And so our society has come to this: The world’s top tech house producer and DJ wears a mouse head. Or rather, a Mau5head. It’s amazing the Mau5isms you can come up with if you try. “Mau5ed up” (amped), “Mau5ed out” (tired after 10 hours of jamming to tech house), “I’ll meet you at your Mau5” (see you at your place). Etcetera.

It’s testament to this tech house phenomenon then, that his stage persona and the hype around it can enter popular culture so easily. Especially when you meet the man behind the Mau5. Which we had the privilege of doing at his pre-gig press conference in Camps Bay.

If you like everything motorcycle related then you’ll love the Cape Town Bike Festival (CTBF) which kicks off on Friday 16 December (Day of Reconciliation) and continues for the remainder of the weekend at the Cape Town Stadium. It’s the first bike festival of its kind in South Africa and is guaranteed to appeal to the inner hell’s angel and dirt-biker in all of us. Even if bikes aren’t really your thing, it’s worth popping around to experience the roaring atmosphere, see some of the world’s best bikers at work (or play, depending on your view) and, at the very least, sample some excellent food and wine.

Whether you are single, married, in-between, weighed down with children and in-laws, or not, Kirstenbosch is a winner for entertainment this summer. Apart from offering a beautiful garden to relax in, this botanical garden also offers a variety of events to keep you busy.

If you are into sculpture, there are both permanent and changing art exhibitions on display. Many of these sculptures are of animals, which should capture the imagination of young children and give them, and yourself, reason to walk around the garden.

In 2010, the FIFA World Cup arrived in South Africa, and against many earlier predictions, Africa’s chest swelled with pride. The big guns of football’s showcase tournament adopted  the country, and despite Christiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney and many of the top names leaving empty handed, a new world order was established.

The names of Iker Cassilas, Valdes, Reina, Pique, Inniesta, Alonso and Villa rolled over the airwaves and were hailed as heroes around the world … but one name stood above all. Paul. And Paul, amazingly, was an octopus.

The psychic octopus became internationally famous after his feeding selections were used to correctly predict winners at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Sadly, Paul died 3 months after Spain took the spoils, but he departed having correctly predicted that Cassilas and his men would be world champions.

Put yourself in the position of being a crew member aboard a Volvo Open 70, on the opening leg from Alicante.  Having just negotiated  a 6300 mile rollercoaster ride of emotions, from the desperate frustration of the doldrums, to the White knuckle ride out of the tradewinds as you head south, your body and mind will have not yet have fully adjusted to the demands of ocean racing. At the end of that opening leg, you will sail into a likely ‘wind-shadow’ under Table Mountain, and the sometimes hostile environment of the open ocean will be replaced by the sight of spectator boats carrying family, friends, media and fans.  You will look upon Table Mountain and the 12 Apostles, and realize again that Cape Town has without doubt one of the world’s most beautiful skylines. And then you will arrive at a circumnavigators dream destination, the V & A Waterfront.

Whether you like to dodge the drudgery of the supermarkets, or simply enjoy the buzz of a market, the Mother City’s variety of local trendy markets will not disappoint. From holistic therapies, hand-made crafts, fresh fruits and vegetables, or gourmet treats, there’s a market that provides it. So why not swap the stale air and mundane products of the supermarket aisle for some fresh air and local support at any one of the following markets around the Cape.

Central Cape Town

Bo Kaap Food and Craft Market (Bo-Kaap): A small, cosy market with delicious local Cape foods and unique crafts. It’s held every first Saturday of the month from 9am-2pm.

Whether you are a music connoisseur, a musician, or simply a lay listener, the fusion of compositions which reverberated through the CTICC’s grand auditorium in Cape Town on Saturday 24 September would not only have melted your music-loving mind away, but quite possibly turned you into a classical Indian music fanatic.

Local production company Inner Circle Entertainment presented the double bill concert ‘Celebration of Santoor’ to the audiences of Johannesburg and Cape Town. Santoor is a hammered dulcimer made of wood, which originated in the valley of Kashmir in the Himalayas. Originally an Indian folk instrument played as an accompaniment to a style of singing known as Sufiana Mausiqi, it is now on par with any other classical instrument owing to the skills of legendary santoor maestro Shivkumar Sharma, who has created a new style of instrumental music due to his modification, arrangement and new techniques of playing on the hundred-stringed instrument.

By Dani

I set out on Wednesday evening with photographer Gavin Collins in tow, to catch two energetic dance-driving bands on stage at Zula Bar in Long Street, Cape Town.  It was the much anticipated launch of MacGyver Knife’s new album, Sewing Legend.

Supporting act, She Man Lion rocked up and rocked out. Two words: Superior Synth! Their 80s inspired dance beats could only be likened to a modern, male-fronted Yazoo with double the synth and double the style. Impressive hyper-speed drumming kept things upbeat and happening in a real techno-party fashion right through their set. Psycho-dancing enriched with disco lighting and solid tempo merged to form an electric hurricane on-stage.

Camps Bay in Cape Town is always a-buzz with exclusive events, cocktail parties and all-round partying. There are a number of top-class, chic establishments along the main road overlooking the ocean where young fashionables tend to spend a good portion of their time. The stretch of road right along the beachfront is where Cape Town’s trendy love to be seen so you won’t find shabby looking people here. If you want to fit in dress up and sip on one of the colourful summer cocktails.

St Yves is one such club, situated along Camps Bay’s “Golden Mile”. The décor is beach-chic and gives visitors the feeling of being on a million-dollar yacht. Of course the breathtaking view helps to create that sense of summer fun and flightiness as you sit “on deck” and soak up the sun’s rays.

There’s nothing like a bit of friendly competition among friends and when it comes to Action Cricket it’s the best kind. Getting together a couple of teams to take one another on at Claremont’s Action Cricket facility at Stadium on Main was a great success.

The boys organised their teams and the girls sat on the sideline to support. I was impressed though that a number of the other courts were full of girls playing netball. They cater to all your action cricket, netball and soccer needs.