South Africa: Admin... Netherlands: Admin

The most difficult part about moving to a new country is the admin. OK, the admin and getting rid of your house, car, and furniture... only having to replace it all again in a few weeks, in a country where everything is ten times more expensive. And where you have to purchase it in a foreign language where words like "lattenbodem" and "ledikant" suddenly need to form part of your vocabulary. Where you no longer have a bakkie to transport it with. And where it rains constantly, therefore even if you do find a bakkie (which you won't), it will be impossible to use it, because all your belongings will become soaking wet. Did I mention that you also now have to drive on the right side of the road when transporting your items, which is the wrong side, when you come from South Africa? And that everything has to be hoisted x storeys high, because you now live in an apartment and no longer in a house on the “begane grond” level.

But, before you can dive into any of the above-mentioned fun, there is is the admin. Because, in the Netherlands, before you can have or do anything, you first need to open a bank account. And before you can open a bank account, you need a BSN number. And before you can get that, you need a verblijfsvergunning, which takes several weeks and consists of several sub-processes and sub-sets of sub-processes and approvals of pre-approvals.

In January 2020 our admin process(es) started. Together with The Major House Clean-Up. Luckily, my husband dove straight into The Major House Clean-Up, which involved selling our house, selling our furniture, packing the remaining belongings, shipping the belongings, cleaning out the rest of our house and garage, donating what we could, and selling our cars. Not to mention transferring or stopping all our monthly subscriptions and payments. Yes, it was a full-time job of epic proportions.

Concurrently, I was handling the admin linked to my working visa and our residence permits. I won't bore you with the details, but I had a checklist of 113 tasks to complete in South Africa (anything from "find a house" to "legalise original birth certificate in maiden surname by obtaining apostille stamp from DIRCO" and anything in-between). Depressingly I have another 67 tasks to still complete here in the Netherlands.

My husband's last day of work was 2 weeks before I was planning to depart for the Netherlands. I finished 1 week before my departure, and I can honestly say that we worked harder in those last weeks while "on holiday" than we did in any of the weeks before. It happened often that we would start with a sentence and then trail off, forgetting what we were saying, because our minds were so preoccupied with the remaining 74 things to do. Throughout the process we also had to take little leaps of faith and calculated (i.e. nail-bitingly stressful) risks: putting our house on the market, resigning from our current jobs, signing a long-term apartment lease in the Netherlands, etc. I departed for the Netherlands and started at my new job in a new country while my husband and toddler's visas were still being processed back in South Africa.

And, after being in the Netherlands for a week, I have a verblijfsvergunning, but still no BSN and still no bank account.. and therefore still very little of anything else. Why? Because, when I made the appointment at the Gemeente (municipality, not church) and explained in Dutch (yes, Dutch!) that "Ik wil graag een afspraak maken om bij de Gemeente in te schrijven”, the gentleman on the phone assured me (in Dutch!) that "het is prima" and that he was making an appointment for me as we speak.
However, when I showed up at the Gemeente for my appointment, they had no record of me ever phoning! So either my Dutch was so horrifically incomprehensible and my understanding of our 7-minute Dutch phone conversation so horribly misguided, that no appointment had ever been made. Or the friendly Dutch gentleman simply forgot to save my appointment in their system.

Have I mentioned that once you finally manage to secure an appointment for any given step in the process, and have all your (apostilled) documents in order, you often have to wait another 1-3 weeks for the information to be mailed to you, so that you can proceed to the next step?
Yes, actual mail - the kind on paper which gets delivered to a postbox by a mailman outside your home.

This is how it goes in a new country. You might have all the documents, enthusiasm and optimism you need, but because you have to follow the subscribed processes, it is very likely that you won’t be able to do anything until a certain point in the very distant future. Which can be concerning if you have to do something important. Like eat. I have discovered that several grocery stores only accept a Dutch or European debit card... And in order to apply for one, I need a bank account. And to get a bank account...

In the meantime, I can simply write about all the admin I still need to do. Because I’m still waiting for my very first letter to kick-off all the rest of the processes and sub-processes (which might take 1 or perhaps 3 weeks). And only then can I apply for a bank account and only then can I arrange a wifi connection, which is needed to publish this blog post.

So... if you get to read this within the first month of my arrival in the Netherlands, it’s an absolute miracle at this stage!

South Africa: Summer December Holidays

I haven’t added any new blog posts for years, simply because my life was back home. Back in South Africa, where everything was normal and familiar and I could talk to family and friends to tell them about my trials and tribulations, instead of writing them down from afar.

What is my normal in South Africa?
A brick house which is too hot in summer and too cold in winter, but where aircon and heaters are rarely used due to the fact that someone’s grandmother started a very effective rumour, a hundred years ago, that they make you sick. A garden, big enough for kids to kick a ball and play hide-and-seek in. Grass which constantly needs TLC due to being too dry or growing too fast or being invaded by an insect or weed. A garage, not used to store a car, but for your husband’s tools and bicycles and camping gear. Endless, cloudless, sunny days with thunderstorms at night. Braais in the garden on weekends or holidays or whenever we feel like it. Prayers in the morning when I drop off my Toddler at school and “op my stoeltjie sit ek nou” in the evenings before dinner. Church on Sundays, followed by a lunchtime braai with family. Swimming and splashing in friends’ pools. Wine every evening with dinner and with big Sunday lunches. Afrikaans at my Toddler’s school, at his friends’ parties, on wedding invitations, in the doctor’s consulting room, at home.

And December holidays in the summer:
Family, friends. The sun, the sea and SPF50 sunscreen. Endless days and laughter. Braaivleis for Christmas and New Years. Wine, champagne, ice creams on the beach, potjiekos and grilled fish caught during the day. A December holiday is a magical month in South Africa, where the Gauteng offices are empty and the beaches and our hearts are full.

This past year, I felt like I appreciated the magic of a summer December even more. Especially since it involved phone calls from the Netherlands, which could change our plans for the year to come completely...

And as I'm writing this post, I am indeed sitting in a different timezone, on a different continent, and in a very different season (figuratively but also literally!). Ice cold raindrops are splashing against the double glazed windows of our new apartment on this Friday evening, after my first week in the Netherlands.

But before I jump too far ahead, I'm going to linger on the memories of a South African summer for a little longer. Even here in the winter of the Northern hemisphere.

Marblehall: Mandela Day

On 18 July 2013, South Africa (and the world!) celebrated International Mandela Day by spending 67 minutes to "make the world a better place." 

Why 67 minutes? 
Because Nelson Mandela has devoted 67 years of his life to actively changing the world. He started his first human rights campaign in 1942 at the youthful age of twenty-four and 67 years later (26 of which he spent in prison) the world celebrated the first International Nelson Mandela Day in 2009.

What did you do with your 67 minutes?
In South Africa, you need to only take a single, literal step to encounter someone in need. A neighbour, friend, gardener, or beggar at the street corner. Sixty seven minutes are mere drops in the ocean of time, but the comfort, support and hope provided during these precious minutes can spread to 67 days, months, or even years.

On 18 July a group of us spent the day building, painting and planting vegetables at Mokgwaneng Pre-school, close to Marblehall where 80 children from the area attend the pre-school and receive a meal every morning. For some, this is their only meal for the day. Many small feet walk the endless dirt roads between the local communities and the school daily for the enjoyment of wheeling old tyres through the dusty playground.

Mokgwaneng Pre-School

As we drove up to the school, peering out of the car windows, a parent turned to his 8 year old son and said in a paternal manner: "Imagine what it must be like living here."
With a frown his son smartly replied: "Why would I imagine that?"
Why indeed. Unless you are not privileged enough to imagine otherwise.

Before: The Classrooms and Playground

At the pre-school there was no water supply, no toys for the kids to play with, no green grass. Only a few scattered trees and classrooms with paint peeling under the sun's burning rays. 
We grabbed the tools, brushes and supplies we had brought and set to work straightaway.

Painting the Classrooms

By the time our paint supply had almost dried up, we still had a whole wall to cover. Luckily a smart problem-solving engineer (who knew engineers could be this creative!) devised a brilliant plan to turn the few drops we had left into a work of art.

Innovation

A Welcoming Sight

More and more kids turned up as we worked, staring at the vibrant paint with fascination, clapping their hands and singing songs they have been taught at school. 

The Children

The end result was magnificent. 
After 5 hours of work, 20 people had accomplished more than we could have imagined: Supplying water to the school, planting two vegetable gardens, painting 3 classrooms inside and out, and even building a jungle gym.

After: Classrooms, Vegetable Gardens, Jungle Gym

Then, my favourite part of the day: Playing vroteier with the kids. Because how can you fully appreciate being a child if you have never played vroteier?

Fun and Games

And so another happy, blessed Mandela Day had come to an end. 
Although, in South Africa, it is easy to make every day a Mandela Day.

"We must use time wisely and forever realise that the time is always ripe to do right" ~ Nelson Mandela.

Saying Goodbye

Johannesburg: Warm Winter Weather

It might be winter in South Africa, but the weather in Johannesburg is still absolutely amazing. 
I can recall many a day where the European spring sun had stayed hidden behind the clouds, rain drizzling from the skies in a never-ending pattern. If the Johannesburg winter were to compete with the Maastricht spring of 2013 in a best-weather tournament, the Maastricht spring might as well withdraw like a wimpy, under-the-weather child. There will be no contest. The Johannesburg winter will walk away with every award under the sun.

Even though the early mornings and evenings have been in the single digits with lows of 5 degrees C this week, by 10 am every day the sun has stretched its long, warm rays across the city, basking everything it touches in glorious sunlight. You don't even have to turn to the weather channel, because every day is the same: A cold morning that transforms into an amazingly 20 C sunny day, which cools down again by 5 pm. 

Warm Winter Days

Every weekend can (and have been!) celebrated with a braai, lunch or picnic in the sun.

Picnic Time

On this day a year ago, the picture looked a lot different though. For the first time ever all nine provinces of South Africa were covered with a blanket of snow. I remember clearly how people poured out into the streets to catch a glimpse of the snow and catch their first snowflake. People were cheering, hurling snowballs (quite an art, considering the snow was only 2 cm deep) and taking pictures with the icy white flecks on their faces. 

Show Day: August 2012

The winter of 2012 was magnificent and magical, but this year I will be celebrating the predictability of the Johannesburg weather with lazy picnics on the warm grass.

Johannesburg: Perceptions about the Netherlands

When I came home after living in Europe for 3 months, I had expected many questions and interrogations by my fellow South Africans regarding everyday life in the Netherlands.
I had expected questions about the food, the weather, the people.
I had anticipated telling funny stories about communication mishaps and missed trains.
But I had not foreseen this.

South Africans have an incredibly distorted view of life in the Netherlands!
The questions I have been asked have left me speechless and quite frankly, immensely amused. Who would have thought these would be just as more entertaining than questions being asked about South Africa!

It was very difficult to pick my favourites, but I have managed to identify the top 5 incredulous questions asked by South Africans about life in the Netherlands:

Question 1:
What's it like living in Amsterdam?

Answer:
I wouldn't know. Why don't you ask someone who actually lived there?

Truth:
I lived in Maastricht, people!
A city with 120 000 inhabitants in the province of Limburg, in the Southern part of Netherlands, 200 km from Amsterdam.

Maastricht (South) and Amsterdam (North)

I realise that not everyone has had the amazing opportunity to travel to the Netherlands, but South Africans very much believe that Amsterdam = the Netherlands. This could not be further from the truth.

Although Amsterdam is an incredible city, there is so much more to see and do in the Netherlands, especially in the South: Wonderful cities and towns with castles, caves, green meadows and rivers. Beautiful Maastricht with it's picturesque river and lively music flowing into the streets.


Question 2:
Are the Dutch very tall?

Answer:
For some strange reason no one wanted to stand still whenever I had smartly cornered them and stealthily approached, measuring tape and height chart clutched in hand.

Truth:
You do see more tall people in the Netherlands. And refreshingly, not a single random stranger in the Netherlands had asked me how tall I was, as opposed to in South Africa where I was greeted by customs with: "Eish! How tall are you?" and only as a vague afterthought "Oh yes... passport please."

According to this article, the Netherlands has the tallest average height for males above the age of twenty (1.81 m on average). South Africa is 52th on the list with an average height of 1.70 m. 
So yes, the Dutch are tall, and clearly less obsessed about it.


Question 3:
Have you joined a spinning class?

Answer:
Why would I pay money to pretend that I'm doing something, when I can actually do it? Outside. For free!

Truth:
In South Africa we get into our cars and drive to the gym to go and sit on a stationary bicycle while someone plays upbeat music and shouts military-style insults at us. We do this because it is the only place were the crazy drivers of Johannesburg won't flatten us like pancakes without batting an eye. Johannesburg is sadly not a cycling-friendly, pedestrian-friendly and, at times, motorist-friendly city.

In contrast, everyone in Maastricht owns a bicycle and very few people a car. Maastricht has cycle lanes, traffic lights specially dedicated to bicycles, and bridges with little ridges so that you can push your bicycle up the incline.
Besides, what could be more fun, exciting and challenging than cycling in a skirt and high heels, while balancing an umbrella in one hand and your weekly groceries in the other?

Cycle-Friendly Maastricht

Question 4:
Does everyone smoke weed all day long?

Answer:
... Mmm... Umm... Sorry... What was the question?

Truth:
It is widely known that drugs can be legally bought in the Netherlands, and in cities like Amsterdam you will find around 700 coffee shops where drugs are sold to foreigners due to the economic boost these sales provide.
In Maastricht though, even though coffee shops exist, cannabis cannot be sold to foreigners.

Amsterdam Coffee Shops

Question 5:
Are you fluent in Dutch yet?

Answer:
Are you fluent in Zulu yet?

Truth:
This might come to a shock to many Afrikaans-speaking and most English-speaking South Africans (especially those who fondly refer to Afrikaners as Dutchmen): Afrikaans and Dutch is not the same language.

Let's take a very basic sentence to describe a nice weekend:
Afrikaans: "Ek het 'n baie lekker naweek gehad."
Dutch: "Ik had een fijn weekend."
Can you identify one resembling word in the two sentences?
No? Because it is two different languages!

Hearing Dutch for the first time is like trying to catch raindrops with a sieve. The words come pouring down on you so fast that, while trying to catch a single word, you're missing the entire sentence. The words seem frustratingly familiar, but you have no idea what is being said and while you are contemplating this, you're standing there in silence with a bemused frown on your face looking like an idiot. 
Just to top it all, words like "verskoon my?" and "ekskuus?" don't exist. You have to use "wat zeg jij / u?" instead to have the sentence repeated.

The good news for Afrikaans-speakers, is that after a month you can hear the rain clouds rolling in and you start catching every 10th raindrop, which quickly becomes every 5th one - enough to be able to fill in the blanks. You realise that reading is easier than listening, but it can still be very confusing at times and misreading a word can completely change the meaning of a sentence. If the "nu" in "kom nu binne" is interpreted as "nie" (not) as opposed to "nou" (now), you might find yourself left out in the cold. Literally.

So, no, I do not speak Dutch fluently (yet). I try to communicate in short, straightforward Dutch (or rather Afri-Dutch) sentences. Sometimes it works, but often I am met with a frown and an "excuse me?" in English. 

Over time my Afri-Dutch will hopefully turn into proper Dutch. But for now, in South Africa, I'll be speaking as much Afrikaans and English as I can fit into a day.

Even if it means I will have to answer hilarious and ridiculous questions.
Because at least I can understand them.

Johannesburg: Perceptions about South Africa

I have not disappeared off the face of the earth.
I am, however, back in South Africa.

And it had taken longer than expected to source electronic parts with which I could construct a workable computer. I then had to brave the wild, ferocious African animals to reach a mountain high enough to transmit this message from. I have trekked over vast deserts and dry grasslands, running from hippos and hiding from hyenas. Luckily my pet lion, Simba, stayed close to my side to fend off dangerous animals and keep me company during the long solitary days.

If you are South African, you are probably reading this from your iPhone, chuckling to yourself while sipping on a cup of Nespresso. Because chances are that you have told, or at the very least had the urge to tell, a similar story to a foreigner you've encountered on another continent. It is not that us South Africans want to purposefully mislead foreigners when they ask about our country; the general perception about South Africa is just so skewed that we almost cannot help it.

One of my fellow (American) passengers on the 11 hour flight from Amsterdam to Johannesburg was a case in point. 
The gentlemen wore a proper safari pakkie for the whole duration of the flight: Khaki pants, hiking boots with knee-high khaki socks, a wide-brimmed sun hat, sunglasses and even a bandanna tied around his neck (because you never know when the sun can sneak through those tiny aeroplane windows and burn your neck to a crisp). If security had not confiscated his hunters knife at the checkpoint, he would have probably had that strapped to his chest to fend off the lions on the runway.

I assume he was slightly disappointed to step out into the lights, traffic, and high-rise buildings of modern Johannesburg and discover that his lion fight sighting might have to wait until later.

Sandton, Johannesburg

The incident, like so many others I have encountered during travels to both America and Europe, has inspired me to write down the top five hilarious questions that foreigners have asked me about South Africa. And also the answers I might have given, or at least wish I had. Just to be fair, I'll also include the truth so that all non-South Africans can learn a little more about our country. (Yes, South African is a country in, and not a state of, Africa).

Question 1:

Do you have a lion as a pet?

Answer:

No. I have two cheetahs though.

Truth:

We do not have lions, cheetahs, or any other wild animals as pets. We tend to stick to pets that won't attack you from behind and chew off a limb just for the fun of it.
If you want to see wild animals, you can find them in, well, the wild. In the Kruger National Park and other game reserves you can gaze at them from the safety of your car and in Johannesburg you can visit the Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve or the Lion Park to see lions up close and even touch the cubs. Don't forget that they are and will always be wild animals - you might very well leave with a torn shirt after they have clawed at you playfully...

Question 2:

Do you have celebrities in South Africa?

Answer:

You mean you've never heard of Kurt Darren?!

Truth:
Like any country we have local South African artists, actors, musicians, sport stars and comedians. We have local TV shows, soap operas, music, magazines, and movies. 
We have many celebrities. We have Nelson Mandela.

Question 3:

Can you say something in African / Africanese / Zuid-Afrikaans?

Answer:

No. I cannot say anything in a language that doesn't exist. 

Ek kan wel iets in Afrikaans se, want dit is wat my moedertaal genoem word.

Truth:
Afrikaans, my first language, is the youngest language spoken in the world today. It became an official language in 1925 and has 6.9 million native speakers (most of them based in South Africa) and around 20 million speakers in total. 
Everything can be described with the Afrikaans word "lekker": The weather, the weekend, the food, your mood. 
Afrikaans is a lekker expressive language.

Question 4:

I've met someone from Africa once. Do you know Liezl?

Answer:

Of course! She lives five huts down from mine. We go berry-picking every day and braid each other's hair around the fire at night.

Truth:

There are 50 million people in South Africa. There were five Liezl's (or rather Liezl, Liesl, Liezel, Liesel, and Lizel) in my high school year group alone. So no, I do not know your Liezl. And chances are I never will.

Question 5:

Why are you white?

Answer:

Because God made me that way.

Truth:

Because God made me that way.
There are 4.5 million white people in South Africa (9% of the population). Other ethnic groups include African, Coloured, Indian, and Asian.
We might be different but we are all South African.

And that, my friends, is the truth about South Africa.
I might not have a pet lion waiting for me at home, but I do have friends, family, amazing weather (even in winter), and many braais and kuiers with loved ones.
Here's to time spent in South Africa!

Home Sweet Home

Paris: A Weekend Visit

One sunny Friday afternoon in October 2012, some of my dearest friends and I packed the car after work to trade the hustle and bustle of Jozi for a girls weekend in Parys. Parys on the Vaal, that is.

Parys is a treasure of a town, quietly tucked away in the Freestate but perfectly situated for a break from the Joburg city life. 

You have to wonder, however, if the German surveyor who was reminded of Paris, the capital metropolis of France, when he dupped the small town on the Vaal, had the epiphany in the early hours of the morning. Possibly during a lunar eclipse, a Paulaner Weissbier draught jovially clutched in each hand. 
Because Parys on the Vaal and Paris on the Seine are worlds apart (excuse the pun).

Parys and Paris

Nonetheless, Parys is a picturesque break-away town and our girls weekend was full of scrumptious meals at the local restaurants, cocktails next to the Vaal and lots of laughs. We explored the numerous antique stores and promises were made to return early in 2013 with bigger wallets and a Venter sleepwaentjie or two, much to the delight of the antique store tannies of Parys.

Painting Parys Red

Savouring a glass of red wine and peering out over the dark waters of the Vaal in October last year, I never would have guessed that I will be sipping "un verre de vin rouge" during a weekend visit to Paris. On the Seine, that is.

However, six months after our Parys expedition, I unexpectedly found myself in Europe at the same time as friends from home who travelled to Paris on holiday. Therefore I jumped at the chance (and onto a train) to visit the city for the weekend. 

Friday after work I drove to Liege to catch the train to Paris via Brussel-Zuid and was immediately notified that my car had crossed the Netherlands-Belgium border when the "Uit" road signs changed to "Sortie". The smooth and shiny highway of minutes before, instantly started to resemble the M1 in Joburg South, much to my alarm as my French vocabulary had not yet progressed to recognise warning signs such as "Watch out for the mammoth potholes!"

Here's a tip when travelling to or through Brussels: Brussel-Zuid and Bruxelles-Midi are one and the same station. It might not sound like much of a tip, but believe me, it is. 
Especially when, someday, you find yourself on a high-speed train, suitcase eagerly clutched in one hand and train ticket in the other, and you realise with impending unease that Brussels has not one, but three train stations: Noord, Centraal, and Zuid. 
And your ticket states in bold lettering that you have exactly three minutes to get to your next train at Bruxelles-Midi station. 

Do not, under any circumstances, assume that "Midi" and "Centraal" are the same station. Because they are not. This is just a cunning ploy devised to confuse all travellers who aren't fluent in both French and Dutch. In other words anyone who was not born and raised in Belgium. 

Brussel-Zuid / Bruxelles-Midi Station

Having finally found the correct train at the correct station, I arrived at Paris Nord in no time. 
How wonderful to visit friends from home in the incredible city of Paris! 

The rest of the weekend passed in a wonderful haze of wandering through cafe-lined streets and strolling along the Seine, catching up on the Jozi news, picnicking in the Jardin du Luxembourg, shopping in Rue du Rivoli, drinking cafe creme and eating pain au chocolate and Amarino ice cream.

We explored the odds and ends found at the Puces antique market, gazed at breathtaking Monet paintings at Musee d'Orsay (much to our surprise, the museum was free because we went on a Sunday!), and walked along Promenade Plantee - an elevated garden overlooking the city, dotted with locals going for a run or walking their dogs.

Paris Pleasures

On Sunday afternoon I took the train back to Liege and by 8 pm I was back at home in Maastricht. 
Visiting Paris for the weekend was such an adventure!
So whether you are visiting Fieterjasies antiques on the Vaal or sightseeing on the Seine, a weekend breakaway to Parys/Paris will always be a memorable event when meeting up with friends.

Johannesburg: Places and People

You don’t know where you’re going until you know where you have been…

I thought it apt to start with the city I have sadly left behind recently: Johannesburg.

For the past three years Jozi was my home. Three years might not seem like a long time, but you don’t need a decade to make this amazing city your home.

Here is what I love about Jozi:

1.      The People

The people of Jozi are hard-working, fast-moving, get-up-and-go people. We spend a lot of our time on the road or at work. Even so, the friendliness and inclusiveness of the people of Johannesburg blew me away.

The majority of people arrive in Joburg as strangers, but are invited to events and pulled into friendships so quickly that they are set on paying it forward. It is easy to make friends in this city.

I am thankful for amazing memories of “made from scratch” pasta and pizza dinners on a Saturday night, braais with the men huddled around the fire, big glasses of dark red Pinotage, lazy Sunday brunches at arty restaurants, house parties with loud music and laughter, a quick coffee and catch-up, jogging or cycling on a crisp Sunday morning, lazy afternoon picnics, sitting around for hours talking about nothing but laughing until you cry – always with a big bunch of people; old friends and new faces.

2.      The Sunsets

I often turn off the highway just as the sun is setting behind the mountains. Almost every time I have to remind myself to keep focusing on the road and not stare the yellow, red, and purple streaks in the sky. Breath-taking doesn't even begin to describe it.

3.      The Weather

Jozi doesn't have Cape Town’s mountain or Durban’s beaches, but the weather in Joburg is near perfect. For nine months of the year the days are long and superbly sunny, with light breezes and cooling evening showers (with magnificent/terrifying lightning). True, the winter is bone-chilling cold, but it’s only three pay checks long (yes, I have counted).

4.      The Skyline

5.      My Church

My church is in a casino. Can it get any more awesome and real than that?

We love God, we love Johannesburg, we love the people of Jozi.

Go and visit! You’ll love it.

6.      The Markets

It’s not just the food, crafts and clothes that are amazing.

It’s the vibe, the creativeness, the chatter and energy, the outfits and uniqueness of everyone and everything in this remarkable city.

Market on Main



7.      The Restaurants and Coffee Shops

Because Joburgers love to kuier!

Some of my favourites restaurants and coffee shops are Contessa's, Saigon, Kong Roast, Wombles, Dukes, Possum's Bistro, La Vie en Rose, and Salvation Cafe at 44 Stanley.

8.      The Events

There is always something to do!

Whether you are into sports (participant or spectator), arts, or culture: If it’s happening in South Africa, it’s happening in Johannesburg.

I loved the shows at Monte Casino, the international bands at Soccer City (FNB Stadium), cycling at the Cradle of Humankind, time trials and road-running events.

9.      The Street-Entertainment

You can watch a show with song and dance or be entertained by a juggling act. You can get your windows washed. You can buy a newspaper, a cell phone charger, a handbag, a wide variety of toys, or flowers. And all this from the comfort of your own car.

The products on display are also easily adapted based on the season: If it rains, umbrellas and raincoats are for sale. During the winter, scarves and gloves are available. When the sun is shining, you can buy a sunhat, sunscreen, a beach towel, bucket and spade and possibly a swimsuit in the latest colour and fashion.

10.  The Holidays

Technically it’s not something that’s happening in Jozi, as everybody packs up and leaves the city for a holiday. But Joburgers work hard and play hard, therefore there’s always a holiday being planned! My friends’ motto was to never come back from a holiday, without having planned the next!

Johannesburg, I will truly miss you.

And I will definitely be back.