Remember The Titans

Inspired, motivated, and appreciative. These are three of the many feelings I found myself flooded with after watching the wonderful film, Remember the Titans. The movie is set in Virginia, America (as many movies are). Allow me to set the scene for you. In the 1970s America was a different place to the one we know today. The superpower was polluted with racism, discrimination and segregation. Things were no different at the schools in the States at the time and things were particularly bad at TC Williams High School in Virginia. Students attending TC Williams High School were forced to integrate under federal mandate. This forced integration naturally caused conflict as it was not socially acceptable for black and white people to mix with one another. Conflict, bullying and offensive behaviour was naturally apart of the average students life.  The town of Virginia was divided by segregation through discrimination and racism. This small found itself in a dark place.

At the time of the integration of the schools, that saw white and black students mix with one another. Times were tough in Virgina. Racism was rife and there were often cases of violence both inside TC Williams high school amongst students and even more so outside the school amongst society. Virginia was a very proud state. They were proud of themselves. They were proud to be American. They were even more proud about their Football.

TC Williams High School, or ‘The Titans’ as they were known were a very successful High School Football team prior to the forced integration in 1971. Their Coach , Coach Joste was a white man. As TC Williams integrated, so to, did the coaching staff of their football team, The Titans. Coach Joste found himself replaced by a black man, Herman Boone or ‘Coach Boon’ as he is more commonly known in the movie. The football community made up of players and parents expressed their disapproval of the appointment of Coach Boon by protesting and threatening to boycott the season. Many of the white players who had performed admirably under Coach Joste in seasons past , assumed that Coach Boon would only select Black players and they were worried about their futures. The rest of the community wanted nothing to do with a black man and the certainly did not want him to go anywhere near their beloved Football. Little did they know , Coach Boon would be the best thing to happen to The Titans. He would also prove to be the best thing to happen to the people that made up the Virginia State.

When Coach Boon took over from Coach Joste, he made his intentions clear from the very beginning. He would not pick players based on the colour of their skin, but rather on their ability. He would not fire the previous white coaching staff but rather use them as his assistants. Most importantly he wanted to win. Coach Boon had the monumental task of taking black and white people and making them work with one another to achieve a common goal. Society taught them to hate each other. He taught them to tolerate each other. This tolerance turned to respect. This respect grew to love. By the end of the season TC Williams had won the State Championship. They were undefeated. They were also the one and only mixed race school in the State. The love that these players had for one another was reflected by their successful results on the field. These successful results made the people of Virginia sit up and take notice of The Titans. The Titans provided Virginia with the perfect example of what is capable when people put their differences aside, accept each other and work together towards a common goal. They achieved the impossible, the Titans of 1971will never be forgotten.

This Movie is about a whole lot more than a Football team. This Movie tells a beautiful story of how black and white people managed to overcome many obstacles to achieve success. This powerful film emphasises the potential we have as human beings when we put or differences aside, and embrace the uniqueness of individuals regardless of their race or social status. Denzel Washington does an outstanding job in his portrayal of Herman Boon as he leads from the front as the lead actor. Will Paton does a sterling job as Coach Joste and supports Denzel extremely well. On the whole, Remember The Titans is one of my personal favourite movies of all time. This film is incredibly prevailing as it tells a wonderful story that the world needs to be told. We need to be reminded of our potential. We need to become aware of our capabilities to work together as a society. Movies like this to inspire our youth; they alter the perceptions of stubborn racists and reinforce the importance of equality. This Movie is special in so many ways, an absolute must see.

Hudsons.

Often I sit at my desk, blankly staring at my work whilst my stomach longs for substance, my liver craves an ice cold beer l and my soul desires some form of social interaction. When this time of the day occurs I often think of restaurant’s I could go to that would satisfy my selfish but often necessary wants. Usually it would be the famous Forresters Arms or Forries as we (the youth) like to call it. Since my legality Forries has been the weapon of choice in terms of venues to wine and (supposedly) dine at. If you’re after a decent meal, a cold beer and a great vibe Forries is the place to go. However today I was after something different. Today my stomach didn’t want the same old lunch it had was starting to get used to. My liver wasn’t craving beer. My soul, however,  was burning for any form of social interaction. So I pulled out my beloved blackberry from my bag scrolled through my BBM contacts,’ scrapped the barrel’ a tiny bit and marshalled together a mini group of friends to join me at the new Hudsons restaurant in Claremont.

Unlike Forries, Hudsons is modern, innovative and trendy. Perhaps it is unfair to compare the two, so I won’t. Without even sitting down and ordering a meal my conscience had already made its mind up as to what type of restaurant Hudsons was. It is one of those places where you are almost guaranteed to see someone you know, whether it be a friend from school, a girl you met at Tiger Tiger or a work colleague. You are bound to bump into someone you know. Some people enjoy this. Personally I prefer to avoid these awkward exchanges that consist of a series of forced, unimportant, uninteresting but polite questions. “Hello, how are you?” “What are you doing here?” These are the stock standard questions that get asked when one visits a place as commercial and popular as Hudsons. Amongst these awkward exchanges and polite conversations exists a vibe and an atmosphere that is almost tangible. The friendly staff deserves some form of credit for contributing to such a wonderful vibe. There’s an old saying that goes, ‘a smile goes a long way’. At Hudsons this over used cliché is brought to life as servers are more than willing to assist you. They are helpful, knowledgeable and most importantly efficient. The service I received at Hudsons was commendable and refreshing. 10 out of 10 in the service department.

I would be a fool to judge the restaurant only on its service and quality of the staff. Like any other restaurant the food is the most integral component of the dining experience. The modern exterior, style and vibe are contradicted by a menu that almost allows you to go back in time. It allows you to go back to a time of simplicity, where a burger is a burger and a pizza was a pizza. Too many restaurants today are obsessed with making award winning dishes that will make the cover of food magazines that they forget that there is in fact beauty in simplicity. If I order a burger I want just that. Don’t try ‘woo’ me by cutting cucumber in the shape of a dolphin, or by strategically placing all kinds of lettuce on top of my delicious protein filled patty. Keep it simple. That is what Hudsons did. I ordered the Hudsons cheese burger and that’s exactly what I got. A perfectly cooked piece of beef covered in melted cheese with a side order of beautifully golden French fries. Delicious.  

For me personally the main attraction of the newly established Hudsons restaurant came in the form of dessert. A bar-one milkshake. My goodness I get goose bumps as I jog my memory back to that moment when I tasted the delicious invention. Hudsons is known primarily for their delicious tasting burgers, however their milkshakes are un-rivalled with anything I have ever tasted before. I don’t know what is better, the delightful taste of the milkshake or the fact that these tasty delights are served in a giant glass that resembles a bowl more so than a drinking glass. Many people say that it’s about quality and not quantity. The bar-one milkshake I enjoyed that afternoon was pure quality enjoyed in the quantity it was served in. 10 out of 10 in the food and drink department.

It is difficult for me to write something negative about this establishment. The service was superb, the food was sublime and the atmosphere was more than pleasant. Sure it’s a little pricey, but in today’s economic situation what isn’t? Hudson is a great place to go. It’s more than restaurant. It’s a festive atmosphere that allows you to enjoy the company of your friends, the food of the menu and the quality of some fantastic service. Whatever you seek, whether it be a dinner with the family or a casual burger with a couple of mates. Hudson is the place to go. Try it. You’ll love it.  I did.

Something different

Driving into the small town of Ashton late on Friday evening I was flooded with emotions. Emotions of sadness , disappointment and anger. Looking around it was clear that we were no longer in the southern suburbs. Tarnished roads, run down shops, and a community diseased with poverty and depression were but some of the features that made up this fairly unknown town.  What on earth was I doing in this town you may ask? I was there for a rugby camp. The purpose of this camp was to unite us together as a team, discuss our strategy for the season ahead and to experience and appreciate the harsh realities of the living conditions that millions of people in this country are forced to endure. The things I experienced and the lessons I learnt in these two days stretched way beyond anything I could ever learn between the four white lines of a rugby field. The weekend was rich in value ,a real eye opener and a shocking insight into the poor living conditions of millions of people in our beloved country.

During our briefing on the Friday night of our camp we were informed that, on the Saturday Morning we would be making our way down to the local junior school where we would be hosting a coaching clinic for the young kids of Ashton. Many of my fellow team-mates rolled their eyes and sighed in disapproval. Why should they give up their sleep to help people less privileged than them? After all we were on a rugby camp. All of us came from extremely privileged backgrounds. We went to top schools, we have loving families, and we have a roof over our heads and food on the table every night. Name a privilege and we probably have it. While a lot of the guys really weren’t keen to give back and get involved in the Ashton community, majority of us were eager to make a small difference and perhaps play a small part in uplifting the lives of young children in Ashton. I often feel that people like us tend to live in our own world as we turn a blind eye to towns like Ashton. We know that there our people in our country who are hungry. We know there are people in our country who are homeless. We know people in our country are victims of crime, drug abuse and violence. We know this, but are we, in our perfect little worlds doing about this?

Saturday morning had finally arrived and it was time for us to make our way to the rugby field of the junior school where we would host the coaching clinic. The field alone was in terrible condition, grass was scarce, the playing field resembled a gravel road. If I had to practice in such conditions my mood would be somewhat sombre and I’d have little motivation to perform well , let alone enjoy my sport. This was not the case with the 50 odd youngsters that came out for the clinic. They were smiling. They were enthusiastic. They were keen to learn. They were happy. I was astonished. If I lived my life the way many of these kids unfortunately live theirs the last thing I’d be doing on my Saturday morning would be, smiling. Coaching them was an absolute pleasure, the look on their faces when they achieved, the laughs we shared and ultimately the memories we made with them are all things I will never forget.

The aim of the clinic was to pass on the limited knowledge we had about rugby on to a group of young kids eager to learn. Without even knowing it, I was in fact the one doing the learning. These kids were the greatest teachers I’d ever had.  I learned to acknowledge just how privileged I am. I learnt to appreciate the small things in life that are so often taken for granted. I learnt to be gracious. I learnt to be humble. I learnt that no matter how tough life gets or how many obstacles you are forced to deal with, there is always a reason to smile. Did I play a part in the smile forming on that kids face? It’s possible.  Yes, life can be rough, and at times it may feel like your purpose on this earth is undefined and pointless. When you feel like this: give back. Give back to the community. Go and see how majority of this country lives and most importantly, do something about it for God’s sake. As the privileged minority in this country we will often comment on the poor conditions that we know exist in our country but we are too lazy and simply do not care enough to do anything about it. We will all watch Derek Watts on a Sunday evening as Carte Blanche reveals the shocking conditions of a poor community. For a moment we all sympathize with these poor people, some of us even cry. We will be touched by what we have just seen, we will feel bad and complain for an hour about how terrible this is and how something needs to be done to rectify the problem. An hour and a half later the channel will change and you will be more interested in a Keeping up with the Kardashians episode. What have you done to make a difference? Nothing.

It frustrates me that as South Africans we do not do enough for our community. Truth be told, we live in a 3^rd world country.  Majority of people in this country do not have access to the resources we have access to. Essentially we are living in two different worlds. We live in one where a warm shower, a basic education and an occupation is the norm. They (and a say ‘they’ with all due respect) live in one which is infested with poverty, hopelessness and despair. A warm shower, a basic education and an occupation is a privilege enjoyed by few in the Ashton community. This weekend gave me an opportunity to witness and appreciate the way so many people in South Africa live. It gave me an opportunity to appreciate my own life. Most importantly it gave me an opportunity to give back; to help; to uplift and make a difference in a society that is desperately seeking help and direction. This is our country, this is your country. Feed our children. Clothe our fellow brothers and sisters. Make a difference. Give back, it is the most rewarding thing you will ever do.

Moving on.

“Kenwood kitchen appliances are synonymous with quality and reliability. Whatever your need, we are sure you will find just the right solution for your everyday cooking and food preparation from our range of kitchen machines, food mixers, food processors, blenders, smoothie makers, ice cream makers, juicers, bread makers, kettles, coffee machines, toasters, deep fryers, food steamers and kitchen scales.”

The world we live in whether we like it or not is filled with narrow minded shallow individuals. The world we live in is full of stupid and ignorant people. The world we live in is full of bullies and persecutors.  The world we live in is filled with racists and sexists. These people should be put on a boat and sent out to the furthest corner of the ocean, once they get there they should continue another two-hundred kilometres and never return.

Right, back to the ad in question. First of all I’d like to justify my above paragraph by stating very strongly that I completely disapprove of this advert. I think it is simple, narrow minded, stupid, sexist and patronising to women. The company that is behind the product being marketed is called Kenwood. The fact that this company approved of such an ad is shocking and highly risky one would think. As a potential consumer , if I came across this ad in the magazine I would carefully tear the page out scrunch it into the tiniest little ball of paper and aggressively throw it towards the nearest rubbish bin and I would never in my lifetime even think of purchasing a Kenwood product.  Kenwood is damaging their brands image by patronising women.

If I had to try and defend this ad the only way I would be able to do so was if I went back in time to about the 1920s  where women became mothers and men became gods. During this period women weren’t taken seriously. Women were patronised and treated as inferior to men. Their place was behind the kitchen counter and not behind an office desk. Society allowed people to believe that this was the norm. If this ad had been printed then, I am sure men across the globe would have erupted in laughter, sipped on their beer and gone out to buy their wife the product so she could stay at home all day making him delicious smoothies after his long strenuous day at work. After which she would stroke his hair and tell him how amazing he was. As ridiculous as this sounds this was the harsh realities of life for women in and around the 1920s.

In 2012, however things are different. Women are educated. Women are respected. They are taken seriously. They are heads of companies. They are influential in society. They are world leaders. The days of women slaving away in the kitchen and obeying their husbands orders are long gone. So should be, ads like these. In modern society it is unacceptable to treat anybody with anything less than equality. Particularly women ,they carry our children they nurture our families and they are hugely influential in the business world. We should respect acknowledge and love them, not patronise and disregard them.

If possible I would like to meet the creator of this ad and give him one hell of a tongue lashing before slowly raising my fist and hitting him back to the 1920s where this ad may have been effective.

Is this ad effective? Absolutely not.