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 […]
South Africa
In Defense of South Africa
Dear South Africans- many of you have had enough with the crime, corruption, and lack of opportunities you face every day. Nobody can fault you for wanting to leave. I’ve had several friends already pull the trigger, several more who are in the middle of planning their escape, and several who desperately want to leave, but can’t. Expat forums are full of Saffas who have fled the country and will never look back because they’ve built brilliant lives for themselves […]
If You Don’t Know How To Use A Public Bathroom, This Post Is For You!
Look, South Africa, we need to talk. You’re home to some of the best wildlife, okay-est food, most wonderful people, and most hilarious fashion choices. I love all of it. But as evidenced by the fact I recently wrote about being on peed on in a public washroom, your bathroom etiquette might need a little tweaking. And if you don’t believe me, just check out this sign I recently saw in a public loo: There’s just so much going on there. […]
Why You Should Become an Expat (And Why You Shouldn’t), Part 2
Last week, I started to explain why you should (or shouldn’t) consider taking an expat contract. But, like always, I broke the rules of blogging by not keeping it short and sweet, so I only got through three points. Here are some more thoughts to consider before becoming an expat: 4) You Can Totally Show How Valuable You Are To Your Company Your bosses wouldn’t have asked you to relocate if they didn’t think you had great value- or potential value- […]
11 Things I Wish I Could Get in South Africa
Because I’m incredibly lazy, I’m happy to accept suggestions for my blog. My friend Erin wants to know what we miss from back home. So here you go: 1) Graham Crackers Destiny’s child was two random ladies that history has forgotten and Beyonce. You know who nobody has ever heard about? The Two Musketeers. The Good and the Bad wouldn’t exist without the Ugly. Nobody ever leaves the house feeling complete without first checking their pockets for the holy trinity: […]
The Best Moment of My Life
I always thought the best moment of my life would go something like this: 1) I see something awesome, like a massive shark or snake or bear or better yet, a bearsnark. 2) I pass my beer to someone 3) I make the awesome thing even awesomer, probably by riding it or something cool like that. 4) I get remembered as a legend. None of that happened. Yet. But I did see some dogs, and THAT was the coolest moment […]
Waiting For Telkom (AKA, South Africa’s National Pastime)
I’ll never complain about slow internet again. OK, I probably will, because most of it is horrifically slow here, and you don’t know how hard life can be until you’ve waited a good 5 seconds to load the perfect cat meme to send as a witty response to a friend’s text (or SMS as they call them here, because in the spirit of doing ALL things inefficiently in South Africa, they’ve decided to tack on an extra two syllables. Just […]