Nivashni Nair THERE is more to a bunny chow Durbans most popular dish than curry and a quarter loaf of bread.It took seven judges to sort out what makes the ideal meal at a competition among the citys top 10 bunny makers at the fifth annual Bunny Chow Barometer at Durbans Blue Lagoon yesterday. Judges investigated how the bunny was prepared and which ingredients and spices gave ....

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Bodyguards in demand by international performers Gabisile Ndebele WITH only three months to go until the end of the year the slew of international performers heading for South African stages is not letting up.Jazz singer and songwriter Katie Melua, who will perform next weekend, legendary soul diva Chaka Khan, Lionel Richie, and veteran rocker Rod Stewart are all heading south, and all have one thing in common they ....

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Jason Von Berg chats to this talented DJ about her new album and her weekend plans. What do you get up to on the weekend? Generally, I play, travel and sleep. Sometimes I can slip in a birthday dinner or a social get-together. I also like to chill when I can because there isnt a lot of time over the weekend. Monday and Tuesday is like my Saturday and ....

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FTV Sandton has been accused of racism Werner Swart THE management of one of Johannesburgs trendiest night- spots, Fashion TV Sandton, has been accused of racism.This is after a reporter from The Times was racially abused and sworn at last week, and one of Talk Radio 702s entertainment reporters was shoved and verbally abused. The incident has since led to scores of patrons venting their anger at the establishment ....

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The Blogumist (a href http://www.yourtastebuds.com)www.yourtastebuds.com AS BEIJINGs Birds Nest emptied and the flame was extinguished, we thought back to the pride of the athletes that were representing their countries as they stood up on the podium.This made us think about which restaurants are the pride of our nation.The diversity of cultures and the relatively young age of South Africa make finding truly local flavour a little challenging. Moyo ....

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Gabisile Ndebele THE final four couples competing for the lead roles in Disneys High School Musical stage production will have to sing and dance their hearts out this week. The duos will perform the greatest pop hits tomorrow.The release of the TV show in the US in 2006 sparked a global craze. It was one of the Disney Channels most successful series. Theatre productions have begun around the world. ....

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Receptionist bags major stage role Gabisile Ndebele A RECEPTIONIST from Durban who auditioned on a whim for the forthcoming TV hit show High School Musical: Live on Stage on a whim has landed herself a major role in the stage production.Producer Pieter Toerien said yesterday that he and co- producer Hazel Feldman had cast a complete unknown for the role of Martha Cox, a plump, brainy nerd who hides ....

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Gabisile Ndebele SOUTH Africa will host its own hip-hop-awards event on Sunday September 14. It will be hosted by Hype magazine at the Coca-Cola Dome, Northgate.From Friday next week there will be sport adventures. ....

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Aspasia Karras THE South African Paralympic team signed an urgent petition yesterday in an effort to escape the fate of the SA Olympic teams opening night outfit which was ranked fourth worst in the world.After an emergency meeting with the SA Sport Confederation and Olympic Committee yesterday afternoon, the Paralympic team was given permission to wear the black pant suits they were allocated for the official banquet, to ....

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Something very healthy and sustainable is growing on the coast, writes Andrea Nagel West Park School was officially opened on August 7 1983 by Sushila Gandhi, the daughter-in-law of Mahatma Gandhi, who advocated self-reliance.In her speech she said: Assistance to children who, not through any fault of theirs do not have the normal abilities and facilities needed to lead a normal life and meet the challenges of todays society, ....

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SHE SAYS ...A super-sized wallet is the ticket to this race, writes Aspasia Karras When you are a billionaire, you have money to burn. Take the illuminating examples of Larry Ellison and Ernesto Bertarelli. If for some obscure reason you are not familiar with these two big spenders, let me enlighten you. They are engaged in a titanic legal battle over a couple of yachts. Not just any yachts, ....

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Gabisile Ndebele JOHANNESBURGERS will be awash in beautiful women this festive season.The city is to be the host of the Miss World 2008 pageant in December. The pageant, which was originally to be held in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, was moved to Johannesburg as the organisers grew concerned about the conflict in neighbouring South Ossetia, Georgia. This week, they bestowed the honour on South Africa, Johannesburg Tourism confirmed ....

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Local model off to New York Gabisile Ndebele A SANLAM SA Fashion Week garbage competition might have launched a local models international career.New York fashion partnership House of Diehl became interested in local model Melody Zulu after seeing her model an outfit made entirely from rubbish . I am definitely going to take them up on their offer, an excited Zulu told The Times. It is every models dream ....

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The Blogumist (a href http://www.thetimes.co.za)www.thetimes.co.za OMG! Ive just seen in The New York Times that the USs conservative, gun- loving, moose-eating, abortion-prohibiting, family- values-promoting, vice- presidential nominee will be a grandmother in four months. And shes only 44. It was announced on Monday that her daughter, Bristol Palin, is pregnant. She will marry the father soon, I suppose. I wonder what American conservatives think of this. I dont want ....

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So powerful, it made me want to lose my lunch, writes Robert McKay WHETHER it is nature or nurture, a love of cars and of driving them fast is one of the cornerstones of modern masculinity. Its right up there with playing contact sports and eating meat cooked outdoors.Because neither of those last two things interest me that much (in the interest of full disclosure, Im a failed vegetarian ....

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Fill your day visiting the magnificent buildings and galleries or just take a stroll along the Rhine YOUR 24-hour Basel plan depends a lot on why you are visiting the city : if you are planning to spend your days at one of the trade fairs, you might not feel up to much more than a gentle walk by the river in the morning and a good meal at ....

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Gabisile Ndebele SO YOU Think You Can Dance competitors will have to step up their game when British judge and creator of the show, Nasty Nigel Lythgoe, arrives in town to rate the top 20.Originally a US dance competition and reality show, the television programme attempts to discover the next big dance star by putting contestants through a rigorous audition process. The contestants are required to perform various dance ....

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The Blogumist (a href http://www.tertia.org)www.tertia.org LIKE regular sex with your husband, or those early morning gym sessions, the thought of a girls night out seems like more hassle than it is at first. But afterwards, you always end up saying: Damn, that was fun; I must do it more often.We had a girls night out planned for Thursday. Dinner and a chick flick. The movie: Mamma Mia. As a ....

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Along with the joys of spring come the suffocating sinuses and itchy eyes of hay fever, writes Rob Mckay ITS spring that time of the year when blossoms appear and people shed their coats, take walks in the park and bid a final farewell to colds and flu.But some unhappy souls will continue to be plagued by the sniffles; those who suffer from allergic rhinitis, more commonly known ....

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Sally Evans THE continents biggest model talent search is on again, but the Nokia Face of Africa producers say that, though they want to showcase African talent, theres not much they can do to change the colour of faces on fashion magazine covers. Carl Fischer, M-Nets director of original productions, said: It is going to take time [for magazines to be more representative]. The more top African models that ....

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SAs first reality-show married couple kept up facade to get prize Sally Evans THE sun has officially set on the romance between South Africas first radio reality show couple theyve called it quits.Derrick Matthee, 35, and Gail Brookstein, 25, the couple from Kaya FMs Two Strangers and a Wedding match-making show are not together anymore, and have not been since they returned from their honeymoon more ....

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Jackie May It was a hot English day and the sweet and herby scents hit me. I left feeling enriched, calmer NESTLED between gracious Kensington houses and the Thames is a 1.6 hectare walled garden. I had not heard about this garden until recently. I was fascinated by the idea of a garden of medicinal plants that has been cultivated since 1673 in the centre of London. So last ....

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Robert McKay SOUTH African writer/director Ralph Ziman talks to The Times about his new feature film, Jerusalema, a gangster thriller set in the Hillbrow underworld. Q: How do you feel about the movie now that its out? A: There are things I wish I had the money to reshoot, but overall, Im pleased with it. We made a big movie on a very small budget. We had a long ....

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The boys are very small, with missing teeth ideal Gabisile Ndebele CASTING judges have found four little boys who are just the cup of tea for the stage musical Beauty and the Beast.After exhaustive auditions, four Johannesburg boys were deemed perfect to play Chip the teacup, son of Mrs Potts the teapot, in the show. The boys are bright, chipper, adorable, and are very small, with missing teeth ....

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Sally Evans CATS and dogs as fat as hogs are getting a chance to be South Africas biggest loser in a pet-slimming competition.This years Hills Pet Slimmer of the Year Award is on the prowl for pets that have shed their target kilos by Sunday. Stitch Parsons, a miniature dachshund from Gauteng, won last year s award, having lost more than half her body weight. She slimmed down ....

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