Jul25

It’s been a while…..

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Doing what we do best....

Doing what we do best….

ChillieandRum have been quiet of late. Not because we have tired of travel, planted a veg garden and stopped watching cricket, or that we have not not been up to any mischief, quite the opposite really, but somehow stuff got in the way of blogging and any semblance of sharing anything from mindless ramblings and dodgy cocktail recipes to anything remotely enlightening, went out the window. That of course along with my natural inclination to avoid all things computer related does not bode well for a would be blogster who has a bit of a love hate relationship with social media. I loathe the fact that people are more transfixed with 30 second interval updates of their social status, detailing their mundane dietary intake, totally oblivious to the fact that a tribe of lesser spotted twin headed yetis may have just strolled past. Not to mention the fact that it elicites a response from a 100 “friends”. I dont even know that many people. Why would they care what your *@£$*^! banana pancake looks like in Thailand? But thats just me. Clearly a billion people cant be wrong. Well actually I think they can. But then again….. Read the rest of this entry →

Jan25

Why all the Surf Rage?

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Why all the Surf Rage?

Surfs Up.
An article in a local newspaper recently highlighted an age old incident of surf rage, something that seems to be on the increase. What’s causing all this aggro attitude in the water? Does it boil down to so called “tribalism”, locals who think they own a spot and lay claim to it above everyone else? Is it overcrowding due to the growing popularity of the sport? Or are we simply becoming a selfish, goal driven, generation of greedy humans? Read the rest of this entry →

Jan9

SA FOOTBALL: Bafana Bafana vs Norway at Cape Town Stadium

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Bafana Bafana lost 1-0 in a friendly match against Norway on Tuesday night. The match is part of the teams preparation for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations starting on the 19th of January.

Bafana Bafana lost 1-0 in a friendly match against Norway on Tuesday night. The match is part of the teams preparation for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations starting on the 19th of January.

Despite the great weather and a large crowd turnout, the boys in green and gold could not get the ball across the line on the day and lost their friendly Pre-AFCON match against Norway 1-0. But then many predicted Bafana would be crushed by the young Nordic Vikings. It was always going to be tough for Bafana who have gone through difficult times, with media and fans alike not sparing any punches in criticizing the players, tactics, team selection and general attitude. Bafana are ranked 87th in the world and have not covered themselves in much glory. Facing up to Norway at 24th was never going to be easy. It’s a bit like having Bolt race against Forrest Gump. It should be a no brainer, but we live in eternal hope that our National side will perform miracles. Read the rest of this entry →

Dec12

New Addition to the Cape Town Market Scene

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New Addition to the Cape Town Market Scene

Sri Lanka MarketAfter 10 weeks traveling around Sri Lanka with it’s beautiful beaches, warm water, gentle surf, tropical climes, great spicy food on every street corner and bustling markets, (not to mention coconut cocktails), we’re finding it near impossible to adjust to life back in Cape Town. Lets face it – it’s not entirely a shabby place to come home to, great beaches, “the mountain”, vibey bars, warm weather.

BUT the water is 10C, the surf zones are either packed, sharky (if you’re in England then read “man-eating, shark infested waters” ), or you’re going to snap your board (or at my age your neck), the wind can howl for days on end until your last sanity cell fuses and you scream at everything living or not, and also you should mortgage your house if you’re in the mood for a sundowner cocktail or 6 along the sunset strip of trendy Camps Bay. Sadly, spice is not the order of the day and you are often met with bemused stares from your waiter when asking for fresh chilli to perk up a bland meal. Along with that, unfortunately we seemed to have developed a fast food, supermarket culture that provides anything and everything pre-cooked, packed, wrapped and ready to eat. Read the rest of this entry →

Nov6

Jaffna Resurgence.

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Jaffna Resurgence.

Moris Minor


The trip to Jaffna, the Northern most city of the island, was going to be interesting to say the least. We have all heard bits and pieces about the notorious Tamil Tigers (LTTE) and the war that raged in Sri Lanka for 3 decades, ending in 2009. So leaving from surf happy, Marley mania in Arugam Bay, to the once war torn and tsunami ravaged Jaffna was going to be an adjustment of sorts.

Jaffna market

We were not sure what to expect from Jaffna, as many Sri Lankans have never made the trip north and know nothing more about it other than, “LTTE stronghold, war, but now it’s ok”. Or, “Oh, there are Tamils.” Intrigued by these stories of “Tamils” as if we were talking about little green martians that had descended on planet earth and stumbled into a mormon gathering. It’s like coming to SA and saying, “Durban? Oh ya Durbs, cool spot. There are lank Indians there. And they are Hindu.” And the Dutchman hide in Bloem and Pretoria (usually wearing two-tone khaki short pant and shirt). Read the rest of this entry →

Oct25

The not so subtle art of distraction and computer avoidance.

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The not so subtle art of distraction and computer avoidance.

Sri Lanka’s, surf capital, Arugam Bay.


Beer, cocktails, beach, surf, sun and sand, interesting people, not so interesting people, freaks, power cuts, beer, coffee, lack of coffee, dogs, cats, crows, cows, and squirrels. Together or singularly, all these things are to be blamed for my slight tardiness in updating ChillieAndRum. Not to mention my aging rum fueled forgetful mind….. But here is something more on Arugam Bay…… Read the rest of this entry →

Oct8

Howzat! Gangnam rocks the Premadasa…..

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W.Indies celebrate WT20 victory!

If you had told me 5 years ago I would be in Sri Lanka watching the final of a T20 match I’d tell you that you’ve been smoking your socks. Not because I didn’t think it possible but simply that I had NO interest in cricket. But then a turn of cricketing fate slapped me in the face with SA hosting the second IPL on our shores, due to Indian elections happening at the same time. “Pick a team and support them all the way through”, were the words coming from Lalit Modi and Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan. Oh whatever – so I’ll pick the most Bollywood looking team of the lot and supported Kolkata Knight Riders. Dud move, they were crap. Came last that year, but I fell in love with the game and the rest they say is history. I still support KKR – and finally they have done me proud and along the way I have developed an appreciation for all the formats of the game. And so came the WT20 in Sri Lanka. And my only regret is that it was not sooner. Sri Lanka – you’ve done yourself proud. Read the rest of this entry →

Oct7

The Final Countdown.

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The Battleground for the WT20 Final btw W.Indies and Sri Lanka


“Believe it – it is true. It is here!”, words spoken by an animated Desmond Tutu when we hosted the 2010 Football WC. It’s the same nervous excitement and energy hanging in the air this morning as Colombo prepares for an epic battle. And it couldn’t be between 2 more deserving teams. Sri Lanka vs W.Indies. It’s going to be like David and Goliath. The mighty and powerful W.Indies face up to the more diminutive, but accurate Sri Lankans. Swashbuckling Gayle vs refined Jayawardene. Big sixes vs crafty, well timed shots. Read the rest of this entry →

Oct3

Proteas go home and KP gets “re-integrated”……..

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Proudly SA and doing our bit to support local industry.

We’re Proudly SA – for many reasons , but currently thanks to the SA women’s Cricket team! They say women should rule the world. I think we already do. New Malawi President Joyce Banda recently reduced her salary, fired some incompetent, probably overfed, over paid cabinet ministers who experienced first hand the effects of “Desk Derriere” and she sold the presidential jet. Wow. Taking notes Zuma ? Probably not. Read the rest of this entry →