Has Anyone Here Ever Lived in Johannesburg, South Africa?

[Kits55]

So, we found out about 7 weeks before our wedding that we're temporarily relocating to South Africa in less than four weeks now! The wedding was all consuming for me so I didn't really think about it until now. So much still has to be done and I'm really freaking about bringing our cats. I can't bear to think bad thoughts because I would truly lose it if anything bad happened to them.

 

I am afraid that I will intense homesickness.

 

I am worried I will hate the food (I'm a picky eater). I'm afraid that I'll lose some of my friends here.

 

I am excited about coming back for my sister's wedding in September. I am excited that WORLD CUP 2010 will be IN SOUTH AFRICA! Woo-hoo! I am excited for the lion park where I can pet baby lions. I am excited to travel around Africa. I am excited to volunteer with HIV/AIDS organizations.

 

Has anyone lived in or near Johannesburg before or have any advice to offer? I've lived abroad before but this will be totally different. I also have been told by a friend that is from South Africa that I can't wear my wedding/e rings because it'll make me a target, in a bad way. So I have to leave it in the States but I've only been wearing it for 3 weeks now

[katrina]

how long will you be there?

[Jacilynda]

We lived in Gaberone, Botswana for 13 months which really isn't that far from Joburg. 7 weeks girl don't worry! Its such a big place you won't even have time to do everything and really enjoy southern africa SERIOUSLY!

 

I don't know what this thing is about your ring. Never heard of that! I mean of course it has bad areas of town etc but really don't freak out. Joburg is not like going to the middle of the dessert its a BIG city!

 

Why are you going? Where are you staying? Let me know and I can fill you in on some things to do/see or not, etc Where else have you lived. Joe and I have really traveled the world and maybe I can give you some comparisons to other places you've been.

 

Joe and i LOVE Africa and are actually camping next May from Cape Town to Cairo and plan on moving back to Africa in maybe 5 or 6 years.

[katrina]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacilynda We lived in Gaberone, Botswana for 13 months which really isn't that far from Joburg. 7 weeks girl don't worry! Its such a big place you won't even have time to do everything and really enjoy southern africa SERIOUSLY!

i wrote almost exactly the same thing- but when i reread the post i couldn't tell if she meant that she found out 7 weeks ago? or she'll be there for 7 weeks?

either way, sounds like a great adventure to me!

[Jacilynda]

Now that I reread it I have no idea how long she'll be the Cause they found out 7 weeks before their wedding they were going to have to go to Joburg but she's been married for around a month so I think she's leaving in 4 weeks but didn't say how long.

[Kits55]

sorry for the confusion girls! We leaving here on June 13th, so, yes, in about 4 weeks. We will be living there for about 3 years (we're hoping we can stay that long!). My husband's job is what takes us there; he works for a large engineering company that has a contract with a utilities company in South Africa.

 

We will be living in Midrand; I think it's just north of Sandton. We definitely plan on traveling around Africa and Europe hopefully.

 

I have lived in Tasmania before but I spent 1 month in Seoul as well. I did a mission trip in high school to Guatamala. I've also traveled to Ireland and Italy.

 

Jacilynda: why did you guys live in Botswana?

 

I am so excited for Cape Town and the whole experience of living in SA. I won't have the "real" version because we will be living in a mostly ex-patriot community but I know a girl who grew up in Pretoria. She advised me NOT to wear my ring because it's one that would really stand out. She said even in the community that we'll be in no one really wears anything flashy because it makes a target. I'm not too worried but I will definitely be careful when I'm over there.

[Jacilynda]

oh 3 years! I'd be sooo excited!!! Johannesburg is really a big city, they have McDonalds, yada yada. Although Africans add some kind of spice to their burger so the burgers aren't exactly like ours. The greater Joburg area, which Midrand is included is over 7 million people.

 

Joe's dad is a really well-known microbiologist and i work for him and he took a sabbatical and worked at a University in Gabs and offered us to come we of course excepted, he really needed me to help w/ some research. We went back a year later for the summer and would LOVE to move there!

 

Don't worry about food you have lots of options in that area. So, you don't have to eat local food. We REALLY like ostrich. They make and ostrich sausage in SF and its sooo good. We'd never had ostrich until we went there.

 

Definitely check out Zimbabwe, its one of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen! Check out national reserves. Chobe is in Northern Botsana, we loved it so much we came home and bought a dog and named him Chobe! Then we got another dog and named him Maputo (capital of mozambique). Check out Bloemfontein (south of Joburg) its a nice town. JRR Tolkein was born there, he wrote The Hobbit & Lord of The Rings. Also Cradock is south eastern SF but is a cool little town. Its full of old old houses but they've remodeled everything. Also take a trip to Kruger Park! Cape Town is nice, but it STINKS!!!! There is a HUGE colony of Sea Lions that live there, they stink and they're mean!

 

In Africa they say you cry twice. Once when you get there, you think WTF have I gotten myself into. And once when you leave! I guarantee you will LOVE Africa, it's amazing and you'll always be wanting to go back!

 

I hope you go to Europe! Joe and I LOVE LOVE LOVE Turkey, everything about it! Also Vienna is one of our other hotspots!

[Kits55]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacilynda oh 3 years! I'd be sooo excited!!! Johannesburg is really a big city, they have McDonalds, yada yada. Although Africans add some kind of spice to their burger so the burgers aren't exactly like ours. The greater Joburg area, which Midrand is included is over 7 million people. Joe's dad is a really well-known microbiologist and i work for him and he took a sabbatical and worked at a University in Gabs and offered us to come we of course excepted, he really needed me to help w/ some research. We went back a year later for the summer and would LOVE to move there! Don't worry about food you have lots of options in that area. So, you don't have to eat local food. We REALLY like ostrich. They make and ostrich sausage in SF and its sooo good. We'd never had ostrich until we went there. Definitely check out Zimbabwe, its one of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen! Check out national reserves. Chobe is in Northern Botsana, we loved it so much we came home and bought a dog and named him Chobe! Then we got another dog and named him Maputo (capital of mozambique). Check out Bloemfontein (south of Joburg) its a nice town. JRR Tolkein was born there, he wrote The Hobbit & Lord of The Rings. Also Cradock is south eastern SF but is a cool little town. Its full of old old houses but they've remodeled everything. Also take a trip to Kruger Park! Cape Town is nice, but it STINKS!!!! There is a HUGE colony of Sea Lions that live there, they stink and they're mean! In Africa they say you cry twice. Once when you get there, you think WTF have I gotten myself into. And once when you leave! I guarantee you will LOVE Africa, it's amazing and you'll always be wanting to go back! I hope you go to Europe! Joe and I LOVE LOVE LOVE Turkey, everything about it! Also Vienna is one of our other hotspots!

Wow! You guys have been to some amazing places! Vienna and Turkey! I would LOVE to see the lesser seen countries of Europe. I would love to visit Romania and some of the Eastern European countries.

I have heard that there are a ton of penguins in Cape Town too, similar to how some big cities have a lot of pigeons.

Three years is a long time for me to imagine since I've only lived in another country for 6 months. I know I'll get terribly homesick, probably after I've been there a few months but then it'll pass and I'll be fine. There will be so many things to see and do I just hope we can fit them all in! I was reading tonight about how to take a tour and swim in the Devil's Swimming Pool (or Devil's Bathtub) at Victoria Falls. That's the number thing my husband wants to experience while we're there. I'm definitely going to volunteer at cat shelters but I'm also hoping to be able to do some AIDS work while we're over there.

We're now full up-to-date on our immunizations, including ones for us to be able to travel around Africa. Did you say you guys are camping from Cape Town to Cairo? I would LOVE to go to Egypt and spend a long time there. Once we get back from Africa I want to spend some time in South America.

What is there to do in Cape Town? Does it have nice beaches or is it a place to surf? Also, when you guys camp is that camping in the North American sense, like pitch a tent and backpack through Africa or more like stay in hostels along the way? Either way it sounds great!

[Jacilynda]

I can't remember if there was a place to surf in Cape Town. They do have penguins, I forgott about that!

 

Yes we are camping! Sort of like at home. When we went back after living there to do research all summer we camped in the kalahari. We bought this really BA baboon proof tent! We'll be camping in that tent and driving so not backpacking. We're considering flying from Kenya to Egypt though, Mid Africa is kinda boring and hot but we love Egypt! We're really not touristy people, but we're bringing friends w/ us and we did this cruise on the nile and LOVED it so we're going to take them on that. We have really good friends in Turkey so we always go when we go to Africa. Its an amazing country!