Uber writer Rick Moody comes to town tonight to read from some of his novels. The 35-year-old wrote ‘The Ice Storm’, which became an Ang Lee-directed film. Next up was the critically acclaimed short story collection ‘Ring of Brightest Angels’ written to defeat the ‘suburban writer’ tag. This was followed by ‘Purple America’, a laugh-out-loud funny book with heart-wrenching tragedy at its core. He has won the O Henry Award, the Pushcart Prize and the Paris Review’s Aga Khan Prize. Recognised by The New Yorker as one of America’s most talented writers under 40, don’t miss this opportunity to hear him read.
La Tribune
If you’ve been to the Cinquantenaire to have a look at the Musée Royal de l’Armée et d’Histoire Militaire or just to stroll in the park, La Tribune is a good place to have a bite to eat afterwards. Recently refurbished, there’s always a good lunch menu and the moules come in all shapes and sizes. You can also drop in for a coffee or a beer at anytime of the day.
Santa’s Enchanted Forest
A highlight of the Christmas season, this theme park and carnival attracts over 100,000 people a year. An illuminated 90-foot tree towers above this holiday playland, and more than 3 million lights decorate the surrounding forest-visible from miles around. In addition to Santa and his elves, there will be live shows, 40 food vendors, 18 pony rides, hundreds of displays and a petting zoo. A must for kids.
Sahara
Another good stop along the trendy Fondamenta della Misericordia, this small and simple restaurant serves up really tasty home-made Syrian cuisine. Those unfamiliar with the different tastes and flavours should try the ‘shwarma’, ‘baba ghannoug’ sauce or their famous couscous. Very reasonable prices ensure that it is always full and remains within the reach of backpack budgets. Weekend eaters may get treated to the spectacle of a belly dancer performing between courses – try to make sure you don’t have a mouthful when she moves towards your table.
Tokyo Delve’s Sushi Bar
There’s raucous behaviour going on inside this nondescript restaurant. It’s one of the most rowdy places in town and is packed nightly. Singing and dancing waiters vie with singing and dancing (and drunken) customers. It’s small but the sushi is great and the service excellent. Play fun games like Spin the Wheel or Lucky Lamp where the music starts and lights flicker one at a time above each patron’s head. When the music stops, the lit winner is given their meal free.
Johannesburg Civic Theatre Tour
If your kids all motivated to become great stage actors following their end-of-year school concerts, this magical holiday tour of Johannesburg’s Civic Theatre for the aspiring little thespians may be an ideal choice. They’ll get to go backstage and see how the pantomime magic really happens during a fascinating hour-long tour. Bookings are for a minimum of four people and must be made a week in advance. Price is R10 per person.
Chopper
Top Aussie comedian Eric Bana plays Australia’s most notorious criminal Mark ‘Chopper’ Read in this blackly comic, horribly violent controversial film biography.
Voci Bianche
Unbroken children’s voices have always attracted composers of choral music. And this university concert of ‘voci bianche’ (literally, white voices) presents some of the most beautiful examples of the genre. Claire Gibault conducts the Rome Voci Bianche Choir in a programme that includes music by Rossini, Milhaud, and Benjamin Britten, whose ‘Ceremony of Carols for Treble Voices and Harp’ became an instant classic and a fitting inclusion on any pre-Christmas bill.
