Six Months In South Africa
Time Flies…
It’s hard to believe that, as I’m sitting here, it’s been 6 months (and a few days) since I moved to South Africa. It seems like just yesterday that this whole crazy adventure started and the wheels were put in motion for me to fly halfway around the world for a girl.
As Kim would say after that sentence… “Dumbass”…
I still get hit with those moments where I stop and think “Holy $hit…I’m really here and I don’t have to leave.” The last six months have been both awesome and challenging. Adjusting to life in another country certainly hasn’t been what I imagined it would be.
To be fair, I really had no frame of reference, so it was all imaginary.
I learn something new almost every day and how I approach this whole experience is vastly different than it was when I first arrived.
Stranger in a Strange Land
There’s been a fairly steep learning curve for this American learning to navigate in his new home country. Language, culture, laws and rules, and just the pace of daily life have taken some time to get used to. I know when I first arrived, I thought I had a basic idea about how the world worked.
As Kim would say, my optimism was adorable.
After the initial culture shock and frustration, I realized the best way to adjust is to just relax into it. It’s not so much lowering expectations, it’s more eliminating expectations biased from 48 years in the US. A shift in perspective, you could say.
Since I’ve stopped trying to force things to happen (bank account, visa, etc) I am much more relaxed and present.
It’s also been a shift from being the provider to being the trophy wife. Being a freelancer isn’t the easiest thing to do… it’s lots of hustling and rejection with wins here and there and an unpredictable income…but through all of it, Kim has stood by me, encouraged me, and celebrated the small victories with me. For that, I’m grateful beyond words.
Both of us often wondered how our life would be with things turned upside down. I can honestly say that because of the time we spent apart, where all we had was texts, phone calls, and video calls to keep us going, we learned to communicate and had the hard conversations early. I have zero doubt that building that foundation for almost 2 years is one of the top reasons we’ve navigated (almost) everything with smiles and laughter.
I’ve learned a lot in my first six months, yet there’s still so much I don’t know and I’m adjusting to. Things like:
Competitive advertising is illegal. Seriously. You can’t make a commercial like the old Burger King spots where they say “Our burgers are flame broiled, not fried.” Nope.. can’t disparage your competitors or say you’re better than them. Kind of refreshing, honestly.
No pharmaceutical commercials. This I’m really thankful for. The TV isn’t telling me to take this drug and I might die from it every 20 minutes.
The use of colored when talking about people. That one hit me right in the American with the force of several WTFs. Here, it’s no big deal…
Grocery store checkout lines - most places everyone lines up and then you get called over like you’re at the DMV (Next customer…counter 7). The checkouts are also short…they don’t have the conveyor belts like they do in the US.
Oh, and I learned just this past weekend that you have to have your produce weighed in the produce section before you checkout… there’s no scale at the register. My apologies to the cashier at Spar this weekend. Oops!
What you can get at the pharmacy…I mean chemist… over the counter. Seriously America, you really need to join the rest of the world on this one.
No thing as using paper checks and almost no use for cash. I have the same US dollars in my wallet I arrived with…and I often forget they’re there. The economy here operates nearly 100% digital. From "tap to pay” handheld machines to EFTs for transferring money to friends and family… about the only time you use cash is either paying for parking or tipping the car guards. Speaking of which….
Car guards - in a very basic sense, car guards are essentially parking attendants who, supposedly, also patrol the lot to keep your car safe. In reality they stand behind you and in your blind spot when you’re trying to back out of your parking spot like a game of chicken…and speaking of chicken…
Seeing Kentucky Fried Chicken places EVERYWHERE! - Honestly, it’s ridiculous how many KFCs are around.
Turning the hot water heater, I mean geyser (pronounced geezer), on and off. Electricity isn’t cheap here so we only make hot water when we need it, usually to shower. I say usually because more often than not we forget to turn it on and just take cold showers.
Gas, I mean, petrol prices - like most the rest of the world, it’s per liter. Here in SA prices are set by the government and adjusted once a month.
Good: Prices don’t change from day to day and every station has the same price.
Bad: Every station has the same price.. currently about $5.27/gallon
VAT - In the US, sales tax is added at the register. Here in SA, the price on the shelf is the price with tax (VAT) included, so there’s no surprises. I really like this.
It’s really been an incredible six months. After moving and getting married and visa application and the holidays and hustling as a freelancer, it finally feels like we’re getting back to “normal”.
Life is good and I couldn’t be happier.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to run off to the shops and get lectured by the cashiers who now know me about how I don’t speak Afrikaans yet. Last time the woman said “You have been here long enough now… you must learn”.
If you do ever want or get a chance to visit South Africa, I highly recommend you do. It’s a wonderful country full of wonderful people, beautiful scenery, and some of the best food and wine on Earth.
If you do come visit, do consider staying at Highcliffe House in Gordon’s Bay. It’s a beautiful guesthouse with a stunning view of the bay. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
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