Thriller - RIP King of Pop

Last night I just came back from my first ever sporting match here in South Africa: Brazil versus Bafana Bafana. What a great night, incredible atmosphere and such pride for our boys who did us proud even though they lost 1-0. But then the Tweets and Facebook status updates started coming through...Michael Jackson was taken to hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest.

As soon as I got home, I switched onto CNN. They were going with him being taken to hospital. But Sky and BBC were saying reports from celeb news site, TMZ, said he was dead.

Shock.

Disbelief.

Could it be true?

Then CNN said he was in a coma - for a brief moment, I thought there might still be hope...

Thriller was released in 1982 - the year I was born. My mother gave me the song as part of a CD compilation for my 21st birthday. He was a part of my music DNA. A younger colleague of mine updated her status saying, "So Michael Jackson died, what's the big hoo-haa?" Despite all the controversy we'll never know what truly went on in that child-adult mind of his. Perhaps she doesn't get it, but I hope many others do.

RIP Michael Jackson: 1958-2009

Back to Life; Reality

So it's been a few days since I was bathing in a sea of celebrities.I have literally gone, in the space of a few short days, from Cannes to Sebokeng to Auckland Park. That's one of the best parts of my job. I get to see so many places in the world - and indeed South Africa - which is what I want to do.

The boys from Brothers&Sisters popped in for a visit the other day - and caused such a stir among the ladies in the office. Luke McFarlane and Dave Annable say the new season of the show, which airs in August, is filled with more even more family drama. Wouldn't expect anything else!

The trial of the former matron at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls has been postponed again. It's so strange, sitting in that empty white room, to think that such a big story takes place in such small surroundings. Virginia "Tiny" Makopo looks very much like a school girl herself, with her braids and small stature. She's been accused of 13 counts of abuse, including one claim that she rubbed custard in the girls' hair. The case starts up again at the Sebokeng Magistrates Court at the end of August.

The Auckland Park trip came about because of the protest march by a whole lot of actors, directors, writers and producers to the SABC HQ. I had never walked from Milpark along Kingsway Avenue to Auckland Park before so that was a new experience! Gotta love having the unions there - no-one knows how to protest like they do! Letha imali yami!