Expatting – Travel – Adventuring with Kids
Here are 10 ways to avoid being struck by lightning for anyone living in a lightning hotspot. As well as often giving us a four seasons in one day and the occasional crazy hail storm Johannesburg is one of the unofficial lightning capitals of the world. It’s not something I’d not thought too much about until… Continue reading 10 Ways to Avoid Being Struck By Lightning
Being British, it’s long overdue that I conform to my cultural stereotype and talk about the weather. Despite living here in the Rainbow Nation, I think rainbows are just about the only weather phenomenon we have not yet experienced. We have shivered on cold and frosty mornings. We have sizzled, like sausages on a braai, under the baking… Continue reading Four Seasons in One Day
Johannesburg: The Bad Apple Are you thinking of moving to or visiting Johannesburg? A lot of people have plenty of concerns about doing so, after all, it has a pretty rotten reputation. If New York is the Big Apple, Johannesburg is perhaps perceived more as the Bad Apple. Much of what you hear in the… Continue reading Johannesburg Living: It would be a Crime NOT to Tell You
It was gold, not water that drew people here in droves. Johannesburg is the only major city in the world that is not built close to a large source of water. Landlocked, it is about as far from the sea as it could be in South Africa and there are no large rivers or lakes here.… Continue reading Water Awareness
If you're wondering whether a Johannesburg winter is cold, the word on the street is that we are living in Arctic Africa this week. A cold front has whipped up here on chilly Cape Town winds. Winter is here. All in the Same Storm, Not all in the Same Boat Just to be clear, before… Continue reading Arctic Africa: A Johannesburg Winter
So, one year into our South African adventure (July 2014) and we are all enjoying our time here, but it is unquestionably the children who are having the time of their little lives. Scarce an eyelid is batted at the power cuts, traffic jams, street hawkers or shacks. They do ask questions about the poverty and disfunctionality they encounter,… Continue reading Endless Summer, Broad Horizons
“Please could you pick me up some new shoelaces if you’re going to the mall today?” Mr Incredible tossed the tiny challenge lightly over his shoulder on his way out the door. At face value this was one of Mr I’s most simple requests. Arriving at the mall I made a beeline for the first… Continue reading The Hunt for Red October
South African birds are weird and wonderful. Confession; since moving to South Africa I have become a bit of twitcher. To clarify for any of you not familiar with the term, it’s a synonym for bird watcher. My husband gleefully insists that this new interest is middle age trumpeting, hooting and twittering its’ arrival. Not… Continue reading South African Birds: Mohawks, Mobbing and High Maintenance Chicks
Mr Incredible has always been keen to have a dog, so, off and on since we’ve been here we have popped to the pound to ‘browse’. Sweetpea was desperate each time to adopt on the spot and Pickle was keen to adopt…well all of them. Me? I was mostly a little bit lukewarm, realising that ‘us’ acquiring… Continue reading Pound Hound: On Adopting a Dog in South Africa
We are privileged to live in a beautiful bubble. Our secure housing estate is a Garden of Eden throwback to our carefree 70’ and 80’s childhoods where children can ride their bikes and walk to the neighbours’ houses to knock for their friends. The Dragon is one of our most notorious residents,no, NOT me,although I suspect Mr Incredible might… Continue reading Beware of the Dragon
Expatorama 