Wednesday 22 December 2010

1 Year Today

We left South Africa.  Where has the time gone.  For this anniversary post I thought I would list all the things that I miss about South Africa and a couple that I don't and then tomorrow do the same for my new homeland.

I MISS

  • Very obviously my friends. Some more than others.
  • Sushi OMG how I miss sushi and the fantastic sushi bars that you get in and around Cape Town and my favourite - Willougbys at the Waterfront. Try the prawn tempura pure heaven.
  • The restaurants in general, I certainly haven't been to many here (and of course remembering that we live in the sticks) but I still think the South African restaurants are better.
  • Seeing the baboons in the Tokai forest.
  • The squirrels in my garden.
  • Drying my washing in the sun - I can't tell you how much I miss that.  Here my whites seem to be getting very grey - sorry to throw in that very domestic problem here.
  • Familiar faces.  I have started to bump into people in the village that I know but there is no real history with people.
  • Cheap good wine!!!!
  • The tap water, the water in the East of Suffolk is full of limescale and it's tastes very salty. YUCK.
I DONT MISS
  • The car guards!
  • People trying to grab my trolley when I come out of a supermarket.
  • The people selling stuff at the robots (traffic lights in the UK).
  • The school fees.
  • The medical aid fees.
  • The doom and gloom in the newspapers.
  • The SABC news reports and reporters.
  • Seeing needy, desperate people everyday.

11 comments:

  1. Oh my word...I cant believe its been a year...congrats!

    I must admit, I love the car guards and the guys helping with the trollies, I've made 'friends' with the ones at the shops I go to often...we often have long chats about life :-)

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  2. Interesting reading your list. Here in Stutt, we dont' have the car guards, the traffic light salesmen (we only have one set of traffic lights)etc, so i could also be in the uk! I hear you tho, the med aid fees drive me over the edge (seeing as we pay a fortune and yet they aren't paying for my eldest's braces!).

    Can't believe it's been a year. Well done!

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  3. I hear you! I wouldnt miss those things either. Ick.

    But I miss you. Way too much. :-(

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  4. Is it really a year? Congratulations on the anniversary - it does get easier, I promise! Why not think about making your own sushi - I went to a demo last month, and all the ingredients are available quite cheaply at Tesco. My son is now in 7th heaven, and it's certainly cheaper than going to Yo! Sushi!!

    We also have limescale in the water, living on the coast on the other side, and I use a Brita water filter every day - it helps stop the kettle from getting all furry, and you can even get a Brita Kettle, which does it all in one.

    Oh, and thanks for the Christmas card!! xx :)

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  5. You have hit it on the nose...I wouldn't miss those things either.
    My firnd...I miss our chats & just hanging out. How about a skype chat tommorrow?
    X

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  6. It feels like 5 years to me!
    We miss you too :-)

    You sure have done a lot in the year you've been there - and have settled down faster than you thought, I bet.

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  7. Helen - Pleasure and thanks for yours too. So you do have a DH :)

    Kim - I must set up my skype I will call you rather I use an iphone app that makes the calls seriously cheap. xxx

    Allie - Settled so much faster than I could have imagined.

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  8. Well done on making a year and on such a lovely balanced post - I think there are aspects of our "roots" that we scatterlings will forever miss and I so so so agree with you about sun dried washing.
    Here's to the next year....lets try meet up again before it is over ;0)
    xxx
    A

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  9. Hehe, yes, I have an H, but there is nothing D about him! :P

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  10. I can't believe it is a year ago that we met in real life...and then had to say goodbye:)

    You have adjusted remarkably well.

    xx

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  11. I'll be having a glass of wine for you tonight - celebrating your first year anniversary :)

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