Category Archives: Observations

Travel Tips and Advice

This post is for those brave souls who are thinking about getting on a plane and coming this way. Getting Here I believe Dutch Airline KLM has the best prices for the January to March time frame.  Based on some … Continue reading

Posted in Observations | Leave a comment

I Saw a Pangolin!

We are just back from (another) weekend at a safari lodge; this time we traveled with 25 members of Steve’s workplace team. I know you all will be terribly excited to hear I saw a Pangolin! “A what?” you say? … Continue reading

Posted in Observations | 8 Comments

Adaptation and Understanding

I’ve now been a resident of South Africa for 9 months.  I have come a very long way – there are still eons and light year ahead. I have had a chance to experience the truth that we humans are … Continue reading

Posted in Observations | 10 Comments

An African Christmas Story

Happy New Year from South Africa. Steve and I have done a good bit of traveling since I last posted. We’ve been to the beaches of the Indian Ocean in Durban. We’ve slept on an Nguni cattle farm near Pietermaritzburg … Continue reading

Posted in Observations | 7 Comments

Roots and Lies in Africa

  We are beginning to put down the thinnest and most delicate of roots here in Africa. We’ve been invited to a local family celebration and plucked the web of romantic destiny.  We’ve also been reminded that we are foreigners, … Continue reading

Posted in Angst, Observations | 9 Comments

Culture Shock is Making Me Irritable

  Culture is the collective mental programming distinguishing people in one group from people in other groups* I am making progress. I have moved through the “honeymoon” stage of adjustment  into the “culture shock” phase.  This second stage is not … Continue reading

Posted in Angst, Observations | 8 Comments

Money and Misery in Mozambique

  Mozambique was all very lovely. The trouble with lovely is it doesn’t make a good story.  Conflict makes for good reading. So let me tell you about our angst. Internal Conflict in Mozambique The trouble with our lovely resort … Continue reading

Posted in Angst, Observations, Travel | Leave a comment

Botswana Bamboozelment

Settling into Life in Africa Upon our return from Botswana I’ve made an effort at normalization.  I’ve started driving around; made an attempt to improve our internet connection; started cooking at home and working out.  This attempt at normalization has … Continue reading

Posted in Angst, Observations, Travel | Leave a comment

Return To Africa

The fourth of July was just another day here in South Africa; though we did meet “the boys” for wings at Hooters here in Johannesburg.  The Americans all wore red, white, and blue and the waitress wished us a happy … Continue reading

Posted in Observations, Surprise | Leave a comment

The Cricket Match

By my second week, I have established some semblance of a routine.  I’ve started driving myself around and I am, in some cases, able to find answers to my own questions. Here is one of my adventures. On Friday I … Continue reading

Posted in Alarm, Observations | Leave a comment