Natalia and I spent our last of couple of weeks in South Africa staying in Centurion, close to my sister Loren and her 3 boys. It was a fantastic time and will never forget the closeness we had till the last minute. In this time I realised how much I love my sister; that the love is stronger than I ever imagined. I will miss her terribly! And Natalia got so close to her cousins Malakai and Harlan, and everytime she asks after them tears well up in my eyes because she doesn't understand. She also asks after her beloved uncle Darryl "Ucking". This transition would have been a million times easier if our relationship wasn't this strong.
But the world is a lot smaller these days with BBM, Skype, Facebook, email and the like.
I will miss my Mommy. I will miss Dolly (Natalia's nanny). I will miss having my housework done for me; ironing done and Natalia taken care of. I will miss all the things that I am used to, like saying "ja" "howzit" "lekker". Knowing where to go and in what direction without using a GPS. I will miss Bovril, Nestle, Simba, Mrs Balls, Ouma rusks, Holbrooks Worchestershire Sauce, Pampers, DSTV and biltong to name a few! I will miss familiar faces, shops, places and products. I will miss my fanstastic GP and Gynae. And I will need to remember that I am in a different time zone; that at 3pm it's only 7am in South Africa.
I will need get to used to people saying "g'day" "how ya going" "no worries" and "yeah". I will need to use a GPS, do my Drivers' Licence again, learn to use a 5 way circle and adhere to speed limits. I must get used to other shops like "Coles" "Kmart" "Target" and "Myer" to name a few. I must get used to things like "Vegemite" "Kangaroos" "Ausie Rules Football" and "V8's". I will have to use the AU$ and learn to pump my own gas! I will need to get used to paying exorbatant prices for Kindergarten, waiting lists and possibly only sending Natalia on certain days of the week. I will need to get used to paying rent weekly; that built-in cupboards are a feature; doing my own housework ; no domestic help and expensive baby-sitters. I will have to get used to dry hot summers and wet cold winters.
On the other hand, I will have to get used to "no car guards and not having to keep coins handy to pay them" "no one trying to sell me stuff at a robot" "not being alert of smash-and-grabbers" "not setting the house alarm every night" "not looking over my shoulder when walking down the road" "clean public play areas, parks and gardens" "getting free public medical assistance from the government" "receiving a child care benefit and a child care rebate from the government" and "almost free schooling". I will need to get used to Kim leaving for work after 7am; being home at 5.30pm; not spending hours in traffic and eating dinner together as a family. I will get used to walking more; cycling more; being fit and generally leading a healthier lifestyle.
Here are some pics of Natalia in our last days spent in SA......
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| Natalia's favourite place to be |
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| Care to Tango |
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| Take That !!! |
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| At the Spur playarea |
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| Are you hungry horsie ? |
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| Ucking, Harlan and Natalia on the trampoline (Malakai in the background) |
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| Natalia loved her new gown |
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| Colouring-in |
