Author

Hi, I’m Sine, which by the way doesn’t rhyme with “mine.” I’ve been living in Johannesburg, South Africa, since 2010, when our family of six relocated here on an expat assignment. That’s how this blog was born. I wanted to tell other folks the ins and outs about moving to and living in South Africa, without them fearing for their lives. I try to tell as many stories as I can, some thought provoking, some helpful, and some just plain silly. And don’t be upset if I don’t make it to my blog every day because ten expectant eyes (twelve, if you count the cat) greet me every morning imploring me for food. Though I admit trying to procure it often makes for good blogging material.

We’ve been expats before. Our family - or parts thereof - has lived in Germany, Singapore, and the United States, so Africa is our fourth continent. My husband and I grew up in Germany, met in Stuttgart, studied, worked at Mercedes-Benz, applied to business school in America, arrived in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with a bike and suitcase each, and from then on we’ve lived pretty much the American Dream. We got jobs, had a child, moved to Singapore –even then we had visa issues - had another child there, returned to the U.S. for two more children and moved around a couple of times before relocating to South Africa, where we arrived  just in time to witness the first African Soccer World Cup in all its glory.

I’ve been asked in a recent expat interview why we moved here. Our kids have also asked this question. They think the answer is that we just like to be cruel parents, though I suspect that if we announced we’re moving back tomorrow, some of them would be seriously disappointed. If I said the real answer is my husband’s job, that wouldn’t tell the entire story. There are so many other good things about living in South Africa for our family.

That same interviewer asked me how I made a living as an expat. “It’s funny,” I told them, “the Vodacom people wanted to know the same thing when I was applying for my cellphone.” It was not my most glorious moment when I had to admit that my husband supports me (if you don’t count the $30 I’ve so far earned via Amazon Associates with my blog), meaning I had to come back with him in tow to sign the papers.

There are so many things I love about our life in South Africa, too much to name it all.  But the weather has got to be number one on the list, it’s just that perfect. It’s great for an active lifestyle – okay, I admit, blogging doesn’t count for an active lifestyle – and the bright sun shining every day of the year sooner or later gives everybody a sunny disposition. The people are cheerful and friendly and if something’s not working no one frets about it too much, because, after all, THIS IS AFRICA. 

Things I don’t like: I’m not very fond of the local traffic and I miss water fountains, free ice water, baseball, an abundance of power outlets in every room without the need for any adapter plugs, turning on a red light, cheerful and efficient customer service reps, hawker-free intersections, the Starbucks drive-thru, Amazon.com, the public library, the U.S. Postal Service, and Comedy Central. I also yearn for the days when “right now” meant just that and one didn’t have to navigate the distinctions between “now,” “just now” and “now now.”

Overall, I’m happy to report that South Africa doesn’t strike me as the most dangerous place in the world to live and that moving here isn’t suicidal. I won’t say it’s the safest place in the world either, but which place is? Plus, there are some other pretty cool things South Africa has going for it, so you just have to take it as a whole package deal.

I'm hoping you will find this blog useful, if you’re an expat, and entertaining if you’re not. What I love about writing is that whatever happens to you at the moment – particularly when things aren’t working out – always has potential for a great story. I'll sit there in line at the Telkom store, fuming that I've been told three different stories about our internet cap already, and fuming even more that there even IS an internet cap, but then my thoughts will invariably drift to my blog, words will form in my mind, and I'm on my way to another post, which, if nothing else, I will enjoy reading several years from now. If life always went exactly as planned, there would be no stories. If you look at it that way, a crappy day can actually be a gift!

Here are the people you'll meet on this blog:

My dear husband, whom I will call Noisette, for his passion for (or should I say addiction to?) the Milka chocolate bar of that name; if you don't believe it, check out a recent look at his suitcase returning from Germany. Noisette is also the only one in our extended family who doesn't actually read this blog. I'm hoping that one day in his retirement it will make for some entertaining reading for him.

Myself, who's occasionally been spotted doing crazy things, the craziest of them all possibly my upcoming climb of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Our oldest and teenage son Zax, who still doesn’t like to budge, just like the North- and South-going Zaxes in “The Prairie of Prax” by Dr. Seuss; he tells me he doesn't like his name, but whenever I think I might have to look for a new one, another Zax moment - we were once parked in an icy car park in Indiana for hours in one of our standoffs - arrives and we're back to square one. But being stubborn also means he is strong-willed, not easily swayed by popular opinion, and one of the greatest debaters I've ever met. And he is by far the most courageous one in our family when it comes to jumping from high places.

Zax's younger brother Jabulani, also a teenager, who is most often found in a happy state, hence the name, which means happy in Zulu, a language he has totally embraced. However, being a teenager, the term "happy" has been severely challenged of late, so Grumpy or Forgetful might now be a better fit. Jabulani also is the most courageous one of our kids in a social sense, talking to strangers, trying out new things in a heartbeat, and not often afraid of embarrassment.

Our third child and first girl, Impatience, who can never wait for anything and has become extremely busy at school and outside of it. Like Zax, she complains about her name but can never quite seem to escape it. She has no patience for anything standing in the way of her goals, and is destined to go far in life by pure tenacity, ambition, and hard work. I could have also called her BusyBee. Or Big Sister, because from the day her younger sister was born she has taken her under her wings, teaching and protecting her every day of her life.

The youngest of our children, Sunshine, whose smile brightens most anyone’s day. I've been told I'm not fair in my name assignments, but it is very hard to make it fair. It's not only her sunny smile that everyone who meets her sees at once, but also her sunny state of mind. She is incredibly caring of others, loves animals, is completely at ease all by herself (most likely re-reading all seven Harry Potters for the 14th time), and she can make the best out of any situation. Though I have to mention here that she can be grumpy too, as many a door-banging in our house can attest.

And lastly, as of about a year ago, Maus, our Cat, who is not technically "people" but tends to think she is. And who makes herself useful by catching (and eating) flies.








That's it. My next big adventure is to somehow, some day, make a book out of all of this. But until then I will be chronicling my stories right here on Joburg Expat. I hope you'll enjoy my stories and I look forward to hearing your questions and comments. Oh, and if you like what you're reading, please like it on Facebook, tweet it, forward it to your friends, whatever - because for a blogger, getting traffic on your blog is possibly more exciting than winning the lottery. 

Enjoy!