Wednesday, 17 March 2010

Re-intergration

I packed in about 30min (…selfish me – thanks Rosa for the help). One year of living in Istanbul equaled 3 suitcases and one backpack (this excluded the clothes I left behind), weighing approximately 56Kg i.e. 46kg for 2 checked-in suitcases and 10kg for the hand luggage suitcases + backpack. You can imagine that dragging these monsters aint easy – thank you Burak for helping me all the way to the airport.

Apparently I had spent 1 extra day than I shouldn’t have on my visa, to me the visa said I have 31 days but I was supposed to have spent and left on the 30th day,I think a visa should coming with a manual, anyway I payed about $105 for the one day…I think they forgot that in that one day I contributed to the economy – wine aint cheap and not so great either…so after payment I proceeded to the ‘ penalized’ people’s gate #16 meant only for diplomats & NATO status individuals , and I’m like… WOW it only takes $105 of penalty fee to have a diplomatic route for 5minutes?

Landed at OR Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg) and got lost, I had to ask the patrolling police where the post office & toilet were, that was embarrassing! I am glad though that the airport is looking good. My brother was shocked by my luggage needless to say the guy who came to pick me up in his petite ford fiesta which was clearly not suited to carry my luggage so we sat with them on the seats.

The summer heat can give you a tan within 15min, fresh mango smell in downtown Johannesburg is divine and on my way home to my mother’s house i.e. Free State province - the sundown gave the open savannah and the harvested corn field lands a golden reflection which reminded me on how beautiful South Africa (Mzansi) really is…

I made a resolution to travel within the country and see the beauty we are blessed with before/during Easter, thanks to
here for showing me what I have been missing.

I must admit that I miss Istanbul’s transport system as compared to here, there were many options i.e. taxi (cab), dolmus (10 or 14 seater - Toyota kinda taxis), metro bus, undergrounds metro train and boats across the Asian and European side. These options made travelling a bit easier to counter the traffic at peak hours, Johannesburg traffic is just as bad…actually worse now, so you either own a car (which I would advise) or you take the taxi – with drivers that are rude and don’t obey rules or you take a cab which will cost you a minimum of $10 just to move 100 meters. I need to finalize my license and get a car period! This victim state I am in is frustrating.

South Africans a nicer I must say…its standard to greet when you get into a taxi (in any of the official languages) and you will get a response, you can rely on getting assistance when asking for directions and you will definitely get service with a smile – even if its bad service…it will come with a smile and you will pay 10% tip on the bill :)

I had forgotten though how sensitive we are about security and how much we prioritize it, this is visible by the high gated walls with electric fences that are nicely part of the house decoration, the dogs that guard the yard and the armed response signs put everywhere in residential areas …it’s understandable though – even all my senses became alert upon landing.
…can a South African tell me why there are so many people standing at the door when a plane opens its doors – is this JZ’s employment alternative . . . they are blocking the freaking way!

I still yet have to get accustomed to how expensive life has gotten lately. A cheap meal in the northern suburbs starts at approximately $7, fuel at about $1.50 for a liter and accommodation for a 2 bedroom apartment starts at $700 whereby a bachelor studio is $450.

The other day after work I went to catch a taxi, I could not help but stare at the ‘rush hour’ traffic that was stagnant or should I say moving at a ‘bumper-to-bumper ‘pace. Then I remember Nancy (a German girl we used to live with in the Auckland park house) when she said she has never seen so many German cars i.e. BMWs and Mercedes in just one city as in Johannesburg. Staring for a duration of about 10min within 50 meters I could see only fancy cars i.e. BMWs 1 series, Audi A6 & A8, Mini Coopers, VW’s EOS and Mercedes. South Africans are materialistic and I had forgotten that it’s about what you drive!

I am settling in slowly and surely and will update about my 2010 projections in the next round.

Laters.

No comments: