Ayoba!

Sitting at Illy's café at the Joburg airport, free coffee in hand. As I was buying internet-time at the counter the guy asked if I wanted something to drink, so I replied jokingly, "Sure - if it's on the house.." to which he replied, "Well then it's on the house!" Stoked. It's fantastic how friendly South Africans have become during the World Cup. Ayoba!

Now I'm stuck at the airport for 8 hours before my next flight to Australia - which will be an incredible 17 hours long. Waiting for Antz to come harass me, I could do with some company..!

The police drama continues

Today as we were driving home, we saw a car that had been stopped by two police in grey uniforms (security-police) in the same spot that we'd been stopped yesterday. "Pull over! Pull over!" I yelled to Dad, and we both trotted over to the stopped car. Dad said "Good afternoon, are you having a problem with the police?" And he replied that yes, they had taken his driver's license and told him that he had to pay a fine for making an illegal turn. So we told him - and the policeman next to him that was trying to get us to leave - that that was the exact same thing that had happened to us yesterday. We explained, very politely, to the policeman that his colleagues that had done this yesterday were now on their way to a court-case and that their boss had stated very clearly that security-police were 1) not to leave their posts outside the bank, and 2) not supposed to take fines. The man in the car who had had his face buried in his hands when we arrived, now had a smile from ear to ear. We said good day and left. Not even ten seconds later, the policeman gave him back his driver's license and the man drove off.

I was well chuffed! I'm going to be doing this every time I see any security-police harassing drivers! (And we'll probably have our tires slashed eventually if we keep this up haha..)

Taking the police to the police

This morning was not like any others. Today we, the civilians, were the police! We're tired of corrupt police asking for bribes at the roadside, so we decided to do something about it. The story is a bit long, so instead of posting the entire thing here, you can read it here instead. I'm super keen on making this story heard by as many as possible, so send it along to any you think might be interested. And please do let me know what you think! :)

Mother-daughter time

It's been lovely to spend time with my mom, and just talk. She comes into my room in the mornings and wakes me with a cup of coffee in bed. We sit and chat, migrate to the bathroom and continue talking, migrate to the kitchen, migrate to the balcony.. and suddenly we realise 5 hours have passed and haven't gotten anything done! When you only get to see your mom for 3 weeks in a year, you have lots to catch up on! She commented that we hadn't actually gotten round to getting out and doing things around town and asked if there were things that I wanted to do while in Maputo. I replied that the only reason I came was to spend time with my parents - and that's exactly what I'm doing. And it's lovely!

In loving memory

Today I received some dreadful news. Chris Hatton, one of my oldest and best friends from back home in Swaziland, took his own life last night. My heart is broken in so many ways I can't count them all. On Facebook, his profile and memory-group has been flooded with heartfelt messages from literally hundreds of people. And it breaks my heart to see how someone who was loved by so many spent a life suffering so much that he could not find a reason to continue living. Someone who was so passionate and genuine, who cared for and was cared for by so incredibly many people around him. Chris, you were always a ray of sunshine in my day-to-day life in Swaziland. I will always remember sharing ear-phones as we listened to music on the bus-rides to school, writing fantastic and morbid stories to each other during class, not listening to a word the teachers said as we amused ourselves with our own random chatter, horse-rides across Hawane, afternoons in your swimming pool, evenings in the gazebo, and you harassing everyone around us with your damn Harry Potter books..! You were a joy to have around and I am truly blessed to have had the honour of having you play such a big role in my life. I never told you times enought that I loved you. Chris, my darling, I hope you've finally found some peace. And I know that, like always, you'll always be around, somewhere, smiling.

WK Reunion 2010

Off to Swaziland for the Waterford Kamhlaba reunion. Will be fun to see all the oldies again.. :)

Life in perspective

As I woke up this morning I was struck by an incredible thankfulness. Wow - I live a blessed life. I have never needed anything that I couldn't get. Of course there have been things I may have wanted, shallow things I may have desired, but there has never been a point in my life when I needed to be fed. When I needed to be clothed. When I needed anything.

When I look out over Maputo I see people who have to fight for all those things I have always taken for granted. Shoes? I've got hundreds. School? I'm sick of it. Food? Nah, not hungry. Computer? Yeah, I want a Mac - the one that costs 2000€. Holiday? I want to go to the World Cup before I go to Australia. And when I go down to the market here in Maputo I still have the nerve to barter with the ladies over whether I should pay 30c or 40c for her tomatoes, because that's just how it's done here. What difference does 10c make me? Whereas for her, getting 10c more for every tomato she sells today will mean that she's able to afford rent at the month. Our lack of perspective sometimes is frightening.

So my thought for today is thankfulness. Nothing I ever did gave me more of a right to have received the more fortunate life. Still, I wake up every morning to a beautiful home, loving parents who would take down the stars for me, Swedish citizenship that gives me free education and money every month, and a life that has never left anything to be desired.

I am thankful.

Mozambican winter

Sitting on the veranda and enjoying the "winter". Haha everyone here is complaining that it's cold - but it's 24 degrees! This winter is warmer than the summer I left behind in Sweden, it's ridiculous. I'm running around in a tshirt and getting strange looks from the others who are wearing polo-sweaters.
Damn Swede.. ;)

I have arrived in Mozambique! Tired but happy - and well fed on my mother's food. Time to go to bed.. first night of maaany that I will be sleeping alone :(
Nighty night, sweet dreams xx

Goodbye Sweden...

...and hello World Cup!