengths is the ability to counsel family members, while appreciating the stage of treatment that the addicted client is at.”

World class facilities

Outstanding! This kind of eating disorder treatment clinic must be in massive demand locally and internationally. I simply couldn’t imagine the delicate angels out there going into some state-run facility where they would share a bunk with a meth dealer. No, no – that wouldn’t work out very well!

Well done to the team at Montrose Manor for providing a facility which addresses eating disorders with the delicacy and professionalism it deserves.

Let’s get those beautiful angels back in shape!

Check out their website here.

Twas earlier this year I showed you some wonderful images (here) of the hairdresser in the Woodstock region of Cape Town, claiming to be masters at the Obama Haircut. You may recall their tagline, “Looking neat is our target. Change your look? Yes we can!”

You remember it now, right? If you don’t it seems you are missing out on some pearlers and I strongly urge you to visit the archives (scroll down the left menu – they’re there).

In the meantime, for the informed, you’ll be over the moon to learn that they (the Woodstock Obama haircut specialists) have just released their first TV ad. Well, online TV ad. A web video ad. It’s pretty sick – check it out:

*Wait for box to load above this line and wait for play button to appear. Press play, then pause and let video load up before playing through without hiccups.

How cool was that?

V cool.

It’s weird though, a lot of people seem to be talking about hairdressers these days.

Don’t you find?

[thanks craig]

This must be the find of the century! FINALLY, you can keep a beady eye on Cape Town’s traffic situation and possibly change your route and/or timing to suit. Just by going to THIS website.

Check this out, taken yesterday at 17h23, as you get onto the N2 next to the entrance to le Waterfront.

Your basic five o’ clock muffshow

They’ve also got cams on Hospital Bend, Eastern Boulevard and many more, including the Green Point Stadium! Check it all out here .

But wait, that’s not all! If you click in the next ten minutes, you’ll also get Camps Bay beach cams!! Oh yes – they’ve extended the “traffic” cams to Camps Bay beach as well. Allowing you, the sunbather, to see how hectique things are looking on a particular day. Also useful for those of you in the ‘burbs who THINK it might be winter, when in actual fact the sun is shining on “the other side.”

Today, for example, you WON’T be going to the beach..

Pretty sick!

I’ve added those links to the top of the left menu (just under where it says “HOME”) so you won’t struggle to find them in future.

Just looking out for you.

[you lean forward and give me a peck on the cheek]

Oooh! Thank you, my baby!

[thanks george]

She’s been very quiet, old Mavis and her rabid fan base out there will be pleased to see her featured here again. This actually happened before I went to South of France in June, but the story only came full circle when I was back in Cape Town a couple weeks ago; this article being the result.

You will recall Mavis was hemorrhaging cash from me before I left for Provence. Someone died and she had to go to The Eastern Cape for a funeral. She was gone for a week, which blew all her cash for that month. So I gave her the usual interest-free zero-payback loan scheme that we have been developing over the last few years. How it works is I give her money and she never has to pay it back – although every time she swears she will. She says I can gradually take it off her pay, but, if I do, then she’ll ask for another loan half way through the next month. I actually made up a saying to describe the process, I call it a “vicious circle.”

Use it, don’t use it (also mine).

So anyway, just before I left for for a month visit to our house in Menerbes (which, in turn, means that Mavis will be getting a month off – paid leave) she felt she would surprise me by washing my car. Hopefully that would rinse away any memory of the debt.

You what? [pause] You say it’s “SWEET” of her?

Oh really?

And is it still “sweet” of her when you discover that she was using a VIM on the tough spots?

Do you know what a VIM is? It’s basically wire wool.

One of these guys:

Ja, I thought you would enjoy that. Do you think the green part is good for a car’s coat? No, it’s not. It’s probably worse than putting Carol Boyes stuff in the dishwasher. Mavis has done that as well.

Well enjoy this, which is a pic I took of ONE of the EIGHT tough spots that she gave a real working. I thought I’d use it for an article about how she ballsed up, but I never had the energy to complete it until now.

Nice one..

Pretty rad, hey?

But don’t worry, I didn’t get angry with her. I thanked her for cleaning the car and just mentioned that she shouldn’t do it again, as she scratched it without (I assume? ) knowing. In eight places.

So I left it as it was and headed off to the South of France and Mavis went off to wherever she goes on holiday – probably Mauritius or the Cayman Islands where all her loot is stored. When I returned to Cape Town and moved into my primary residence at the Cape Royale Hotel in Green Point, I received an email from a guy called Neil. You’ll enjoy this, because this is a prime example of how “the vibe” works.

So he tells me that he has just opened “PLUSH”, a boutique Cape Town car wash. Boutique is one of my favourite words, so I kept reading. It seems the cape town car wash is located in the underground car park of that block in Green Point where Vida e is (”Port side” is the name of the block, I believe). Melissa’s also used to be there but they have been replaced by Bravado (ex-Bravo from Mouille Point – I went there, it’s good – try it). That’s a pity for Melissa’s but what do you expect when you charge over R700 for a sandwich and dive head-first into an overly-ambitious Waterfront shop?

Boutique is what you want

He tells me it is just next door to The Cape Royale Hotel. I asked him if he knew that I stayed there and he replied in the negative.

“Good Lord, well there are too many coincidences to not bring my car to you. Do you do scratches?” I asked.

“Yes we do scratches and dent removal.” He claimed the moment and went on, “We do everything from window tinting and sticker removal to plastic/vinyl restoration, mag repair and fallout removal!”

I had no idea what fallout removal was/is and I still don’t but it’s sounds pretty impressive.

I dropped my car off at 10 and got it back a few hours later, looking like this:

That’s what I’m talking about!

All 8 scratches were gone and the car looked brand new. That’s all I’m saying.

They’re our current cape town car wash of choice. And it’s not just me that thinks so – the amount of +R1 million cars there tells a story (they do ALL cars, obviously).

Use them. Mention 2oceansvibe and you’ll probably get a discount.

It’s amazing how that story fell into place and, in a way, I’m almost glad that Mavis scratched my car. In.eight.places.

I am often asked how my friend Billy Zane and I became acquainted – a meeting which resulted in an interview with the Titanic star on one of the 2oceansvibe shows. “Quite simple,” I usually tell them, “Marina took care of the Harley Davidson launch (here ) a few months back and Billy was there.”

Marina Nestel, master networker and owner of The Little Black Book somehow manages to get me to do things without me even realising. She grabbed me (as she usually does) as I arrived at the aforementioned launch and positioned me next to a CEO of something, as well as Cokey Falkow, Colin Moss and Roxy Louw.

“Ok! You stand there, YOU go there and YOU there!”

Then she turned to the cameraman and shouted, “Ok, go!”

While that was happening she spotted KFM’s Richard Hardiman and instructed him, “Wait!” as she devised the next shot in her head. A shot that would probably end up all over the social pages as they usually do – again utilising her treasure trove list of contacts.

There were five or six camera flashes and we were allowed to carry on into the party. Before I headed off, she whispered in my ear (dramatically), “Billy Zane is in the corner at the bar – I’ve told him all about you, he wants to meet you.”

The rest is history.

Did you catch the Billy Zane interviews, by the way? You can check them out here: Part 1 HERE and Part 2 HERE .

Zane drowns in Seth’s mystique
at the Harley Davidson launch (here)

You get the picture – this chick makes things happen and she knows EVERYTHING. That’s why the big brands and prestigious clients use her and precisely why people will do anything to get into her “Little Black Book.” The business opportunities and social networking that goes on via Marina is nothing short of staggering. Let her promote your brand and the people will follow and the word will be out.

www.thelittleblackbook.co.za

That’s probably why she has just appeared in a double page magazine spread – a scan of which has just arrived in my inbox. I think the writer nailed it spot on and I wanted to publish it right here for you, in case you missed it.

CLICK IMAGE for full-size version.

CLICK HERE to read article on The Little Black Book

Stunning!

Simply…..STUNNING!

Get in touch with The Little Black book HERE.

Again the power of the 2oceansvibe community is on display as we receive no less than THREE separate emails with photographs of the same sign displayed on a shop window in Cape Town’s Blue Routemall.

Behold:

Spotted on window of a men’s manicure parlour.
Blue Route Mall, Cape Town.

Look, it’s a bloody nice gesture, but it’s probably not gonna fly. I’m just not sure if your mom would be very impressed if she saw that you had bought your dad a “handjob” for Father’s Day.

Thanks for that, 2oceansvibers!

While we’re at it, are YOU a 2oceansviber? Have YOU subscribed to the vibe? Did YOU receive yesterday’s awesome newsletter with behind the scenes action including Seth’s current Strengthening Ties Tour?

Not?

Pfffffft! [tries to contain laughter]

Well best you get moving, my love! CLICK HERE to SUBSCRIBE TO THE VIBE.

And then, when you’ve managed that, CLICK HERE to follow 2oceansvibe on Twitter and get a constant hit of live action (only available on Twitter) from wherever Seth is (currently The South of France).

[thanks brad, dan and nic]

I received an sms from Caro at My Life Organised a week ago saying, “your appointment at the French Embassy was this morning – I’ll call them later and let you know how it went.” What? Who? Shit, did I miss an appointment to get my Shengen visa for my upcoming overseas trip?We had met only once before, for me to give her what was needed and to sign a form – and now THIS!

I panicked for a millisecond and remembered that the services they provide includes standing in queues and attending “appointments” with visa application appointments. A day later she arrived at the door of The Safe House with both my and The Muse ’s visa’s. ‘

Check it out.

My French itinerary and Shengen visas
To The Safe House door..

I chatted to you (here) about a year ago about My Life Organised and, because we’re gained some new loyal 2oceansvibe readers since then, I thought it warranted another mention..

When you go to their website (here) you’ll notice that their services include everything from popping into Woolies for your forgotten groceries and gathering quotes for that long awaited alarm installation, to standing in line for your passport application and meeting the plumber at midday as your dishwasher has exploded once again. Lately I’ve been told they’ve been in massive demand for their “de-cluttering” service. They go into your house, strip away the mess and even handle the packing and moving of the excess furniture/clutter into storage facilities! Pretty rad.

I thought I’d take things to the next level and you might have noticed that My Life Organised has been handling the full co-ordination and organisation of the 2oceansvibe Weather Girls weekly online TV shows. It’s true – watch the shows here and you’ll see the logo at the end.

If that wasn’t enough, I thought I’d test the limits with some lion cubs. Yup, you heard me – wild LIONS. You see, a passionate animal lover friend of mine called me a few months ago and said he had just found four abused lion cubs in a cage in Romania. He sent me photographs and said he would pay all expenses for transport, admin and any medical undertakings to relocate the lions to somewhere in South Africa where it could be happy again.

“Sure, *cough* no problem!,” I said as I put down the phone and scratched my head. I emailed My Life Organised – “Here’s a task,” I said, “could you get everything organised with regards to permits and veterinary processes and laws and God-knows-what-else is required to move four lion cubs from Romania to South Africa? Caro, the owner, wrote back immediately and told me to expect an email with full instructions and paperwork.

This was the result:

As happy as a lion in Africa

No, I am not spicing you.

Sure, that might have been a bit excessive and I doubt you would need to test their skills to that extent but it’s good to know that they can, genuinely, do ANYTHING.

Check out their vibe and get in touch with them here – www.mylifeorganised.co.za

Oh dear, it really is a sad state of affairs.

We have been reporting the iStore/Core Group saga to you since last week. It began with my personal account of a dismal experience in the Waterfront iStore (here), which ended up with me going next door to Incredible Connection.

I then followed up with an article (here) responding to reader’s questions, confirming that South Africa’s Apple distributors, The Core Group, had not yet released a statement nor had they attempted to make contact with regards to what is rapidly turning into a diabolical situation. I went on to say that they must know about the drama, as the story I wrote comes up at the number 1 position in Google for the search phrase “waterfront apple mac” – the story is very much out there.

But then it became clearly as to why the Core Group don’t seem to give a toss.

They never have..

For those of you who haven’t had a chance to peruse the comments section of the original article (92 so far) or the follow-up article, here are some interesting pearls.

# Hectique Prognosis Says:
May 17th, 2009 at 8:19 pm e

Let me see if I get this:
Core is the sole importer of Apple products in South Africa, because they have sole rights for distribution. They resell to retailers in South Africa… AND they have their own retail stores? Does that not sound teensy bit wrong? They must really have the other Apple resellers by the balls. Any wonder they behave as if they own the place? Talk about a conflict of interest…

# Anon a miss Says:
May 18th, 2009 at 1:50 pm e

They won’t respond and why should they? This Core flaming will all blow over soon and then it will be business as usual. Besides, what do they care? Those Apple products that you guys bought from Incredible Connection/Digicape etc were IMPORTED BY CORE anyways! And where are those resellers gonna get more stock from? From Core, LOL. Its not like anyone else is even ALLOWED to import Apple products into SA. Monopolies are so lame and there are LOTS on South Africa.

Guess Who Says:
May 18th, 2009 at 2:28 pm e

I worked for Core HQ. Most resellers really hate The Core Group. Makro, Hifi and IC, the are forced to do business with Core. Believe me, some people from Core are not welcome anymore at these Head Offices.
They lost TomTom, (google TomTom / Core South Africa,) there are law suits because they ruined the TT Business. Unfortunately they have Nintendo as well, this is going strong as far as I can see. Go to Apple Sandton, they are grey importers as Core will call them, believe me the offer good service and full warranty !

 

# Can this be? Says:
May 18th, 2009 at 11:46 am e

All this info is most disturbing. If CORE is the only Distributor in South Africa, but are also infiltrating the Retail market, where does their loyalty lie when it comes to stock allocations? Would this explain why at times the iStores have stock, but not the other Resellers? Can this be? Somehow this doesn’t seem right… Talk about a monopoly…

MAC GIRL Says:
May 18th, 2009 at 9:45 am e

I worked at the istore for 2 years and working for the core company was horrible. I believe that customer service is comes first! And to them it wasnt, it was the last thing.. they were more worried about what the store looks like than anything else.
I aggree with the earlier post…. the reason for lack of knowledge is staff leaving after 2-6 months cause the core company treat their staff like crap!!
When they are not happy with a staff member they will work that person out of the company in the most horrific ways!!NO MATTER IF YOU WERE ONE OF THEIR STAR EMPLOYEES!! they just dont give a shit! And yes.. they do have the resellers by the balls… as the resellers cant complain cause there is no point to complaining if you can only deal with them and no one else. I also aggree with another post that said they should stick to distrubuting… and stay as far away from the retail stores as possible…. the worst part is… they wont! they are trying to increase their footprint and opening up more stores…. the waterfront was the first store to open.. and it was suppose to be their blue print store…they promised they will perfect that store before opening any others… but they didnt… the waterfront store had so many issues but they continued to open more… (money hungry)…
not realizing they were hurting the brand by doing that…
there are so many wrongs i dont ever think there would be a right!

 

# budmoto Says:
May 15th, 2009 at 5:17 pm e

The Core Business Group…. little people with big money.

I worked there and realized I couldn’t stay on and keep my sanity so I left. Service is abysmal.
The manager there, Karen, is a great person and good at what she does but she relies on Core and you can only imagine what that is like.
Your best bet is to support DigiCape until they are strong enough to compete with Core for the rights to distribute Apple products in South Africa.

# NOT!!! Says:
May 15th, 2009 at 4:19 pm e

The sad thing is that Core have forgotten that their main business should be DISTRIBUTION (as the only authorized distributors of Apple in SA), but they are so busy trying to push the resellers out of the market, that they’re stuffing up the entire brand in this country. No stock, no service, no nothing…. Mac products are so over priced in SA – I guess all the profit goes into Core’s pockets, ’cause apparently the resellers ain’t making much on it…

 

# Minnaar Says:
May 12th, 2009 at 12:03 pm e

That store is a joke. With the recent rand instability I was once again surprised at the wonder that is Apple in SA.

I went in to buy a dock for my iPhone, and it had a printed price on its package of R399. When I reached the till they told me sorry, the price has increased to R470.

Now this I dont understand. If you have it in stock, how can the price change the moment I buy it?

Is there not some law against this?

Apple in South Africa is a joke – the computers are overpriced compared to overseas as well. Lets see how long they take to decrease the prices now that the rand is stronger.

 

# PaulMark Says:
May 12th, 2009 at 12:47 pm e

I am a Apple convert through and through. Great products and (internationally) great service.

Since returning from the UK I have been shocked by the Apple retail experience in SA. There is no official Apple retail presence in SA. The iStores (owned by Core) are the closest thing to it. Unfortunately they are poor imitations of the genuine article. To start with the products are completely overpriced. This is blamed on exchange rates but of course the prices never go down when the rate improves. The staff know next to nothing about the computers they are trying to sell and seem to have the attitude that they are actually doing you a favour!

Wish Apple would realise the damage that Core is doing to their reputation for good service and open their own official Apple retail store in SA.

Havent said all that I have had good experiences at Digicape. Prices still arent great (Core sets the prices) but at least their service seems pretty decent.

 

# Anonymous Says:
May 15th, 2009 at 5:41 pm e

I am a current iStore employee (I cannot say which store), and I just have to say that I fully agree with Seth.

While I consider myself and a select few of my colleagues to be great salespeople and very knowledgeable with Apple’s products and accessories, as well as the tech industry in general, the majority of employees are not.

The reason for this is that the turnover of staff is very high (the average period of employment is usually only a couple of months before they decide to leave) and as a result they don’t have time to be trained properly or gain experience.

In my opinion, the reason the staff turnover is so high is because Core treats their employees, to put it simply, like complete shit. They do not keep their promises, their demands are unrealistic and they are very stingy.

I really hope Apple enter the market in South Africa and open up one of their official retail stores. Employees like myself and a few of my colleagues will happily abandon Core to work for Apple, officially.

Regards,

Anonymous iStore employee.

And so it goes on..

For those of you who haven’t had a chance to peruse the comments sections – check the original article and the follow-up article.

With the comments section of our original Waterfront Apple Mac iStore article closing in on the 100 mark, Core’s non-response seems very much in line with those same comments.

And I doubt they aren’t aware of it. When the comments section includes responses from current and ex-employees, as well as the owner of the Claremont iStore and a Google number 1 result for the search phrase “waterfront apple mac,” one would think it had come to their attention.

Not enough..

This, from a current Waterfront iStore employee (featured in the comments section of the original article):

Anonymous Says:
May 15th, 2009 at 5:41 pm

I am a current iStore employee (I cannot say which store), and I just have to say that I fully agree with Seth.

While I consider myself and a select few of my colleagues to be great salespeople and very knowledgeable with Apple’s products and accessories, as well as the tech industry in general, the majority of employees are not.

The reason for this is that the turnover of staff is very high (the average period of employment is usually only a couple of months before they decide to leave) & as a result they don’t have time to be trained properly or gain experience.

In my opinion, the reason the staff turnover is so high is because Core treats their employees, to put it simply, like complete shit. They do not keep their promises, their demands are unrealistic and they are very stingy.

I really hope Apple enter the market in South Africa and open up one of their official retail stores. Employees like myself and a few of my colleagues will happily abandon Core to work for Apple, officially.

Regards,

Anonymous iStore employee.

Do yourself a favour and check out the rest of those comments . Out of a current 85 comments, there is ONE positive comment. ALL the rest are negative and most of them are directed at both the iStore and the SA distributors, Core.

Look, they’re consistent – I’ll give them that.

Now I’m sure you spotted those Woolworths Mother’s Day ads around 2oceansvibe. Mm, it gave you a fright, didn’t it? Mother’s Day always seems to creep up on me. It’s one of those tricky ones, because it’s not a set date. It’s one of those “second Sunday in the month” vibes. It IS in May, by the way. Just for the record, that’s this month. In fact, it’s THIS WEEK! I’m serious. Mother’s day is the second Sunday of May every year. Father’s Day is a different story, but we’ll chat about that nearer the time. Let’s focus on mom here for a second.

Ok, so that makes Mother’s Day on May the 10th – THIS Sunday! So time is not a luxury you have. So hold on tightly, ‘cos I’m taking you on a quick ride. Which starts like this. It’s a real tin of fudge and I got it free and my mother won’t know the difference!

Yes, FREE.

Free!

You’re probably wondering how I got that fudge for free if the price above clearly states R49,95? Quite simple – that is because they gave me a R50 voucher when I signed up to the Woolworths online shopping system. And you can too. I’m dead serious – CLICK HERE and see for yourself. It’s not the only thing that costs R50, by the way!

So, that aside. You can pretty much count on Woolworths to have a selection featuring EVERYTHING that your mother would love. It doesn’t get much easier, to be honest. I found myself click-click-clicking away and securing some classic winners. I’m going to score some MAJOR points with the latest in the Woolworths TASTE cookbook series, which I remember my mom RAGING about to her cronies.

Woolworths TASTE cookbook
Major points!

Well it’s either that or one of these ridiculously awesome fleece gowns. My mother used to have one which she got from some up market lingerie store, but I stole it from her. I’m an only child – I can get away with that kind of stuff. But I do feel bad so I might throw in one of these beauties! Are you aware of how cuddly these are? She’ll feel like she’s snuggling up to a three week old golden lab.

Do you KNOW how awesome these gowns are?

But I don’t want to get carried away on the big things – I might throw in a few small items. Some exfoliating soap, for example, NEVER hurt anyone’s mother!

R19.95?
Come on, this is too easy!

Or the foam bath and body lotion combo!
At R49.95, you could get this free
With your R50 voucher when you sign up!

Throw it in!
I can see my grandmother enjoying these..

Chocolates..
..a given!

When last did anything cost less than R10?

Warming Booties?
My goodness, they’re too adorable!

And so it goes on – it’s actually getting a bit much. And those are only SOME of the Mother’s day gifts they’ve got. As I write this, I’m scrolling through the other items available and there are loads more gifts for mothers, grandmothers and mothers-to-be. From beautiful floral bouquets and pretty jewelry to delicious treats and bath time indulgences. For the mom who loves flowers, they’ve even got special Mother’s Day bouquets and potted plants .

And it’s affordable too – I noticed a bottle of sparkling wine for R24.95! And they’ve even got proper French Champagne for R215. The last time I bought a bottle of French Champagne somewhere else it cost R625! There’s shower gel, perfume, candles, vases, handbags, picture frames, gloves, body butter, travel bags, gift bags, note books, bracelets and more. It’s ENDLESS!

And remember, if you don’t know what to buy, you’ll do particularly well to get your mother/grandmother a Woolworths gift card – to let her decide what she wants to buy from Woolies.

Do yourself (and your mother) a favour and go to the Woolworths Online Shop, register, claim your fifty bucks, choose some Mother’s Day gifts and THEY’LL deliver it for you. To your mother’s door! I can’t recall it ever being any easier than that!

Click the image below to take you straight there!

CLICK HERE to shop online at Woolworths

Well done – you’re finally making sense of all the chaos and getting one step closer to living the holiday!

Go go go!

CLICK HERE to shop online at Woolworths

Cape Town and South Africa has finally joined the ranks of the world’s best and most exclusive luxury drug treatment and rehabilitation facilities. Montrose Place outshines most of them, offering an extended care retreat with exceptional world-class facilities and highly sought after staff, positioned in Cape Town’s most pleasurable surroundings.

And what better time to talk about Cape Town and South Africa’s newest and most exclusive drug treatment retreat! Just after New Year! – JUST as most of Cape Town finds themselves madly rummaging through the bathroom cabinet, desperately trying to find that last razor blade to finally end the pain. The self-loathing. The Loser Complex.

PUT THE BLADE DOWN, MY ANGEL! EVERYTHING WILL BE OK!

Shhh! Come with me.. Look what Montrose Place has to offer!

Montrose Place
South Africa’s most exclusive and luxurious rehab facility

I’m amazed it took Cape Town so long to get this together! It’s absolutely PERFECT! Not only has Cape Town produced the best drug addicts in the world, but the WORLD has desperately needed a luxury substance abuse facility in Cape Town. Foreigners LOVE this city so much – the natural beauty simply lends itself drug rehabilitation! We’ve seen the celebs and playboys first hand – they could come into town, party their heads off one last time, and finish off with a visit to the most exclusive drug rehab treatment retreat in the country! An extended holiday featuring extended care! And the people behind Montrose Place couldn’t have picked a better suburb – Bishopscourt – Cape Town’s oldest and most prestigious suburb.

I’m no pro on rehabilitation and treatment centers, but I must say that total luxury would be an essential for me. The fact that it comes with a private chef and maid service would make sense – and the irony certainly wouldn’t be missed, given that my own domestic executive, Mavis, would more than likely be the cause of my entering rehab in the first place.

Oh very nice, sort yourself out in style.

Private en-suit bedrooms with kitchenettes, as well as a personal driver will back up the rumours that both Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears have been making enquiries. The retreat’s promise of “discreet airport transfers” certainly does suggest this type of clientele. Let’s face it, this place is right up their street; certainly a lot easier than having helicopters swarming you during the usual stints in the U.S. Britters reckons she doesn’t need rehab. Fair enough, she probably didn’t see this video.

Using the latest scientific treatment standards, as well as the classic “12 steps” and “Minnesota” models, one wonders if they will put together some sort of a mini-rehab package for Capetonians. They could call it the “Camps Bay Model”. You know, just a quick 3 day clean up… until next time. Very useful for the playas and coke whores found on the other side of Table Mountain!

I visited the centre the other day and, with home theatres, 15-meter swimming pool, khoi pond, spa and salon treatments, yoga room, library, internet and air conditioning, I begged (to no avail) one of the Directors to tip me off when any of our favourite worn-out starlets (or 6-foot Minnesota models) have checked in. I’d be glad to help the rehabilitation process with my own special jacuzzi treatments. And then, once checked out, we could also test the process by seeing how they handle saying no to the bottle of rose Dom I CRACK open as the sun gently sets in front of The Safe House, with some Pink Martini playing on the iPod.

Just one sip, my babba.. it’ll be fine..

God, look at that sky.

I love you.

Hold me.

Mmm.

Montrose Place
Email: info@montroseplace.co.za
Web: www.montroseplace.co.za
Phone: +27 21 797 9270

Apart from glorious photo’s and stories about the brave firemen, another concern mentioned on the various blogs and Twitters following the recent Table Mountain fire , was the plight of the wildlife.

The SPCA has been involved:

Wildlife is the main casualty of the fires on Table Mountain – and the SPCA has had its hands full with urgent rescue and relief missions.Although numerous wild animals have been rescued, more casualties are expected while the fire still burns – and in its aftermath – and SPCA Inspectors remain on full alert.

 

COGH SPCA Chief Inspector Andries Venter
carries the severly burnt grysbokkie to safety.

 

To date, no domestic animals appear to have been affected, but the SPCA urges pet owners to keep a close eye on their dogs and cats.

One of the heartbreaking casualties of the fire was a grysbok, whose plight was brought to the attention of SPCA Chief Inspector Andries Venter by the City of Cape Town’s Disaster Management team.

The grysbok was found in a quarry near Vredehoek, with severe burn wounds on its legs and face. It was unable to move because of its injuries.

The animal was rushed to Dr George Coury at Citi Vet in Gardens, where it was put on a drip and given emergency treatment for its pain and injuries. Unfortunately it suffered internal injuries from smoke inhalation and passed away.

To report injured animals – or for more information about the SPCA’s rescue efforts – please call 021 700 4158/9 or contact the SPCA after hours emergency number: 083 326 1604.

CLICK HERE for more from the SPCA website.