Khuluma March 2018

GOING VEGAN FOR THE PLANET HEALTH, FITNESS & BEAUTY

I n d country thdt bodsts d Ndtiondl It cdn be d tricky thing to wrdp your hedd NUTRIENTS, BIG
Brddi Ddy dnd where friends bond dround: Being vegdn medns AND SMALL
dt dctudl medt festivdls like cutting all dnimdl-
Bdthurst’s Ox Brddi, the Fire dnd Fedst derived dnd medt For many, the biggest challenge
Medt Festivdl in Jozi or, my fdvourite, products from your with veganism is making sure
the Potjie dnd Mdmpoer Festivdl in diet dnd lifestyle. you’re getting all the macro- and
Vdnderbijlpdrk, vegdnism isn’t exdctly Thdt medns cheese micronutrients you require to stay
dt the forefront of our culture. South dnd milk dre out, healthy. Macronutrients include
Africdns like to edt medt. Twenty, ten, honey is out, mdny carbohydrates, fats and proteins,
even five yedrs dgo, dsking d wditer dbout sweets dre out (becduse while micronutrients include a
vegdn options dt d restdurdnt invdridbly the geldtine used in long list of vitamins and minerals.
resulted in bldnk stdres. Cheekier wditers their production is A common misconception is that
might hdve suggested chicken, dnd like only meat and dairy contain enough
vegetdridns during the 90s, most vegdns protein for our bodies, so giving them
would hdve resorted to yet dnother sdldd up can result in ill health. Proteins
– hold the cheese. are made up of smaller amino acids
joined together by chains. ere are
But dttitudes dre chdnging 20 amino acids and you require all
dnd ds vegdnism hedds of them in your diet to be healthy.
towdrds the culindry Meat contains all 20 amino acids, and
mdinstredm, so is the quickest and – for some – the
does the dvdildbility most convenient way of ingesting all
of supermdrket the protein goodness you need. Plant
ingredients, gourmet proteins, found in green vegetables,
medls, dnd even beans, grains, nuts and seeds contain
entire restdurdnts a number of the amino acids, but not
thdt dre resolutely all of them in a single plant. In order
free of products to ensure you get all the required
derived from dnimdls. amino acids, you need to eat a
combination of plant proteins – think
tasty spinach, chickpea and butternut
curry cooked in a turmeric spiced
coconut milk sauce. Micronutrients
come from your fruit and veggies
anyway, so going vegan will only
serve to increase your intake. e only
micronutrient you cannot get from
plants is Vitamin B12, but it’s easy to
find an over-the-counter supplement
that will do the trick.

kulula.com MARCH 2018 99

HEALTH, FITNESS & BEAUTY GOING VEGAN FOR THE PLANET

madg from animal To gnsurg you’rg ggtting gnough of all
lgftovgrs, likg thg macro- and micronutrignts, you arg
bongs and skin), rgquirgd to pilg your platg as high as you
and gggs arg out. can with protgins and vgggtablgs.
And, ygs, smart- For somgong likg mg, who has bggn
arsg, fish and counting calorigs my wholg lifg, this
shgllfish arg animals, was most gnjoyablg, as was crgating
too. Hardcorg vggans mouth-watgring rgcipgs likg almond
do not usg lgathgr githgr. and spinach-stuffgd grillgd mushrooms,
So whgn I dgcidgd to follow a black bgan nachos with spicy salsa
vggan digt for thrgg months (aftgr and guacamolg or laygrs of coconut
bging a vgggtarian for 13 ygars), thgrg crgam-infusgd vggan lasagng in a rich
wgrg somg prgtty profound changgs. It tomato saucg with bakgd laygrs
wasn’t simply a rgstriction on my digt, of vgggtablg goodngss.
but an gntirgly ngw way of cooking and
gating. And somgtimgs a lot of gxtra And if that sounds likg too many
qugstions whgn ordgring a simplg dish vgggtablgs, don’t panic. From vggan
in a rgstaurant. Bgcausg cooking and
baking with buttgr or milk, for gxamplg,
arg total no-nos.
Thg good ngws is that this ngw way of
cooking is lgss daunting than it is gxciting.

EAT PLANTS, SAVE THE PLANET

Beyond the personal benefits of a plant- Smithsonian Institute has published that animal agriculture is responsible
for 18 per cent of greenhouse gas
based diet, it’s worth considering the research involving Yale University that emissions and between 20 and 33 per
cent of all fresh water consumption.
impact animal agriculture – the raising of concludes that beef requires 28 times Which all means that a diet that leans
towards plants can really contribute
animals for meat and other products – is more land, six times more fertiliser to environmental well-being, too.
When I used a ni y online ‘vegan
having on our planet. In Cowspiracy: and 11 times more water compared calculator’ (thevegancalculator.com) that
estimates the positive impact
e Sustainability Secret, a feature-length to many other food sources. Regardless of a single person’s vegan lifestyle,

documentary that uncovers the harrowing of how much you like your meat, I discovered that in my three
months of veganism I saved
truths about the impact of animal you cannot ignore that it is an inefficient 374 751 litres of water,
819 kg of CO2, 252 m2
agriculture on the planet, filmmaker Kip way of producing food for the masses. of rainforest and
1 629 kg of grain.
Anderson points out that it requires Plus, there are knock-on consequences Not to mention the
lives of 90 animals.
6 070 m2 of land to produce 170 kg of of raising livestock in the quantities we

meat. By contrast, the same space can be do. e Food and Agriculture

farmed to produce 16 782 kg of plants. Organisation, a specialised

Okay, before you get your knickers in agency of the United

a knot, the stats are drawn from a 2012 Nations that leads

Iowa State University Agriculture report international efforts

specifically covering American grass- to defeat hunger, in

fed beef. But these kinds of figures crop its ‘Livestock’s Long

up again and again. e journal of the Shadow Report’ claims

bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb MARCH 2018 kulula.com
100



Grab-and-go

How about kicking it up a notch with a salad jar idea? Layer it up with veggies, Falafels and Butternut Balls
from the Fry Family Food Co.? We’ll guarantee you the most attractive, brightest, tastiest lunch at school or work...
and for those on the run, this delicious recipe is convenient to prepare and nutritious.

Ingredients

3 Fry’s Chickpea and Roasted Butternut Balls (frozen)
3 Fry’s Chickpea and Quinoa Falafels (frozen)
20g baby butter lettuce
20g rocket leaves
100ml peas – blanched
100ml corn – blanched
2 Peppadews® – finely sliced

For the Vegan Mayonnaise Dressing:

1 heaped tbsp of cooked chickpeas (from a tin works well)
20ml white balsamic vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 heaped tsp mustard
1 tsp xylitol
150ml oil mix (grapeseed oil, avocado oil, olive oil
and coconut oil)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Add half an avocado (if serving all the mayonnaise
within an hour or two)

Me od

Cook the Falafels and Butternut Balls according to
the packaging instructions.

To make vegan mayonnaise, add the chickpeas,
vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, xylitol and
seasoning into the jug of a handheld blender.
Blitz until thick and creamy. With the head of the
blender still in the jug, start pouring the oil in while
lifting it up and down until the oil emulsifies with
the rest of the ingredients.Taste and adjust
seasoning. If you choose, add avocado.

Layer the salad ingredients in a glass jar. Layer
with the lettuce first, then the corn, followed by the
peas, then the Butternut Balls and the Falafels;
end with the Peppadews®.

Enjoy with a drizzle of the vegan mayonnaise
or salad dressing of choice.

www.fryfamilyfood.com

GOING VEGAN FOR THE PLANET HEALTH, FITNESS & BEAUTY

South VEGANS ONLINE
African vegan
meals company, Vegilicious is a non-profit
Fry’s, produces over organisation with the intention of
30 different meat-free mainstreaming veganism in Cape
products including Town. ey host loads of events and
sausages, ‘chicken’ workshops from cooking classes
strips, and burger to vegan braais. vegilicious.co.za

patties. e South African Vegan Directory
is a vital source of any and all vegan-
cheese to plant-based milks and dairy- related information. vegansa.com
free ice-creams you really can find a
vegan substitute for just about anything e South African Vegan
in your kitchen. I recently baked light, Society aims to create awareness
fluffy meringues using the brine from a regarding the vegan lifestyle, and
tin of chickpeas. Plus there are companies wants to make it accessible, enjoyable
investing time and research into creating and sustainable for all South Africans.
tasty meat alternatives. Among these is vegansociety.org.za
The Fry Family Food Co., which started
in Durban. Wally Fry started making e Fry Family Food Co. has a blog
vegetarian sausages in his kitchen in with great recipe ideas and interesting
1991, back when vegetarianism and reads. fryfamilyfood.com
veganism were barely acknowledged.
business invested in developing tasty,
The DIY business involved healthy, non-GMO vegan meals. They’ve
the whole family, and gone from making only sausages back in
everyone pitched in to
taste, measure and help 1991 to offering over 30 vegan products,
package the small orders. including burger patties, pies,
Now, 27 years on and samosas, falafels, meat-free
everyone grown up ‘chicken’ nuggets, ‘chicken’
some, Fry’s remains schnitzels and ‘chicken’ strips.
an environmentally Because, as much as I’m game
conscious family for a good salad and love my
vegetables, sometimes
You really can find a vegan substitute it’s good to mix things
for just about anything in your kitchen up a bit.
So how did cutting dairy
and eggs from my diet
affect my health? I noticed
two major changes. Most
significant was how much more
efficiently my body seemed to

function – it was sort of like when your
car comes back from having

kulula.com MARCH 2018 103

HEALTH, FITNESS & BEAUTY GOING VEGAN FOR THE PLANET

Vegans are no longer the 'weird hippies'
- today they're the 'hipsters'

a major service. In fact, during my With so many benefits, though, has been more effective for converting Pictures: Larisa Blinova/shutterstock.com, Roi and Roi/shutterstock.com, Svitlana-ua/shutterstock.com,
three-month vegan stint, all symptoms why aren’t more people converting to attitudes,’ he says. smereka/shutterstock.com, saschanti17/shutterstock.com, supplied
from an existing autoimmune issue veganism? ‘I think it’s the fear of change
diminished: from inflamed sinuses and and a lack of knowledge,’ says Tammy Fry, If you’re considering making the shift
joints to asthma and allergies. I even who is Fry Family’s marketing director. A to an entirely plant-based diet, now’s a
stopped taking medication. My doctor lot of pro-vegan sentiments have been better time than ever. Back in the early
said she believes that mass-produced notoriously preachy, even hostile – akin 1990s when the Fry family sold vegan
dairy is a cause of inflammation in the to the days when animal activists threw sausages out of their kitchen, the
body, and that the changes I felt were red paint at models in fur coats. ‘Instead market was tiny and options limited.
likely due to cutting dairy Because of the growing participation and
from my diet. of being confrontational, we try interest, it’s getting easier and tastier,
to package veganism in a to make the shift. ‘It’s progressed from
Also significant was message that is positive being the “weird hippies” to the hipsters,’
my improved physical and informative,’ says says Fry.
performance. I was running Donovan Will, from the
farther and faster with South African Vegan So the next time you’re pushing your
a seemingly endless tank Society, a nonprofit trolley through your local grocery store,
of energy. And I recovered aiming to mainstream consider adding a few vegetarian or
quicker. So veganism definitely veganism in South vegan options. With the way the planet’s
worked in my favour and the Africa. ‘Encouraging going, it’s worth realising that following
feeling of wellbeing people to reduce their meat a plant-based diet is not simply a trend
was amazing. or a movement, but one way of saving
intake versus giving it up entirely the planet. Plus, there have never been
so many great restaurants in which to
enjoy a vegan meal that doesn’t consist
solely of lettuce wraps or a side
of chips.

104 MARCH 2018 kulula.com





ju n kBEAUTIFUL GOOD-LOOKING GARBAGE FASHION & DESIGN
Reuse. Recycle.
Reimagine. Allison Foat T he 1950s was a noteworthy
meets a few local designers decade. Amongst myriad
who are making beautiful other things, Walt Disney
things from the stuff released Cinderella, Charles M Schultz
we throw away. launched his Peanuts comic strip and
Princess Elizabeth ascended to the British
throne. It was also the genesis of the
mass production of plastic and, 60 years
later, Earth is heaving with 8.3 billion
metric tons of it.

A mere nine per cent gets recycled
while the rest wreaks ecological havoc
on land and sea. The degradation has
multiple sources but since plastic
is typically tossed within a year and
decomposes over 400 years, it takes the
heaviest toll on the health and wellbeing
of living creatures, the atmosphere, and
the planet’s fragile ecosystems. If present
trends continue, by 2050 there will be

kulula.com MARCH 2018 107

FASHION & DESIGN GOOD-LOOKING GARBAGE

12 billion metric tons of plastic in high impact lifestyles, purchasing WASTE NO MORE
landfills, an amount that equates to decisions, usage habits and waste
35 000 times the weight of the Empire distribution, post haste. Switching to In Milnerton, Cape Town, Hangar
State Building. And plastic is only one bamboo straws, fabric shopping bags 18 is a coffee shop-cum-craft
of countless pollutants we’ve been and glass water bottles are all no emporium and social upliftment
discarding with little or no thought for the brainer solutions and as sane people programme whose upcycling
consequences – the human race is living everywhere adopt a greener approach to initiative has created employment
as if there was another planet to go to. living, designers are identifying creative for more than 30 women since the
opportunities to transform rubbish and project began a year ago. Every day,
Consumers and industries are being refuse into objects of delight. ladies from Joe Slovo township and
pressured to step up and rethink their surrounding communities come
together to crochet bath mats
LIGHTER LIGHTS from T-shirt offcuts and handbags
from plastic carriers. Everything is
Magpie, an art collective based in the sold onsite alongside goods made
Klein Karoo town of Barrydale, has been by other local crafters such as the
in the business of re-imagining rubbish for adorable tin angels and Cheryl
two decades. With reuse and upcycling Clark’s fairies fashioned from used
central to their design philosophy, they Nespresso pods. Eco bricks are
link high-end art, design and craft with another part of Hangar 18’s mini
an ethical approach to commerce in production line, an innovative waste
conjunction with social and environmental solution using two-litre bottles
awareness. The company produces all that are filled with non-biological
kinds of lighting concept pieces, including waste and used as building blocks
utterly unique chandeliers that are for modular furniture, walls and
coveted the world over. full-scale buildings. The ethos at
Hangar 18 is empowerment through
And while many of their designs include a commitment to tread lightly on the
discarded plastics, they also transform earth. hangar18.co.za
objects of a sentimental nature – family
ornamental trinkets interwoven with
trinkets and heirlooms – into glass beads and crystals drops and
useful pieces that can be illuminated with candles, were bought
treasured in new ways. in 2009 by celebrity Los Angeles
Your grandparents’ decorator Michael Smith and installed
tea set that doesn’t in the Obamas’ private quarters at the
quite fit in with your White House. magpieartcollective.com
slick, contemporary
kitchen, could
be transformed
into a one-of-a-
kind showstopper
chandelier, for example.
Two such chandeliers,

constructed in the Regency
style with plastic bottle tops and

108 MARCH 2018 kulula.com





GOOD-LOOKING GARBAGE FASHION & DESIGN

A STITCH IN TIME

Leading by example on the apparel
front is Spiritgirl, based in Woodstock,
Cape Town. The on-trend bright workout
leggings produced by this label are
made from spandex woven into recycled
polyester (PET) and the end result is a
superior, next-to-naked lightweight pair of
moisture-wicking fancy pants. Each pair
is made from 25 bottles and the energy
saving eco-production process involves
chopping the PET containers into flakes
and pellets that are melted and made into
fibre that gets stretched and processed
into fabric. The company also supports
conservation projects Greenpop and I Am
Water. Their latest collaboration is with
a group of artistic Ndebele women from
Verena village in Mpumalanga who have
designed the stunning graphics printed
onto the Ndebele African Queen pants
range. spiritgirl.co.za

TIME TRIP TRINKETS bicycle wheels, antiques,
glass milk bottles and an
Looking for a nifty way to keep endless array of discarded
Grandma’s treasures forever close? things that have been
Recreate will turn any unwanted given a new lease on life.
memorabilia into ever-present memories Thompson also stocks items by
– a worn old suitcase can be transformed crafters like Phanny Mangwiro, a
into a lounge chair or a vintage vacuum Zimbabwean designer who converts
cleaner repurposed into a standing lamp. tin bottle tops into containers,
One block away from the Old Biscuit Mill pencil cases and cutlery trays.
His bottle cap basket was part
in Woodstock, the of the Cape Craft & Design
store is a browser’s Institute’s annual Handmade
paradise and a trip Collection at Design Indaba
down memory lane. in 2011, alongside a cupboard
Established eight made by Thompson from an
years ago by one- antique wooden printer tray.
time interior designer recreatesa.com
Katie Thompson, the
shop specialises in the
restoration of furniture,

kulula.com MARCH 2018 111

FASHION & DESIGN GOOD-LOOKING GARBAGE

EVERLASTING MOTHERBOARD GEMS roght through to the packagong.
Usong old fashooned solversmothong
Upcyclong os a way to create a product of Not everyone knows that wothon every technoques and tools such as wore draw
hogher qualoty or value than the orogonal cell phone os a measure of solver and plates and rong mandrels, Ashley says
and Sealand has thos down to a fine art. gold, but accordong to a UN report on she enjoys ‘dostollong a desogn down to
Heavy duty ondustroal materoals loke yacht electronoc waste, ot takes 41 mobole ots somplest form to truly allow the
saols, truck tarpaulon, Bedouon stretch tent handsets to yoeld one gram of gold and solver to speak for otself’. After
and bollboard nylon are goven a second precoous metal and on the Unoted States
lofe by beong transformed onto functoonal alone, cell phones contaonong gold meltong the metals, she pours
accessoroes such as slong, duffle and and solver worth $60 molloon the loquod onto ongots then
tote bags, backpacks, laptop cases and are dumped every year. rolls and hammers
wallets. And, of course, there’s a payoff Based at her Albert them onto the desored
for customers because the fabrocs Road store-cum- shapes before
they work woth are extremely durable, studoo on Woodstock, filong and poloshong
meanong theor fashoonable-lookong Ashley Heather the final product.
products are quote capable of lastong a takes advantage Her rongs, bangles,
lofetome. sealandgear.com of thos secret stash brooches, earrongs
of doscarded metals and necklaces are
whole helpong to loghten
the amount of wastage. She delocate and her desogns best
dosmantles the devoces and descrobed as contemporary
fashoons jewellery out classocs. The studoo also
of reclaomed corcuot welcomes members
boards. She adheres of the publoc to drop
to sustaonable off any e-waste
practoces from the for recyclong.
manufacturong phase ashleyheather.co.za

112 MARCH 2018 kulula.com



TECHNOLOGY & GAMES FUTURE TRAVEL

tom orrowNOWBOARDINGFOR
Anthony Sharpe gazes into his crystal ball app at the
technology that’s transforming travel right now.

I n 2009, I spent a little over become increasingly unfathomable The smartphone is a staggering
seven months travelling around to go travelling without my portal to technological marvel: yours has more
Southeast Asia. Unemployed and the internet, global positioning satellites, computing power crammed
thus unencumbered by worries about maps and various travel apps in my into it than NASA had access
time, I drifted from city to town, island to pocket. I save sample itineraries, mark to when they put a man on
peninsula, urban backwater to remote locations on digital maps, check cab the moon. It’s barely an
rural backwater, staying in any prices in the airport, translate requests understatement to say
given place until I got bored, and more. If I pass a cool-looking sight or it’s revolutionised the
then opening the guide store that I don’t have time to investigate, way we travel. But your
book and deciding on my I snap a photo of it so I can find it at a smartphone isn’t the
next destination. That’s only thing that’s
right: I said ‘guidebook’ later stage using the getting smarter...
(remember those?). tagged GPS data.
I did the whole
trip using a
selection of
printed maps
and books as
reference, sans
smartphone.

As my reliance on
technology has steadily
increased over the
past eight years, it’s

It’s become increasingly unfathomable to go
travelling without my portal to the internet

114 MARCH 1018 kulula.com

FUTURE TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY & GAMES

CAPE TOWN TO JOBURG IN HALF AN HOUR? SMART LUGGAGE

‘Supersonic commercial flights?’ you say, is is the challenge the engineers at While adoances in human intelligence
seem to haoe stalled, at least our luggage
cautiously. ‘Wait, didn’t they already do companies like Lockheed Martin, Boom is picking up the slack. It’s no longer
enough for our humble bags to conoey
that with the Concorde? Didn’t it close Technology and Spike Aerospace are our possessions in a coherent package;
the modern traoeller demands that her
down?’ Yes and yes, are the answers. contending with as they try to resurrect luggage has built-in GPS tracking, RFID
identification and Bluetooth proximity
e French-British supersonic passenger supersonic commercial flight, hoping to sensors, so she can find her way back to
her errant belongings without eoen haoing
jet operated between 1976 and 2003, leverage recent advances in materials, to glance up from her phone. Speaking
of phone, did you forget to charge it
servicing mainly the needs of the über- engines and modelling to make these before getting to the airport? Most smart
luggage now includes USB charging
wealthy who could afford its fares, and aircra viable. If they succeed, you’ll be ports, sparing you the ignominy of fighting
with the riff-raff for plug points. For the
failing to make much money for its looking at a little over three hours for a spacious-conscious traoeller, there’s the
Néit collapsible suitcase, that folds flat
investors due to its voracious appetite for trip from New York to London (or 35 when not in use (neit.life). For those too
lazy to use their legs to conoey them
jet fuel, and upsetting ground dwellers minutes from Cape Town to Joburg). across the oast expanses of the airport,
there are the Modobag (modobag.com)
with its earth-shattering sonic boom. Expect to wait until the mid- to late late- and Coolpeds (coolpeds.us)
suitcase/scooter hybrids
ere’s a reason commercial 2020s for the opportunity to break the – why carry your luggage
when it can carry you?
passenger aircra design hasn’t changed sound barrier while sipping a Hopes are high that, by
the turn of the decade,
too much in the past 70-odd years, and cup of coffee, though. our luggage will be
sufficiently smart to make
that reason is efficiency. Planes stay responsible financial
and political decisions
alo by pushing air down beneath their for us too.

wings and bodies, and go forward by

pushing air out of the way. Because the

laws of physics are a drag, if you want to

go twice as fast, you have to push about

eight times the amount of air out of the

way. at means more energy, which

means more fuel, which means things

get really expensive, really fast. Plus, not

such a hot idea, ecologically.

kulula.com MARCH 2018 115

TECHNOLOGY & GAMES FUTURE TRAVEL

VIRTUAL REALITY UnBure if paragliding iB for you?
Check out 360.Bouthafrica.net
No, we’re not talking about giving up on and experience panoramic videoB
travel and touring the world from the of abBeiling, Bhark cage diving,
embrace of your favourite couch. Get that kite Buryng and paragliding – if you
idea out of your head. Right now. What get vertigo from the VR, it might
you will be Beeing iB increaBing uBe of VR not be your cup of tea. ThiB year iB
in deBtination marketing. Many hotelB expected to mark a major upBwing in VR
already offer 360-degree tourB of their adoption, following yearB of pilot projectB,
roomB and facilitieB – VR takeB thiB to greater platform adoption and market
the next level. Imagine Blipping beneath maturation. You’ll Btill look like a goofball
the waveB at a few premium Bcuba diving while wearing a headBet or with your
BpotB up the Mozambican coaBt before phone Btrapped to your face, though.
Bettling on your next holiday deBtination.

INSTANT-TRANSLATION DEVICES

In The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, revolutioniBe travel. then preBB an icon on
your phone, Bpeak,
DouglaB AdamB deBcribed the Babel Developed in Japan, the and their wordB will be
tranBlated directly into
yBh, explaining that ‘if you Btick a ili tranBlation necklace your earB. It’B not quite inBtant
and it’B not quite BeamleBB,
Babel yBh in your ear you can inBtantly (iamili.com) haB been on but it’B a big Btep forward.
The greateBt hurdle that the
underBtand anything Baid to you in any the market for a year or machine learning behind tranBlation
technology haB to grapple with iB
form of language,’ then later adding Bo now, tranBlating EngliBh diBcourBe analyBiB – underBtanding
the intention and Bpirit of the Bpeech
that ‘the poor Babel yBh, by effectively into SpaniBh, JapaneBe or Mandarin, of Bomeone from a completely
different culture and adapting it Bo
removing all barrierB to communication meaning you can make yourBelf that the BubtletieB of meaning are
retained. PerhapB ynding that darn
between different raceB and cultureB, underBtood, even if converBation iB yBh iB our beBt hope for now.

haB cauBed more and bloodier warB than off the cardB.

anything elBe in the hiBtory of creation.’ Google’B Pixel BudB are making waveB

We can only hope that variouB inBtant- by integrating with Google TranBlate

tranBlation gadgetB on the horizon to try and make the tranB-linguiBtic

don’t require inBerting a live creature communication proceBB more BeamleBB.

into your ear and don’t reBult in wanton The app tranBcribeB your wordB into

bloodBhed. BecauBe breaking down your target language on your phone, and

language barrierB could abBolutely BpeakB them aloud. The other party can

116 MARCH 2018 kulula.com



TECHNOLOGY & GAMES FUTURE TRAVEL

Pictures: Sabelskaya/shutterstock.com, gagarych/shutterstock.com,
owatta/shutterstock.com, supplied

Modern hotel apps are bundling
booking, check-in, access, and even
room service into your phone

HOTEL APPS to go to the trouble of downloading
and engaging.
That bloke you see waving his
smartphone at his hotel room door at While much of this tech is hotel-
2am isn’t necessarily drunk; he might proprietary and affordable only for major
simply be unlocking the door. Hotel apps chains, Texas-based firm OpenKey has
are becoming much more sophisticated created a system they hope will become
– after all, why should guests go to the an industry standard alternative to
trouble of installing an app if all it allows proprietary ones. The app, which works
them to do is check in online? with most Bluetooth-based, mobile-
optimised locks, is in effect a ‘skeleton key’
Modern hotel apps are bundling
booking, check-in, access, and even Hotels abroad have been ironing out the
room service into your phone. That technology and security kinks for a few
means skipping queues, which is a years now and last year saw several local
big plus for business travellers
and parents with screaming hotels adding remote check-in and
brats in tow. However, the downloadable room keys to their
challenge remains for list of perks. Because nobody
hotels to offer sufficient likes explaining to front desk
added value through that they can’t get into their
their apps for guests hotel room, drunk, at 2am.

118 MARCH 2018 kulula.com



zeroGROUND Electric cars have arrived in a
big way – and they’re changing
more than just the fuel we use
to get from A to B. We plug
in to the future with three
game-changing rides, and feel
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generation motor racing.

120 MARCH 2018 kulula.com

E-MOTION ROAD TRIP

X MARKS THE SPOT car, meaning it’s all-wheel-drive
ready, and it pumps out 320 kW of
Touch screens are so old hat. Future power and 700 Nm of torque. The
folk deserve better, which is why battery is touted to deliver a range of
the boffins at Nissan are cooking up 600 km, and get this: it can transfer
the IMx. Should you wish, you’ll be power back to the grid when not in
able to control this little crossover’s use. Cars spend most of their time
instrument panel with a combination parked, right? So why not share
of eye movements and hand gestures. the juice when it isn’t needed.
With the IMx you can afford to be
a little more hands-on, thanks to Revealed in Tokyo last year
its futuristic version of the ProPilot and still in the concept phase, it’s a
system already available in the Leaf. serious looker, with a sci-fi exterior,
With drive mode engaged, the steering and interior design inspired by the
wheel retracts into the dashboard, zen-like atmosphere of a traditional
the seats recline, so you can read the Japanese house – because the
news, ogle your friends’ Instagram floor of the vehicle is completely
posts, or feed your digital pet frog. flat, the interior feels cavernous
It is almost too cool to believe. (unlike, say, the feeling of a modern
Tokyo apartment).
The IMx is powered by twin
motors at the rear and front of the

kulula.com MARCH 2018 121

ROAD TRIP E-MOTION

TAKING A end of 2019. The base
BYTE OUT OF model will sport a 71
THE MARKET kWh battery with a
projected 400 km range,
With engineers but the really cool thing
struggling to find ways is how fast it recharges –
to make smartphones any Byton says it’ll juice up to 80%
larger, Chinese vehicle upstart in half an hour. It also ships with Level 3
Byton is going one step better: autonomous capabilities, which means it
building a car that replaces your can take care of some aspects of driving
in specified conditions as long as the
smartphone. Byton Life is a digital user is ready to take the wheel, and it’s
platform designed aimlessly to upgradeable to Level 4, which means
connect your devices, data and less driving for you, and more wildly
applications, allowing you to gesticulating your way through your
integrate music, video, fitness music collection on the highway.
and other information.
Of course, all that info is Now in its fourth
useless unless you can see season, Formula E made
it! That’s where the Byton’s its global debut in 2014.
‘dashboard’ comes in – it’s Upcoming races include Mexico
actually a 1.25 metre-wide City on 3 March, Punto Del Este
screen spanning the cabin, on 17 March, Rome on 14 April, and
complemented by a smaller Paris on 28 April. Check out the
one embedded in the steering action on the ABB Formula E
wheel. Sound dangerous? You YouTube channel and visit
bet! But don’t worry: you can
interact with the user interface fiaformulae.com
via hand gestures, which has for more.
the double effect of requiring
kulula.com
less concentration and providing
an entertaining pantomime for your
neighbours in the morning commute.

The preliminary showcase for all this
gadgetry will be a premium mid-size
SUV expected to launch towards the

122 MARCH 2018



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E-MOTION ROAD TRIP

LIKE A LEAF ON THE WIND new ePedal, which allows coftrol of the uffathomable void without fear of
acceleratiof, deceleratiof afd stoppifg causifg a fefder befder. You might evef
It’s fot the world’s best-sellifg, greefest by ifcreasifg afd decreasifg the pressure be tempted to thifk of the Leaf as your
greef car for fothifg. The Nissaf Leaf of the accelerator. It soufds like it takes owf persofal chauffeur.
is the car that brought 100% electric a bit of gettifg used to, but poteftially a
drivifg to the mass market. Afd the mass game-chafger for drivifg if traffic.
market lapped it up like a hufgry kittef
laps up milk, with more thaf 283 000 Speakifg of traffic, Nissaf’s ProPilot
first-geferatiof Leafs sold sifce its 2010 both acts a cofveftiofal cruise-coftrol
laufch. Now the secofd-geferatiof is out system (with lafe ceftrifg) afd coftrols
afd features a 40 kWh lithium-iof battery
(up from the previous model’s 30 kWh), speed, followifg distafce, afd
afd af improved rafge of aroufd 400 km. evef stoppifg afd pullifg off if
The power traif delivers 110 kW of power traffic, leavifg you free to floss
afd 32 0Nm of torque, takifg you from your teeth, grif mafically at
0–100 if 7.9 secofds. other drivers, or just gaze ifto

Despite that power output, Leaf drivers
might fifd themselves usifg the
brake a whole lot less. That’s
fot fecessarily because it’s
beifg marketed to taxi drivers,
but rather because of the fifty

Words: Anthony Sharpe, Pictures: Neuevector/shutterstock.com, Supplied GETTING E-MOTIONAL responsibility? When electric cars of an engine doesn’t always matter as
fill the streets with silence, will my much as our planet.
Motoring journalist Jeanette goosebumps disappear forever?
Kok-Kritzinger gets fired up Consisting of ten teams and 20 of the
about Formula E. e answer to this question world’s best drivers, Formula E brings
Few things in the world give me has emerged in the form of the ABB FIA world-class racing to the streets of 12
goosebumps faster than the sound of a Formula E Championship. It’s the world’s cities – including New York, Hong Kong,
Shelby Mustang’s V8 at top gear. Or the first fully-electric international single- Paris and Rome – in one season. Already,
thrilling sonic boom-busting wail of seater street racing series. Its aim is to ten big automotive names are involved,
an Audi R8’s V10. Oh, and, of course, a reinvent racing while strongly hinting at including Audi, Jaguar, Renault and
Porsche 911 turning the race track into a the future of the automotive industry as Citroen, and the series has become a
loud, bass-ass symphony. Goosebumps! car manufacturers respond to the need to competitive platform for manufacturers
reduce the human carbon footprint. to test and develop road-relevant
For those of us whose need for speed technologies. Porsche will be joining
includes a love of the screaming sound of e race series – and the vehicles it is Formula E in 2019, coinciding with
petrol or diesel engines, the fast-dawning attracting – is literally revolutionising the planned release of the Porsche
electric mobility revolution comes with auto racing, demonstrating that Mission E, the company’s first electric
a hint of sadness. Will my racetrack motorsport isn’t about the fuel so much as car. My goosebumps are back.
tears dry up as the fastest cars succumb it is about the speed. And that the sound
to the pressures of environmental

kulula.com MARCH 2018 125



Greenin gTHEGREENERECONOMY MONEYMATTERS
OUR WORLD

It’s not purely aesthetic or a way to
impress your friends. Greening our lives
has become an economic imperative –
and it’s essential for our well-being2 too2
writes Katherine Graham.

GREENER OFFICES buildings she’s been involved with is
Cecilia Square, a 3 700 m2 multi-tenanted
‘For the past 10 years, it has been office building in Paarl. Constructed
fascinating for me to observe the growth with a fairly conservative budget, it
of the green building movement in South was designed to achieve a 58 per cent
Africa,’ says green building consultant reduction in CO2 emissions and a 51 per
Michelle Ludwig. ‘From nascent cent reduction in water, primarily through
beginnings, it has grown to become improved toilet and tap fittings.
almost conventional practice.’
According to a recent report, SA rates
Ludwig works with companies to help the highest out of developing countries
them design buildings for its share of green buildings in the
or do renovations property market – well above the global
that reduce their average of 24 per cent. Ludwig believes
carbon emissions this positive trend will continue: ‘South
by using less African companies look beyond our
energy and borders to understand international
minimising
municipal trends and good practices. We’re
water usage. more nimble and we manage
to get there quicker. Most of
One of the the companies I’ve worked
with push beyond the
entry-level recognition
to see where else they
can improve and many
have implemented green
strategies as

kulula.com MARCH 2018 127

MONEY MATTERS THE GREENER ECONOMY

Going solar can boost
the value of your home

standard practice Do an inventory patterns are more unpredictable and Pictures: Denphumi/shutterstock.com, Olga Kashubin/shutterstock.com, Vanatchanan,shutterstock,com,
because it doesn’t of the light fittings extreme,’ says landscape architect amophoto_au/shutterstock.com, Josemar Franco/shutterstock.com, Smileus/shutterstock,com
require much effort, in your home and Marijke Honig, author of Indigenous
but provides make sure all of Plant Palettes. ‘For example, there may
real returns.’ them are either LEDs, be prolonged dry seasons, followed by
which last 25 times longer flooding. Winters are becoming milder,
GREENER HOMES than incandescent bulbs, or which is a problem because fruit trees
CFLs. In addition, motion and daylight need a period of dormancy in order to
A really easy fix to green your home sensors enable you to save electricity by produce well.’
is by installing good insulation. ‘Insulation not using lighting when you don’t need it.
has traditionally been overlooked due Installing a solar water geyser is In order to survive, Honig believes your
to our moderate climate,’ says Ludwig. perhaps pricier than either insulation approach to gardening needs to change
‘However, we do have unpleasant peaks of or lighting fittings, but it’s a worthwhile – radically. ‘Instead of regular watering,
heat and cold, which can be dramatically investment, given that your geyser chews fertilisers, ongoing weeding and pruning,
reduced through simple insulation. up 30 to 50 per cent of your monthly you can opt for plants that survive with
It is typically a low-cost intervention electricity bill. Going solar can also boost the least human input,’ she advises. ‘Allow
which can make a significant impact on the value of your home and most banks natural ecosystem functions to take place
reducing the cooling or heating, and thus are willing to add the cost of a solar – allow pioneer species to colonise open
electricity, required.’ geyser to your home loan. If you still areas and fallen leaves to decay, thereby
can’t afford it, consider getting a geyser mulching and enriching the soil.’
Another relatively easy remedy is blanket, which keeps the water hotter
lighting. Electrical lighting impacts your for longer. A fantastic way to green your home is
utility bill and your home’s heat gain, as to use trees and shrubs to shade, screen
well as your health. ‘It doesn’t have to be GREENER GARDENS and create privacy. ‘Strategically planted
fancy or expensive to be effective and trees can offer seasonal shade and save
efficient,’ assures Michelle. ‘With the Forget the ideal of an English country you the cost of air-conditioning,’ she
rapid pace of technological improvements garden adorned with sweet-smelling says, ‘while planting mixed hedges of
in lighting, costs are coming down and roses – the optimal green garden is lean, indigenous plants will give you masses
fixtures can do more, which often means mean and resilient. ‘Today’s weather of greenery and flowers and attract
we need even less.’ birds and bees.’

128 MARCH 2018 kulula.com





GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY KEEPSAKE

INTO woods
THE been concerted efforts to restore the families and one for ‘friends’. It’s Africa’s
forest, although it’s hardly easy replacing largest citizen-led reforestation festival
O ne of South Africa’s few extremely slow-growing thousand-year- – attendees plant between eight and ten
surviving indigenous forests,
old milkwoods. thousand trees which have so far enjoyed
Platbos – a unique mix of
ancient Afromontane and coastal

thicket vegetation – is situated in the What’s been pivotal for the forest’s an overall survival rate of 85 per cent.

Overberg between Gansbaai and revival, however, is the work done by Aside from getting their hands dirty,

Words: Keith Bain, Picture: Supplied Baardskeerdersbos. Today it’s owned by Greenpop, an eco-initiative that has participants get to camp in a sublimely

eco-minded tree-lovers but 100 years planted tens of thousands of trees at beautiful setting with like-minded

ago, a large swath of the ancient forest needy sites across South Africa, Zambia neighbours. Between planting trees,

was cut down and the land ploughed and Tanzania over the last eight years. there’s a lot to do – the festival includes

to grow potatoes. When the land As many as 35 000 trees have been live music, food stalls, eco-talks,

proved unsuitable for agriculture, it was planted during Greenpop’s Reforest workshops and relaxing activities like

abandoned and invasive vegetation took Fest, which happens at Platbos over two yoga. 16–18 and 23–25 March,

hold. For some time now, there have weekends this month – there’s one for reforest.com

kulula.com MARCH 2018 131



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