1) The Weather
Johannesburg has got the best weather. Since it is so far south, it doesn't have the crazy hot summers that one thinks of as "African" and since it is nonetheless in Africa, the winters aren't too cold. The rainy season is in summer (Dec - Feb) and by that time we're usually glad for some cooling showers. The rain rarely lasts more than an hour, although recently we've had some storms. And, after living in Scotland, I love the fact that it actually storms, with thunder and lightning, and even hail! No more drizzle for me. I'm occasionally amazed at the fact that I survived British weather so well - give me 3 cloudy days here and I get very moody. Also, with the constant sunshine I have one heck of a tan!2) The immediacy of needs
Ok, obviously there are levels at which this becomes untrue. My only point is that it is nice on a personal level to be able to do something straightforward and really help someone. A loan, a generous tip, a 2L pop bottle filled with water for the trash collectors, some blankets for the kids in Vange's program, all these things can make a tangible difference in someone's life. It is a far cry from saving the world, and obviously it would be better if they didn't have the needs in the first place, but it is more immediately satisfying than trying to fix many of the needs in more prosperous countries.3) Cheap Dinner!
One of the things I love about this country (and you'll sense a theme pretty soon) is how cheaply you can dine out. A nice dinner out will cost about R80, which is about $11 at the current exchange rate. A cheap one will cost $5, and that's a sit down meal. On the other hand, a Starbucks Chai Tea will is $4! Now you see why that's a really special treat.4) My kids (I have no idea why that is underlined, or how to make it go away)
Obviously I had to list the kids, but it is actually appropriate as a "South African" thing. Firstly because we have the cutest kids of anywhere (ok, maybe I'm biased). And Secondly because you can't actually do what I do, this group foster home idea, in the US. Americans are more focused on individual foster families, which is great when it works but I don't think it's always the best idea. There is a lot more potential for abuse when you don't have 7 people looking over your shoulder all the time.5) Basil
Basil (my car - long and very amusing story behind the name that I won't tell here) would no longer be running if he were a Minnesotan car. He's going on 20 years old this year and our winters would have killed him for sure. I love him for being so forgiving of my terrible manual driving, my tendency to bash parts of him, and being "cheap cheap" to repair!6) Game parks
If there is one thing I really love about living here it is the opportunity to see and photograph so many awesome animals. My happy place is at our local game park (3hrs away), as long as it's winter so I don't have to load up on allergy tablets, sprays and drops first. Although I do like spring for this cool picture I got of the zebra giving me attitude in a field of wildflowers.7)Cheap Movies (I told you there was a theme)
Going to the movies is probably my favorite "treat" here - once the lights go down you could be in a cinema anywhere in the world, and the stories transport you to all the places you want to be. Also, I love being the only one in the cinema to get the specifically American or British jokes. The best part is that on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, movies are half price at the 2 local cinemas. That means they are less than $3! And, I don't like South African popcorn (they make it plain and then have 'flavour shakers', such as fruit chutney and salt & vinegar) or their fountain drink selection, so I never splash out on snacks. All in all a very cheap night out!8) Happiness
Ok, let me explain this one. I am not one of those people who thinks that poor people are necessarily happier or more joy-filled than the rest of us. Rather I think that, as a society, South Africa is much more hopeful than anywhere else I've lived (especially the UK!). Party down to the climate no doubt and also because Apartheid ended such a short time ago and already so many changes have come about. There are certainly nay-sayers and those who think the government is going about it the wrong way, but people really believe in their ability to change their position in life. Also, with the incessant greeting (one I should have included in yesterday's post) everyone is so polite!9) Woolworths (especially the frikadels and marshmallow pies)
Woolworths (Marks and Spencer with a different name for those from the UK) is my favorite store for the simple reason that they give us free food every week. And being the Lunds or Byerlys of South Africa, it is NICE food! And sometimes they even throw in clothes!!10) My electric blanket
This one also has a few caveats - the reason I love my electric blanket (and radiator for that matter) is that South Africans seem to be constantly surprised by the fact that it gets cold in the winter and have never designed their houses to keep all that cold outside. And, they have an obesssion with fresh air, meaning that even in the dead of winter the curtains and windows will be open! As a result, without any form of heating, the inside of your house is only a few degrees cooler than the outside. Because of this, there are few things more enjoyable than crawling into your pre-heated bed at the end of a long day, and few things worse than trying to crawl out of said bed into the frosty morning.
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