Welcome to Megaplex's monthly newsletter alerting the up-market shopper to the new and interesting in Sandton and Bryanston. Please feel free to support our advertisers! To subscribe, see our subscription page.
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UpdatesThis month, among others, we have updated our pages for Bryanston Shopping Centre, Benmore Gardens, and Ernest Ullmann Park Recreation Centre in Morningside/Wendywood. Bryanston Shopping Centre is now complete (inside at least) and fully tenanted with a fresh mix of shops. See the list of changes below. Benmore Gardens has some new shops too, and is running a fun festival this weekend (next article). If you haven't had a look at the "extramural activities" for all ages at Ernest Ullmann Park Recreation Centre, visit the this page and look at the possibilities from pottery to dance to learning Chinese! Chocolate & Chilli Festival at Benmore Gardens Shopping CentreFrom 29 August to 1 September, Benmore Gardens will be hosting a taste experience of all things chocolate and chilli. The festival will be held on Friday 29 August from 09:00–21:00, on Saturday 09:00–15:00, and on Sunday 09:00–14:00. Entrance is free. Tease your taste buds with a wide range of mouth-watering flavours and great tasting chocolate and chilli products for sale from the numerous diverse traders throughout the centre. Some of the vendors include House of Crepes, Nova Chocolates, The Mix Masters, Gourmet Fudge Range and Temery. For something a little more exclusive, you can visit the Chilli Lounge, which you’ll find on the upper level of Benmore Gardens Shopping Centre, spread out over the entire first floor (no under 18s). There will also be a variety of entertainment taking place over the three days, with the likes of Daniel Baron performing on Friday at 19:00, as well as unique coffee and chocolate pairings by Café Fresco.
Odd JobsIf you repeatedly get your predictions wrong and still keep your job (possibly even get a bonus), you must be a Weather Forecaster or an Economist. New on the Block Back to top
Restaurant Reviews by Judith Back to top*** The Raj, Rivonia Junction, Rivonia BoulevardA visit after many months of neglecting this restaurant, we booked and climbed the stairs to find that a number of changes had been made in our absence. The worst was very uncomfortable chairs. However, the menu looked good and the service was friendly. We ordered a Mango Lassi and some BR unoaked Chardonnay. I should have written down the winery's name. Both drinks were declared very good! To eat we decided to shared the Chef's Special which was chicken and prawn curry, to be served medium. Sadly the combination did not cook well together as the prawns were overdone and soggy. The chicken was fine but the temperature was distinctly mild. The basmati rice was a good accompaniment. Overall very good service and a relaxed atmosphere; next time I would try something different.
Contact Details for The Raj Indian Restaurant. **** Pizza Luna, Shop 10, Rivonia Village, Rivonia BoulevardNewly renovated and expanded, Pizza Luna has an extended menu to match! The outside area promises and delivers sunny relaxed dining. With a yearning for seafood, I took a seat in the sun only to discover that there was no calamari. Rafaele was quick to respond to this disaster and offered prawns as a substitute. They came as a Godfather pasta, which was extremely good although there was more pasta than I can manage! Accompanied by dry white wine, of good quality and complimented by follow up desert of Tiramisu, which was a little disappointing as it lacked liqueur. I can recommend the coffee. Pure indulgence for a change - I left replete and happy.
Contact Details for Pizza Luna and Luna Deli. Funny Language, English...If you hear someone say they tripped, do you think they fell, or were they on drugs? (Or both?)
This is an Ex-Parrot (er, Shop)! Back to top
Misunderstanding South Africa (for Foreigners)
It is the African tradition that a prospective husband pays lobola, or "bride
price" to the family of the bride. We also have a part of the population
that is of Indian origin. Their tradition is that the bride comes with a dowry.
Imagine the clash of expectations when an Indian suitor goes to meet the family
of his black African lady-love!
Climate Appeal from Avaaz and 350.org Back to topAfrica will be hit hardest by climate change but for too long our leaders have failed to take action. It is time for action, not words! Our President will be going to a Climate Summit called by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon in New York on 23 September. #WeLeadYou is a chance for millions of us to show our leaders the way to fight climate change by raising our voices. Start by: 1. Signing up to the #WeLeadYou Africa petition – we believe that our Presidents must fight for climate justice by holding the rich countries of the global North accountable for starting climate change and that they can show climate leadership by choosing clean solar and wind over dirty fossil fuels. 2. Posting your demands to Facebook and tweeting your demands to your President. This is just the beginning. We want to build up massive pressure on global leaders in the run-up to New York. In the week before the summit, 350Africa.org teams in South Africa, the DRC, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt and Burundi will be holding marches, unplugged acoustic gigs, bike rallies and many other events. 3. Avaaz, the global petition and activist site, through a local core of volunteers, will be supporting the 350.org petition and organising events, such as a Green Heart formation on 20 September, in major cities in South Africa. To participate and make a difference to our Planet, please e-mail Avaaz Jozi. Come, join #WeLeadYou and Avaaz, spread the word, and let’s get millions of us demanding our Presidents and leaders fight for climate justice in New York!
Helping HimselfJulius often breaks into song because he can't find the key. Civic: WikipediaIf you have used the Internet at all, you have probably used the Internet encyclopaedia, Wikipedia! Wikimedia is a small non-profit that runs the Number 5 website in the world. With only 200 staff they serve 500 million users, and have costs like any other top site: servers, power, programs, and people. Wikipedia is something special. It is like a library or a public park, a temple for the mind, a place we can all go to learn, think, and add. To protect Wikipedia's independence, they never run adverts. They take no government funds. They survive on donations from readers. If Wikipedia is useful to you, please take a minute to donate and keep it online and ad-free another year.
Overheard at the Checkout:"Hi Joe, I haven't seen you for a while!" “Hello Dave. I was in Thailand on business.” “Wow: Weren't you scared of the Military Junta?” “No problems –it's my second visit. By the way, it's not pronounced 'Junta' but 'Hoonta' from the Spanish: They don't have a 'J' sound” "Oh, interesting. When were you there?" "In early Hune and again in late Huly." |
Your name in print! Would you like to contribute a shop- or restaurant review, a less obscure joke, or something else for this Newsletter? Please e-mail us. You will get full credit (unless you want anonymity). Reach 5795 shoppers and shop-owners: Advertise in this newsletter! Editor: Rick Raubenheimer.