Twitterings of South African Kiwi’s

Are South African’s living in New Zealand (aka SA Kiwi’s) quite possibly the friendliest, kindest, most welcoming people in the world? Or are we as South African’s generally good, friendly people who have just buried that friendliness under a blanket of suspicion and fear as we navigate our way through one hell of a dangerous concrete jungle? This is the question I’ve been asking myself since yesterday after experiencing the random acts of kindness and support that Walter and I have received from long lost acquaintances and friends living faaar down South in NZ.

Yesterday I received a very surprising phone call from Faieka, an SA Kiwi living in NZ for the past 4 years. To understand how surprising this is, let me back track a bit. Faieka and I, although both South Africans, come from totally different worlds. Faieka is a Muslim woman of approximately my age, who probably felt the effects of Apartheid much more than I did. I, on the other hand am a white female who grew up in a prividleged, Christian home. Aside from us both being South African, we’re also both originally from the magnificent city of Cape Town. We would probably have NEVER met, spoken or socialized in any way, shape or form if it weren’t for our chance meet as colleagues at MWeb more than 6 years ago. This is not to anything other than our paths would never have crossed if it weren’t for MWeb. Even then the differences between us were tangible. Faieka, was a stable, married woman with one daughter and another one on the way. She was exceptional at what she did at MWeb, I was a wild child in my early twenties, recently divorced and living life large with no direction what so ever. We have not seen each other in 6 years but have randomly on the odd occasion emailed each other with titbits of news etc. But Faieka has been one of the greatest sources of information and support for our emigration. She phoned me yesterday from NZ, long distance international call and probably spent about a half an hour on the phone giving me all kinds of tips and bits of information, Faieka, if you’re reading this, you have no idea how much that phone call meant to me, you have no idea how much the information helped both Walter and I.

It has given us a certain peace of mind to know that we probably are not going to starve on the streets of NZ, or live in a cardboard box in the park.

Elsie is another friend/acquaintance who has been a source of information for both Walter and I. She worked with Walter more than 3 years ago, when we lived in the shit hole Maputo, Mozambique. Perhaps the reason we’re all so brave about packing up and moving to a strange country is because WE SURVIVED MOZZIE! If you can survive that place, I reckon you can survive anywhere. Understand people, going there for a holiday, sitting on the beach, sipping a cocktail is a VERY different kettle of fish to actually having to live there. It was hell. It was awful, it was filthy, dirty, depressing and corrupt. Hhhm sounds allot like South AFrica doesn’t it.

Anyway, back to Elise, she has been invaluable in sending us snippets of information that have given us a great incite into what our first few months as SA Kiwi’s will be like. Here is an email with some interesting insights I received from Elsie this morning:

“Today we gave up, or gave in (not sure which), packed Wendy (the whining GPS) and headed over the Auckland bridge to …..

…………. BROWNS BAY.. *hear horror music in the back ground*

Also known as Little South Africa, Browns Bay is famous to be teeming with South African expats and their (much sought after) merchandise.  Tannie Sannie behind the counter (and her triple chin) greeted us with ‘wat kan ons vir julle doen’, while boere musiek is blerring from the huge flat screen TVs. Dis ‘n bokjol and it can like scare even hardened Pretoria type Afrikaners.

This is also the only place in the country (and most likely the world) where you can buy the old South African flag, the old South African flag key ring and the old South African flag bumper sticker along with shirts that read ‘South African Kiwi’. The shelves are filled with boerbeskuit, koeksisters, melktert, biltong, boerewors and …. Aah yeaah… (can you hear the faintest of Kiwi accent yet?) GOOD SOUTH AFRICAN WINE.

We went bos. Yup letterlik. Off course the same bottle that costs R30 in SA, now set you back $40! But hey! A small price to pay for the Geewd Stuff!!

Posters advertise a sokkiejol and Afrikaans Musiek Konsert (all in die taal natuurlik) and in one shop you have two clocks: one displaying  Johannesburg time, the other Auckland time. A sign of the times, indeed. Had it not been for the weather, you would be forgiven for thinking you were in Bloemfontein, Benoni or Boksburg.

You hardly hear English around here and on the odd occasion you do, it can like be talked in a very heavy Boksburg accent.

 No wonder the Kiwi’s think we talk funny. But then, who are THEY to judge right? If ever you wondered what raping the English language would sound like, head on over to my part of the world. A pear is a pair, sheark is a shark and that is about where the similarities end.

 The truth is, even though I am reluctant to admit this, there is a certain amount of comfort in finding the familiar. Even if it’s the familiar you intentionally tried to remain unfamiliar with. At the end of it, I guess there is not much difference between Tan Sannie and me. We are all South Africans that decided its’ is safer to love South Africa from afar.

An opportunity I am grateful for.

Well thank gawd for foresight.  Just as we arrived in Auckland,  I found two bunnies at the Warehouse (think PEP stores on drugs – but really the only thing you can afford with South African monopoly money) We call it bunnies cause its big fluffy and silky soft bath robes and PERRRFECT for the cold, wet Auckland winter nights.

In fact, we like our bunnies so much and live in them so often it is a problem to clean. We suffer severely from separation anxiety and so bunny wash days are now scheduled. But only when we are ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY SURE we won’t be at home where we might need them.  It is a problem, but we are not seeking counselling..yet.

The other good news is that our container finally arrived. Our entire life is in a box at the harbour awaiting inspection from our friendly customs officials. I can’t wait to be reunited with my ‘Stuff’. I particularly miss my clothes. In Auckland you have such a wide variety. You can pick from black, grey and black. I’m thinking more in line with orange, red and yellow .. In all honesty, the few items I did manage to bring over with me have served me well. They are head turners of note.

I guess when everyone wears only black you tend to notice someone swinging past you in a green, blue and yellow striped jersey.. J

Personally, I believe it is a conspiracy amongst the retail outlets. They stock ONLY black, in the process they minimise competition and bore everyone into depression. And we know what depressed women do … right?

YES! ..SHOP!!! ….I smell an evil plot!

Well the other interesting titbit is that we are now closer than ever to snow capped mountains and ski slopes J There is a slope (not a real one but close enough) just 20 min north of Auckland. I can’t wait to get further south to give the real ones a go!

This is such a beautiful country. I have attached a link to a fabulous site. When opening the link click on the top banner that reads ‘welcome to youngest country on earth’ to play a lovely video about our new home.. it truly inspires J

http://www.newzealand.com/travel/International/            

Well, that is that from far south. Tonight we are in a most fascinating position. The All Blacks are playing the Boks in Wellington. Either way, we win!! He He J.

So to even the score we devised a CLEVA supporter’s strategy! We decided that we will support the underdog. When SA is playing NZ on NZ turf, we shall be Bok supporters. When NZ plays Boks in SA, we’ll be supporting All Blacks.

Not sure which way things will swing if both teams are playing each other on foreign turf K .. but we will figure it out when we get there. Maybe we will share the support 50 -50 amongst ourselves. Who knows?

Go Boks! “

 

I can’t wait for it to be me sending these titbits of information!

I can’t wait to call myself an SA Kiwi!!

Go bokke, go All Black’s!!!