Arrive in SA – on holiday at last

Both Paul and I have been desperate for a real holiday for a while. It’s the stress at work and the lack of hours in a day that gets to us. Then of course, the UK winter has set in already and it’s very easy to think life is just one gloomy rat-race.

We arrived in Johannesburg at about 10 in the morning having watched movies all night on the aeroplane. I probably should have gone to sleep but it was just so good catching up on so many movies I’ve not had the chance to see – especially "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" which turned out to be brilliant.

We should have slept but we didn’t. Margie and Steve met us at the airport and we make the 50km trip back to Springs. Springs: the town I grew up in. It’s a small town on the East end of the Witwatersrand – which is a crescent of mining towns that have developed on a reef of gold that runs under the earth. I sat silently in the car as Steve, Margie and Paul caught up on news. Blimey, that place is ugly. I didn’t remember it as being ugly, rather I remember the extraordinary sunsets, how cool mine dumps look on the horizon and the long straight main road with purple
jacoranda trees lining the sides. I have been away a long time now, Springs has stayed the same and I’ve changed.

One of the first things I had on my holiday agenda was to see my new little nephew. So as soon as we had changed and had that desperately needed cup of tea, I went off to visit my brother who lives down the road from my parents. His little boy Ethan
is just the cutest. It was good to see Gary and his wife Lizelle happy and little Ross (the older boy) doing so well.

That evening my parents had arranged for some old friends to come over and have a braai (barbeque). The meat was glorious. South African meat tastes so different and its is absolutely delicious. My old pals from school days, Mandy and Rauri came
over, along with spouses and rather grown up kids! Other of my parents friends who have know me since a baby came over too. I didn’t have enough time to catch up with every one but it was so good seeing them. The best is that they look well and healthy – and so I’m left feeling satisfied that all is good.

My second special treat on the holiday agenda was meeting my older brother, Brian’s girlfriend, Shereen. I think Brian wound her up a bit about meeting me, in his usual prankster way, as she seemed a little nervous. Well, how my brother scored such a wonderful woman is a mystery to me! She is wonderful and I couldn’t be happier – nor could Brian. Both my brothers have wonderful women in their lives. Gareth met Lizelle through me, but Brian managed to find Shereen all on his
own. I’m a lucky sister! Shereen is one of those people that has the wow factor. She is very kind, generous, bubbly and yet strong and confident. You can’t help liking her.