Rosamund Kendal

Izimvo has the great pleasure of introducing the author of The Angina Monologues; Rosamund Kendal.

After studying medicine for six years and then working as a doctor for another five, Rosamund Kendal decided that the creative side of her brain needed some stimulation and enrolled for the Masters degree in creative writing at UCT. She hasn’t been able to decide whether she prefers being a freelance writer or a general practitioner, so she’s come to a compromise and does both part-time.

Web: http://rosamundkendal.book.co.za
Excerpt from Rosie’s book, The Angina Monologues.
Location: Ballito

Rosie was kind enough to answer the following questions:

Personal

Q: The all important personal profile. How would a close friend introduce you at a social event? i.e. Name, age, company, interesting fact etc.

A: Hi, This is Rosie. We’ve known each other since birth so have been friends for thirty-two years. She works as a General Practitioner in Umhlanga but is also a novelist and has recently had her second book published.

Q: Tell us something that not many others know about you. This could be anything from a phobia to your favorite movie.

A: I’m completely addicted to Earl Grey tea. And, terribly embarrassing, my favourite movie is the original Grease.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you want to get away from it all?

A: Depends how much time I have: if I have an hour, I love to spend it in a quiet yoga studio; if I have days, give me mountains. There is little that beats the incredible sense of connection with nature and wonder at the universe that being amidst the quiet solitude of a mountain brings.

Q: How would you describe your dream home and where in South Africa would you like it to be?

A: A dream home for me is far more than just a house in a certain location: it’s somewhere warm and open where guests feel free to pop in uninvited and stay for drinks and dinner; it’s somewhere close to nature, from where I can hear the sea and smell the rich scent of wet earth; it’s a place in which my children have the freedom to play and explore and in which my husband and I find space both to love passionately and meditate quietly; it’s a safe haven, a shelter from the storm of the world. And yes, I am lucky enough to live in my dream home.

This question was proudly sponsored by Private Property – Looking for the ultimate home? Look no further, this R42m Zimbali masterpiece is class personified.

Writing in South Africa

Q: As a medical doctor, successful author and a mother, what would you say is the key to your success and which of your milestones are you most proud of?

A: It’s difficult to define the key to my success. It’s probably a combination of a lot of hard work and perseverance, the love and support of my husband and family and a little bit of luck. The most important milestones in my life have been the births of my two sons. Nothing, no amount of success, comes close to carrying the emotion that I felt when I first laid eyes on my children. After that, probably the accomplishments I am most proud of are achieving my medical degree and publishing my two novels.

Q: What are your thoughts on the local publishing industry? Is an author able to make a decent living from writing for a local reader or is international exposure essential?

A: The money one makes as an author in SA is terrible! There are simply too few fiction readers in SA to make writing novels for a living viable so, unless one has international exposure, most authors would, I suspect, have other jobs. Luckily, because I also practise as a GP, I am able to write solely for the love of writing (obviously a lucrative publication deal with a foreign publisher wouldn’t go amiss though…).

Q: Can you give us an insight into the process that you follow when writing? For example, do you work according to a schedule?

A: I don’t follow a schedule when writing for two reasons. Firstly, I am too busy to follow a set schedule and so just write whenever I can possibly grab the chance to; secondly, I write for the love of writing, not to achieve something specific, and I am afraid that, were I to put pressure on myself to finish writing by a certain date, I would stop enjoying the writing. Unusually, I write in longhand initially and then edit as I transfer my story to computer. I usually have a ‘map’ of the story that I start off with and then, as I write, I find that the map changes. Often, by the end of the novel, there is almost no resemblance to the map I started with but having that initial structure gives me a basis from which to begin.

Q: Your book Karma Suture deals with the experiences you had as a doctor while working in Cape Town’s state hospitals. Looking back, what was the greatest lesson you took away from the experience?

A: That I could make a difference in my patients’ lives, even though the situations and circumstances in which I was working so often felt hopeless.

Q: What advice would you offer would-be authors?

A: Persevere. Unless you are exceptionally self-confident, get yourself a literary agent to sell your book for you.

Q: What can we look forward to from Rosamund Kendal in 2010 and beyond?

A: As soon as I’ve found the time to figure that out, I promise I’ll let you know…

Life in South Africa

Q: Have you or any of your immediate family been affected by crime? If yes, has it changed your perception of the country and the way you and your family live your lives?

A: Yes, I have been shot at before when I attempted to stop a mugging. It didn’t really change my perception of the country; we all know that crime is a problem and that it will affect us in some way at some stage. I also don’t really think it changed the way that I live my life. I will always live carefully but one cannot be so careful that one stops actually living.

Q: Where would you start if you were given an unlimited budget and the ambitious task of improving the South African health system?

A: How many pages have I got to answer this question? Firstly, I would get rid of all the administrators and put doctors and nursing sisters in their places. We need the decisions at top-level to be made by people who ‘have been there’, who have hands on experience and who know what they are talking about. Secondly, I would try to eradicate corruption (yes, yes, I know, but this is a hypothetical scenario…). So much money is wasted in the health system because of dubious tenders and questionable appointments. Thirdly, I would improve the working conditions of state health care providers so that they wouldn’t be tempted to run off to private practice or the UK as soon as possible. That would be a good start, I think.

Q: What are your thoughts on the current standards of medical training in South Africa? Do you feel we are able to produce doctors at a world standard?

A: Without a doubt. South African universities provide fantastic medical training, a wonderful combination of first and third world medicine that probably isn’t found anywhere else in the world.

Q: With less than 30 days to the first African Soccer World Cup, what advice would you offer to first-time visitors looking for the ultimate South African experience?

A: Just spend some time talking to a regter, egter South African. Our people are our greatest asset.

Life in Ballito

Q: What do you most enjoy about living in Ballito?

A: I love the proximity to the sea. I also find the people incredibly friendly, which makes it a fantastic place to live.

Q: Favorite local restaurant for a lazy Sunday lunch with friends and family?

A: Beach Bistro in Westbrook.

Q: If you were tasked with commissioning a Soccer World Cup poster depicting the beauty of Ballito and it’s people, which image would you select?

A: I would choose a picture of the beach at sunrise. Not only would it show the incredible natural beauty of the area but it would also depict the people: the surfers; the fishermen; the fitness fanatics running on the beach and the couples walking their dogs along the shorebreak; the children splashing in the tidal pools and the life-guards keeping an eye on everyone.

General

Q: If you could invite any three South African authors to a book club meeting, who would you invite and which book would you ask them to read?

A: Herman Charles Bosman, Olive Schriner and Etienne van Heerden. I’d get the authors to read from their own works because that is such a treat. Nobody gives quite the same interpretation to a story as it’s creator.

Q: What is your favorite medical show on TV and which character would you say bears the closest resemblance to you and your personality?

A: An obscure show called The Green Wing. It’s the only medical show that I’ve ever watched that hasn’t irritated me and I sincerely hope that I do not resemble any of the characters in any way as they are all a little whacked…!

Q: What advice would you give the 18-year-old you?

A: Enjoy every moment because it passes so quickly. Sleep a little less. Listen to those around you a little more. Wear shamefully short skirts and embarrassingly skimpy tops because in ten years’ time you will have cellulite and stretch marks and wont be able to.

Q: Who would you most like to read about on Izimvo and what would you like to ask them?

A: Helen Zille. What would be the first change you would make if you were made president of South Africa?

We’d like to thank Rosie for taking the time to answer our questions and wish her every success for the future.

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Tertia Albertyn and her beautiful family

Izimvo has the great honour of introducing the courageous Tertia Albertyn.

Tertia’s blog (www.tertia.org) is about her struggle to have children was judged the top blog in the country in 2007 and again in 2008. Her book ‘So Close’, based on her blog and detailing her five-year battle with infertility was released in South Africa in August 2006 and on Amazon in 2009. The book was a finalist in the 2007 Lulu Blooker Awards.

She recently founded ‘Nurture Egg Donor Program’ (www.nurture.co.za) bringing hope to infertile couples all over the world. Tertia has a MBA from the University of Cape Town and her day job is with IBM. She lives in Cape Town with her husband and three children.

Website: http://www.tertia.org/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Tertia
Location: Cape Town

Tertia was kind enough to answer the following questions for us:

Personal

Q: The all important personal profile. How would a close friend introduce you at a social event? i.e. Name, age, company, interesting fact etc.

A: Tertia Albertyn (nee Loebenberg) is a recovering infertile and now mother to twins conceived on her 9th IVF plus another ‘surprise!’ baby who is now 6 months old.

Q: Tell us something that not many others know about you. This could be anything from a phobia to your favorite movie.

A: I am a very odd person, but I am in touch with my inner crazy and as I get older, I learn to embrace my inner oddness and care less and less about social norms and niceties. I am who I am, take it or leave it. It is incredibly liberating not to worry what other people think of you.

Other interesting facts….I am scared of birds. I don’t like being near any bird that is able to fly near my head. I have a thing about birds and my head. Clearly.

I don’t like movies or movies on TV. I can’t get over the fact that it is not real. You are not XYZ, you are Tom Cruise pretending to be XYZ. Why would I want to watch you do that? I hate movies.

I can’t cook. I don’t cook. At all. I don’t even know how my oven works.

I am very fond of Chardonnay(this is not a secret).

My husband is five years younger than I am. Cradle snatcher!

I have been married for almost 10 years. My longest relationship before that was 10 months.

My husband is not allowed to touch me while I am sleeping. I have a line in the middle of the bed. None of his body parts may cross that line while I am sleeping. There is some for touching, but NOT WHILE I AM SLEEPING.

I don’t hug. I don’t like to be touched unnecessarily. I do however like sex. Just not while I am sleeping, and if I am sleeping, do not wake me. That was a joke.

I have sensory issues (touch and noise) and I am slightly ADHD. Which means I better move on before I lose concentration.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you want to get away from it all?

A: I have a full-time job, a business to run, a baby, twin preschoolers plus staff. I never get away from it all. But if I had to, I would probably work. My work (www.nurture.co.za) is my passion, my hobby, my love, my life.

Fertility Treatment in South Africa

Q: Your twins were conceived on your 9th IVF treatment. How did you and your husband stay positive during this time and was there ever a stage when you thought of stopping?

A: With lots of support from my cyber friends in the interwebs and with lots of wine, fags and happy pills. It was tough, and there were times I wanted to stop, but stopping (and facing the thought of a childless future) was always scarier than carrying on with the next treatment.

Q: Where did you first hear about egg donation and when did you and your husband decide that this is what you wanted to try?

A: My twins weren’t conceived with egg donation. I was lucky enough to conceive with my own eggs, but egg donation was something we seriously considered along the way.

Q: You co-founded Nurture, an egg donor and surrogacy programme, with Melany Bartok. What was the impetus for starting the company and how has the response been?

A: For years I have wanted to be involved with helping other people have their families, and have always wondered how I could help when one day the idea just came to me – egg donation. The response has been overwhelming, we have way exceeded our most optimistic expectations and have helped over 200 people with egg donors.

Q: In your experience, what are the main reasons why women become egg donors or surrogate mothers?

A: These women, those who become egg donors or surrogates are the most amazing women. They are the type of women that care deeply about their fellow humans. They volunteer, they recycle, they care. You know how you just get some really amazing people? These are those type of people. Many of them have seen friends or family struggle and know what it is like to go through this pain.

Q: What advice would you offer woman looking for or who have started fertility treatment?

A: Do NOT waste any more time, go see a fertility specialist immediately. Eggs have an expiry date, it doesn’t matter how fit you are, how well you look on the outside, your eggs have an expiry date, and it is sooner than you think. Do not take your fertility for granted, and do not leave it too late.

Life in South Africa

Q: Have you or any of your immediate family been affected by crime? If yes, has it changed your perception of the country and the way you and your family live your lives?

A: I am extremely fortunate in that we haven’t been affected by serious crime. I get nervous even saying that because I know how prevalent crime is. I am constantly aware of the threat of crime, but I can’t imagine myself living any where else.

Q: Have you ever considered emigration? If yes, where do you think you would emigrate to?

A: I have, I am sure the thought has crossed every South African’s mind at some point, but I have never seriously considered it. I don’t think I could live anywhere else but here in SA.

Q: If you had an opportunity to sit down with the president, what advice would you offer him?

A: Please make sure that you and the other officials don’t fuck this country up. We have so much to offer, we have such a beautiful country. Be ruthless with corruption, stand a firm stand against any type of crime. Lead by example.

Q: To which three attractions would you first take an international visitor?

A: Moyo at Spier, the Waterfront, wine route.

Life in Cape Town

Q: Which kid friendly restaurant do you consider to be the most adult friendly?

A: We aren’t big on eating out, so I don’t have too much for this one. Saturday breakfast at Willowbridge our favourite thing.

Q: What are your favorite places to take the family on those perfect summer days?

A: It doesn’t really matter where we go, everything is a big adventure for my kids. But we do like to go down to the local dam to feed the ducks. Or anywhere with water (beach, little streams).

Q: What about living in Cape Town are you most proud of?

A: The beauty of the place, the gorgeous summers and the friendly people.

General

Q: As a business woman and mother of 3, how do you find the balance between work and home life?

A: Ah, the eternal question – one to which there is no perfect answer. I wouldn’t be able to do any of what I do without help. I have the most amazing nanny and without her, I wouldn’t survive. My precious work time is in the morning when the kids are at school. I get three good hours in then. The rest I make up early morning and late at night. It is always a delicate balance between making sure I am there for the kids, and then putting in the hours necessary to earn a living. My poor husband gets the short end of the stick I’m afraid. However my kids are always my first priority.

Q: If you were able to pick anyone as your mentor, who would it be and why?

A: That is an excellent question and one that I am grappling with at the moment. I am looking for a mentor. I would like someone to bounce ideas off and to get guidance from. Being a specialized field, I don’t have too many people to choose from, but I am on the lookout currently. I would like someone who has started their own business from scratch, someone who is entrepreneurial and who has gone global. But mostly I want someone who runs their business the way I do, with heart. Every decision I make, I make with heart and feeling. Sounds wishy washy, but it works for us. I like to be able to sleep at night with a clear conscience. So, if you have any suggestions for me, I would love to hear!

Q: Where would you like to wake up tomorrow?

A: Right here at home. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my home and my family. I love being at home. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Q: One book that you would make required reading for all matric pupils?

Q: My book? ;-) probably scare the living daylights out of them. Not sure actually. I either read business books or baby books, I don’t have time for anything else.

Q: Who would you most like to read about on Izimvo?

A: Inspirational real life stories of women who have made a difference, or have made it big.

We’d like to thank Tertia for taking the time to answer our questions and wish her every success for the future.

Sally Partridge

Izimvo has the distinct honour of introducing award-winning author, Sally Partridge.

Sally is the author of two novels for young people. Her first, The Goblet Club, has won two literary awards in South Africa and is on the International White Raven list for Children’s literature.

Website: http://www.sapartridge.com
Blog: http://sapartridge.book.co.za/blog
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sapartridge
Location: Cape Town

Sally was kind enough to answer the following questions for us:

Personal

Q: The all important personal profile. How would a close friend introduce you at a social event?  i.e. Name, age, company, interesting fact etc.

A: I’m 27 years old, I’m the Assistant Editor of the Callsheet Newspaper (www.thecallsheet.co.za), a freelance editor of novels and the author of two novels for young people, The Goblet Club, which won the I am a Writer competition in 2007, and the MER Prize for Best Youth Novel at the Via Afrika Awards in 2008, and Fuse, published in 2009.

Q: Tell us something that not many others know about you. This could be anything from a phobia to your favorite movie.

A: I have a crush on Max du Preez.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you want to get away from it all?

A: I like driving along long stretches of open road that seems to go nowhere, like the West Coast Road or Tulbagh. I love the idea of just getting lost and letting time slip away.

Writing in South Africa

Q: What was the inspiration for you becoming a writer?

A: I’ve been a writer for as long as I can remember. When I was a child I used to make up stories about fairies and my imaginary friends to annoy parents. Later on I wrote these down and transformed them into actual stories. It really was just only a matter of time before I completed a novel.

Q: What are your thoughts on the South African market? Is an author able to make a decent living from writing for a South African reader or is international exposure essential?

A: The market is smaller in South Africa but I think that is what is so appealing about it. You don’t necessarily make any money, but there is a far better chance of actually publishing something you produce.

Q: Can you give us an insight as to the process that you follow when writing? For example, do you work according to a schedule?

A: I let the creativity drive the process, which essentially means I write when the mood strikes me. Sometimes that can mean one project is completed sooner than another, sometimes it can mean the opposite.

Q: How would you describe your style of writing to someone who has not read one of your books?

A: My style is very simplistic, economical, and fast paced. I like my chapters to draw the reader in, keep them there and only let them go when they really can’t read any more, or when the book is finished.

Q: Which of your characters do you most relate to and what is your source of inspiration for their personalities?

A: The characters in my first two novels were all boys (a female protagonist will appear in my third) so I can’t really say I relate to any of them. They just appear, most of the time fully formed, quite suddenly. It can be the smallest thing that inspires me. Someone standing in line at McDonalds, a rusty staircase, the city skyline at twilight… I have ideas for new stories waiting in line in my head at the moment while I finish my new book. I don’t ever run out of things to write about.

Q: What advice would you offer would-be authors?

A: Just write. Don’t emulate other writers. Don’t try and re-write a book that’s already been done because it worked. Just write from the heart and if the story is strong enough someone will notice.

Life in South Africa

Q: Have you or any of your immediate family been affected by crime? If yes, has it changed your perception of the country and the way you and your family live your lives?

A: I’ve had close friends been held up at gunpoint. I’ve been mugged at Cape Town Station. Crime is a way of life. You get over it and you carry on. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else in the world. There are worst places out there.

Q: Have you ever considered emigration? If yes, where do you think you would emigrate to?

A: No. There is no other city in the world I would want to live other than Cape Town.

Q: If you had the opportunity of working for any governmental department, which would it be and what would be your first actions when taking office?

A: Cape Town Tourism looks like a fun place.

Q: To which three attractions would you first take an international visitor?

A: Cape Point: It’s just devastatingly beautiful there and visitors have this strange habit of building rock towers on the beach. They all do it. It’s bizarre. Table Mountain: There are some lovely trails up there, and you can walk down into Newlands Forest and the botanical gardens.  The V&A Waterfront: Maybe they’ll buy me a beer.

Life in Cape Town

Q: What do you think is Cape Town’s number one tourist attraction?

A: The Mountain.  You can see it from any part of the city. Plus it’s just lovely. I love how the city is built all haphazardly around it, as if the whole city is framing it.

Q: Where is your favorite bookshop in or around Cape Town?

A: The Book Lounge in Roeland Street. I launched my second novel Fuse there and participated in a short story reading on Halloween. It’s all wood floors, soft couches and it’s comfortably indie.

Q: Favorite restaurant for a lazy Sunday lunch?

A: Beluga in Greenpoint. Christ I love Sushi.

General

Q: Which author do you most admire and why?

A: Stephen King. He’s made a career out of writing what he wants, all of his books have been bestsellers and about 90% have been adapted into films. Plus, I just devour them. His teenage characters: eg, Mark Petrie (Salem’s Lot), Todd Bowden (Apt Pupil), Gordie LaChance (The Body), stand out above his adult characters. In many respects I think Stephen King would have made a killer young adult writer, he just writes these characters so well.

Q: Where do you draw inspiration from for your character’s names?

A: They just come to me.

Q: One book that you would make required reading for all matric pupils?

A: Little Brother by Cory Doctorow or one of mine. Fuse dealt with the big issue of school killings and how the media and basically everyone else is mishandling these situations. It’s a huge issue right now. Just throwing it out there.

Q: Which 3 South African’s would you most like to invite to dinner and what would you serve?

A: Inge Beckmann, Max Du Preez and Gavin Hood. Copious amounts of sushi, white wine and crème brulee. Three of my favourite things.

Q: Who would you most like to read about on Izimvo?

A: I think you’re on to a good thing already.

We’d like to thank Sally for taking the time to answer our questions and wish her every success for the future.

David Grier

Izimvo has the privilege of introducing inspirational speaker, celebrity chef and extreme adventurer, David Grier

David, 49, has recently completed the first ever joint continuous run of the Great Wall of China, some 4000km in 98 days, as well as the first continuous run of the coast of South Africa.

He is currently preparing for the Madagascar 2010 Challenge where he plans to kayak 700km to Madagascar, run 3000km up the center of the island and then kite board and kayak 1200km back to South Africa.

Website: http://www.davidgrier.co.za
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DavidGrier
Facebook: David-Grier
Location: Cape Town

David was kind enough to answer the following questions for us:

Personal

Q: The all important personal profile. How would a close friend introduce you at a social event? i.e. Name, age, company, interesting fact etc.

A: Born in the summer of 60, weened on the outdoors open space and often in earshot of the ocean. Father of 4 children, my inspiration. A chef by profession, extreme adventurer by chance, as one day someone left the kitchen door open and the rest just keeps on unfolding. Through an overload of life changing experiences brought on by adventure, the only way that I could share them was to write about them as they unfolded, this has now culminated into 2 books. I now spend a lot of time traveling the country and sharing my inspirational stories with corporates.

Q: Tell us something that not many others know about you. This could be anything from a phobia to your favorite movie.

A: Heights just seem to get to me, normally when I least need it. But if I look at things that spook me when I am out there, there is normally a warning sign attached.

If I think back as a chef I have this recurring nightmare which always happens during season time. Picture me standing at the door of my kitchen looking into the restaurant. I only have 1 frying pan in my hand things are going ballistic, the whole restaurant is full of people who on seeing me all stand up and start shouting I want food, I want food, I just can’t cope and the pressure is on.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you want to get away from it all?

A: To drive out-of-town and head up the coast to my folks farm at Stanford on the kleinriver. A quiet tranquil private nature reserve, just us.

Extreme Adventures

Q: What do you think sets you and other extreme adventurers apart from us “normal” folk?

A: I don’t see myself different to any one else, but i do believe that as an individual I am driven by a passion to make a difference. If I look at extreme adventure, it is a mind-set of self belief that is key to success, Adventure is a mental journey and needs massive preparation.

Q: You recently run the length of the Great Wall of China, an amazing 4200km in 98 days. What were the greatest lessons that you took away from the experience?

A: My journey along the Great Wall of China, achieving a world first record-breaking run of the entire length of the great wall. Pushing my body to the limit. Reaching deep into the inner strength of my mind.

Through this run I had to deal with life threatening situations and life changing decisions, ultimately realizing that in order to continue with my journey I had to embrace change and evolve.

I found out how important it is to be able to change as we travel our personal journeys through life to ultimately meet with success. We all have this ability, but must make that personal commitment to want to embrace change in order to move forward.

Q: Your next challenge is a solo run of the island of Madagascar with a few “twists”. Can you tell us about these twists and how you came about them?

A: Starting on 1 December in Pemba, Mozambique the multi-discipline, four-month event will see me kayak 700km across to Madagascar where after I will run the approximately 3000km up the centre of the island to the northern tip of Madagascar, before kite surfing and paddling the 1200km distance back to South Africa.

I decided on a multi discipline event as I wanted to involve aspects that would challenge me in a different way. The ocean has always played a massive part in my life from a young age, it’s intrigued me, yet terrified me and has my utmost respect. By including the paddle and kite, I feel this will be my most difficult challenge yet as they are both relatively new sports to me so I am going to have to dig really deep as I’ve already experienced in training.

Q: Which part of your preparation for an adventure is most difficult, the physical or the mental?

A: The two are intertwined, from good physical preparation comes mental strength by knowing that you can physically handle what lies ahead. But the mental resolve will pull you through, knowing that you are capable but you have to dig deep on a daily basis, the longer the event carries on the more difficult it is to remain focused, and to keep grinding on daily as your body becomes depleted and weaker.

Q: Which historical expedition impresses you the most?

A: What amazes me about historic expeditions is how the adventurers managed with the gear they had , clothing that was basic, navigation and lack of communication.There are two that stand out and that is the polar crossing and Everest – men of steel.

Life in South Africa

Q: Have you or any of your immediate family been affected by crime? If yes, has it changed your perception of the country and the way you and your family live your lives?

A: Crime is a global problem and experienced wherever one goes. It touches ones life, yes but there are far more positive things that we as a family have been through and more importantly look for and associate with – I feel its up to you as an individual to look for the positive side of each day – come on, I am so “Gatvoll” on negativity.

Q: Have you ever considered emigration? If yes, where do you think you would emigrate to?

A: No I have not, but I do love traveling and experiencing life in other countries and cultures. If I had to emigrate, I would take a return ticket to Cape Town.

Q: If you were South African president for just one day, what would you change?

A: I have no magic solution, but communication and accountability to the people who put me there would be a start. Install a simple value of respect.

Q: To which three attractions would you first take an international visitor?

A: The drive from Gordon’s bay to Betties Bay, The view from Blaauwberg to Cape town. The view down the valley from th top of Franschoek pass.

Life in Cape Town

Q: What are the benefits of living in Cape Town for an extreme athlete?

A: There is the mountain to run on. The constant changing weather conditions for different training simulations, the ocean to kayak and kite in. Importantly, they all right next to each other. Then there is the sport science institute for the specialist training sessions.

Q: As a celebrity chef, which Capetonian would you most like to cook for? Which venue would you select for the occasion?

A: My Wife Lizelle for a Crayfish braai on the edge of Robben Island looking back at Cape Town.

Q: When not cooking yourself, where do enjoy going for the perfect Sunday lazy lunch?

A: The Foodbarn in Noordhoek Village or a simple lunch at Polana in Kalk Bay.

General

Q: A single piece of advice for anyone looking to set out on an extreme adventure?

A: Look at the risk and prepare well.

Q: Favorite South African sporting moment of the last 10 years?

A: There is a recurring one. Seeing the pride and joy in the fans eyes when south Africa succeeds.

Q: Where would you like to wake up tomorrow?

A: Right where I am.

A massive thank you to David for finding the time in his training schedule to answer our questions. We wish David God-speed for his Madagascar Challenge and look forward to following his progress with great interest.

Michael Olivier

Izimvo would like to introduce wine writer and broadcaster, Michael Olivier.

Michael, a well-known Cape food and wine fundi, grew up on a wine farm in the hills of Durbanville. He trained at The London Cordon Bleu Cookery School and has worked in and managed such well-known places as Lanzerac Hotel in Stellenbosch and the top marque wine estate, Boschendal.

Having run three restaurants, Paddagang in Tulbagh, The Burgundy in Hermanus and Parks in Constantia, and being featured in the national top ten restaurants, he is now a food and wine writer, published author and broadcaster.

Website: http://www.michaelolivier.co.za
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Michael_Olivier

Michael was kind enough to answer the following questions for us:

Personal

Q: The all important personal profile. How would a close friend introduce you at a social event? i.e. Name, age, company, interesting fact etc.

A: Michael Olivier he’s the wine writer and broadcaster, you’ve probably seen his books in the shops or heard him on the radio?

I am 63 years old and work from home – wine writing for various websites and publications. I have my own website www.michaelolivier.co.za. I broadcast each day on Fine Music Radio, a Cape based station and on Friday nights on ClassicFM which broadcasts in the Gauteng region. I consult two days a week for a large supermarket group on a customer relations management programme.

Q: Tell us something that not many others know about you. This could be anything from a phobia to your favourite movie.

A: I love birds, the feathered kind. And the other too if the truth be known. I am an avid, nay voracious reader. Love music, mainly classical – as long as it is not Mahler, he’s way too pre-occupied with death – yet am as at home with Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. And Jamie Cullum and Oscar Petersen. My favourite movie which offers me a chance to cry every time is Love Actually.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you want to get away from it all?

A: Being in a special place that is very quiet, with good books, good food and good wine. Should have a view of mountains or sea or Karoo veld and there must be trees with lots of birds in them.

Food and Wine in South Africa

Q: Having trained at the London Cordon Bleu Cookery School, do you feel that international training and experience is a requirement to succeed in the business?

A: No I don’t think it is a requirement at all. There are many fabulous cooks in the country who have never held their own passport and are a huge success in what they do. But I believe it extends your horizons of food knowledge if you do travel and are able to work overseas.

Q: What do you think it is that sets South African cuisine apart and why do you think are South Africans so passionate about their food?

A:I don’t believe we have a real South African cuisine, though there are certain dishes which we assume and have adopted as our own. We live in a country that has brilliant produce, fresh fish, wonderful beef and lamb, fabulous cheese and lots of fresh fruit and vegetable. I don’t think South Africans are more or less passionate about food than anywhere else I have been in the world. Foodies are all a tad crazy.

Q: As a published author, what advice would you give any young food and wine author wanting to do they same?

A: Get out and just do it yourself. Start writing, leave the publisher out of it and do it on your own, it’s way easier than you think. I am about to publish my third book on my own.

Q: With the rate of obesity in young children growing at an alarming rate in South Africa, what advice would you offer today’s parents?

A: Teach yourselves about healthy food first and then be sure your kids eat healthy.

Q: Which of your books are you most proud of?

A: The People’s Guide, my new book co-authored with Neil Pendock the Sunday Times Wine Writer and Anibal Coutinho from Portugal. Love the other three, but this one is a stunner.

Life in South Africa

Q: Have you or any of your immediate family been affected by crime? If yes, has it changed your perception of the country and the way you and your family live your lives?

A: Yes we have been affected by crime. It has not changed my perception about living here and we are just very careful all the time, though no paranoid.

Q: Have you ever considered emigration? If yes, where do you think you would emigrate to?

A: Wouldn’t half mind living in Portugal, love Margaret River in Western Australia where I have done some work, but here’s home for us and our children.

Q: If you were South African president for just one day, what would you change?

A: Teach people to grow vegetables and feed themselves. And tell everyone to calm down.

Q: To which three attractions would you first take an international visitor?

A: Groot Constantia, Stellenbosch Winelands and a drive round the Cape Peninsula with a stop off at Kirstenbosch.

Life in Cape Town

Q: What do you think is Cape Town’s number one tourist attraction?

A: Well there are 5, and I have a problem choosing. Table Mountain, Robben Island, Kirstenbosch, Groot Constantia and Cape Point.

Q: If you had to prepare a meal for an international visitor, showing off the best of Cape Cuisine, what would it be?

A: Smoked snoek paté, my own Bobotie recipe, and Malva Pudding, all the recipes are on my website.

Q: Where do you suggest both locals and visitors source their fresh produce in Cape Town?

A: Salt River Market, The Old Biscuit Mill on Saturday mornings. Find a good butcher like Mr Bass at Super Meat Market in Kenilworth, go to a superb baker like the Faull boys at Knead, buy good value wines from a reputable source – Mike Duggan at Wine Concepts. Shaiks Exotics or Spice Mecca or Atlas Trading for fresh spices.

General

Q: Which celebrity chef do you most admire and why?

A: Oooh – difficult one, but I think Rick Stein. He’s my sort of age and his food is real.

Q: One book that you would make required reading for all matric pupils?

A: No question – Cry the beloved country by Alan Paton.

Q: Which 3 South African’s would you most like to invite to dinner?

A: Penny Coelen Rey Miss World 1958, a great great lady, I’ve met her before. Desmond Tutu, so that I can hug him when he goes home. Tessa Uys, so that she can play the piano between courses and I’d make sure we had six so that she plays quite a few pieces.

Q: Who would you most like to read about on Izimvo?

A: My wonderful writing partner Neil Pendock. You’d find out all sorts of things about him I never knew!

We’d like to thank Michael for taking the time to answer our questions. We look forward to picking up a copy of his latest book, The People’s Guide 2010 – Navigate the winelands in a shopping trolley.

Lookout for it in selected wine shops, supermarkets and bookshops from the 16th November.