South African Ways: Things That Will Never Leave Me

I lived in South Africa for almost seven years and it probably wouldn't surprise you to know that it has kind of rubbed off on me.

Which makes it sound like a hairy dog that just brushed passed my leg and coated me with dog hairs, but the 'rub off' is actually a whole lot more pleasant than that.

Here, in no particular order, are a list of things that South Africa has given me that I will never lose. No matter where I am or what I am doing, I cannot see any of these not being a part of my life forever more.

Spring is Coming!

My favourite time of year, my favourite time of year … doo doo doo, tra la la, Spring is coming guys.

WARNING: Fully expect now a cheesy post about Spring. Those of you about to enter Autumn, I apologise in advance because ... SPRING IS COMING!!!

The coming of Spring in South Africa is so frikkin tangible, I can feel it with all of my senses. And today is September the 1st, considered here the first day of Spring.

Winter is dry, dry, dry. Everywhere you look outside, you can see

yellow and brown. Even the trees with some green left on them have a yellowed tinge to them and the ground is dusty and cracking.

WeezaFish 2013: A Photo Review

Guys, I swear to you I have been sat here for the last hour deliberating over this post. Okay, to be fair I 'killed time' in between deliberating by catching up on some blog reading and Twittering a bit also. BUT STILL!

Isn't it the done thing? Doesn't EVERY SINGLE BLOGGER IN THE WORLD write a end of year review post? No?

I'm such a stubborn so-and-so. As soon as I felt I really should write a '2013 in Review' blog post, I of course didn't want to.

I convinced myself that I hadn't done enough post writing to MAKE a year review. Can you imagine? "So january we, er ... didn't seem to do that much ... MARCH there was a Birthday! April, May ...no, June the dog got sick"

But guess what? I almost managed to post once every month last year so that excuse wasn't going to work.

I sat down and imagined pretended that by saying 'NO!' to the Review Post I would be released instead to write other posts. Of great interest, importance and OMG-this-girl's-so-funny humour.

Then I chastised myself for acting like a kid with three hours Maths homework to do and came up with this brilliant (and very lazy) idea to use photo's. Please understand, the time I have just saved myself (and you dear readers) will allow us ALL to do much, much, MUCH more exciting and valid things.

Ta-ta, Tata Mandela

('Ta-ta' in some dialects of English is an informal and friendly 'Goodbye'. 'Tata' is the isiXhosa word for 'Father')

You've heard, right?

One of my heroes passed away just recently. He was, of course, many MANY people's hero so at least I need never feel alone in my sadness.

South Africa, for the last week or so has been an understandably emotional place to be. There's been moments of great celebration and moments of great sadness. And the warmth and love of all the other people around the world who are sharing South Africa's sense of loss is tangible and comforting.

And for the most part, South Africans are united in their sadness at Madibas passing and keen to continue in his stead and with his example as their guide. The Head of opposition party the Democratic Alliance put it so simply:

“He has handed the baton to us and we dare not drop it" 

Time to Leave South Africa?: For This Family, The Answer's a Mixed YES!!

I am guessing this will come as much as a shock to you *taps glass* lovely peeps out there as it did to the family and friends back home but .. have you heard? We're moving back to the UK at the end of January!!

I know man :)

Er ... yeah, we'll be on a plane but go with me.

It wasn't quite as shocking to us (obviously). We had in fact discussed the very same plan for many months, even off and on throughout our years out here but it's not the kind of discussion we felt we could share with the folks back home. My darling Mum would have heard, and got excited about, the possibility of us coming back many, many times over the last six years. So we felt it best to say nothing until a definite plan had been made.

Which it now has. Woo hoo!