The Assembly as I have never seen it before - masses of people ushering themselves up the stairs and into the main stage area populated by white plastic armless chairs. The buzz and chatter is that of a theatre waiting for the curtains to open. I take a gander at the seated area and quickly realise the open chairs are in fact reserved for friends of the seated. Moving to the bar, I find many standers and the almost invisible paper sign stating "Cash Bar Only." Bummer. Water it is tonight, which doesn't go without the accompanied vexed look from the barman - but who's to say he isn't just hungover? I let it slide.
I find a stair seat and upon placing my thin arse down, I realise my butt cheeks will not survive the night. This is of little consequence however, as I came to see what Pecha Kucha is all about. I will be deterred by nothing. Except a bomb scare or rotten milk. Looking out over the crowd I recognise absolutely no-one. I am quite surpleased (surprised and pleased - its my blog I can make up words if I deem it necessary) at this. As more people with the need for random information filter in, the chairs, stairs and standers get more and more tightly mashed together. Soon I can smell at least four different perfumes around me. And I'm loving it.
The night starts with Dave Cotton, in what I assume to be his usual crazy self, thanking sponsors and introducing all the organizers and helpers for the evening. He warms up with a video of the Founders, Astrid Klein and Mary Dytham, who made a short clip to congratulate Cape Town on their 20th Pecha Kucha. Full of energy and excitement, they explain that Pecha Kucha, pronounced something like pe-cha-cha, is Japanese for chatter or the buzz of chatter. Very apt. Crazy geniuses are the most fun. After this, Assembly Radio Speaker dude steps up and announces himself presenter of the presenters.
The presenters are only 8 in number. We are informed there was a last minute pull out. No names, no matter, the show must go on. I wont keep up with the laborious details of each speaker but more the ones that really stood out. For me it was, in no particular order and by my own calling:
- The Hip Hop Guy
- The Colombian
- Ultimate: The Game is On.
The Hip Hop Guy suffuses the crowd with anticipation after his first line, "My name is Jerome Rex and I am a long time lover... (adequate pause for laughter)... of Hip Hop." He moves swiftly with "keen lyrical agility™" (his words) through the basic history and different aspects of Hip Hop Culture. This entails DJ-ing/turntablism, graffiti, break dancing and rap/emceeing. Between the focused eyes, he slides in a quick verse in Afrikaans to the whoops of delight from a bunch of girls to my right. I'm sure they are the only ones who actually understood it. The representation he brings to the stage is about Hip Hop as a performance art, not just a a style of music. As he closes he speaks with passion about his passion and the good it can do. I am relieved to not hear anything about 50Cent.
Check out his styles www.jerome-rex.blogspot.com.
I am surprised and informed to hear from Ultimate: The Game is On that Ultimate Frisbee has been taken down as the name of the sport, as Frisbee is a brand make of a disk. Much like Kleenex or Lil Lets. That is a bad analogy in case you didn't notice. So here is the run down of Ultimate:
The game itself was started, and I quote the speaker Ryan Purcell, "... by a bunch of hippies throwing a disc around and making up rules as they went." Well said and most likely very true. For me, the biggest bonus about this sport is that you can have co-ed teams. It's a spectator sport everyone can enjoy. Another very different aspect is the players on both sides adhere to a code of honour - Spirit of the Game™. The game is to be played in good spirits from both sides and is entirely non contact. The clincher to this code of honour? No referee. (At this point a mass enstartlement ensued throughout the audience with hushed whispers of, "A game without a ref?!") The players work out any goals or penalties among themselves, taking into account the level at which they are playing.
Ryan, who is the trainer of the National Team, really does have a passion for the sport. As he sheds some light on an otherwise unknown sport and invites everyone to join in, I find myself allured to the disk now in his hand... like a Border Collie.
See the latest and greatest of the game http://japan2012.southafricanultimate.co.za/
And now The Colombian. Full name Marcela Guerrero Casas. Born and raised in Colombia, she moved to Cape Town in 2006 and fell in love with the Mother City (don't they all?). Even though she is the second speaker, I am enthralled. She is one of the most hard hitting speakers because of her true enthusiasm for Open Streets:
In the 60's in Columbia a group of locals were getting fed up with the traffic, so they took to the streets one Sunday and occupied a whole stretch of it for a number of hours. After this, the Open Streets movement grew. Today, on that same road in Columbia, over 1 million people gather every Sunday to walk, cycle, exercise, play, explore, integrate and just have loads of fun. And It has grown into a worldwide movement. Look at the recent Occupy movements or even our very own 2010 World Cup. These can all be seen as Open Streets movements. They are happening all around the world and are consistently growing. The concept, she tells us with a smile to light the room, is not only to reduce the carbon footprint. It is to create a healthy space for recreational activities that link communities and foster social integration. I start to really feel her now. I understand the vision and I am truly moved by it. I think to myself, "Cape Town needs this."
Open Streets has a long way to go in South Africa. However in Cape Town, she is planning her first Open Street in November. The date is yet to be set, but this project guarantees to be a monumental starting point for community driven collaboration. She leaves the stage to a mass of applause and even a few people standing, these simple words ringing in my heart, "Community driven happiness."
Join in the fun and get prepared marcela@openstreets.co.za
As the last speaker finishes and the Assembly Radio dude grabs the mike once more i find myself slightly disillusioned at the prospect that this is only going to happen again in November. It is far too long to wait to hear my fellow brothers and sisters opening themselves up to an appreciative audience. The crowd crams their way down the stairs (which I think is a bit unnecessary since we all just had such a good time) as I wait to chat briefly with Dave Cotton. Hence why I know he is his usual crazy self. Thanks for being you Dave. I wait a little longer for the majority of the crowd to disperse and take my time to head out doors, head spinning with fresh ideas and nuances made clear.
