Proudly South African

I am so in love with this country. Sometimes the feeling just overwhelms me. I’ve done a bit of travelling, seen a lot of Europe – but nothing has ever been remotely in the same league as SA. Here are a couple of things that make me wake up every morning with a smile on my face…

1. The bush – is there anything better than driving around in an open 4x4 taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the wild? Or having drinks by a roaring bonfire listening to the sounds of hyena and lion calling in the background

2. The beach – the vast expanse of wide and wild coastline in the Transkei, the rockpools packed full of starfish and sea anemones at Swartvlei, the turtle breeding grounds of Kosi Bay

3. The energy and spirit of Jozi, where in summer the vibe is almost palpable

4. The camaraderie of ordinary South Africans – where people are almost always willing to go the extra mile and lend a helping hand

5. Long conversations with petrol attendants about life, love, politics – whatever (oh yes – also the fact that we HAVE petrol attendants)

6. The South African ability to laugh at ourselves

7. ‘Ja Nee’, ‘As well’, ‘Now now’ and ‘Just now’ makes perfect sense to us

8. Chivalry isn’t dead

9. Biltong

10. The braai - no one else in the world manages it quite like we do. No one else understands that if the braai goes out three times before you manage to actually cook anything on it, just adds to the fun.

On that note, I’m actually leaving the country – MsMozi is off to Mozi tomorrow! At 3am, with wetsuit and weight-belt in tow, I will be heading off to the sunny shores of Ponta do Ouro for the weekend, to scuba dive with the whale sharks, drink 2M and eat fresh seafood.