A Very Over Due Update

The two of us plus Fuggles are slowly getting settled here in Jo'burg. Fuggles was a bit bewildered at first but, upon successfully located his food and little box settled down. There are quite a lot of new (and large) birds for him to chip at, which keeps him quite amused.

Jeremy's job is going quite well, he really likes the ERM Southern Africa folks; the staff is quite young and motivated and I think there's a lot of opportunity for him to grow, as a manager, marketer, and technical expert in mining risk management. Although he'd already been working with a lot of the Jo'burg staff, he's enjoying getting to know people better and not having to wake up at 4am for conference calls. The transition for me here in my new firm is a little bit slower....I'd been with CDM for 7+ years and have really forgotten what it's like to be the new kid in town. Additionally, everyone is focused on getting deliverables to the client prior to Dec 14...after which point the country shuts down and we all go on holiday. But at the same time, I like the people I work with and there are some interesting projects in the pipeline. I think over the long term there is plenty i can learn as well as plenty to contribute....if only I could figure out how to use the copy machine.

We have gotten outside of the hustle and bustle of the city once to go to Pilansburg National Park. A mere 2 hours from a city the size of London you can be in the middle of no where watching a herd of rhinos! What's more fun about this park is you get to drive your own car. We do need to trade the little VW rental car in for a baaki. (ie, truck or SUV). Next time we plan on going for a weekend…there also happens to be a world class golf course next to the wild park…needless to say that between the hippos and crocodiles you don’t attempt to retrieve your ball from the water hazard…you simply take the stroke and drop a new ball.

Life in Jo'burg alternates between break neck speed and agonizingly slow. The streets are always buzzing with people driving way too fast, the night life is electric, wonderful restaurants, and lots of music. People talk a mile a minute in several different languages. Everything is brightly colored and bold. We love the weather, the rolling hills, the lush, green trees, and a culture that has an appropriate work/life balance. There is something about the soft light during twilight that just whispers “Africa.” Beautiful and mysterious. Trendy up market restaurants abound. Nouveau cuisine that feature everything we saw in the national park…served medium rare. Ostrich and crocodile Carpaccio are among my favorites.

It is agonizingly slow here when you are trying to open a bank account, get DSL installed, or get your cell phone fixed. There is an institutionalized inefficiency...not to mention a large labor pool that is still not getting the training and empowerment they need to really get this country moving. The woman at the VodaCom customer service desk hasn’t been taught how to think outside the box…”We can’t fix the software problem with your phone, you have to take it to the Samsung Store.” Sometimes I wonder how SA can possibly hold the world cup when road signs are non-existent, and no one really seems to understand the rules (they simply make them up). You are sometimes fooled into thinking you are in a first world country and then the power goes out in your office building (at which point we all go home). But at the same time, it is a young country, most people are terribly friendly, and there is a verve that reminds me of Mexico.

Currently we've been living in a corporate flat which is quite vanilla, to say the least. The most exciting thing about it was Fuggles falling off the balcony and landing 15 feet below in someone else's garden. Our stuff arrives on the 17th and we will be moving into a more permanent place further south. It is near to friends, a great gym, and the country club we intend to join. Also near a butcher, fish monger, flower market, fresh fruit and veg stand, and wine store. Did I mention the inexpensive but WONDERFUL wine here? So we are excited to finally move in and unpack. Plus, getting our computer and internet connections set up will help us keep in better touch with family and friends in the states. Right now all we have are cell phones....small fortune!

Plenty of trials and tribulations to add to the fun that we've had....getting anything done requires three trips. I seriously miss Starbucks. There are no bagels, kashi granola bars, or hard clumping cat litter. I am happy to miss out on the U.S. Election Season Mudslinging, crushed that Snow Season is in full swing at Copper without me. The time difference makes communication tough...it was hard over thanksgiving when it took 3 days to get a hold of my parents and Mollie & David. The crime is something to be taken very seriously...to some extent it does mean a loss of personal freedom. I do not go running alone, ever (though I do see women running by themselves, I just don’t feel comfortable yet). Not that there's many places to run since sidewalks are few and far between. And bike/pedestrian paths? There's people without running water here in Jo'burg...they have higher priority items. When driving I've learned that the purse doesn't go on the seat next to me, it (with any other valuable) goes in the trunk, doors stay locked. You pay attention to your surroundings...no multi tasking in the car. In spite of the crime, no one seems afraid to live life. Restaurants are always full and plenty of people (namely the black nouveau riche) drive very nice, very hi-jackable cars. The economy is thriving and there is a lot of money to be made, even if you are a white male (they are now at the bottom of the totem pole). Fortunately Jo’burg offers amble opportunity for all races to spend all that money!

That's all for now...we do have cool pictures of wildlife but since our computer is still in a crate we can't download them off of Jeremy's camera. You'll just have to keep checking back!