Allow me to reintroduce myself….

(My name is Hov', OH, H-to-the-O-V
I used to move snowflakes by the O-Z)

If this just rang through your head right now…......................Nice!!!

On the real though, this blog has been dead. Dead dead dead. The reasons for this are wild and vast. I mean we started this blog as unemployed graduates with a lot of time to indulge in our obscure, alternative thoughts and hang out on coffee shops fantasizing about life. Oh wait, we still subscribe to the latter, but now we have less time to mess around and pursue what we really want to. Ah the corporate life! Aslam, co-blogger and homie, in a bold move (great for him, but horrible for me), moved to Sharjah to teach English for almost a year now and is probably going to keep going on world adventures. I, on the other hand, have missed my friend A LOT, but I’ve also somehow become a workaholic type and this has pretty much killed my creative drive. NOT ON. NEED THAT.

This blog was started by us as outlet the share our thoughts, critiques, tastes and ideas on everything that we love and are inspired by. These are not always common or mainstream, but they are real and affect us in a real way. I must say though that, for me, it is very frustrating having all these ideas about the world I live in and not always being able to share it with people who relate and who essentially ‘feel’ me. This is one of the reasons I wanted to be part of a blog - a space that is mine, where I can share the things in my mind with more people than in real life. We’re not up in this blog game to get more followers, or be invited to the cool parties, or to win any popularity contests. No. The Rebel and The Urban Edge represents a place for us to share our honest, sometimes outlandish contemplations, and to share what keeps inspired, interested, bothered. It’s a space for authentic, original and fearless thought that will maybe inspire, maybe present new perspectives, maybe just be fun, hopefully all of these! Or none. Deuces!

I’m so grateful for this space! I literally dream of things to write. I am constantly jotting down and I am so driven by this blog! I’ve sat down a million times to write, but honestly it hasn’t just been time constrained. Things like being uninspired, distracted and fearful all got in my way. But ain’t nobody got time for that! So we're back in the game. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to visit this blog and read our stuff. It makes my heart happy! Plus, today I saw that had over 10 000 views. Good Lawwd! OK fine, 5000 of those views were probably me, but still! Me and Aslam are on it now! Please come back for more!

In our attempt to re-invigorate the blog, we have a shiny new banner! These pics were taken in December of last year, when I hung with Aslam-guy in his new hometown. We work up early, hustled from taxi to taxi to metro in search for a true gem in the heart of plastic Dubai – a place called The Archive in Safa Park. The Archive is essentially a coffee shop in a park attached to an even cooler modern library that boasts the most impressive collection of Islamic and Middle Eastern arts and culture books that I’ve ever seen or probably ever will see. I read so many different, amazing things – a photo diary documenting Hajj in 1939/1940 (my fave), a book on all of Azzedine Alaïa's work in the 21^st century, a book explaining the history and types of Graffiti work and their meanings in Palestine, an entire collection of poetry from Khalil Gibrain, a book documenting and explaining every single high rise building built in Dubai up to a few years ago, Zaha Hadid’s entire architecture portfolio, history books of the Arab dynasty, books on Arabic calligraphy, art work of Al Ghazali philosophy, just to name a few. Needless to say, we were joyfully lost in those books for hours. Literally. For breakfast, brunch, lunch and afternoon tea. We indulged and we found our happy place. Oh! How can I forget! We also got to see a mural that graf artist El Seed, who we love, did just a few days before at The Archive. It was a great day indeed.

So welcome back again and see you soon?

Peace and love,

Nafeesa

Say CHEESE...CAKE!

I am so excited to write this post about some of my favourite people ever. Everyone really needs to get a familiar with the with this group of tall and handsome (mostly :P) comedian-best-friend-roommates, affectionately known as CHEESECAKE.

Cheesecake is a collaborative group of four young comedians, Simmi Areff, Lazola  Gola, Robby Collins and Mojak Lehoko.  Each comic is successful and established in his own right, but together, they bring a certain chemistry, magic and brotherhood to comedy that is really something exceptional. Besides being some of the coolest individuals I have ever met,  they are each so unique and fresh in their comedy design. Their comedy is honest, sharp and edgy, and they each have their own style of delivery drawn out from their individual personalties.

Their bond as Cheesecake is based on a shared passion for comedy and a mutual love and respect for each other, but more definitively, exists as they are each forward-thinkers who understand the art of comedy and who have the courage to go after their dreams HARD. What better way to do it than with your best friends, right? They have cultivated this new, exciting tone in comedy that is distinctive and authentic, and completely self-created. Their flavour will get you addicted and soon you’ll find yourself following them on Twitter (@simmiareff, @LazGola, @mojaklehoko,@RobbyCollns08). And in real life, just to hang out with them (They live on Korea road). Though they may run away from you.

In line with their progressive nature, the boys have started much needed a comedy gig every Tuesday at Kitchener’s in Braamfontein called 'New Material Night' where they and other invited comics try out new material every week. There is a raucous, fun, crazy atmosphere at Kitcheners where you will see comics at their best and worst, but you will definitely walk away satisfied. It may even be the highlight of your week. (Probably.) Check out the video below to see what goes down at Kitcheners on a Tuesday night! Also shout put to the girl with the amazing laugh in the start of the video.

Cheesecake sometime transform into a music group called Ride or Die. As if comedic talent wasn’t enough, they produce, write and rap on their own tracks, very reminiscent of old school hip hop/early N.E.R.D. I’m even featured on one called “Sleez is the New Swag”. Have a listen to some of the tracks and spread the music around J Here are the links:

Sleez is the New Swag à http://www.hulkshare.com/uj7tonkp1r8y

Bitches Love Biscuits à  http://www.hulkshare.com/8ovkikuj1gb9

Don’t Buy City Press à http://www.hulkshare.com/0dn3r8r4ep31

Cheesecake are HILARIOUS. These guys are all so ambitious and passionate and have the talent and drive to back it up - I can’t wait to see what their future’s hold!

Don’t forget to go through to Kitcheners every Tuesday night for comedy! It’s at 5 De Beer Street, Braamfontein, starts at 9 and damage is 20 bucks! Take all your friends and spread the word! Get in there before it blows up so much that there won’t be any space for you and all your friends and you'll be turned away because the party is THAT crazy. Don’t say I didn’t put you on!

Have you seen Cheesecake perform? What do you think of them?

Please comment and share this post. Young, legit South African talent deserves it  J

Peace and stuff!

Nx

Islam and Cities

I love knowledge so I must love cities. Cities are places where people come together. People who are  full of ideas. Sharing ideas pushes thought forward; thought translates into actions and events which stimulate further thought. This is one of the reasons I think that being born in Joburg has been a huge blessing. People from all over South Africa, Africa and the world end up here sharing their thoughts and ideas, enriching my life by merely existing and expressing themselves in this concentrated environment which is the city.

As Muslims we have a duty to examine the world around us; we are to marvel at its complexities but also recognize and understand it. How many of us take the time to marvel at the urban environment that surrounds us and think about what makes it work? What is it working towards, who decides its direction, its future, its priorities. In this last question I find a close tie between cities and politics.

Here's a piece I came across in Ahmad Farid Moustapha's, "Islamic Values in Contemporary Urbanism": 

"When Mawlay Idris decided to build the city of Fas (Fez) in northern Africa (Morocco), having sketched the ground-plan of the city and before construction got underway, he recited the following prayer:

"O my Lord! You know that I do not intend by building this to gain

pride or to show off; nor do I intend hypocrisy, or reputation, or

arrogance. But I want You to be worshipped in it, Your laws, limits

and the principles of Your Qur'an and the guidance of Your Prophet to

be upheld in it, as long as this world exists. Almighty, help its

dwellings to do righteousness and guide them to fulfill that.

Almighty, prevent them from the evil of their enemies, bestow Your

bounties upon them and protect them from the sword of evil. You are

able to do all things." 

       

 There are cities in this world that have people as their highest priority. Corutiba for instance shuts down its busiest road once a week and rolls out massive rolls of paper that children from the city are free to go colour on. Their city is designed for people. Makkah is designed for the worship of Allah, one could argue: the city is built around the Kaabah, all development that takes place is done with the understanding that people that come to Makkah come to see the Kaabah and worship Allah. Dubai is a commercial centre, it has little to offer once the oil runs out and so all profits from the oil are being invested into tourist attractions. Qatar is the same with its gas reserves being converted into modern art museums (2) . The intentions that drive cities fascinates me - it's where values meet the real world and in their expression lives are shaped and determined.

Johannesburg is the city of Gold… most people that live here do so for that reason til this day, well cash/jobs not really gold anymore. What does that mean for the quality of life? I’m sure we have engaged in conversation about the quality of life in Cape Town versus Joburg and how that impacts on people. 

Have we asked how our city impacts on our Islam or how our Islam impacts on it?

Traditional vs Modern Pluralism

Taken from  "Drawing for Architecture (Writing Architecture)" by Léon Krier.

More at: http://www.thepolisblog.org/2012/09/conversing-with-sketches-of-leon-krier.html