I realize that satisfaction and joy and good things in life is a heart thing, not a location thing. So in a way it’s more than just being back in Jo’burg and making it work, it’s about finding the cool in the mundane, the beauty in the face brick apartment complexes and the freedom beyond the security fences.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Guest post from a real long term tourist...



When I started this blog a few short months ago my gorgeous previous roommate sent me this message below about where she found the joy in Jo'burg. She's originally from and now back in Cape Town (grrrr...) ((I say grrrr because I want to move there one day when I'm big)). She spent a year and half working in Jo'burg where she had the delightful delight of living with yours truly for a good portion of that year and a half... as if that's not awesome enough right, right Carlene?? .. Uhm.

I found her message so beautifully written, capturing a few Jozi gems as she reminiscences about her time up here. It is however in Afrikaans which limits the audience this post around.

...sorry random Russian and English speaking reader for not translating this for you. For the rest of you please welcome and enjoy my first guest post.


My jaar en 'n half in jo(y)burg; ek mis die groen, die stad is so ryk aan die mooiste en digste bome, as mens van hoog kyk lyk dit soos 'n feetjie woud, en soms vergeet dat die stad daar binne wegkruip, én die mooiste ooitste - die persblommetjies van die jacarandas wat 'pop' as jy oor hul ry. Dan die weer in die somer: die groot reendruppels se reuk op die warm teer, die geluid van die blits en donderweer wat ek skeitbang voor was aan die begin, maar wat ek nou so mis. En daardie donderweerstrale lyk amazing in tussen die wolke, vol krag, en remind ons natuur is soveel groter as ons! En die mense, soveel verskeidenheid en almal het 'n storie, daar bestaan nie so iets soos clicks nie, almal ontvang jou en jy kan chat met enige iemand, alle kleure en kulture meng. Michael (my ou) en sy vriend het elke sondag 'meet a foreigner' dag gehad, ek dink dit was awesome, en dis die ding, jy kan in jozi, en nie net 'n foreigner nie, enigeiemand anders as jyself! Mis al die interessante restaurante en coffeeshops!! En daar was soveel meer goedjies wat joburg vir my joyburg gemaak het! Ek het dit dalk bietjie laat besef ja. Jy was vir 'n jaar en 'n half in vietnam, ek was in jou home town, en wou jou maar net herhinner aan van die joys wat jozi vir my gegee het.

Carlene Albertyn

Dankie Carlene! xoxo

(I did Google translate this Afrikaans/English and doesn't translate thaaat badly, but trust me the Afrikaans is better)

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