I’ve lived in South Africa for long enough to know that tourists have some pretty hilarious misconceptions when it comes to this country. While South Africa is certainly unique, there are a few things South Africans want foreigners to know about their country: 1) We don’t live in safari tents or grass huts. And we even have luxuries like toilets and electricity (at least when Eskom has their crap together). 2) You’re not allowed to make fun of rugby, or […]
Reasons to Move to South Africa
24 Weird Things About South Africa
I’ve lived in South Africa for three years now, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that while I love it here, I’ll never fully understand this place. Without further ado, here are 24 weird things about South Africa. 1. Bunny chows. There are no bunnies involved. Like, at all. 2. The ubiquitous “car guards.” You’re expected to pay them a tip for their uncanny ability to stand DIRECTLY in your blind spot, waving you right into the car […]
Things I Love About South Africa Part 7- Jacaranda Trees
Quite some time ago, I promised that I’d write about ten things I love about South Africa before I’m allowed to whine and moan again. This series wouldn’t be complete without talking about the natural beauty all over the dang place here. Everywhere I turn, I see stunning views that take my breath away. And then I move away from the mirror, and there’s STILL spectacular sights to see. Yesterday reminded me how fortunate I am to be in South […]
Thing I Love About South Africa Part 6- The Social Life
A while ago I quite stupidly promised that before I could complain about South Africa again, I had to post 10 blog entries devoted to things I love about this country. Related: I’m a giant nincomboob. Anyway, here’s post 6. Canada, as everyone knows, is awesome. We invented all the best stuff in the world, like the internet, steak, clothes, and Beyonce. OK, like, maybe we didn’t INVENT all that stuff, but we HAVE it in Canada. And, to America’s […]
Things I Love About South Africa, Post 5- Bill Harrop’s Original Balloon Safaris
In keeping with my promise to post 10 things I love about South Africa before I’m allowed to complain again, here’s number 5. One thing I’ve always wanted to do since I was a little kid was to keep my feet planted firmly on the ground, thus eliminating the possibility of plummeting to my untimely demise. For most of my life, I’ve managed to succeed in this endeavour, with the exception of a few (several) plane trips. But when my […]
Things I Love About South Africa, Post 4- Pilanesberg National Park
I while ago I promised you my next ten posts would highlight only things I love about South Africa. Because I lie only when I tell my kids where babies come from and when my wife asks if I’ve been eating healthy, I’ve managed to pump out three so far. Here’s the 4th thing I love about South Africa: Pilanesberg National Park. When I think about South Africa, the first thing I think about is rampant corruption at almost every […]
How To Braai Like a Champ in South Africa
I’m usually proud to be a Canadian. We ride polar bears to work, introduced the world to classy cuisine like poutine, eat cereal with maple syrup instead of milk (which you can buy in a bag, just the way God intended), drink reindeer flavoured slurpies, and play hockey, not soccer. Everything I just mentioned is totally true. Don’t look it up. But after living in South Africa for almost 22 months, I’ve discovered that we have one major shortcoming: the […]
Things I Love About South Africa, Post 1- Knysna
Look, I know my last post painted a rather unflattering image of South Africa. A fair number of people were offended that I dared to point out that corruption and incompetence were commonplace here. Obviously, I know not EVERYBODY here is inept or corrupt, but I do appreciate the reminders. However, these kinds of things certainly are more prevalent in South Africa than other countries I’ve experienced. There’s no denying it. That being said, for the next ten posts, I’m […]
Review- Deep Sea Fishing With Umhlanga Ocean Charters
I’ve always said that South Africa is the most amazing place in the world to live. And the only thing better than living in South Africa is being on vacation in South Africa, which I was fortunate enough to be doing with my family for the last week. I’ll be posting about some of the things we did, but a highlight for sure was to fulfil a lifelong dream of mine and go fishing off the coast of Durban. It […]
I’ve Put a Lot of Disgusting Things in My Mouth…
The Background Whenever somebody starts a sentence with “I bet you won’t eat…” I don’t even hear the rest. The cacophonous ringing of cash registers in my ears drowns out whatever comes next. I’ve hate-fornicated my mouth hole with a jug of vinegar, an entire mug of hot sauce, a dried out crab shell my friend Fariyal found on the beach (related-Fariyal is a giant jerk), and the list goes on and on. You know those giant banana slugs they […]