5 MONTHS IN AMERICA: 5 best memories(+meeting my dream guy)

So i've been living in the place famously referred to as "The free world" for  5 months now. 5 months...wow feels like time has flown away on a rocket. It wasn't long ago when i was putting my bags into my uncle's wife's car before we were headed for OR Tambo international airport and i had a tearful goodbye with my mother, sister and my uncle's wife. Its been an incredible time spent so far in the US. Learning how to live as "an African"(coz when in America, don't do as the Americans do ..seriously,don't do it kids!😀😆) in a foreign land has its challenges, people in different parts of the world have different ways of doing, seeing and saying things. Its a learning curve for me as an individual on how to embrace other people's way of living without necessarily abandoning or seeing my South African/Venda heritage as inferior. I also had a lot of presumptions before i came to America, largely due to the representations i saw in Pop music, movies and magazines but in the last 5 months i've come to learn that the American way of life involves more than just Hollywood, Biebers, Burgers, diet pills and tripple lattes. Its so much more. I've developed a love-hate relationship with this beautiful country and its people(who are way nicer than most Cape Town residents BTW).
In the last 5 months i've been here i've gotten to do a lot of things, most of which ends up with either a bruise on a part of my body or gets me exhausted but i wouldn't trade the memories for anything. I miss South Africa so much on a daily but i am thankful to God for the opportunity to live here at this point in my life. 

The 5 best memories that i will cherish for a long time(For the sake of not repeating things from previous blogs i'll exclude New York and Miami memories on this list of memories);

1. Seeing The Avett brothers live. A dream come true!
(especially Seth Avett aka My dream guy!hahahaha....i kid of course)

This is the only picture i have from the concert. This was few seconds before The Avett brothers came on stage. I was too star struck during the concert to even care about taking pics.

Yah i saw Adam Levine and the rest of the Maroon 5 members(that no one knows a lot about) in concert too, i went to time square and at the time thought that was the highlight of my stay in the US, then went to Settle and thought what could be better than that....little did i know that The Avett brothers concert would be so much more memorable(i knew already i just didn't want to expect too much in case i found them disappointing in real life).
For those who know me personally or have been in the same car with me know i'm an Avett brother's virtual groupie(i say virtual because if i had enough rands to follow them around the world on tour i would do that, sadly i have to rely on YouTube and other websites). I have been a fan of their music since 2015 or before. I stumbled on this incredible band while watching the pilot episode of 'Man at work' sitcom..the few final minutes in the episode their song "I and love and you" was played, i immediately ran to google the lyrics and the rest was history. I've read too many articles about the band, listened to too many of their songs(all of them are my favourite, i kid you not), watched full concerts videos and as if i was not obsessed already...seeing them play in real life heightened my FANISM.
They are 100 times better live than on their albums-voices, lyrics,ec, they are nice to their fans, they are humble about fame(unlike many singers who think they deserve to be famous and liked, The Avett brothers seem like they were never looking to be famous, it sort of just happened). Ok enough about my obsession but this is one night i will cherish for a while. Thanks Katy&Daniel for hooking this African girl up!

2. Hanging out in Hollywood

Sooooo its not exactly how it looks on TV, no celebrities running around avoiding paparazzi, no random red carpets with Leonardo DiCaprio or Chadwick Boseman ...What a scam! hahaha. It was nice being on this part of Los Angeles culture is literally virtual and performing arts. I noted that every other building in the city is either a theater, recording studio, a film set or a dance school. I was tempted for a second to  revive my long lost desire to be a film-maker.

I also attended an Improv theater show for the first time ever in my life which was the highlight of my stay in LA. An Improv show is where the actors make up the story line as they go. Its fun, different and engaging. I'd definitely do it again.

4. Hiking and Outdoor

THIS WAS A NERVOUS SMILE AFTER REALIZING I MIGHT POTENTIALLY GET EATEN BY WILDLIFE WHICH WOULD MAKE A SAD BUT HILARIOUS WAY TO GO TO MY ETERNAL HOME. Imagine what the captions of the newspaper headlines would be "AFRICAN MISTAKEN FOR A SNACK BY AMERICAN BEARS"

"People here always assure me there are no bears or any dangerous animals in this state but would i want to be the first person through whom that theory is disproved?" these are just some of the thoughts i have before going to these wild beautiful trails but that makes it even more fun i guess. Living life on the edge 

I lived in Port Elizabeth for 7 years and it was raining and windy most of the time which forced me to hibernate in my room most of the time....Although i was comfortable with being an indoorsy and pale person as a result of that, Being in this country has given me a new deep appreciation for Nature and Outdoors. I've taken a liking to hiking and camping(although the first time i camped i had a rough time because of not being able to shower for few days but after that i wanted to go camping all the time). Washington state gives one urges to be outdoors in nature because it is painfully beautiful. Lots of hiking trails, lots of camping sites which is lots of fun.
If you are anything like me(an extreme cheapskate) then this is a good way to have fun without opening your wallet.

 3. Being at the Seattle space needle

 I always saw a spinet of the Seattle space needle from Grey's anatomy episodes and never thought in a million years i'd be able to see go there one day. It was so cool to see it in person. I didn't even know you could go inside the needle and view the whole city of Seattle from there. The coolest thing about travelling to all these places is not because they are the best in the world(not trying to diss America again as i've been accused of doing😃), but because these are places i've seen in films, music videos and read about in books. At some point it was all imaginary but seeing them come to life has been a huge blessing.

THE VIEW OF SEATTLE FROM THE SPACE NEEDLE

5. Eating Cornbread

 This bread changed my life. I have never eaten anything so scrumptious 'n finger licking. Before i got introduced to this succulent piece of food i used to crave South African steamed bread. This is like that steam bread on crack. Maybe the ones i been eating had some crack in it(why is it so tasty tho?), describing the taste will not do it justice. This is my favorite American(if it is authentically American) food. This bread makes every bread i've eaten in my life taste like cupboard and sponges.
Before i met cornbread i was in a long steady relationship with Bacon but now my life is all about the cornbread. I know these are from two different families of food but when it comes to grub i am a picky eater because i don't like most foods but when i do find a food item i enjoy i go all in.

So far my stay in America has been great for the most part. There are times when i want to burst into tears because i'm missing South Africa so much and all the things i mentioned above don't curb the home sickness(Except for the cornbread of course!), i love my country but then i am reminded of what a great opportunity this is to be somewhere else and immerse myself in another culture which is helping me develop in many areas as an individual. 

The Good, the Bad&The Ugly: 10 annoying things about America

Having been here a lil' over a month i can safely say America is not the promised land(i mean we knew that already if we've read our Bibles 

correctly), although some people tend to think it is, as a South African living here and adjusting to the culture, food and weather here i have seen some cracks already. Sure i got to see Adam Levine&the other people in Maroon 5 that no one knows, i got to see a bit of snow, got lots of complements on my braids/soft dread(in SA we are used to protective hairstyles) and i'm liking driving in this country because the road signs are more helpful than most in South Africa. Most things work properly e.g the other day i went to apply for a social security card(ID) and i spent less than 3 hours there even though i arrived a little later after they opened. I was very impressed. With that said, there are some things i've noticed that makes one shrug when someone says "America is the greatest nation in the world", maybe its great in terms of the freedoms and democracy that citizens here enjoy but the US doesn't take the trophy when it comes to lifestyle patterns. Here are 10 irritating things that i find about the US:
1. People complaining about CRIME

Not to say that there is Zero crime here but i've heard people complaining that they left their bicycles(unlocked) and went into a supermarket for a while and came to find it gone. Sometimes i feel tempted to give them a picture into my world about what real crime is. How does one get shocked in South Africa if they left their bicycle unlocked for 2 mins to find it gone?That's just giving it away with no hassle for the thief. At least the thieves here have the decency to wait till you get into the store.

          2. People don't often reciprocate "How are you?"
                

By the way you know how in the cities you can't say hi to random people walking on the street?, i used to hate this because in the village where i grew up you couldn't pass another person., especially an elder without greeting. I got over it when i moved to the city but hey, people here take it to the next level. So whether you know the person or its your first time meeting just know that "How are you?" might only be followed by "I'm good" and that's it! Don't expect " I'm doing well and how are you?". Nowadays i don't even bother because as an African i know that one sign that someone is trying to discourage a conversation from moving forward is if they don't ask you similar questions in response. So i take the hints America, you guys don't want to start a conversation with a greeting. 

          3. Extra large products/ food portions

          

America is trying by all means to attain their status as the Biggest nation in the world, they go big in all manners. Look at the size of this kitkat. The burger sizes are humongous. 

 And this takeaway that i bought to eat alone(coz friends dololo), it could be enough to feed three people. 

The clothes sizes are also huge. Even though i've hlatselad a lot of amafutha in the last few months, i'd still wear a size 32/34 in South Africa but here my jean size is 28, because everything is extra large. Which is good for boosting my confidence but also to discourage me from watching what i eat. Pray for my jean size because;

4. Too much food(sweet, fatty and unhealthy food)

Lets be honest....unhealthy foods are sinfully delicious. I am not a nutritionist or dietician, not even a health freak but the amount of food available in this country is astounding. They have restaurants, diners, food trucks, etc.  at every corner. And all different types of foods to munch on. They call this country land of the free but i think they should call it land of the FEED because there is an abundance of food.

5. Taxes on products

In South Africa, the total price has a Tax price included, in some American stores you might end up paying a higher price because they will only calculate the Tax after you take the item to the till. Apparently in some stores in New York you even pay Tax on clothing. Fiiine i'll sow my own clothes thank you. 

6. States(Provinces)  are too far apart from each other

Which makes it hard for people to drive from one state to another. It takes 2 days and 1 hour to drive from Washington state to Florida state.  That's even longer than taking a bus from Johannesburg to Lusaka(including waiting time at the border). 

7. Mandatory tipping 

Maybe its only where i currently live but i've been in 2 restaurants where the waitresses demanded to be tipped. Like get out of here! I am that dad from Everybody hates Chris, i am that cheap. I don't believe in being rude to waiters and waitresses but i also don't believe on tipping  at gunpoint. I guess if she'd given me the choice i would have NOT tipped...coz i'm cheap haha! 
And also, the restaurant staff here is super polite. Polite to an extent that you'd wanna ask them to stop(we are gonna pay the bill even if you don't smile Sharon!). I guess its something refreshing other places can learn from or maybe not. In South Africa we like our waiters indifferent and borderline rude- you could choke in front of their eyes and they wouldn't pay you attention..ok i'm exaggerating but the restaurant staff etiquette here is heart-warming. Except for the TIPPING! Ha!


8. American Flags everywhere

They do come in handy in case you are not sure which country you are in. They are everywhere which is something i'm not accustomed to seeing in my country. 

9. Consumer culture 

The American lifestyle often comprises of buying things on a daily. Its not necessarily bad because we all need certain products to use on a daily but i bet one can get away with being a shopaholic in this country than in most countries in Africa. 

10. You have an accent

Its not necessarily annoying to be asked, i mean Africans do have strong thick accents which is not a thing when you are in Africa but now i'm  the only one who speaks different in a group of people. Whenever i say it is a South African accent the follow up questions about other African countries come flooding in my ears. I not only realize how ignorant some Americans are about Africa but i realize my own ignorance as well about my own continent. 

Okay, that's enough dissing on dissing the free world. Overall i love staying here, i love the experiences and lessons i'm learning  daily. I'm probably still gonna frown about tipping for the next few months thou! 

SCARY OUTDOOR CAMPING&SEEING SNOW FOR THE FIRST TIME: My second week in America

It's my second week in the US and I'm slowly getting over the culture shock that i initially experienced when i landed, the different foods and snacks available on the market(none similar to South African ones), i am slowly starting to appreciate part of the American culture while trying hard not to be completely absorbed because i must try by all means, as my friend TK advised; to "remain true to my African roots"(whatever this means😐)

As for my accent remaining the same i don't guarantee. Its funny that i used to wonder so much how my Malawian pal Mwizz ended up with an American accent. At first i thought its something he could put on and off at will but if you spend time with American people in general their accent rubs off on you quickly, i get it now Mwizz. I get it. If i ever made fun of you I'm sorry-i didn't know better😆


I just returned from a 4 day camping trip because its a long weekend (Americans are celebrating what they call Memorial weekend, commemorating all the soldiers who lost their lives on duty in service to their country, why don't we copy this South Africa?) Anyways, our camping trip started Thursday night. Tents pitched outside-we laid our bodies to sleep in the middle of a forest Kilometres away from town. We had no access to showers the whole time or hot water to begin with. The whole experience evoked different feelings. I don't remember if I've ever slept outside in my life , let alone go without showering at least once a day,so i was scared out of my shorts.....other thoughts that crossed my mind; what if i get attacked by an angry bear while sleeping at night..wouldn't that make a trendy news headline? "An African was mauled by a bear while seeking adventure in the states" at the same time i was excited for the escapade. 

Here i was after a cold night in the tent(i was so tired and a mess)

Preparing breakfast with firewood. Not an unusual thing for this Venda damsel

I tried 'SMORES' for the very first time. Smores(a roasted marshmallow sandwiched between two crackers and a slab of chocolate). The sugar content messed my system up a bit but it was awesome experiencing something new.

Seeing SNOW for the very first time in my life was possibly the highlight of the Camping trip. I couldn't believe my eyes when i saw all this beauty. Randy Alcorn put it nicely when he said "The earth is filled with praise prompters, the new world earth will overflow with them". Imagine if this is what creation looks like when its in bondage and subject to corruption...how will the renewed one look like in the life to come? (see Romans 8:19-22).

Look at these mountains beautifully drizzled with snow on top. 

What a beautiful earth he has made!

My friend Taffy was making fun of me for this video "When a girl from a village sees snow for the very first time"

I am aware there is probably a part of South Africa that experiences a little bit of snow in winter but I've only stayed in few places and in none of those there was no snow so my excitement was high to see something I've only seen in Hollywood Films. Before this, the closest I'd ever gotten to snow was scrapping ice out of our home freezer.

Except for wearing the same clothes everyday for days in a row, i could say i had fun trying new things out. I'm filled with excitement for future adventures and should the Lord spare me more years, I'm definitely taking my family on adventures like these 😁  

CROSSING BORDERS: My first week in America

Today marks 1 week since i landed in the United States of America. Last week Sunday i hugged my mother goodbye at OR Tambo intl. few hours before i boarded my flight to Qatar, from Qatar to the US. I still have this moment replaying in my head of my mom and sisters shedding some tears and telling me that they will miss me but this is a good thing that i'm going away to see the world. I was also brought to tears, my feelings were ambivalent. I was sad i'm leaving my family for a next little while but excited about the adventure that lay ahead.

 I'm highely grateful to God for the opportunity to travel to another side of the globe, to learn and grow as a person(hopefully my jean size won't grow too big...because American food!). Its been a simultaneously nerve-wrecking and beautiful experience living in what they call 'a first world country' or 'developed country'. I had so many presumptions about this place before i came here based on the movies, music videos and YouTube Vlogs i saw on the Internet. Did the real America live up to my expectations? DEFINITELY! It exceeded them. In many ways; it is so much more than what you see in the movies and on Television. Its a brand new world for me, a dazzling place i never knew. Unbelievable sights, Indescribable feeling! (yea i stole the lyrics from that song from Alladin)

I remember the first time i stood at times square i felt like my chest was gonna explode, Its beautiful, bright, the air is thin and fresh....then few moments later in what seemed like a Port Elizabeth and Cape Town style it started raining like crazy...i felt like i was home for a sec!

Ok this isn't the best times square pic one could take. I'm no photographer and i was overwhelmed by the sight to care about good quality photos.

Since New York I've moved to another side of the country....a different state(province) where Grey's anatomy hospital is apparently based in
So many things are different to what i'm used to in South Africa, i'm learning daily to adjust. Hopefully in a month or so i would have gotten the hang of  things.

1. Time differences and Time zones
Although very far ahead in its infrastructure and development, New York is 6 hours behind South Africa. Having to keep this in mind when calling family has been a real pain. But so much more now because Washington is 9 hours behind, my family is wrapping up their day, i'm waking up.
I heard a silly joke in 2012 when people were afraid the world was gonna end on a speculated date, when that day came someone from South Africa wrote on Facebook "the world isn't ending today because its already tomorrow in Germany". I think i got to understand the joke a bit now that i've traveled across different time zones. The joke is not funny, but it makes sense now.

2. Immigration security

I was so used to flying local in South Africa where you pass airport security it is not as hectic and panic inducing as it is in the middle east and America. Whether you are flying local or international,American airport security is very tight....On top of the usual Laptop/gadgets check, you have to take off your shoes, belt, jacket and stand on a full body metal detector-scanner.

3. Food galore

 There is so much food and many food outlets in this country. Delicious. Pray for my jean size!

 And whats with these tomatoes that look like they went to private school and has ballet twice a week?

All i see is Turkey. Turkey ham, Turkey burgers, ground Turkey, Turkey wings, Turkey legs...

4. Diversity

I love the diversity in the country, different nationalities, races, languages. This is close to home because South Africa itself is a diverse country. While in NYC, i was once mistaken for a Brazilian and then a Cuban, Its beautiful to see people from all walks of life living together.

5. When English is not really English
Don't judge me if after a month i speak with a California accent. The pronunciations, spellings and meanings of words is somewhat different...its like they are speaking a different language.

The day i landed at JFK airport my driver picked me up, i kept asking why the robots are suspended instead of attached to the poles, he was like "huhhh? where are the robots?" then i had to explain i meant traffic lights. And that thing we call Tomato sauce in South Africa is called 'Ketchup' here, they say tomato sauce is what you put in Spaghetti.

6. Driving

The constant panics when i see we driving into oncoming traffic....not really oncoming but driving on the right side of the road and the driver sitting on the left side- mind blowing! This has turned my world upside down, like i said..its a brand new world.

7. Public transport
IT WORKS!

Here i was riding the metro train which is luxurious but tickets costs the same as for Shosholoza train. Its convenient because there is a lot of traffic on the road and by the way....a majority of people drive automatic cars. Apparently people who drive manual "steak shift" are those who really like cars. Like what?

 Big yellow school buses everywhere. Like in the movies! Apart from people driving their kids to school, this is the only legal way for kids to get to school. Its free for kids to ride on one of these- it also picks and drops them off at their doors. No quantums and mini buses.

This is what they refer to as a Taxi. Ha!

8. Currency

Remember that guy from Everybody hates Chris who was always saying "Little dude from across the street, let me hold a dollar"?, a dollar comes in a bill/note and coins as well. I need a crash course on counting American money. I'm always doing conversions on my phone because i don't want to overspend. Things look cheaper in my mind because they are in US Dollars. $1 is currently R12,77(i think) so when i see something that costs $50 my heart leaps then i have to remember that's about R600 so nope!

9. CRIME

I'm not claiming Zero crime rate because i've only been here for a short time but so far it feels safer. There are police everywhere who actually do their job(or overdo it).

Looking forward to more good experiences in this beautiful country, so far it hasn't disappointed!