Whether you’re planning to entertain loved ones at home or abandon the nest for some exotic locations, make sure you make your time off count! To help you make the best out of your free time, PushPrint is giving you the gift of amazing gift recommendations, holidaying suggestions, and fun food and alcohol recipes – all in one place, so that you don’t have to waste time looking around.

GREAT & GLAMOROUS GIFTS

Courtesy of ELLE magazine and Stuff magazine

shoX maxi
R249.95 |www.tevo.co.za

Build your beat with the shoX maxi – these battery powered, full bass speakers can be connected to each other using linX technology. The combined result…jaw-dropping party sound. Available in black, silver, white, turquoise and pink at leading retailers or directly from Tevo.

Spitz luxury footwear

As the luminous Coco Chanel said, “Shoes are the ultimate accessory of fashion. They herald your arrival and prolong your departure.” It is this belief that South Africa’s leading luxury footwear emporium, Spitz, continues to uphold. Visit Spitz for premium brands including the likes of Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabbana, Chloé, Kurt Geiger and Lacoste.

The iLUV ArtStation Pro
R2 000 | sales@cortechsa.co.za

Dynamic and cinematic sound quality to heighten your Galaxy Tab/iPad/iPhone/iPod experience. Sit back and enjoy rich audio clarity and balance that can only come from Enhanced jAura Sound Technology.

Holiday Skin™ Firming

Protect your skin from dangerous UV rays and opt for Holiday Skin™ Firming from Johnson & Johnson. With its light selftanning agents, it gradually builds an even, natural-looking tan without the streaks. Plus, it firms skin to leave you u looked toned and G tanned and feeling silky soft.

MAGIX Music Maker MX
pxsoftware.co.za

Make music with MAGIX Music Maker MX that will captivate your audience. Thanks to the sound building block principle, useful help videos and endless opportunities, you can develop your own songs and share them with friends. Make innovative sounds and catchy melodies even without prior skills. Your own song is only a few clicks away!

Guess red skinny jeans
R699

In the early 1980’s denim lacked a fashion edge. The Marciano’s saw this as an opportunity to combine their European style with a traditional American fabric. They changed the perception of denim forever by creating a line that was sensuous and innovative. Today, the Guess brand continues to remain timeless. Your Guess summer must-have: red skinny jeans.

E5 Wireless Modem
R1 500 | www.huaweidevice.com

Huawei’s E5 Wireless Modem sets a new standard for mobile internet access. The E5 can create a wireless network anywhere you go, allowing you to access the internet using multiple devices whenever you like.

ELLE sunglasses
www.moscon.co.za

The cosmopolitan, fashion-conscious woman knows how to reflect future trends – by donning a pair of stylish ELLE sunglasses. With their oversized lenses and graded lens colours, ELLE sunglasses are available at leading optometric outlets and selected sunglass boutiques.

The Big Blue Tissot Seastar 1000
R11 450 | www.tissot.ch

Diving equipment has never been so coordinated – both visually and technically. The new Tissot Seastar 1000 in trendy ocean blue merges style and performance without diluting either. It maintains its performance underwater to a pressure of 30 bar, proving that a passion for underwater sports and a preference for a sophisticated Swiss automatic movement are totally compatible buddies.

Philips DCM580 Docking Entertainment System
R2 999 | www.philips.co.za

Enjoy wider, immersive sound with the Philips Docking system DCM580. The tower design supports iPhones/iPods, CDs and USB devices. LivingSound technology distributes sound evenly throughout the room for the optimum listening experience.

RICH & RARE RECIPES

Courtesy of Sunday Times Food Weekly

Candy Floss Dream
Makes 1

Ingredients: 1 10cm x 10cm ball of candyfloss 35ml premium vodka 60ml (4tbsp) cranberry juice Method: Place candyfloss into martini glass. Combine vodka and cranberry juice in a shaker. Add cubed ice and shake. Slowly strain over the candyfloss and watch what happens.

Tandoori Pink Salmon
Serves 4

Ingredients: 30ml (2tbsp) ginger garlic pasteJuice of 2 lemons Salt 4 x 150g salmon portions 5ml (1 tsp) red chilli powder 125ml (1/2 cup) red chilli paste 5ml (1 tsp) garam masala powder 15ml (1 tbsp) mustard oil 250 ml (1 cup) plain yoghurt 5ml (1 tsp) caraway seeds 125ml (1/2 cup) butter for basting 5ml (1 tsp) chat masala Method: Mix the garlic and ginger paste, lemon juice and a little salt and spread all over the salmon. Leave to rest for 5 minutes. Mix together chilli powder, chilli paste, garam masala, mustard oil, yoghurt and caraway seeds, and season with salt. Spread all over the fish. Leave to marinade for 10 minutes. Chargrill the salmon under a pre-heated grill or in a hot-griddle pan, basting with butter. Sprinkle with chat masala and serve with trimmings of your choice.

Spanish Chicken Chorizo Skewers
Serves 6

Ingredients: 600g chicken thigh fillets cut into 2cm pieces 1 red and 1 yellow pepper, seeded and cut into large chunks 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil 2 cloves of garlic (crushed) 5ml (1 tsp) smoked paprika) Juice of lemon 10 ml (2 tsp) brown sugar 3 chorizo sausages cut into thick rounds 30ml (2 tbsp) brandy plus extra for flaming Method: Combine the chicken and pepper chunks with the oil, garlic, smoked paprika, lemon juice and sugar. Toss to mix and leave for an hour. Toss the chorizo chunks in the brandy, thread the chicken and pepper onto kebab sticks alternating with chorizo chunks. Grill over the coals turning frequently. Just before the kebabs are cooked through, douse with a generous slug of brandy, stand back as the brandy will burst into flames. Remove from coals and serve.

Bloody Mary

Ingredients: 50ml (2 tots) of vodka 125ml (1/2 cup) tomato juice 10ml (2 tsp) lemon juice Worcestershire sauce to taste Salt and pepper to taste Tabasco to taste Method: Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a high-ball glass over ice-cubes and serve with a celery stick

DELIGHTFUL & DARING DESTINATIONS

Turkey

Istanbul is one of the most important tourism spots not only in Turkey but also in the world. There are thousands of hotels and other tourist-oriented industries in the city, catering to both vacationers and visiting professionals. The charm and character of Istanbul lies in its endless variety and jumble of contradictions. It’s fascinating history has bequeathed the city a vivid inheritance of Byzantine ruins, splendid palaces, ancient mosques and churches, hamams (bath-houses) and exotic bazaars. Modern Istanbul exudes trendy bars and nightclubs, western boutiques, office blocks, and elegant suburbs. The call to prayer heralds the start of each day and the city comes to life with over 11 million residents forming a chaotic social and cultural mix of unscrupulous carpet merchants, wealthy shoppers, religiously veiled women and destitute beggars. Joining the noisy throng are over-awed tourists and those capitalising on the tourist trade.

Chile

Chile a great diversity of natural landscapes, from the Mars-like landscapes of the hyperarid Atacama Desert to the glacier-fed fjords of the Chilean Patagonia, passing by the winelands backdropped by the Andes of the Central Valley and the old-growth forests of the Lakes District. Easter Island and Juan Fernández Archipelago, including Robinson Crusoe Island, are also major attractions. Many of the most visited attractions in Chile are protected areas. The extensive Chilean protected areas system includes 32 national parks, 48 natural reserves and 15 natural monuments.

South Korea

The Korean Peninsula is located in North-East Asia. It is bordered by the Amnok River (Yalu River) to the northwest, separating Korea from China, and the Duman River (Tumen River) to the northeast which separates Korea from both China and Russia. The country itself is flanked by the Yellow Sea to its west and the East Sea to the east. There are several notable islands that surround the peninsula including Jejudo, Ulleungdo and Dokdo. Social relations may be grounded in ancient Confucianism but South Korea is most decidedly a forward-thinking country thanks to its hurry-hurry approach to everything, an insatiable appetite for technological advancement and an indomitable can-do attitude. No one knows where the country is headed, but it’s fast-forward all the way. That’s what makes South Korea so exciting and at times unnerving; it’s a country of endless possibilities.

South Africa by train

Shongololo Express provides a very special touring experience for travellers. From a warm welcome and transfer to the train at the start of the journey, to an exciting and varied program of touring, superb breakfasts and dinners on board, and a lounge full of new friends each evening – all these combine to create an unforgettable holiday. The trains travel comfortably and securely during the night to the next stop on the itinerary and you awake each morning to a fresh vista on Africa and the anticipation of new and exciting adventures. In this way Shongololo guests can make the most of every precious holiday hour. See www.Shongololo.com for details.

It would be really easy for me to go into a tirade about the secrecy bill / info bill / save our backsides bill – whatever you want to call it. . . But I’m not going to.

Except for the one thing, off course.

It is absurd for a bunch of MPs who couldn’t be bothered to attend half the parliamentary sessions per year (which they are paid for), and who are largely guilty of dodgy dealings with the state, Travel gate and Arms Deal included, to vote on something that will aid them in burying their wrongdoing.

The joys of being your own Judge and Jury, and then keeping the truth from the public, eh?

Other governments (past and present) who have enjoyed this privilege include the peace-loving saints from Zimbabwe, Syria, Iraq, North Korea, the old Soviet Union, China, Afghanistan, Apartheid-era South Africa and so on.

You get the idea I’m sure: Hooray for these upstanding governments, known for their humane treatment of citizens and transparent dealings.

It’s never going to get past the Constitutional Court anyway . . . However, the mere thought that 200+ souls (whom I wouldn’t trust to run a bath with any measure of success) have the arrogance to think they can decide the fate of 50 million gets under my skin in a way that no crap election slogan, no faded, empty-promise-promoting poster, no baby kissing, cracks painting, juvenile delinquent politicking has ever managed to do.

Politicians. . . HUMPH! Too kak to get real jobs and that’s a worldwide phenomenon ladies and gentlemen.

ANYWAY. Anyway.

The point of this final diatribe also serves to remind the fourth estate, owners and publishers specifically, that you cannot shout for freedom on one hand and then curtail those exact freedoms on the other because an impending piece of truth may offend a large advertiser.

The same is true for the large client/advertiser.

You cannot stand shaking your head in dismay at Governmental secrets when you, yourselves, are guilty of acting like the kid who owns the ball on the playground – willing to remove it should things not go your way.

Nah, citizens of South Africa, if we want to have freedom then we must be mature enough to accept that, sometimes, freedom bites you in the backside by revealing the ugly truth.

We respond to those truths by rectifying the problem areas raised and (if need be) punishing those responsible for it.

We do not shoot the messenger.

Not in politics. Not in business. Not in media.

We need to grow up now. We need to take hits on the chin when deserved. We need to apply ourselves to fixing problems with governance, products, whatever – at root cause.

We need to all accept consequence of foolish actions and, even more so, we need to EXPECT consequence.

So here’s to freedom in 2012.

May you be free to point out my mistakes and may I be afforded the opportunity to rectify and apologise should I stray. May Sunday papers hunt down and expose the corrupt who steal from the public, who underperform and renege on promises made.

May ads not be pulled when products or campaigns are slated as sub-standard.

May we take things in our stride over the coming year.

May the dream of an open, fair and just society remain within our reach.

May we never fear the truth, may we never grow silent.

Almost all those taking part in the Right2Know Campaign protest were dressed in black. Some had sealed their mouths with black tape. Many carried posters.

“Those who vote for the bill are criminals themselves”, “We demand the right to know”, “Black Tuesday” and “Censorship is the New Black” were among the messages held aloft.

Protesters managed to lower the flags to half mast on two of the four poles at the Plein Street entrance to the parliamentary complex before police intervened. The police then sealed off the area below the poles with tape.

Mondli Makhanya, chairman of the SA National Editor’s Forum (Sanef), told the crowd that MPs who voted in favour of the bill were betraying future generations of South Africans.

The House started its sitting at 2pm on Tuesday.

Makhanya warned of civil disobedience against the measure, should it be enacted.

“If need be, there will be people who go to jail because they will have broken an unjust law,” he said.

Later, some protesters started dancing in the road and police closed off part of Plein Street.

Tourists on the open top deck of one of the city’s red tour buses all grabbed their cameras and took pictures as they drove past.

One protester, wearing a Bob Marley T-shirt, said: “One of his first hits was Get Up, Stand Up For Your Rights. That’s why I’m here”.

• Website: www.apple.com
• Price: From R4699

Apple’s second iPad is undoubtedly one of the most-desired gifts this holiday season, and for good reason. The already-excellent user interface of the iPad is now smoother and faster on the iPad 2 thanks to a faster processor and beefier graphics capabilities, and all the tweaks and improvements present in Apple’s iOS5 operating system come standard. If you’re still not sold on the concept, the fact that the iPad 2 will allow you to read books, play games, watch movies and listen to music on the go should help convince you. If you think all of that means a short battery life, guess again – the iPad 2 works hard for up to 9 hours, even with Wi-Fi active. As a gift for yourself or a loved one, there is no other gadget available today that will inspire as much love and appreciation as the iPad 2.

Beats by Dr. Dre Beatbox iPod Docking Station Website: www.beatsbydrdre.com Price: R5799 This iPod docking station is made by Monster Audio in collaboration with famous Hip Hop artist Dr. Dre, and the sound it puts out is nothing short of incredible, especially considering the price. With its two dedicated 5.25-inch long-throw bass drivers and two 2-inch optimised high-frequency drivers, the Beatbox puts out amazingly detailed and textured sound, regardless of the genre of music being played. The bundled IR remote controls the docked iPod from a distance and the stylish body will look at home in any sophisticated home or office environment. If you don’t own an iPod, it even has an auxiliary connector that accepts input from any music player equipped with a 3.5mm jack. This is definitely one for aspiring audiophiles, and an amazing gift for music lovers.
Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Website: www.sonyericsson.co.za Price: R4699 The Xperia Play is Sony Ericsson’s latest Android phone, but with a twist: it combines the beauty and power of the Xperia Smartphone range, with the controls of Sony’s PlayStation Portable handheld gaming console. It’s quite a chunky phone, but that’s because it slides open to reveal familiar-looking Sony PlayStation game controls beneath the main screen. When it’s opened, the phone launches an app that takes you to your installed games, and gives you the option to browse Sony’s online store for more. 3D graphics are incredible for such a small device, and games are silky smooth to play. The Xperia Play achieves a very difficult feat – it’s both a competent phone and a very good handheld gaming console, and is able to please both phone-lovers and gamers alike.
Samsung Series 9 Ultra-portable Notebook Website: www.samsung.co.za Price: From R9999 Apple has the MacBook Air, and now Windows users have their own ultra-thin and lightweight notebook courtesy of Samsung. The company’s Series 9 13” notebook weighs in at a very pleasant 1.3kg and is only 15.7mm thick at its thinnest point. Despite such diminutive dimensions, it still manages to pack quite a punch on the hardware front with Intel’s Core i5-2537M processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB ultra-fast solid-state hard drive. It’s very fast, and easily able to keep up with chunkier notebooks, all the while conserving battery power. Samsung claims the Series 9’s 6-cell battery can last for up to 7 hours on a single charge, which is almost a full work day, so no skimping there, either. It might lack an optical drive, but the Series 9 is still a fantastic machine that will easily satisfy Windows fans looking for power and portability in their next work notebook.
Amazon Kindle 3G & Wi-Fi eReader Website: www.amazon.com Price: R2499 Book lovers the world over have been drawn to Amazon’s excellent Kindle eReader because of its amazing screen, superb battery life and the ease and convenience that it affords them when it comes to getting their next book fix. Now available in South Africa, it’s our local bookworms who get to experience the scintillating services offered by Amazon’s smash-hit gadget. This particular version has both Wi-Fi and 3G capabilities, so readers can connect to Amazon’s online bookstore and buy and download books from anywhere that has cellular coverage. If you know any avid readers, this device, even more so than the iPad 2, will bring a smile to their faces come Christmas morning.

Monday, 14 November 2011, Cape Town: In honour of the leaders within the recruitment and HR industries who help transform and bolster South Africa’s economy, Avusa Media hosted its second Avusa Media Annual Recruitment Awards (AMARAs) – a formal affair held at Scarlet Ribbon in Stoneridge Mall.

“Recruitment and HR professionals can easily be regarded as the backbone of our local economy,” says Natalie Stephan, Head of Trade Marketing and CRM at Avusa Media. “They help drive the transformation and growth from the ground up – across the length and breadth of South Africa, yet they receive little or no admiration for their part in the greater picture.”

Identifying the lack of recognition recruitment and HR professionals receive from their peers as well as the industries they drive and help mould, during the month of September 2011 Avusa Media called upon the public and industry leaders to nominate both their private and public sector candidates worthy of winning an award in their respective category at the 2011 AMARAs.

“The results gathered from the 2011 AMARAs nominations are testament to the work that has been done to encourage those in recruitment, business and advertising to nominate worthy candidates in each category whilst also promoting the recruitment and HR professions,” adds Stephan. “It’s evident from the nominations received that more and more industry leaders are aware of the impact recruitment and HR professionals have on their businesses.”

The winners announced in the Private sector categories are:

• HR Director of the Year (Private)
  Dr Barney Delport at Nationwide Security Holdings (Pty) Ltd. – SMADA Group
• Recruitment Officer of the Year (Private)
  Ilze Johnston at Anglo American Platinum
• Most Creative Recruitment Advertisement of the Year (Private)
  Ayanda Mbanga Communications for Shoprite
• The winners announced in the Public sector categories are:
  HR Director of the Year (Public)
• Dan Vukela at Department of Environmental Affairs
  HR Officer of the Year (Public)
• Anker van Tonder at Eskom Holdings
  Most Creative Recruitment Advertisment of the Year (Public)

Human Communications for National Treasury
Nominations for the Recruitment Advertising Agency of the Year and Recruitment Solutions Agency of the Year awards were open across both the Private and Public sector and saw Ayanda Mbanga Communications and DAV Professional Placement Group trumping the competition respectively.

Last but not least was undoubtedly one of the most deserved wins on the night – that of the Publisher’s Award which went to recruitment stalwart Paul Brand of The Niche Agency in Johannesburg.

“Paul is one of the leading recruitment professionals the industry itself has had the honour of recruiting,” explains Enver Groenewald, general manager of Advertising Revenue and Strategic Communications at Avusa Media. “Besides his outstanding reputation within the industry, Paul also seamlessly demonstrates what true dedication and passion for one’s profession really looks like.”

The full list of winners – listed in order of first, second and third place – follows:

HR Director of the Year (Private)

1. Dr Barney Delport at Nationwide Security Holdings (PTY) LTD – SMADA Group
2. Robert Goff at Sanlam
3. Philip Grobler at Deloitte & Touche

Recruitment Officer of the Year (Private)

1. Ilze Johnston at Anglo American Platinum
2. Belinda Coetzee at DAV Professional Placement Group
3. Shantal Singh at Clientèle Life

Most Creative Recruitment Advertisement of the Year (Private)

1. Ayanda Mbanga Communications for Shoprite
2. Human Communications for BIC
3. Human Communications for Lonmin

HR Director of the Year (Public)

1. Dan Vukela at the Department of Environmental Affairs
2. Anton Grobler at the University of South Africa
3. Njabulo Mashigo at the National Treasury

HR Officer of the Year (Public)

1. Anker van Tonder at Eskom Holdings
2. Chuene Nong at Limpopo Department of Agriculture
3. Shirley Tjiane at Land Bank

Most Creative Recruitment Advertisement of the Year (Public)

1. Human Communications for the National Treasury
2. he Working Earth for Denel
3. Gear Advertising for University of Zululand

Recruitment Advertising Agency of the Year

1. Ayanda Mbanga Communications
2. Human Communications
3. Strategy Recruitment Marketing

Recruitment Solutions Agency of the Year

1. DAV Professional Placement Group
2. Morvest Human Capital Management
3. HMD Staffing Services

Publisher’s Award
Paul Brand at The Niche Agency

The full-colour advert, placed in the Careers section of the Sunday Times, was made up of very little copy (which included company name and advertised position) and a hash tag. The idea behind the campaign was to entice relevant candidates to take a photo of the tag via smartphone, which would route them to Deloitte’s website via their phone browser.

The large number of readers who interacted with the advert, a total of 344, illustrate its success. “Monitoring the amount of responses received is very beneficial to the company recruiting,” says Brand. “But there are many more benefits besides.”

Brand says that the ad was also very economical. “Deloitte’s investment was a 36ccm (12cm x 3 coloumns) ad, and it was used to route potential candidates to the website, and the hash tag worked as a ‘filter’ discouraging lesser-qualified respondents.

“Although recruitment advertising can be expensive,” he says. “It is more costly to have an advertisement that lacks the necessary innovation to successfully motivate a response from your target.” So, how is this achieved?

According to Paul, the key question a company should ask itself when conceptualising the advert is, “What can we offer the ideal candidate above what their current position satisfies?” This answer will form the basis the advert’s message. Once this is determined, innovation is required to make the necessary impact.

“Innovation is important. With innovation comes colour, illustrations and smart copy,” Paul advises.

Paper to pixel

Paul firmly believes in newspaper’s ability to attract the attention of top-class talent, however, there is an increasing trend to gather information from online sources. “There is certainly a large volume of job portals online, all carrying sizeable numbers of recruitment ads,” he says. “But the new trend will be niche recruitment advertising. This concept enables you to reach out to high-calibre candidates that are not actively seeking job opportunities – without them actually knowing you’re targeting them.”

Recruitment ads are increasingly pointing potential candidates to websites. “Incorporating online with print reduces cost and these kinds of adverts should not be viewed as extra spend,” Paul says. “In fact, it should be the first port of call when a vacancy needs to be filled. Typically, HR resort to recruitment advertising only once all other channels have been exhausted,” he points out.

And if a job advertisement hasn’t worked, don’t just try a different medium or a bigger ad, Paul continues. “You need to re-visit the ad because clearly, you have done something wrong. An ad doesn’t have to be big or clever to motivate.”

Rather than using the cheaper medium, Paul suggests using the ‘right’ medium. “Eventually you will have to go there anyway” he concludes.

The verbal acknowledgment of others (52%) and the encouragement of skills and knowledge sharing (48%) were voted second and third most important factors. Positively sharing in colleagues’ successes was nominated by 36% of respondents.

Therese Meyer, commercial director of Regus Africa and Middle East, noted, “Aside from salary increases and material bonuses, simple steps like showing respect for all staff, making a point of congratulating staff on good work and helping colleagues develop by encouraging skills and knowledge sharing contribute to creating a more human and wholesome environment that staff are not easily tempted to abandon.”

For keeping your employees happy over the long term, Anna Malczyk, member of the academic department of GetSmarter, a specialist online training firm, shares a few basic principles:

Make it fun
People spend most of their waking time at work, so invest in making your company a place where your employees want to be. This could entail anything from planning “family days” and inter-departmental competitions, to simply providing a basketball hoop or a pool table for the staff common areas.
Some companies allocate a “fun budget” to each team to use as they decide – a team dinner, an afternoon playing paintball, or a day at the spa. There are many options that provide a chance both to relax, and to create stronger team bonds.

Show them they are appreciated
Everybody wants to know they are valued. Showing appreciation for your employees’ efforts may be your most significant step towards improving job satisfaction. Make an effort to publicly acknowledge excellent work – perhaps in a staff meeting or company newsletter.
Appreciation is not only about work – employees need to be valued as individuals too. Take time to get to know your staff and to find out what is happening in their lives. Celebrate staff birthdays and other milestones. Make them feel that they belong and are valued for who they are, not just the work they do.

Encourage good relationships between management and staff
An employee’s relationship with their immediate boss is the most important workplace relationship. Feeling that their manager cares is the greatest indicator for whether an employee will stick with the company.
A good manager will be willing to take action on behalf of employees. If an employee comes to them with a concern, they should listen attentively and then take steps to improve the situation.
Managers also need to give their staff sufficient feedback. Even employees who are doing well need to hear how their managers feel about their work.

Be flexible
Increasingly, companies are creating flexi-time options for their workers. Single-parent households are more common and businesses are realising that some people simply cannot work during traditional hours. Allowing staff to use their most productive times means the work gets done, and also makes the company more attractive to employees than conventional companies.
Sometimes staff may be able to do their work from home as effectively as at the office. In these cases, allowing this option not only makes employees happy, but has the added benefit of saving the company rental and maintenance costs, as less office space is needed.

Hire well
One of the most important factors in making sure employees will stick around, is hiring the right people in the first place. When interviewing, look not only for people with the right qualifications and competencies, but also the right personalities. Just as not everyone would be happy in a formal, 9-5 environment, not everyone is comfortable with team-building games or casual Fridays. Don’t waste time or money hiring and training someone who won’t suit your company culture. Rather wait for that person who will not only do the job well, but who will become a part of your work family.