Some memories from South Africa :)

I recently recieved an email from a friend of mine in South Africa that has some sayings of definite truth to it. Reading this definitely brought back some memories from my two years there with Campus Outreach!

YOU ARE PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN WHEN:

You call a bathing suit a 'swimming costume'.

You call a traffic light a 'robot'.

You call an elevator a 'lift'

You call a hood a 'bonnet'

You call a trunk a 'boot'

You call a pickup truck a 'bakkie'

You call a Barbeque a 'Braai'

The employees dance in front of the building to show how unhappy they are. (Tooi-Tooi!)

The SABC advertises and shows highlights of the programme you just finished watching.

You get cold easily. Anything below 16 degrees Celsius is Arctic weather.

You know what Rooibos Tea is, even if you've never had any.

You can sing your national anthem in four languages, and you have no idea what it means in any of them.

You know someone who knows someone who has met Nelson Mandela.
- I have! He was in a mall when I was with some friends

You go to braais regularly (every weekend with students), where you eat boerewors and swim(or they throw you in the pool), sometimes simultaneously.

You produce a R100 note instead of your driver's licence when stopped by a traffic officer. (or you get away with it because "i'm American.. i didn't know..")

You can do your monthly shopping on the pavement.

You have to hire a security guard whenever you park your car.

When you are a victim of crime and say: 'At least I'm still alive'. (We had several break-ins during my years there... praise God no one was hurt)

You know a taxi can move twice it's certified number of people in one trip.

You travel 100's of kilometres to see snow.

You know the rules of Rugby better than any referee

To get free electricity you have to pay a connection fee of R750.

More people vote in a local reality TV show than in a local election.

People have the most wonderful names: Christmas, Goodwill, Pretty, Wednesday, Blessing, Brilliant, Gift, Precious, Innocence and Given, Patience, Portion, Coronation. (Some of the students I knew were called Goodenough, Confidence, Joy, and Charity)

'Now now' or 'just now' can mean anything from a minute to a month.

You continue to wait after a traffic light has turned to green to make way for taxis travelling in the opposite direction. (we've seen what happens when you don't)

Travelling at 120 km/h you're the slowest vehicle on the highway/freeway.

You're genuinely and pleasantly surprised whenever you find your car parked where you left it. (Unlike Kris after her 10k in Soweto)

A bullet train is being introduced, but we can't fix potholes.

The last time you visited the coast you paid more in speeding fines and toll fees than you did for the entire holiday. (I have never gotten a speeding ticket in the States, however recieved at least 7 while in SA)

You paint your car's registration on the roof.

You have to take your own linen with you if you are admitted to a government hospital.

You have to prove that you don't need a loan to get one.

Prisoners go on strike.

You don't stop at a red traffic light, in case somebody hijacks your car. (sometimes this is still my instinct at night!)

You consider it a good month if you only get mugged once.

Rwandan refugees start leaving the country because the crime rate is too high.

You consider a high crime rate as normal. (esp. if you've grown up in Philly!)