Tag Archives: The Fez

The birthday boys

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Last Thursday was an evening of birthdays and birthday boys. ;)

Birthday boy # 1 was the hottie on my arm Bjorn Steinbach:

Bjorn’s not big on birthday celebrations for himself.  So we ended up spending the evening at two other birthday events.  Go figure hey…

The first was the glam-fabulous-party-extravaganza of SA celebrity blogger & Expresso TV reporter, Clayton Morar.   I’ve met Clayton a couple of times before at various social events and can confirm that he is an absolute sweetheart!  But OK OK, so this wasn’t technically Clayton’s birthday party, but it was the 1 year birthday celebration of his very popular website.  So for that, I’m counting him as birthday boy # 2. ;)

He pulled out all the stops for this party.  A red carpet to welcome guests, camera crews, professional photographers, goodie bags, the works!

The event took place at The Reserve in St Georges Mall in Cape Town’s city center.  I had not had the opportunity to check out this venue before, so was really excited to finally see the inside.  It really does have some impressive features:

The lights on the ceiling kept changing colours… very cool

Then this is the first bar you see when you enter the club:

Here I enjoyed some SKYY Vodka Collins cocktails – on the house. Yeah baby! SKYY Vodka was one of the many sponsors of the evening.

Have to show you guys some more venue shots because this place is just so damn cool. :) Below, on the left, is the 2nd bar – which is situated right at the back of the venue.  Loved it’s opulent feel and over the top gold trimmings.  Then on the right below is the view of the main dance floor from that bar.  The big bird cage thing is actually the DJ box:

The guest list to this little shindig included SA celebs like: TV presenter – Liezel van der Westhuizen; mean Idols judge – Randall Abrahams;  soccer hottie – Ryan Botha, contraversial cricketer – Herschelle Gibbs and Sonia and Matthew Booth – our very own soccer power couple.  Move over Posh & Becks…

Then the Swing Tings were there to entertain the crowd.  They seem to be the new “in” act of the moment.  I did some Googling and found out that they actually only launched their band in August of this year. Basically they call themselves a “live electro swing act” and they consist of SAMA nominee Lu Chase and French Producer / DJ, Infrared.   I saw them perform for the first time at the CK Shock perfume launch back in September.  I didn’t even realise at that point that they were still such a new act, because they area really really polished.  Nice one guys.

Anyhoo, the evening evolved and we got to mingle with some interesting folks, but unfortunately we couldn’t stay too late as there was still one more party to get to…

Birthday boy # 3 was comedian Siv Ngesi and he was having his party at the Fez.  How do I always end up at that venue!?!  Luckily, because the crowd pretty much consisted only of Siv’s friends, we had quite a jol. Sjoe. :)

There’s Siv on the left… looking as happy as can be…

The music was great for a change, which meant we could bust out some seriously cheesy moves and dance the night away… Well, that was until I couldn’t walk anymore.  You see, I had made a poor choice in shoe for the evening.  Sure, the shoes were seriously hot and I got lots of compliments.  But the general rule with shoes are:  The better they look, the more they bloody hurt!  No pain, no gain I guess…  But I started off the evening gliding across the floor in total elegance… and ended off by moving like someone needing a Zimmer frame. hehe.  Final score for the evening:  Shoes 1 – Me 0. :(

That actually got me thinking.  There should be a service where hunky guys carry girls to their cars or taxis – letting you take your shoes off and give your feet a rest.  It’s plain genius I tell you!!!

Thanks to all 3 boys for letting me share their special night with them.  Had a blast.  And have almost got the feeling back in my feet…. almost…

xxx

The Global Party disappoints

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Soooo… after all that hype with the uber fancy invites and the super exclusive silver keys and all (check out my post about it here), I had built up this event in my mind to be something that was going to totally blow me away.

The venue, Fez, did make me nervous.  But I rationalised it by telling myself that surely an event of this magnitude would ensure a night to be remembered, regardless of the venue…

Before I continue, I will point out that I only got to the event at around 10:30pm because I had chosen to first check out the Cosmo Lingerie party (which was awesome btw).  So my view might be slightly scewed due to that.  Maybe cool stuff happened between 8pm and 10:30pm – I dunno.  Some people were like: “Yeah but there was a show and food.”  I saw the tail end of both.  The food was the same as I had at the Playboy Magazine launch party back in May. It looked like their standard snack spread, so nothing special.  The show was the same show they normally have at Fez – again, nothing special.

Venue wise, I still think they could have done better.  Cape Town has so many amazing spots, the Fez just seems like such a blah choice.  Anyhoo, at least it photographs well.  This is the VIP area:

The dance floor area:

The DJ box and a snippet from the show:

Fez was at least packed.  But sadly just with the usual Fri/Sat night Fez crowd.  I couldn’t really spot the “wealthy, well connected types” the Global Party website was aiming to have attend this party.  Actually I had heard earlier in the week that they were handing out free invites at Caprice to random people on the Sunday before.  Then I spoke to other people who mentioned that basically every “event circuit regular” was given a free invite as well.  Hmmmm, me thinks that was a serious FAIL for the PR company handling this thing locally (not sure who they were).  Wasn’t the whole point to collect money for charity?  How are you going to do that with a bunch of people who are just there hoping to score some free food & drinks!?!  (Myself included of course… haha… I’m from PE, it’s part of my genetic makeup! :) Also I’m not rolling in cash.)

We got there just in time for the local charity auction.  They had 9 items up for grabs, mostly luxury getaways and designer items.  But the final item was a VIP box at the Coldplay concert in October for you & 17 friends.  With drinks, snacks, etc. included.

Before the auction kicked off we got to listen to local a’capella group D-Seven, singing The Beatles’ hit “Let it be”, while they introduced the local charity which would be benefiting from the money made on the auction:  Saving Private Rhino.

The Saving Private Rhino initiative’s objective is to ensure the sustainability of the African Rhino by providing an integrated anti-poaching solution free of charge to every private game reserve in Africa that cannot afford to defend its wildlife.  There’s been quite a few horror stories covered in the press recently around this issue, the latest one was of 3 rhino’s which were attacked on 20 Aug at the Aquila game reserve.  Only one survived, while the other 2 did not make it thanks to their gruesome injuries.  The story really pulls at ones heart strings, especially when you see the horrible images of rhino’s with their horns hacked off.  I just don’t understand how anybody could do such horrible things to these amazing animals.

I’m very glad that this worthy cause was selected as the local benefiting charity.  And at least they were able to collect some money towards their amazing cause.  The first 8 items in the auction went for anything between between R7,500 to R30,000.  Then that last item for the Coldplay box went for a whopping R105,000.  That would work out to just over R5800 pp (18 ppl in total in that box) – I thought that one was pretty good going.   It was taken by Sue Main,  CEO of The Grand.

I did a quick calc – they must have collected about R280,000 in total.  That is pretty good.  I don’t want to take away from that achievement, but I still think if they invited the correct “money muscle”, they would have done soooooooo much better.

We didn’t stay too long after the auction.  The vibe just wasn’t great.  Ended up stopping at the 24 Hour Woolies in Orange street for a late night Cream soda & chicken nugget fix.  Mwhahahahaha.  Now that rocked my world. :)

My friend Dax told me that Goodluck played after the auction and that they were brilliant.  I WOULD HAVE stayed for that if I KNEW that they’d be playing.  But we weren’t given any information about the line-up for the evening, so had no clue that there’d be something worth hanging around for.  Aaarrgghh.  That’s just bad communication & planning guys… grrr.

My take away from this:  If the invite seems to good to be true, it very likely is exactly that.

xxx

The Global Party invite

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My friends, brothers Joe & Benny, are seriously well connected when it comes to the Cape Town party scene.  So for them getting VIP invites to parties is not really a special occasion.  This time however, I think even they were totally taken aback…

They’ve received invites to “The Global Party” for them and lucky partner each.  Seeing as I’ve been Joe’s bestest friend since our varsity days (where he used let me copy his homework. haha. Thx for that btw! ♥ ) -  I’m going along as his “plus one”.  Woohoo!

So what is “The Global Party” exactly!?  A super exclusive world wide event, in aid of numerous acclaimed international charities, including our very own Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund:

Inspired by Phileas Fogg…

80,000+ OF THE WORLD’S ELITE…
80+ OF THE WORLD’S FINEST LOCATIONS…
80+ BENEFITING CHARITIES…
ALL WITHIN 24 HOURS…

Thursday 15th and Friday 16th September 2011

Joe & Ben somehow know someone at the PR agency that is running with the Cape Town leg of this event.  And that’s how they got their way in.  Lucky boys!

The invite came all the way from the UK and was hand delivered.  Each invite came in the form of a luxurious black box, filled with 2 little black books and 2 little gift boxes containing 2 interesting looking silver keys…   Turns out the little black books are the actual invites:

Yes... that's a book people... the invite is a bloody book!

The book contains a unique invitation number which you need to use to RSVP on The Global Party website.  Then it goes on to give you information on all the benefiting charities and all the official venues/hosts for each of the world wide parties all happening over the 15th & 16th of Sep.  In fact, as an invited guest, you can RSVP to ANY of these international parties.   Seeing as we’re not the normal uber wealthy types what would have been invited, we stuck to the “local is lekker” option. ;)

Then there’s the silver key ring that came along with the invite:

The key that unlocks total fabulosity...

This Key-2 Luxury key ring apparently gives the holder access to 1000s of personal contacts and exclusive VIP privileges for life, and is not available to purchase by the general public.  Sweet.  Its also your what will get you in the door at the party on Thu (over and above your RSVP).

From what I can gather, they’ve invited the super rich & super connected from all around the world for this “party to end all parties” with a goal to collect money for the selected charities through ticket sales, donations & “Chapmagne for life” memberships @ £500.  People who place donations & who purchase these champagne memberships even stand a chance of winning their choice of 8 luxury “experiences”.   Here are some of the experiences up for grabs (there are more than 30 of these to choose from!):

The Le Kilimandjaro Experience
Experience 7 nights in one of the most prestigious luxury hotels in the French Apls, including dinner each night in the Michelin starred, gastronomic restaurant La Table du Kilimandjaro, with compliments. Le Kilimandjaro is situated at the foot of the ski slopes of Courchevel in the heart of the largest ski area in the world.

The Shangri-La Experience
In a stunning bay overlooking the Gulf of Oman, experience 3 nights at the exclusive 6 star Al-Husn Hotel, the most luxurious of all three hotels comprising the resort. Enjoy daily breakfasts, a romantic dinner at their finest restaurant “Sultanah”, and a scuba diving experience for two.Indulge in real luxury whilst relaxing on your own private beach, infinily pool and a dedicated butler service.

The Foster Luxury Yacht Experience
Step on board this beautiful, contemporary yacht and indulge yourself in luxury and style. Up to ten guests will set sail to cruise around the Mediterranean for a three hour cruise, which includes anchoring in a lovely bay to enjoy a delicious lunch freshly prepared by the exclusive YachtPlus chef.

The Orient Express Experience
The magical elegance of the Orient-Express is nowhere more clearly expressed than through the seasonal ‘grazing’ menu aboard the British Pullman. This gastronomic experience for two is complemented by the sommelier’s choice of fine wines whilst you enjoy the breathtaking English countryside.

The Franco’s Experience
Experience a Champagne Truffle dinner for 16 people in the beautifully private dining room. Franco’s has been serving the community and visitors to St James’s from early morning to late at night, for over 60 years. Situated at the St James’s end of Jermyn Street, Franco’s is surrounded by the many lifestyle boutiques, private clubs, art galleries and hotels of the area.

Hectic right?  I dunno how I would choose only 8 from the list they have on the website.  They all sound so incredible…  But then again, I don’t have £500 lying around to use as a donation, so I guess I don’t have to worry about it! ;)

The dress code states:  “Dress as if the world’s your stage!”.  I don’t really know what that means..  I mean what ever happened to the good old “formal / semi formal / smart casual / casual” classifications? haha.  But I’m pretty damn sure jeans aint gonna cut it here.  So I better start planning!

The Cape Town venue is the Fez night club.  Yes yes, I know, not my favourite.  But I’m sure for this event they are going to go the extra mile to ensure everyone has a great evening.  I do however feel like there are tons of way more impressive, beautiful venues in Cape Town that they could have chosen from.  But I’m gonna keep an open mind.

So anyhoo, will tell you guys all about the actual party then after Thu…

xxx

Aaaaarrggghhh…

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What’s worse than waking up with an “OMG I want to die” hangover?  Realising that your camera you had with you the night before is missing…  Yup, that was my morning. :(

So this means I can’t show you guys any of the cool stuff from the Voyeur party I attended at Blakes Bar last night…  You’ll just have to use your imaginations now…  sorry!

This was actually the 2nd Voyeur party Blakes has hosted.  The 1st one happened back in July and for some reason I can’t recall now, I wasn’t able to attend that one.  But then David, the owner, was awesome enough to offer me a spot on the guest list for me + 3 friends. Woohoo!  He also promised some free drinks & snacks and a hot burlesque show.   How could I turn down an offer like that right? ;)

Now I was told to be there at 7pm sharp as the burlesque show would be starting at 7:30pm.  And being an ex PE girl – if I’m told to be somewhere at a specific time, I’m there.  I don’t do the Capetonian thing and arrive 2 hours later.  Problem was that they seemed to be running way behind schedule.  So we actually ended up sitting around not sure of what’s going on for quite some time.  Things only really kicked off around 9pm in the end.  So yeah… that was a bit annoying…  and I was very close to leaving…

Luckily things picked up just in time.  A Bacardi rep first showed us how to make Cuba Libres – Bacardi Rum, Coke & lime.  It sounds really simple – but trust me, its really cool.   He told us “you want to be rimming the glass with the lime as well”… We had to giggle… he said rimming! haha.  (If you don’t know what that is, google it.)  We got a bottle of Bacardi for the table – just had to buy our own mixers – and then out came some snacks. Loved the mini burgers!  Why is it that mini anything just always seems so much cooler? :)

Then this cute girl dressed in a hot sailor outfit came out and did a very naughty burlesque act.   Very very hot…  The 2nd burlesque dancer stepped up the game by doing this routine with feather fans – cleverly covering her naked breasts (well except for fringe trimmed nipple caps!) and giving you only little glimpses of what she was hiding.   I actually love burlesque dancing. I think it’s so fun.  I’m considering taking a few lessons just for a laugh…

After the burlesque ladies did their thing, a couple of lingerie clad masked ladies came on scene to work the room as some “eye candy” and also to do some naughty dancing in the glass box Blakes has on the outside of the building – giving passers by a nice surprise.  Actually, I couldn’t resist sneaking into that box myself when nobody was looking! haha.  Too bad I don’t have the awesome piccie of me striking a pose to prove it.  Dammit.

The music picked up, the crowd grew, the vibe was hot and the party was finally on!  You had a rocky starts guys, but you pulled through in the end.  Had a good time, got to catch up with some fabulous people and even shook my booty a bit.

So where did I manage to lose that camera of mine?  Not at Blakes actually, but at the Fez.  I think I’ve mentioned this before, I’m really not a fan of Fez.  But for some reason, at a certain level of drunkedness, someone always suggests that we continue the party there.  And because at that point, my judgement is always a bit cloudy, I seem to think that it’s a brilliant idea.  The details are all a bit fuzzy, but I must have had one hell of a time… because I woke up on my couch still in my party clothes, smudged mascara, a headache from hell, clutching my little handbag…  My first instinct is always to check inside my bag to make sure I still have all my things (I’m quite forgetful and “los kop” on big nights out. haha).   That’s when I realised my camera was gone.  Total bummer…

Anyhoo, so now I’m off to go get a police reference number for my insurance claim and then to get a replacement camera… Oh well.  Sometimes there’s a price to pay for a good night out.

xxx