Cape Town | A City of True Diversity October 15, 2008

Once upon a time there was a windy stretch of coastline at the very foot of the arid continent of Africa. Populated largely by a swift and secretive tribe called the Xhoisan, the coastline lay undiscovered until an adventurous explorer Bartolomeu Dias came along, planted a flag and pronounced it The Cape of Storms in 1487. Renamed the Cabo da Boa Esperança (the Cape of Good Hope) due to its pivotal position on the way to the riches of India, it was later established as a refreshment station for the Dutch East India Company’s ships on their way to the land of silk and spices.

A spunky Dutch lad named Jan van Riebeeck was entrusted with the responsibility of running the outpost and along came a flurry of Dutch immigrants who set out to conquer the wild landscape. Fast-forward through British Colonisation, the Great Trek, the Anglo-Boer war and Apartheid struggles and you find modern-day Cape Town – a prime tourism destination and cosmopolitan city in its own right.

Nestled at the foot of the much publicised Mountain (as locals refer to it, Table Mountain), Cape Town today represents a delightful smorgasbord of cultures that makes for a very colourful experience. [Interesting side note: Ever looked at the world map and saw the interesting inverse correlation between the western coastline of Africa and the eastern coastline of Southern America?? Researchers now claim they have conclusive evidence that these two continents were once joined. It seems they found Table Mountain’s little sister somewhere in the desert over there. Table Mountain largely consist of Cape sandstone, a type of rock found nowhere else on earth – except the South American desert it seems… Coincidence? I think not.]

Back to the matter at hand: Cape Town. The Mother City is an enchanting maze of a city that organically developed over a little more than three centuries. Other modern cities may be easier to navigate and be supplied of more effective infrastructures, but compared to Cape Town they appear cold and clinical. The winding streets of our city hide a myriad of charming nooks and crannies. Walk up Long Street and chances are you’ll hear up to seven different languages; look up at the buildings and you’ll stand amazed at the array of architectural styles that range from traditionally Victorian to Art Deco and Bauhaus. You never know what kooky family-run store may lay in wait around the next corner. Keen to get your own specialised jar of curry powder? No problem. Biting at the bit to join a township tour? We’ve got you covered.

That’s not to say that a visit to Cape Town is without any luxury elements. Those who appreciate the finer things in life can enjoy world-class shopping at the Waterfront or simply settle at a chic shorefront eatery on the Camps Bay shorefront and watch the well-heeled Saturday morning crowd stroll by. Accommodation choices range from snug B&B’s tucked away in shady suburbs to glittering high rise hotels boasting the finest views available on the continent.

Suffice it to say Cape Town has something for everyone. Why not swing by for your next vacation and explore our lovely city.

The Games We Play October 15, 2008

What was your favourite toy as a kid? Did you enjoy creating castles from your Lego blocks, running around outside with a ball or simply whiling away hours amusing yourself with a spinning top? No matter what your preference used to be, chances are you still look back at these hours of simple play with fondness and a certain amount of longing.

Toys and play itself serve various purposes in the developmental phases of both human youngsters and animal offspring. It provides entertainment while at the same time improving cognitive ability and stimulating creativity. Play also aids in the fundamental development of essential physical and mental skills. Most young mammals will turn anything they find into a toy, including pinecones, rocks and food. It makes sense then that toys have a history as long and colourful as that of human civilization itself.

Toys and games have been recovered from various excavated sites of ancient civilizations and have been documented in some of our oldest preserved literature. An excavation of the Indus Valley yielded small carts, whistles shaped like birds, and toy monkeys – all dating back as far as 3000-1500 BC. The earliest toys were made from substances found in nature such as rocks, sticks and clay. Egyptian children played with dolls that boasted wigs and ambulatory limbs moulded from stone, pottery and wood. In ancient Greece and Rome dolls were shaped form wax or terracotta and yo-yo’s were popular. Greek children, especially females, were expected to sacrifice their childhood toys to the gods once they came of age. Of their wedding night young girls would offer their dolls at a temple at a rite of passage into the world of adults.

Technology evolved and, along with it, toys also changed. Ancient toys were often made by the parents and the family of the children who used them and sometimes by the children themselves. Today’s toys, however, are mass-produced and sold in stores.

Some contemporary toys were created by accidental innovation. Earl Warrick, for instance, was trying to come up with a replacement for synthetic rubber when he inadvertently invented Silly Putty during WWII. Later Peter Hodgson realised it had potential as a children’s toy and marketed it accordingly. Another type of play dough was originally meant to be wallpaper cleaner! The humble Slinky had its beginnings in a military lab. In 1943 Richard James was working with torsion springs when one came loose and fell to the floor. He was very intrigued by the delightful way it flopped around on the floor and proceeded to spend two years fine-tuning the design before selling it of to a large toy company in the USA.

Toys play many different roles in our society, but when it comes right down to it they are meant to facilitate having FUN. Next time you see a child thoroughly absorbed in play take a moment to appreciate the simple joys in life. Who knows, maybe you’ll feel like joining in for a while.

Internet Marketing and SEO October 15, 2008

Internet marketing is fast becoming one of the most important advertising mediums around and to miss out on the benefits of search engine optimization could have dire consequences for your business. The simple truth is that a business that lacks an online presence in this day and age might as well be invisible.

Traditional media, like print, radio and television ads appeal to businesses that have a tangible presence in the market place and many business owners scoff at the idea of forking out a wad of cash for an internet marketing campaign that may or may not take up to three months to show any kind of effect.

The truth of the matter is that no business, no matter how big or how small, can afford not having an online presence. If this is the case, the enterprise is essentially dead in the water. Say for example QRS Cleaning Services has a website lacking optimisation for key phrases consumers would type in to get hold of their services (i.e ‘deep cleaning’).This means their target audience will be unable to find them online when researching the kind of service QRS provides. Being invisible to search engines will mean QRS will have no choice but to spend a lot of money doing outbound marketing, pouring their valuable marketing resources into ‘tried and tested’ direct mailing campaigns, print ads or television and radio advertisements.

Established as they are, these traditional advertising methods all have one thing in common – they are highly intrusive. This kind of ‘push’ marketing forces your message on your target market, without taking into account that they could be unwilling to receive it. These tactics are fast becoming irrelevant as consumers wise up to traditional advertising strategies.

Spending your money on making your website more search engine compliant, on the other hand, will enable you to communicate your message directly to consumers who are actively searching for the product/service your offer. So, instead of trying vainly to influence your target market’s way of reasoning you now simply have to align yourself with their existing way of thinking. As an added bonus you even get feedback! Using all manner of clever software you’ll be able to track users’ movements on you site, gleaning from this information with regard to the effectiveness of your site’s layout and design.

SEO represents a long-term approach to marketing that embraces an ever evolving interactive medium. Furthermore, an online marketing strategy is much more cost effective for growing business than traditional advertising mediums could ever be. The cost of direct mailing adds up significantly over time and even just one television ad can completely consume a small business owner’s yearly marketing allowance. Optimise your site early enough in your business’ developmental phase and you could run a sound SEO campaign, business blog and PPC program for the same amount of money it would take to run a single medium-size print ad for 2 weeks a month.

Traditional advertising media will always have a firm foothold in the market place, but the point is to be open to alternatives. If your current marketing campaign doesn’t seem to be working, optimising your site could make a world of difference. If it is, a sound  strategy could ensure you get an ever bigger slice of the pie. Why not give it a go?

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Nifty ideas to transform your new place from dismal to dazzling without breaking the bank October 15, 2008

You hang up the key, transfer the dust from your hands to your jeans and sink down leisurely on the pile of mismatched luggage taking up the most of your new entrance hall. It is only then that you take a good look around. The thrill of at long last having your own place sort of clouded the issue up until now. Between coercing a mate into helping you move and scrimping to make the rent and deposit, chances are doing some online shopping for throw pillows and wall art was the very last thing on your mind. From where you’re sitting now, though, it seems that might have been a good idea.

This is the point where you need to take a deep breath and chill out. Redecorating may seem daunting but it doesn’t need to blow a hole in your already strained budget. Let’s start at the very beginning (a very good place to start): take stock of what you have as opposed to what you lack. Now is not the time to be picky. Second-hand furnishings can be given a new lease of life with a simple coat of paint. Dilute ordinary white PVA (wall paint) with two parts water and use a rag to apply it to tired-looking pine furniture for a fresh ‘white wash’ look. Professional upholstery can get really expensive, so improvise. Shop around form some cheap and cheerful fabrics and invest in a staple gun – this way you can change the appearance of your furniture as often as you change your mood and with a minimum of fuss.

Window shopping online can be a great way of getting ideas for your place. If you’re too skint to afford expensive wall art single walls of bold colour can create interesting focal points in a room. If your landlord blanches at the idea of letting you run around with a paint brush you might want to try propping large colourful canvasses (easily constructed from wood and unbleached linen) against select walls. Keep in mind that when it comes to art, anything goes. Old postcards, pictures from calendars and even blown-up happy snaps can all be used to liven up your wall space. Group objects together on side-tables to create interesting nooks. Now is the time to dig up your favourite collectibles and show off your personality.

The type of outside area you have will determine what your landscaping options will be. If you’re not lucky enough to be on the ground floor a few bright potted plants will have to do the trick. Think about incorporating some herbs in your patio garden, this way you’ll have fresh produce on hand when you start experimenting with cooking. If you have a sizable garden area, on the other hand, the sky is the limit. Gardening equipment can be bought from various on-line stores or scavenged from family members. The same goes for cuttings and seedlings (solely for use by the patient gardener). Learn to love hand-me-down plants. People with established gardens often alter the lay-out of their floral follies and this is a great time to score some shrubbery. If you’re feeling flush and would like to buy a few pieces of your own, price comparison websites will give you a good idea of where you will be able to shop most cheaply and this will save you the hassle of dragging yourself from shop to shop on your precious Saturday mornings.

When it comes to fertilizer, going green will save you a wad of cash. Chemical formulas can be very expensive, whereas making your own is cheap and good for the environment. Worm composting is very hot right now. All you need is a container, bedding (such as shredded newspaper, straw, sawdust or aged manure), some worms (red wrigglers are best) and your kitchen waste. Worms can be bought from farms and various other establishments and are generally dirt cheap – excuse the pun. Grass cuttings, fruit and vegetable peelings, shredded cardboard, teabags and egg boxes all make excellent worm fodder. If you’re uncertain if something can be used as compost, have a look on the internet, online garden stores and forums which list advisable compost ingredients.

So, there you have it, instead of sinking into a bout of decorating despair see the dreary state of your new lodgings as a clean slate that gives you the opportunity to get creative. There is no better time to figure out your personal likes and dislikes. Pull on some old threads, invite around a few willing friends and have a go at decorating – you might just surprise yourself.