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!

Don't kiss a frog, ever! :HOW I GOT RID OF STUBBORN ACNE(holy water, anointing oil, mud,etc?)

Me currently reminiscing about how i almost ended it all because of acne(i kid of course)

Let me start of by saying something i know a lot of people might not agree with; ACNE IS THE WORST! ok maybe not worse than period pains, paper cuts or bumping your hip on the edge of a table, but its own kind of worse. 
If you've never struggled with any type of Acne in your life you are very blessed but you probably won't fully understand the story i'm about to tell you...(i never used to get it when my siblings would tell me about their pimple problems...you never do until it happens to you)

When i was a teenager i used to have a clear skin while my older sister and brother were struggling with pimples and scars. The first time i got pimples was at the end of the year in 2014, a week after someone complemented me on my smooth, blemish free skin. I thought to myself "It must be a curse to be complemented because here i was now with pimples that were never there until someone noticed my good skin"...

In 2015 my pimples vanished until my graduation day(don't bad things always happen at the least convenient time ever?) when i got a huge zit on my face. I thought it might have been all the graduation preparation stress so i didn't worry myself much about it. Luckily my graduation was only in the afternoon that day so i had the whole morning to nurse the zit.
I tried a warm compress using a hot cloth, i used toothpaste and even attempted to pop it using a small needle. By the time graduation started it had shrunk in size and it was less noticeable.

When i told my sister that i had a huge zit on my face the whole morning she responded like i made the whole thing up, like i might have hallucinated it. Mind you at this time my sister's acne was a memory in the past, i bet she'd even forgot there was such a thing as acne.

The rest of the year i got pimples here and there. I also got what the doctors are calling 'Cystic acne', i just called it bumps. Look at this picture below(WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT) i took last year in July. My skin was not co-operating to any home-made treatment i was using. The pimples had become a legion. I had initially considered selling my liver on the black market then use the money from that sale to pay a dermatologist to fix my skin.

 But not having the courage to let a shady doctor butcher one of my internal organs i decided to settle for cheap treatments. I tried everything i could think of in order to get rid of my pimples. First i thought of Gentle magic and pond's products but those things only worked to puff up my skin in previous years, they never made any changes to my skin. I was convinced store beauty lotions don't work at all.
I watched videos online that suggested alternate methods. YouTubers suggested things like 'Tea tree oil', 'Cinnamon and honey paste', Egg whites mask', Calamine lotion and many other things that i tried and failed. At some point when i would use these suggested "remedies" i had lost faith in everything, it was just trial and error all the time.

I started wearing foundation everyday to cover up the scars on my skin. It aggravated my condition all the more because my skin couldn't  breathe. Coupled with eating junk food all the time, it felt like my skin had gone on an extended strike. It was not about to get back to work anytime soon.
My friend Sihle who also struggled with acne used to console me by saying "When we die we will be with Jesus, pimples won't be a problem anymore", We'd laugh and laugh at how realistic that is, the only cure that could work for us is death, haha!

If you look closely you will see some Calamine lotion on my skin. I wore it all the time, indoors and outdoors, Yuuuh!

Anyways that brings us to October 2017,i saw a YouTube video of some British woman recommending ways to get rid of cystic acne, i thought "yooh another one", nothing else had worked efficiently before so i was tired of suggestions but i decided to watch the video just to give this fight one more shot.

The lady suggested 1. No sugar diet 
2. Drinking lots of water 
3. Quality/No makeup 
4. Changing pillowcases every other day 
5. Washing face twice a day

I decided to give it a try, assuming that it will fail like all the million things I've tried before but i was never ready for the results!

I stopped eating sugar on the 15th November and after a month or so i hadn't gotten any breakouts. I continued to drink lots of water, i lacked strength to change my pillowcases that regularly i decided to just ditch pillows on my bed altogether. I wash my face twice a day and wear less make up(i've been told by some self-appointed beauty critic that my skin is better without it)
I ate less junk and fatty foods. At the beginning of the year i saw an online review of products that actually work for acne. Ponds's pimple clear was one of them. I was skeptical because i've been on this road with Pond's before.

But  look now, Good diet and Pond's pimple clear turned out to be the only things that worked. I'm glad i gave both a try. But hey, different remedies for different people. Give this a try, its not an over-night solution thou. It might take a while to see results. All in all, if it doesn't work, holy water and anointing oil are alternatives- i can't say i didn't consider those options, haha!

My skin currently. My scars are almost gone.

South African long distance Buses rated from WORST to BEST

 

 

I spent the last 7 years of my life living in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape which is almost 15 hours drive(Non-stop with a private car) away from my hometown but since I don't have the luxury of a private motor vehicle yet whenever I travel home I depend on airlines and buses. I fly whenever I feel its urgent or pressing, but other than that I have no qualms about doing an overnight bus trip from one city to another. Although not convenient time-wise, a good long distance bus trip helps me relax, think, read books and chill out for a while but this is often not the case as I've had many terrible trips due to the nature of services rendered. I've travelled with different bus coaches that I'm well rounded on what to expect from each specific bus company.
 I've laid several complaints to some bus services not because I'm always trying to be a difficult customer- sometimes the bus tickets are very affordable which is good news mostly for the poor who can't afford anything else, but even with that in mind it doesn't mean bus companies must get away with offering substandard service.

If you are thinking of doing a long-distance trip to any place around South Africa this review will help you choose a better service;


Rated from WORST to BEST
10. Eagle liner

I travelled with this bus a little less than

 2 months ago(December 2017) from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth. They happened to be selling the cheapest tickets during the festive season therefore I had no choice, i'm a cheapskate!. I knew from the brochures and Posters that this wasn't going to be one of those comfy trips. The name even scared me a little bit but I wanted to get back to P.E by any means. The service exceeded my expectations, it was worse than I thought. From the lack of order in weighing the baggage to messy boarding procedures, I was sweating and thirsty by the time I sat down on my seat because I had to defeat other people physically(including the driver) in order to find a seat. It was anarchy!
When I found a seat I came to the sad realisation that they are rigid therefore they can't recline.
There was also no Lavatory to run to in case one is pressed and needed to relieve themselves during the trip this meant that one had to hold in whatever wanted to escape from their bowels.

The good side to Eagle liner coaches is that they have USB charging portals for when your phone battery is low, this is excellent it almost made me overlook all the cons.

 9. City to City

The last time I used city to city was in 2010 and since then I cut ties with this coaches. I remember vividly I stopped using it for 2 main reasons; 1. No lavatory-which means I couldn't drink as much water as I wanted for the fear that i'd want to use the loo, this bus doesn't favour that kind of diet.
2. It is unhygienic, DIRTY, DIRTY! I sat next to a woman with an infant, who during the trip changed her child's nappy right on my lap then proceeded to eat fried chicken and pap afterwards. I was traumatised from the experience that I never went back to City to City.

The good side is that its one of the most affordable bus services to travel with, especially on the route between Gauteng and Limpopo. Its also safer to use it instead of a taxi between these two provinces.

 8. DMJ

 Nothing new to comment on. Similar to City to City. A bit better because of the exterior. Nice going with the Yellow and Blue!
The good thing is that they are affordable.
The downside is that I don't trust them yet, i'll need to be with them for a while to succumb but it might not happen as they mostly travel the route between Western Cape and Eastern Cape.
7. Intercity Xpress

This is from the same family as Eagle liner. Intercity is the more attractive brother who gets more attention because of their good looks but doesn't offer anything different to their sibling. I hate to admit that when I first saw this bus moving around town in P.E after making a drop off it caught my eye quickly because of the colours and it looked petite but we all know how looks can be deceiving, its almost similar to eagle liner.

The good thing is people will see you coming out of a beautiful bus and not suspect what the deuce went on in there.

6. APM(African People Mover). Looks quite presentable on the outside. Affordable

I've already written a review on this bus service last year which garnered interesting responses. I guess I expected more from a bus company that has the word 'African' in it. You can read the review here
African People Mover; Please brothers, you need to do better, I believe in you guys!

5. Translux

For those of you who know me personally and have had conversations where I was defending Translux, I take most of what I said back. I was young and ignorant back then but having tasted what good quality coaches feel like, I almost never want to see the inside of Translux again.
My relationship with Translux began in 2010 in my first year at University, I got left by one of their buses then they offered me a seat in one of their other coaches headed in the same direction, same day. I fell in love with that kind of service.  The drivers were also kind to offer me a blanket to use during the trip-this is where I was hooked.
 For the next 4 years or so Translux would be a saint in my eyes, they could do no wrong in my eyes, "they do me no wrong", I claimed, despite the fact that most of their coaches were infested with cockroaches, they drove at an overwhelming high speed for such large vehicles and their entertainment was wanting.

Translux is not the worst but it is not the best either, their service is average. The coaches are often clean if the cockroaches are on holiday. One thing I do like is that their drivers are more friendly than say, all the buses I've used mentioned in this post. They have etiquette when it comes to customer service during the trip.

4. Citiliner

I used this one for the first time about a month ago travelling from Pretoria to Mpumalanga. I was excited for the journey because I'd heard wonderful things about it, it is Greyhound's little sister after all therefore I expected quality service. Quality is what I got!. The coach was clean inside, the atmosphere was well ventilated so no odors were smelt!
Although the Coach that was designated to take us was late for the boarding then had mechanical problems, they sent another bus later and the trip was still satisfactory.

What I appreciated the most is that unlike other bus companies, they do notify their customers whenever the bus is delayed which saves us the trouble of pestering the ticket sales people about what's happening. This to me communicated one thing; Citiliner people respect their customers.

3. Eldo Coaches

 

The first time I heard of Eldo was in 2016, they were still relatively new in the market but I didn't trust them one bit until I was desperate. I had to go on a trip from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town this past December and I was looking for the cheapest ticket I could find and voila! there is Eldo, the strange bus i'd been trying to avoid for more than a year.
Just like any other bus service in South Africa, Eldo was late for boarding....I mean who can blame them, they also use African time. I got into the bus and my fears evaporated;
Their service was impressive. The drivers were warm & friendly, the  coach was tidy, there were charging portals, there was good entertainment and the speed felt safe and we arrived at the promised time to our destination.

For a company that hasn't been around for too long they are doing very well and I hope they will keep up their excellent service because I plan on travelling with them again in the future. I highly recommend them!

2. Intercape

I always joke about how these guys are 'ruining their testimony' because for a company that is open about their faith you'd expect excellent service in every manner. They are well-known for mechanical breakdowns which affect the duration of the trips and for years this alone clouded my judgement on the quality of their service.
 I would be in heated debates with my friends about which is better between Translux and Intercape and i'd be contending for Translux but after using Intercape from 2 years ago, it has become my Translux. The interior of the coaches is excellent. The two doors to exit with and lavatories really make the trip comfortable- not forgetting their excellent choice in DVD's. What gets me the most when i'm travelling with Intercape is the pre-recorded greeting&prayer they play at the end of each trip.
You do get your money's worth!


AND THE BEST BUS COMPANY GOES TO...............................???????????*Drumroll*

1. Greyhound (dreamliner)

Greyhound lives up to their promises, quality, luxury, safety...you name it...if you are looking for a cheap bus by all means go via #10 but you will miss everything that could be better about your travel. Greyhound offers excellent service through and through. Consider all the good qualities of the above mentioned buses combined; behold! you have Greyhound!
I mean they have business class seating in Dreamliner...! Impressive!

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are based on MY OWN personal experience with each company, if you feel you have differing opinions please leave them down below, the comments section is where we can argue :)