Homecoming : part 1

While some of the accusations regarding who I am are laughable , some are indeed accurate. My life choices and love for travel (and a good woman) have lead me for example to spend a great deal of time outside South Africa.

Far from hampering my ability to see South Africa in a clear light , I believe it’s for this reason I have such a deep appreciation and love for my country. It’s also because of this that I’ve been exposed so some of the most ridiculous nonsense being spread around cyberspace about it.

If I lived in South Africa full time I would never have felt homesick enough to wander around expat forums and encounter the type of people you find on these websites. The type of people you find in the comments section of this blog. The negative , pessimistic , racism driven Nazis who have emigrated and now spend all their free time trying to validate and affirmate this decision by trying convince everyone (especially themselves) that South Africa is some kind of post nuclear hell hole.

I don’t know where they got this idea from. Maybe some of them were actual victims of crime , and those I offer my sympathy , but for the most part I think they are cry babies who simply watched too much “mad max”.

On returning to South Africa yesterday before I’d even left the airport I was quickly reminded about what I love and hate so much about this country.

On the hate side I saw a white Afrikaans man shouting at a lad at emigration because he’d not seen the (very clearly marked and visible by the way) signs telling him which counter to go to. He shouted and performed in front of everyone and left with a “Typical South Africa” of which the latent content of course was “Typical black people!”. I understand that the idea of a white south African having to stand in a line and be processed by a black person is pretty new and offensive to some of you , but please , get the hell over it. The common enemy at airports world round is beurocracy. Anyway it reminded me of this FNB advert about whinging South Africans.




Now if you knew me you'd know what a total douchebag anyone would have to be to make me side with an australian and the airport system both at the same time. The irony being that unlike a douchbag this guy clearly has never gotten up the vagina of a woman.

Also on the hate side I overheard another two returning Afrikaaners telling each other that South Africa has gone to hell , and using as evidence the fact that the airport has some roof tiles torn off. The irony being that they were clearly renovating that part of the airport . Now when you start looking at a renovation site and only see it as a bad thing , you really need a kick up the ass.

On the love side I sat down waiting for my connecting flight to cheap wonderful Hansa beer and was humbled as always by how friendly , cheerful and all around kind South Africans are. From the black bar staff to the white person helping the old black ladies use the public card phone. To the shoe shining touts ….South Africans are even polite when touting you for business giving you nothing more than a warm smile when you decline.

It’s great to be back in our beautiful country and as I sit here writing this overlooking the mountains with clear blue skies and biltong in my mouth , I truly wonder how anyone would ever even consider leaving this amazing place.

Stay Fresh
Rooster.