I drove to Lenasia South yesterday morning to meet Pooja.  I’m taking the photos at her and Suren’s wedding next Saturday and I wanted to see the temple that they’re getting married in… just to be prepared.

After checking out the temple, which by the way, is just incredible, we drove around the corner to her future MIL’s house to chat about the timing on the day.  I didn’t realise that they ran a feeding scheme from their home! Once a month, they feed destitute adults and children that live in the area.  And Saturday was the day that this month’s meal happened.

When they started this 5 years ago, it was quite small…. but now it’s quite an amazing undertaking.  They feed over 500 children and a few hundred adults every month.  Not only does everyone get a good hot meal, but everyone gets to take home a food parcel!   And it’s run completely by donations from the local community and others that have heard about them!

Thankfully, I carry a camera on me wherever I go, so I grabbed my camera and the only lens I had in my handbag… my 50mm and I took some photos. LOL they thought it was quite funny that I carry a camera everywhere but hey, I’m a blogger!! I love telling stories with photos

Anyway, they’ve got the “kitchen” set up in the garage, and while I was there they had 4 of the most enormous pots I’ve ever seen, cooking the food.  Shamilaa was telling me that they cook 60 kg of rice now, and they get up at 4am to start the food, having started the food parcel preparations on the Thursday before the event.

I have never seen such a massive wooden spoon in my life…

The blue packets are the food parcels

500 packs for the kids to take home, which included chips and sweets and fruit

I was there at 10am, and the food starts getting dished out at around midday, but even knowing that, the kids had started arriving and were playing on the grass outside the house. As soon as they saw my camera they came running

I’m definitely going again.  On the 10th of December they’re going to be having their Christmas lunch.  Last year they fed 1600 kids on that day, and every single child got a gift.  Shamilaa told me that it was amazing to see the gifts arrive… and it was a miracle that every person got something to take home.  They’re expecting many more kids and adults at this year’s Christmas event… and they’re needing help.  So… if you can help in any way, please contact them via their website.

Lesego Malatsi is the MD of Mzansi Designs, and has his design studio on the 10th floor of an office building in downtown Johannesburg and a store in Mopane Mall… and he’s headed for the big time!!  He’s been invited to showcase his designs at the Fashions Finest London Fashion Week Show in September (which is a recognised off schedule show).

The Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship asked me to take photos of his studio and part of his collection this afternoon (it was a huge pity that all the dresses he’s showing are already in London), as well as the hats (made by ex-Nigerian Folake Adejuyigbe) and accessories made by Freda Sebolai (who originally comes from Koffiefontein in the Freestate).  These hats and accessories are the ones that will be used with Lesego’s outfits on the catwalks in London.

Freda is not only a jewellery designer (whose jewellery is being used in the wardrobes of some of the local soapies, and she sells them at local markets), but she has her own youth marketing company and she’s also a model.

As for Folake’s hats… how amazing!  Folake is originally from Nigeria and has lived in South Africa for the last 10 odd years. Her hats are made from a netting type of material… and she handmakes them!

And I just LOVED the fascinator she wore on her head!

And lastly a few photos of the man himself… Lesego… wearing one of his own shirts I might add!

I wish these 3 all the very best of luck… I think it’s awesome to see South African designers on an international stage!

We got back to Jozi yesterday, a day early, because the weather yesterday was horrific.  So we had a free day today which never happens! We took the opportunity to check out Market on Main, which is in the heart of Johannesburg’s CBD.

What an awesome place!! Love that there are spots in the city that are being revitalised like this.  I loved the venue, and the rabbits warren of foods and other stalls.  It was jam packed, much busier than I thought it would be.  I could have spent a lot longer there, wandering through the stalls.

You see this wall of A4 canvases?  I want to do that!! But to do that, I need to go on a few more photowalks  I’m sure I have quite a few though, which I’ll get together in a few weeks time.  I actually love the iwasshotinjoburg concept… it’s really worthwhile supporting them as they teach street kids how to use cameras properly.

Lance declared this to be the BEST chicken curry bunny chow ever!

We loved the homemade lemonade that was on offer…

Isn’t this space incredible?

I’ll definitely be going back.

We travelled to Ballito today, and for a change I actually struggled to get my DSLR out… normally when we travel I have my camera on my lap.  This time it was just easier to use my iPhone and Instagram photos immediately to everyone… rather than taking the DSLR out, and using it.

But, there’s nothing that beats the quality of my camera… and I’m so glad that for part of the journey I made the effort, because I’ve got some awesome art images as a result.

The first 3 were taken as the sun came up while we were driving through the Free State.

and the last 2 were taken in Ballito as the sun set…

I also thought I’d show you the iPhone images I took today…

Hopefully the weather plays along with our plans tomorrow, and we can spend the day at the beach

Nicole and I had a plan for today… to explore the city.  I wanted to find new photoshoot locations and she wanted me to help her with her camera.  Our limitations at the time of making the plans were that our kids would be with us.  We didn’t think that the weather would turn as cold as it has.  Seriously, we could NOT have picked a colder day for this adventure.

We had planned to go to at least 3 lookout points over Johannesburg city, we made it to one.  We had planned to get to Newtown and possibly the old bank district, we only managed 10 minutes in Newtown.  We had planned to find the Westcliff steps and Hope Road and the forest in Bryanston on the way home… none of that happened at all.  LOL, so it may not have been as successful as we’d hoped, but it was worth it… Nicole got to see parts of Johannesburg she’d never seen before, and I found a new spot for photos, and we had the most awesome coffee and chocolate croissants at 44 Stanley.

It was just far too cold.  When we stopped at Melville Koppies at 10am my car’s thermometer was reading 3.5 deg C.  But I cannot describe how cold the wind was at the top of that hill.  It was just too freezing for words.  Then in Newtown my car told me it was 2 deg!! But it actually didn’t feel as cold as the hill.  But that was the end of the road for Nicole’s little Damian, he’d just cried and cried… we think because his hands were so cold… mine were like ice blocks and were actually hurting me!!  So we aborted our mission, and headed for a heater and some coffee instead

But here are some of the photos that I did manage to get…

I really need to do more things like this.  It’s good for my soul.