We spent five years living in Lagos, Nigeria. To date, I’ve barely touched on our time there. It’s a chaotic and often frustrating place to live and it's difficult to know where to start as there are so many memories and mishaps to dust off. As a first taster, I'm sharing one of the many (but far… Continue reading Alarmed by Smoke Alarms
Category: Expat Life
10 Reasons to have a Dog in Johannesburg
Shortly after arriving in Johannesburg, South Africa, we adopted a little rescue dog. It turns out that despite my initial concerns and reservations, I'm actually quite pleased that we did. To be fair, most of the reasons I give for getting a dog apply to wherever you are in the world, but prior to arriving in… Continue reading 10 Reasons to have a Dog in Johannesburg
I am a Secret Agent: The Undercover Expat
Find out why your expat partner could in fact be an undercover agent...
Meet 3 Doomed Expat Spouses
Previously I wrote about expat wives (spouses) and how crucial their state of happiness is the success of an expat posting. However, expat life is not for everybody and today I'm going to introduce you to three stereotyped expat spouses who are almost certainly doomed to be unhappy. Meet Homesick Hilda, Part-Time Pauline and Nervous Nellie: Homesick Hilda… Continue reading Meet 3 Doomed Expat Spouses
Happy Expat Wife, Happy Expat Life: 5 Expat Life Strategies
A happy expat wife, husband, partner or spouse is an essential ingredient to having a happy expat life. So happy expat wife equals happy expat life. See how I adapted a well-known adage by throwing the word 'expat' in there? I would even go as far as to say that it’s MORE true that the original… Continue reading Happy Expat Wife, Happy Expat Life: 5 Expat Life Strategies
Discover 5 ways Expats and Jacarandas are Similar
Jacaranda season is upon us again here in South Africa (the trees bloom any time from September through to November - it varies slightly from year to year). These stunning trees blossom a stunning shade of purple bringing a smile to many. It struck me that the jacaranda trees and expats have a few things… Continue reading Discover 5 ways Expats and Jacarandas are Similar
When did economy air travel become a form of torture?
Once upon a time air travel was glamorous and even now, at the front or top of the plane you have private cubicles resembling bijou studio flats in London. There you will be offered a wine list, linen napkins, flat screen TVs, a bar, perhaps a massage and maybe even a dry-cleaning service. However, at… Continue reading When did economy air travel become a form of torture?
Sterling Work: Johannesburg Jewellery School
South Africa is famous for its gold and platinum mines, for diamonds from Kimberly and Cullinan and also has limited silver mining. So it’s a great place, to learn more about gems, metals and jewellery. In previous post, Hot Metal, I wrote about how I took up a shiny new hobby to help fill my time as an… Continue reading Sterling Work: Johannesburg Jewellery School
Visit Lesedi Cultural Village: Eat Worms and Spit on Stones
If you're planning a visit to Lesedi Cultural village near Johannesburg, South Africa, here's what you can expect.
Expat Life: Expatting vs Backpacking
Expats and Backpackers listen up. What we do is not the same thing. Moving abroad and backpacking are worlds apart. Disclaimer: The following post is tongue in cheek. I don’t have any prejudices against back-packers, it was rather a specific comment, by a specific person - known henceforth as Pinhead - at a specific time,… Continue reading Expat Life: Expatting vs Backpacking
Expatorama 