Living As An Expatriate In Johannesburg – One Year Later.

Exactly one year ago today, I arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa and I don’t remember breathing as I stepped into OR Tambo Airport.

I was scared. I felt helpless. I felt like this was something we had to do, so I would suck it up and do it. And I wondered when I would leave this place.

We walked into the arrivals hall and seeing a flood of black people made it even more frightening for me. I wasn’t used to seeing black people and couldn’t tell them apart. The stories I had read online said they were killing and raping white people and foreigners. I stared at them and they stared back at me. Making it worse for my nerves. As I collected my baggage, I asked the gentleman who was escorting us if the airport was safe. He said one of the airline managers was once shot in this city. Greeeeat.

Life here was not fun. We stayed indoors. Tiptoed outdoors. I was nervous all the time. I watched my back constantly and our boy teased me mercilessly about being a scaredy cat. We had room service for a full week in the hotel because we were too nervous to go out. I read the news online combing for crime stories and got myself into a state of frenzy reading the stories written by bitter South Africans in expat forums who have fled this country.

One year later now, I look back and laugh. This is NOT the most frightening place on earth. It’s so far from it that I am constantly amazed that the media hasn’t begun to write nicer things about the country. There is crime in the city and we’ve learnt to protect ourselves from it and be careful. But it is not everywhere, on every street, in everyone’s face. We know friends who have experienced crime here, but most of it was due to carelessness and bad luck. Shit does happen sometimes, regardless of where we are and who we are.

There’s stuff I don’t like here, of course. I don’t like so much poverty. So many hungry people. The administration. The crime. The fortresses that are our homes. The high cost of living. The random power/water cuts. Expensive and crappy internet. The dreadfully cold winter. The attitude and behaviour of some of the locals at work and in customer service.

But the rest of the country is just beautiful.. mountains and seas.. wineries and safaris.. history, art and culture.. wonderful restaurants and parties.. great lifestyle infrastructure and amenities.. and most importantly, the nice.. so so nice people. I’ve had so much to blog about ever since we arrived. To think that I had considered shutting down my blog since we were moving to South Africa, and life was just about to end. Hahaha..

I’ve really enjoyed being here. Initially everyone I knew thought I was just bluffing and was in a state of denial when I said that. But really, crime or no crime, this is a place that has energy and heart.

Just us with the fresh bloom of jacarandas.
Photo credit: Sine Thieme

Some random stuff I’ve learnt in the past year -

I’ve learnt to say Hello to strangers. People say Hello, how are you? when they walk past me. Now I do that too. I’ve learnt to acknowledge the guy that stands in the same lift with me, and not pretend he doesn’t exist and stare down at my phone.

South Africa has good *hic!* wine. I ♥♥♥ that chenin blancs are back on our table. *clasping hands under chin and jumping up and down*

The flowers in South Africa are gorgeous. I’ve been so enchanted by the spurts of colour all over the city ever since spring arrived. But they come and go in a flash! One day they are blooming and looking fabulously pretty. The next day they are bleh! and dead.

The most beautiful sunsets are in this part of the world. Really, the Lion King movie wasn’t lying.

The mommas said if I wanted boobs and butt, I would have to eat pap. Forget plastic surgery. Listen to the elderly black women and get the same well endowed figures by eating their very rich porridge made from maize and a load of butter.

Sawubona! is Hello in Zulu. Except that whenever I shout that to a bunch of kids, they always give me blank stares instead of saying Yebo! like they should. The adults tell me it’s because it’s really weird to see a Chinese girl speak Zulu.

If the Chinese never get attacked in South Africa, we have to thank Jackie Chan for it. The locals think we all know kung fu. Thanks to Karate Kid. I’m like, Oh yeah, we all know kung fu. *swipes nose with thumb* Hee!

Check out what I said about South Africa when we first arrived this time last year – Living in South Africa. =)

We are off to Mauritius! Updates later, peeps..