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Free to be Yourself
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aliwal shoal
The underwater Drakensberg
GaySA FM
Where everything is just gay Issue no 14
The Gift of Giving dec 2015 - jAN 2016
We wish all our readers a And a blessed New Year!
Contact Details:
Editor: Larin Labuschagne - diversity@vodamail.co.za Sub-editor: Theresa Bosch - theresa.bosch@gmail.com www.facebook.com/diversitydurban
Enquiries and Advertising Sales: Larin Labuschagne - 072 186 8112 Theresa Bosch - 073 583 0518
Graphic Design: Kim Lithgow @ Sapphire Designs 084 700 2536
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Disclaimer Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of Diversity magazine, neither the editor, the publisher nor the printer can be held responsible for any omissions or errors or for any misfortune, injury or damages which may arise there from. We do not guarantee the quality of service of any of the advertisers in this magazine. Reproduction of Diversity magazine in whole or any part is prohibited without prior written permission from the editor. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Diversity magazine or the editor.
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Editor’s Note A while back I was looking through Swedish photographer Magnus Wennman’s Photo project “Where the Children Sleep” These images depict the suffering that hundreds of thousands of children caught up in the bloody war in Syria have had to endure as their families flee a conflict that shows no signs of abating. These hard hitting images and accompanying captions got me thinking just how sad it is that millions of innocent children across the world are living tragic lives due to circumstances outside of their control and often beyond their comprehension. Whether it be due to war, poverty, disease, lack of education or any one of the other social evils these children are victims of circumstance. The thought provoking article “The Gift of Giving” offers meaningful insight into the real meaning of giving and I think if each one of us puts these principles into practice and reaches out to the less privileged children around us we could make their world a little brighter. “Aliwal Shoal – The Underwater Drakensberg of KZN” is a must read, offering a fascinating glimpse of the wonders of nature that lie hidden beneath the Ocean just waiting to be discovered. With the holiday season fast approaching why not consider booking a diving course and getting in touch with your adventurous spirit? Wishing all our readers a Christmas filled with love, peace and joy. Keep safe and God bless.
Larin & Theresa CONTENTS ALIWAL SHOAL - THE UNDERWATER DRAKENSBERG OF KZN
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THE GIFT OF GIVING GAYSA FM FILM REVIEW - BROOKLYN EVENTS DIARY AND MARKETS
8-9 10 - 11 12 - 13 15
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aliwal shoal The underwater Drakensberg of KZN
by Lans Schick
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f one has ever had the good fortune and privilege to hike in the Northern Drakensberg, you would appreciate the majestic vistas that surround you. The peaks and the valleys, the cliffs and the caves!! Imagine this beautiful scenery under the ocean and add dolphins, turtles, rays, whales, whale sharks, an enormous variety of colourful tropical fish, and at a certain time of the year, the ragged tooth shark. Your imagination would have found you at Aliwal Shoal, the premier scuba diving destination, situated 50km south of Durban, South Africa. The World Famous Aliwal Shoal was formed thousands of years ago from fossilized sand dunes during the times when sea levels were much lower than they are today. One of the most interesting things about the Aliwal Shoal, is that it is situated 5km out to sea, and the reef rises very quickly from a depth of 30m, to as shallow as 5m below the surface. The Aghulas Current which runs south along the east coast of Africa brings with it warm water and a huge diversity of tropical sea life.
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The underwater terrain is very rugged with pinnacles, gullies and caves. The shoal has developed into a fascinating dive site with an abundance of soft and hard corals, sponges and hiding places. Aliwal Shoal is now home to over 1,200 species of fish, as well as turtles, rays, sharks, whales and dolphins. Aliwal Shoal was voted in the 1980’s by internationally acclaimed US dive magazine “Rodell’s Scuba Diving Magazine” as being one of the top ten dive sites in the World. This, after a report by the Jacque Cousteau team, who visited and dived in the area.
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Besides being a truly special diving destination, the Aliwal Shoal is also a shipping hazard!! In 1849, a 3-masted vessel called the ‘Aliwal’ almost collided with the Shoal, giving it its name. Three ships have struck the shoal, with only one of the vessels surviving, after being towed back to Durban port. The other two vessels, the “Produce” and the “Nebo”, were not so fortunate, and both vessels sank close to the Aliwal Shoal. The Nebo was an old wooden steamer which sunk in 1884. The Produce was a steel cargo ship and was carrying molasses when it hit the reef and sunk in 1974. The Janson brothers, two commercial fishermen who operated in the area, were responsible for rescuing sailors from the Produce in dangerous seas, and they received the Honorous Crux, South Africa’s highest award for bravery. When commercialised scuba diving was first organised onto the Aliwal Shoal by our family’s Durban based dive shop “Trident Diving” in the late 70’s and early 80’s, the Janson brother’s, and their associate, Clive Holme’s, fishing boats were hired to dive from. This was a very adventurous experience, even for the hard-core divers of the era, as the boats had normally been out fishing the night before the dive, and when we climbed on board the boats in the morning, the smell of fish and fish bait was sometimes overpowering. Not the best solution to avoiding seasickness!! These skippers were however, highly experienced seafarers and I would have put my life in their hands any day ... and a few times I did!! This was, after all, the pioneering days of diving, and it was fun living on the edge. Fortunately no lives were lost with the sinking of both vessels, and their presence in close proximity to the Aliwal Shoal, affords additional unique and spectacular dive sites. I was privileged to personally dive on the wreck of the Produce about 4 months after she sank. It was an exciting and eerie experience, with the noises of hatches opening and closing with the motion of the currents. I have since done numerous penetration dives (mind out of the gutter!!) into the interior of the Produce wreck, and as with all shipwrecks I dive into, my mind always drifts back to what it must have been like being inside the ship when she was afloat. Over the years the strength of the ocean’s currents, as well as the oxidisation of the steel structure, has resulted in the Produce wreck “breaking up” and it is now lying on its hull in 3 sections. The stern and bow are more or less intact but the centre section has collapsed. There are giant Brindle Bass which are resident on the wreck, and are estimated to weigh around 400kg!! They are very skittish, and tend to stay hidden within the interior of the shipwreck, or if disturbed, swim away quickly from the wreck. Every time that I have had the good fortune to observe one of these huge creatures, I have felt very humbled by their size, but at the same time amazed at their grace and speed of movement underwater. The very rare Harlequin Goldie... (continued)
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(continued)... which is indigenous to this area, is also seen here. You may be lucky enough to see a Tiger Shark if the visibility is good, and often schools of very big Daga Salmon are found at the stern area of the shipwreck, near the position of the ship’s propeller. The propeller is unfortunately no longer there, as some greedy divers managed to get permission to salvage the massive propeller, and sell it for scrap!! Well, look at that, I was asked to write a short article and I have not even told you about diving on the Aliwal Shoal reef itself. Diving on intriguing sites with names like Raggie Cave, Inside Edge, Outside Edge, The Cathedral, North Sands, Northern Pinnacles, and Manta Point. Well, you will have to wait for the next exciting instalment in February’s issue. Take care and safe diving.
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SERVICES OFFERED
Referrals Drama Support Groups Resource Centre Social Event Training and Workshops Victim Support Services HIV Counselling & Testing Telephonic & Face to Face Counselling 187A Burger Street, Pietermaritzburg, Kwazulu Natal Fax: 27 86 508 2203 Tel: 27 33 342 6165 info@gaylesbiankzn.org www.gaylesbiankzn.org Helpline 086 033 3331 or sms HELP to 079 891 3036( 9am to 4pm Monday - Friday)
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The Gift of by Theresa Bosch
Giving
C
hristmas time is here again and as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ we are reminded of God’s great love for us, God gave us the most precious gift of all, God’s only son, our saviour. It is a time of giving, however we don’t always focus enough on the right type of giving, elaborate gifts are sometimes what take precedence over what true giving really means. As we know giving comes in different ways and we must remember that the things that hold most value cost nothing. Showing kindness and help to someone in need, a word of encouragement to someone who is experiencing great sadness, spending some time with someone who is lonely, taking time to pray with someone who is struggling with health problems, these are just a few, and at this time of year we need to look around us for opportunities to allow God’s love to flow from us.
I was watching a video clip recently that showed underprivileged children and orphans from various countries receiving Christmas shoeboxes from an organisation that runs a project called Operation Christmas Child. It brought tears to my eyes to see how grateful these children were to receive what most of us take for granted and yet they were jumping for joy. The one Zimbabwean girl waved a toothbrush in the air with great excitement and others shrieked with delight over very basic toys. When a young girl in Soweto was asked what she really liked in her shoebox she said the photo of the girl in Canada who had sent her the shoebox gift, how amazingly non materialistic, we can learn humility from such children. What was even more 8
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touching was the Philippino boy who said, “I didn’t just receive a gift box, I received Christ.” As young as he was he knew what was most important. After watching these children I was once again reminded about how materialistic we can be and that those of us who have much should get involved with such projects. It doesn’t necessarily have to be with a big international organisation, start with the local community you live in. Nothing is too small to give, so whether it is a sandwich to the homeless person at the traffic light or an item of clothing to someone clothed in worn out clothes, we may think it’s not going to make much of a difference but it makes all the difference to that one person.
There truly is more joy in giving than receiving, I once made up packets of sandwiches and pasted a sticker on each packet that said…Jesus loves you! I handed these out to some homeless people and seeing how happy a simple sandwich can make someone is priceless. Often people just want to know you care. For those nearest and dearest to us we must remember too that one of the best gifts you can give someone is the gift of thanking them for being a part of your life, it doesn’t always have to be an expensive gift. Let this Christmas be filled with the experience of being blessed by the gift of giving.
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W
elcome to the new Revolution of party and anything that is just gay. GAYSAFM is the first of its kind in our Sunny South Africa and we will highlight all things that are LGBT related in our country, from news to parties and gay owned companies that will have special deals exclusively for us “family” members. With this new station we will also surround you with new and old dance hits to keep hips and legs moving 24/7. For now we are an online medium, with several options for you to get connected to us. With the release of new mobile technology and faster internet speeds, a lot of consumers are surfing social media such as Facebook or Twitter. They also spend most of their time checking out YouTube or listening to online media, such as radio stations of their preference. This Station is also a dance mix radio station which fits in with our gay party nation. GAYSAFM will in mid-2016 be applying for our own FM frequency in order to reach even more people and to show them that it is OK to be who you are and that we have a common interest. We would also like to know what is happening in our country relating to LGBT issues and we are trying to prove to The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) that it will be worthwhile to have such a new station in our country in FM format.We are live every Saturday from 10am till 2pm and also later in the evening where we broadcast live from events or clubs and functions concerning the LGBT lifestyle. Our aim is to broadcast live every day of the week with a full set of presenters to keep you informed. Our growth is astounding, with our Facebook page only being active for two months and having received 190 likes.
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Brief History of GAYSAFM’S FOUNDERS : GAYSAFM was the Brain Child of two gay friends L. Del Gallo and DJ Pieter whose friendship has spanned 19 years. The idea came to them whilst
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listening to a US online gay radio station. It got them thinking, “Hey why don’t we have one of our own stations here in South Africa that caters for South African LGBT people and covers South African LGBT news and companies?” So in June 2015 GAYSAFM was born and with your support we believe that this venture will grow from strength to strength. Let us LGBT People be heard in Sunny South Africa.
The faces of GaySA FM At GAYSAFM we want to make it as easy as possible for you to listen to us, so there are 3 options available:
• Option 1- THE GAYSAFM APP: Our App has arrived for your smart device which is available at all app stores.
• Option 2- Tunein app: Just download tunein and search gaysafm • Option 3- Directly from our site, go to www.gaysafm.co.za and click on the Listen Live
If you would like to advertise or get involved with us then please contact us directly at info@gaysafm.co.za or Tel: +2774 325 1390
Christmas is a time
to share love & joy. It is a time to recollect beautiful memories. It is a time to sit back and relax.
Enjoy sharing this Christmas. email: diversity@vodamail.co.za
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This Month’s Film Review:
brooklyn
Reviewed by David R. Walker Director: John Crawley Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters, Domhnall Gleeson, Emily Bett Rickards, Jessica Pare, Maeve McGrath, Eileen O’Higgins After her sparkling debut as the precocious and misguided Briony Tallis in director Joe Wright’s handsome film Atonement, Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan has made a string of less memorable films including Hanna and The Host until appearing as the radiant lead in this 1950’s love story Brooklyn, where she dazzles as the Irish immigrant Eilis fresh on arrival in New York City. Director John Crawley’s adaptation of the novel by Irish author Colm Toibin, Brooklyn is a soft-focused, brilliantly acted and utterly charming love story. Ronan is superb as Eilis who arrives in the Big Apple and stays at a ladies boarding house run by the ever glamorous Mrs Kehoe wonderfully played by Julie Walters (Billy Elliott). Soon the sensible Eilis befriends the other guests and while working at an American department store is guided by the fashionable manageress Miss Fortini played by French Canadian actress Jessica Pare who brought added style to the final two seasons of Mad Men. At an Irish club Friday night social, Eilis meets the charming and dimplefaced Tony, an Italian immigrant, played by Emory Cohen (The Place beyond the Pines). Their initial courtship is cut short when Eilis has to unexpectedly return to Ireland for a family emergency. Back in the Green Isle, she is wooed by the handsome and eligible bachelor Jim Farrell played by Domhnall Gleeson (Anna Karenina, About Time, and Shadow Dancer) in the weeks leading up to her school friend Nancy’s wedding. Director John Crawley and acclaimed screenwriter Nick Hornby (About a Boy, An Education) do an excellent rendition of making a good old fashioned love story in the manner of Mona Lisa Smile and Circle of Friends and are ably assisted by Saoirse Ronan superbly acting in the lead role, as she navigates all the nuances and difficulties of life in the New World. 12
Audiences should look out for Oscar winner Jim Broadbent (Iris) as the
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benevolent father Flood, as well as Emily Bett Rickards as the cheeky companion Patty, last seen on the hit TV show Arrow. Brooklyn with its gorgeous production design, and immaculate 1950’s costumes is reminiscent of a less complicated old fashioned love story and will definitely find an appreciative and discerning audience, judging by how packed the cinema was on a Sunday afternoon. Recommended viewing for those that cherished films such as Circle of Friends, Mona Lisa Smile and more recently The Immigrant starring Marion Cotillard. David Walker (Freelance Film and Travel Journalist) Cell: +27 (0)82 7011817 Twitter: @SouthboyD Email: davidr.walker@gmail.com Website: http://www.davidrwalker.co.za Website: http://www.davidrwalker.co.za
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Border irregularities
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Colour changes
- tan, black, brown, red, white, blue. Common moles are usually a single shade of brown or black.
Diameter - larger than 6mm. Evolve - grows bigger and becomes more prominent.
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AFTER
Events Diary 27 Nov to 17 Jan 10 Nov to 30 Dec 4 - 20 Dec
KZNSA Buzzart Exhibition Durban’s biggest local Christmas fair, KZNSA Gallery, Glenwood. Aladdin, Adult Pantomime, Centenary Room at Greyville Racecourse, 083 250 2690 Laurel Canyon - The show features top hits from artists including Joni Mitchell (Big Yellow Taxi), Crosby, Stills and Nash, Mamas and the Papas, The Byrds, The Eagles, Carole King and Bonnie Raitt. Rhumbelow Theatre, 082 499 8636 4 Dec to Puss In Boots, Kickstart`s 10th family pantomime. Elizabeth 10 Jan Sneddon Theatre, 031-260 2296 9 - 20 Dec The Glitter Girls - Lisa Bobbert, Liesl Coppin & Marion Loudon, this talented comical trio will have you in stitches with their irrepressible performances. Loft Theatre, Playhouse Company 10 - 14 Dec Dolphins By Starlight - Contemporary dancers, ballet dancers, and our stunning Sea World Dolphins put on a show. uShaka Marine World, Computicket & uShaka ticketing or call 0313288000 12 - 23 Dec For Your Ears Only, Paul Slabolepszy – A comedy that crackles with humour and inventiveness, Computicket or the Playhouse Box office 031-369 9540 31 Jan to Roxette 30 Year Anniversary Tour , ICC Durban Arena 08 Feb 31 Jan to An Evening With Rodriguez bookings at Computicket and 01Feb http:// www.bigconcerts.co.za
Markets
Essenwood Market, Sat from 9am-2pm, Essenwood Rd, Essenwood. Contact: 031 208 1264 I Heart Market, 1st Sat of every month, Moses Mabhida Stadium from 9am-2pm, Contact: 078 989 4432 Heritage Market, 9 Old Main Road, Hillcrest, Contact: 031 765 2500 The Food Market, 6 High Grove, Umgeni Park, Contact: 084 505 0113 Shongweni Farmers Market, Cnr Alverstone & Cassier Rd, Shongweni, Contact: 031 777 1554 The Golden Hours Family Market, Sun 10am-3:30pm, Uitsig Rd, Durban North, Contact: 083 262 3693 The Litchi Orchard, 1st and 3rd Sat of every month, Seaforth Ave, Umhlali, Contact: 084 205 6151
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