SA rocks because...

I have posted before about my journey to the sunny, rainbow Nation that is South Africa… British Mum(yes it is spelt and pronounced Mum Not Mom!) ended up in Howick! I have been living here for nearly 16 months now so have compiled two lists…

  SA rocks because…

•  Avocados are always ripe, creamy and yummy.
• You never have to hoover or clean your bathrooms (You took some getting used to, but Juliet you are a superstar!)
• You can buy Percy Pigs at Woolies
• Two people can eat out for a just £10 (R150)
• STEAK – that’s all.
• Car dudes pack your shopping into your car and take your trolley back for you.
• You can buy a yummy bottle of wine for £3 (R45)
• Lovely, round supermarket assistants pick up your child and spend 5 minutes making them giggle whilst you browse aisle 6.
• Wifi is actually really good and HUGE bonus… You don’t have to phone the BT call centre to sort it out when it breaks. 
• Amazing markets… I heart, LitchiWonder, Shongweni… great food, local crafters - a brill way to spend a weekend.
• The sun shines a lot.
• Wildlife = amazing. My husband brings snakeshome from work for our 2 year old to play with.
• So many entrepreneurs and young people starting their own businesses.
• Only 1 or 2 hours’ time difference with the UK… I can facetime friends and family all day!
• I live on the beautiful Midlands Meander and I have a lovely shop - The Ruby Orchard - I LOVE my job!


Not always cool living in SA because…
• The roads are scary and people undertake you.  I NEVER saw a truck on its side on the motorway in the UK… EVER. I see one every week here.
• Fruit juice tastes funny and is called fruit blend….unless you buy woollies freshly squeezed that costs more than a bottle of wine.
• You have to get your fruit and veg weighed in the supermarkets… I still forget and get to the till with bags of unpriced veggies.
• Invisible speed bumps, massive craters, goats and cows in the roads – it’s like a high speed assault course.
• Mens fashion consists of flip flops (AKA slops) and shorts.
• It reaches 42 degrees+ in January – even your legs sweat and you’re not even exercising!
• It gets dark on average at 6.30pm all year round… I miss long summer days and daylight till 9pm.
• Billtong… Yuk.
• No booze aisle in the supermarkets…. You have to go to a separate bottle store (offey to my English buds) – so annoying.
• Shops have funny names like ‘Honest Geroge’ and ‘Big Johns’… ok, maybe just in Howick.
• Car dudes direct you out of your parking space… I don’t need help… then you have to tip them!
• You can only sometimes if you are really lucky find Ambrosia Custard and Heinz salad cream. Must bulk buy next time I see it here.
• No Oasis, Warehouse, French connection, Crew, Fat Face, Next, Office or Ted Baker to restock my wardrobe.
• Christmas is just not Christmas without late night shopping, dressed in a warm winter coat on a high street full of twinkly lights, smells of mulled wine and listening to the Pogues  - Fairytale of New York.
• weird language exists here… Howzit China?!  A Lekker Oak!  Bakkie?! Boet, bru, chommie?! Going for a few dops?! Kiff?! … and every sentence ends in ‘hey?’.

Hope this makes you smile!