Whoever watched Louis Theroux's excellent documentary on crime in South Africa a few weeks back, will have been absolutely shocked by the levels of poverty and lawlessness in the area. Undoubtedly a country racked with problems, South Africa, in particular parts of Johannesburg, has issues that are at the very core of the country - the police force, the ‘community’, the legal system et al – and the people have no notion of what we, as western citizens, perceive to be
‘normal’.
The slums of Johannesburg are a truly terrible, poverty stricken, crime ridden place, yet they are also emblematic of a system that has left the country in economic and social turmoil. The documentary allows us to surmount a greater understanding of how very lucky the majority of us are – we live in relative calm, and secure safety in contrast to these pitiful peoples. Sad and tumultuously terrifying, I can’t even begin to empathize with these people, nor begin to describe the horrific struggle and unstable turbulence of day-to-day living in this environment – thankfully; though with that admission is the twinge of guilt alongside the dark warmth of appreciation.
Image stolen from here, sorry, thanks...
Another excellent night at Trading Places VI on last Saturday’s frosty December eve as the Christmas special brought in a capacity crowd by the time the clock turned 12- impressive with several other options on that very same night. Packed full of pretty people and enough beats, bars and bass to make the most nonchalant of individuals step to the music, Crush bar was subject to one of London’s liveliest throngs, with only the odd ill-mannered individual punctuating the otherwise incident free night (though I do worry that they are becoming all the more common – lets hope Trading doesn’t become awash with the sex crazed, pervy men that are found at most other events that hold this amount of beautiful young women, though I am beginning to worry...). All money raised from the night was donated to the Sickle Cell Society. Nice.
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