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South African (Off-Topic) Quiz


DamhuisClan

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Posted

Yep - Madagascar it is.

 

The Allies invaded and occupied Madagascar using a ANZAC, UK and South African force - including Navy and Air force.

 

Over 500 allies causualties occuered in the operation.

 

The threat was that after France capitulated - the Vichy French (Axis sympathisers) took control of Madagascar. It was feared that they would allow a Japanese Naval base - giving access to shipping lanes around the Cape.

 

So maybe that's where the ninja penguins come from in the kids movie (?).

 

A very interesting and little known operation on our doorstep. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Madagascar

Posted

Oh well - quite honestly I didn't know that Madagascar was ever involved in WWII at all. A wild guess teaching you something! :P

 

Let's get a sport [rugby] question going seeing as the Currie Cup is drawing to an end soon. In 1890 Sir Donald Currie, who accompanied the touring British Rugby Team to South Africa, presented a Gold Cup to the South African Rugby Board to used used in an internal competition. At the end of the tour the British Team awarded the Cup to Griekwaland West, the province they believed had produced the best performance of the tour. This is the same Currie Cup that is contested to this day.

 

What was Sir Donald Currie famous for? [How did he amass his wealth?]

Posted

A shipping magnate that curried favour with various people of undetermined and dubious pasts that I am prohibited to mention on this forum*

 

*Yes know it is late and that I am talking nonsense...

Posted

A shipping magnate that curried favour with various people of undetermined and dubious pasts that I am prohibited to mention on this forum*

 

*Yes know it is late and that I am talking nonsense...

 

Would that be SARFU that you are referring to perhaps? :wub::)

Posted

He transported many of the British troops to SA for the Boer War - so probably had some pretty decent income from defence contracts - sounds familiar?

 

He had a big shipping line that came to SA - I can only think of the Union Lines - as there were so mnay Union castle ships that passed by SA during the last century - so I'll guess that was his line too?

Posted

He transported many of the British troops to SA for the Boer War - so probably had some pretty decent income from defence contracts - sounds familiar?

 

He had a big shipping line that came to SA - I can only think of the Union Lines - as there were so mnay Union castle ships that passed by SA during the last century - so I'll guess that was his line too?

 

OK - close enough. He founded the Castle Shipping Line - which later became Union Castle Line - after having worked for the then Cunard Company.

 

The British Rugby Team that toured South Africa in 1890 came to South Africa aboard the Dunottar Castle on her maiden voyage - along with Sir Donald Currie himself and the Currie Cup.

Posted

OK - also on Currie Cup - but cricket this time. The Currie Cup competition stopped after 100 years and became the Castle Cup - and now it's known as the Supersport Series.

 

Which bowler has taken the most wickets in this competition from it's start in 1889?

Posted

OK - also on Currie Cup - but cricket this time. The Currie Cup competition stopped after 100 years and became the Castle Cup - and now it's known as the Supersport Series.

 

Which bowler has taken the most wickets in this competition from it's start in 1889?

 

Alan Donald

Posted

OK - also on Currie Cup - but cricket this time. The Currie Cup competition stopped after 100 years and became the Castle Cup - and now it's known as the Supersport Series.

 

Which bowler has taken the most wickets in this competition from it's start in 1889?

 

Alan Donald

nope

Posted

I dont know who the payer is, but do recall the timeless test still being the longest cricket game ever played, the game having to be called off because the ship leaving to take the opposing team back to England? was due to depart after 11? days. The only bowler that comes to mind is Vince van der Bijl but think he used to play for Transvaal.

Posted

I don't think that Graham Pollock's father was a Springbok Cricketer. Somebody like Clive Rice or Vince v/d Bijl [maybe Brian McMillan - perhaps a bit too young?] :laughing: would come to mind - they would fit the age profile of having a father playing in the late 30's and early 40's. Again, don't know if either had a father who played for the Springboks. :laughing: Both of them took a lot of wickets in SA cricket over the years by virtue of their "extended" careers helped along by the years of isolation. Both played 1st Class cricket well into their 30's.

 

My guess would have to be Ricie or Big Vince.

Posted

Yep - it was Big Vince -V.A.P. vd Bijl.

 

His dad - Pieter vd Bijl played in the timeless test - and was also headmaster at Diocesan College Preparatory School.

 

His great uncle also played first class cricket - for WP in the late 1800's.

 

He holds the record with 572 wickets - second is Garth le Roux with 365! Not likely to be broken for a while.

 

An interesting story - he came to a paper factory I was at - but was wearing trainers. NOSA safety required safety shoes. After searching the stores for size 15 (or 14) - we got special permission from the HS Manager to allow him, in under supervision as a client. He also autographed the autobiography I had of his.

 

You're it malomystery

Posted

Thank You.

 

The Richter scale is used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes. How many times higher is the amplitude of ground shaking higher than the preceding whole number? In other words " a magnitude 5 earthquake would have ? times more ground shaking than a magnitude 4 earthquake?"

Posted

It's logarithmic is it not - so an increase of 1 number on the richter Scale will lead to an incident 10 times greater than the prvious number

 

So in effect - a 4 on the Richter scale is 1000 times more serious than a 1

Posted

It's logarithmic is it not - so an increase of 1 number on the richter Scale will lead to an incident 10 times greater than the prvious number

 

So in effect - a 4 on the Richter scale is 1000 times more serious than a 1

 

Spot on CH

 

Part of the reason I guess that an earthquake like the Indian Ocean earthquake in 2004 that measured 9.3 did so much damage while one like the the recent Canterbury earthquake in New Zealand measuring 7.1 resulted in comparatively little damage, the one was 22 times more violent than the other. Note that while the shaking is ten times higher, the energy released is 32 times higher.

 

Over to you CH

Posted

Who is credited with designing our national flag?

 

I'm convinced that unless you are the immediate family of this dude you will not know the answer! :unsure::unsure:

Posted

Who is credited with designing our national flag?

 

I'm convinced that unless you are the immediate family of this dude you will not know the answer! :unsure::unsure:

 

Hey - if I'm immeadiate family - so are you :unsure:

 

It was pretty big news in 1994.

 

I'll accept his position too - a clue - he also designed the Namibian flag.

Posted

I seem to recall it was designed by South Africa's official Herald, but I don't remember his name. I think he was called in after a national competition to design a new flag produced no acceptable results.

Posted

I seem to recall it was designed by South Africa's official Herald, but I don't remember his name. I think he was called in after a national competition to design a new flag produced no acceptable results.

Bingo - you're it

 

Yes Frederick Brownell - Herald for SA.

 

There was a local competition - which yeilded no suitable designs - although there were many "good" ones - including a number from advertising agencies.

 

Cyril Ramaphosa and Roelf Meyer (the cheif negotiators from either side of the table) agreed to use this design as an "interim" solution for the elections and the period thereafter. But it now seems that with the Rainbow nation - this flag will be a permanent fixture.

 

strangely enough - the old Oranje Blanje blou (old SA flag) was also a similar "temporary" solution - that stuck around for 84 years.

Posted

Never watch Disney Channel but spend too much time on crossword puzzles! :unsure:

 

The inaugural Comrades Marathon was in 1921. Forty-eight runners entered, but only thirty-four elected to start. The course at the time was tarred only for the final few kilometres into Durban.

Who was the winner?

Posted

Some guy who didn't officially entered the race.

He stood around at the start, and joined in when everybody set off, just for fun.

And he just kept on going, and "won" in the end..

 

Not sure if this is an urban legend story, or for real, but I sort of heard this story somewhere along the line.

Don't know his name though...

Posted

Ok - caught a little unawares by getting that right!

 

Here's a quickie.

 

Where would you find an aiglet?

 

This question was asked in October last year, and funnily enough, it was CNC that got it right back then as well :ph34r:

Posted

This dish was used as a base for what other dish? : "a traditional Javanese dish made from shredded coconut flesh which has been squeezed of its coconut milk, often mixed with other ingredients such as vegetable or fish, and wrapped in banana leaf and steamed. In the past the coconut flesh is discarded after squeezing the coconut milk, but this way it can also be eaten. Itis typically consumed with rice."?

Posted

Sticking with the food theme - 'Aponogeton distachyos ' - what dish is this used for?

 

Aponogeton was one of the types of weeds that I used in my fish tanks if I remember correctly. Don't think it would be marine related - seaweed - so I will go for "Waterblommetjies uit die Boland - met lekker skaapnek". CnC in the WP is maybe a bit of a giveaway there! :D

Posted
Bobotie?

Yep - from the malaysian (javanese or Batavian) BOBTOK.

 

Well, I must say - I'm confused... Bobotie, coconut? um - very strange connection that I don't seem to get. :D

Posted
Bobotie?

Yep - from the malaysian (javanese or Batavian) BOBTOK.

 

Well, I must say - I'm confused... Bobotie, coconut? um - very strange connection that I don't seem to get. :D

 

Bobotie is a South African dish consisting of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping. The recipe is likely to have originated from the Dutch East India Company colonies in Batavia, with the name derived from the Indonesian Bobotok.

 

And Bobotok is the dish I described. It was derived after the Malay workers were brought to SA and adapted a recipe they knew to make "bobotie" - no coconuts available here in SA

Posted

hehehe - aha!!

I make a mean Bobotie.... and I must say there's never been any coconut near my bobotie. LOL

 

I get it - but that's still quite a derivation! Thanks Malay workers - I guess - 'cause Bobotie is delish!

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