Live in
the sunshine.
Swim the sea.
Drink the
wild air.
– Emerson
| — | I enjoyed reading these 25 Thought-provoking quotes from Outdoor Minded Mag – so get ready to be inspired. |
Monthly Archives: June 2014
“South Coast” KwaZulu-Natal – I <3 South Africa
Destination: “South Coast”,
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Description:
The “South Coast” as it is fondly known by local Natalians is the southern coastline of KwaZulu-Natal, dotted with endless beaches, that stretches from just below Durban all the way down to Port Edward. Everyone you speak to may have a different opinion on which beach is the best to visit, but this probably depends heavily on where their annual family outings and summers were spent. Wherever you choose to go, you are sure to find long sandy beaches and good waves for surfing (and from mid-December to early January, a boat-load of visitors that escape the cities and head east for a beach holiday around Christmas every year).
Tourist Must-sees:
- Pennington, Scottborough, Hibberdeen, Uvongo, Margate, Ramsgate, St Michael’s and Leisure Bay are some of the more popular beaches among local holiday-makers. These are generally very busy in the summer months and you will usually find life-guards, vendors and tourists here between October and April.
- Some lesser known beaches that are just as beautiful, but less busy, are: Winkelspruit, Pumula, Southport, Southbroom and Munster.
- Lake Eland – a game reserve, restaurant and wedding venue – is also a wonderful day out for the whole family, especially on those occasional rainy days during the summer months. Go on a safari, take in the stunning views of Oribi Gorge, take a zip line tour, brave a walk out over the impressive gorge drop and eat a great meal, South African style. This is an especially sentimental place for me personally, as quite a few of the family’s and our friend’s weddings have happened here!
My favourite beach:
One of my favourite beaches is Southport, mostly for sentimental reasons, but also because of the lovely swimming bay and the wide sandy beach for tanning and beach games. It also has a small shady park in front of the only restaurant where you can picnic or braai (this is the South African word for “barbecue”). There is also a very nice restaurant a short walk up the road from the beach, called Castaways, that has a great menu.
Hungry?
MacBananas (a farm stall) has some of the best pancakes, shakes and lunches in the area. It is a definite favourite with the South Coast locals.
If you don’t mind waiting in queues during the December holidays, the Waffle House in Ramsgate also has a wide selection of savoury and sweet waffles – think along the lines of “Banoffee”, “Chili Con Carne” or “Fresh Strawberry.
Fish on the River (Port Shepstone) is also a hidden gem when it comes to seafood, especially fish and chips. Sit on the deck and look out over the river or enjoy the nautical decor in the breezy interior.
Fun facts:
“Vaalies” are what the locals call the hoards of holiday-makers that come from the Northern provinces (Gauteng, Freestate etc), which stems from the old provincial name of “Transvaal” and has stuck over the years. (Aside: You may not want to use this term when talking to an actual “Vaalie”, unless you’re a good sprinter or know kung-fu.)
P.S. It is always good to remember that safety comes first, so: swim where the lifeguards have designated, watch out for riptides, keep an eye on your belongings and wear sun cream at all times! A little caution goes a long way to ensure the happiest of beach days.
Check out more posts about South Africa here >> *I <3 South Africa*
Culture Shock South Korea
10 June 2014
As an English teacher in South Korea, my South African brain has had to deal with major culture shock the last two years; some things more mind-blowing than others:
1. Confused borrowed etiquette. Coffee is generally served in tea cups and tea served in coffee mugs.
2. All meals must be eaten in exactly 15 minutes or less. And no talking. Also, cut your food with scissors.
3. Slurping noodles is considered rude by “traditional etiquette standards”, but is widely practiced and grating “shlurp” sounds should always be expected. Same goes for chewing with your mouth open.
4. A popped “personal space bubble” – especially on public transport where you are surrounded by countless other bodies, touching arms or shoulders is really no biggie. Oh, and don’t expect an apology if someone bumps into you.
5. Konglish e.g. SF (sci-fi movie), eye-shopping (window shopping), arbeit (part time job), apart (apartment), heart-a-beat-a (nerves/fear), fry (fried egg), fat size (clothing sizes for larger-than-Korean people)… and the list goes on.
6. Feet. DO NOT expose your toes to your students or colleagues, EVER! Wear socks, even those semi-transparent nylon socks. Unless you don’t mind the looks and whispers.
7. Elevators. DO NOT speak while inside an elevator. Just don’t. Stare only at the wall, the mirror, the floor or the ceiling. No eye-contact is allowed.
8. Driving. Drive faster than the speed limit at all times, but break hard before every speed camera (the GPS already knows the location of all the speed cameras). Also, hoot while the traffic light is still red to make sure the cars in front of you are ready to screech out of the starting position when the light turns green. Or just ignore red lights altogether and just drive around the pole to avoid the cameras.
9. Ajummas (old women). If you are an old woman, you may walk wherever you please, including in the middle of the road. You may also push anyone out of the way, skip queues, bump violently into any people who don’t move out of your way and always stare openly at foreigners (with your mouth wide open for better effect).
And these are only the tip of the iceberg… I haven’t even mentioned the Darth-Vader-style sun visors, the very mini skirts, the perms (from toddlers to pop stars), the rice fascination, the obsession with all things “pamous” (famous) and the skin-whitening suncream. Come for a visit, I’m sure you’ll soon discover a whole lot more South Korean charm.
Love-Hate Small Town Korea
02 June 2014
This is why I both love and hate living in a small town in South Korea:
- I have more chance of being hit by flying clay from a passing tractor than being hit by a car.
- Summer brings with it a green blanket of natural goodness, as well as the lingering smell of manure and mud.
- Our apartment is so small, I can clean it quite effectively by extending the broom outwards and spinning around once or twice in only three different spots.
- As a foreigner, I am subjected to at least three good, long, blatant, shameless, piercing stares from “friendly” locals every day. Can you say celebrity!
- Birds, snakes, wild strawberries, pheasants, centipedes and ducks make my walks to and from school all the more exciting. Likewise for unplanned, unavoidable bum-sliding on the icy roads and pavements during Winter.
- 4-wheelers (quad bikes), electronic wheelchairs and baby tractors with trailers are all quite acceptable forms of transport on even the busiest roads in town.
- Walking from one end of town to the other never takes more than twenty minutes and there are sure to be at least 100 students greeting us along the way, as between us, we teach at the only elementary, middle and high school in the town.
- The ancient old lady collecting trash provides endless entertainment for passing pedestrians (and endless frustration for hurried motorists) as she pushes her cardboard collection trailor around town, in the middle of the road, oblivious to the traffic jams and horns blaring all around her.
- No matter which secret alleyway I choose to take (for exploration purposes), all ways eventually lead to the main street in town.
- The mandu (Korean dumpling) shop owner greets me with a friendly smile and courteous bow every single day. Even when I don’t buy mandu from her for a couple of weeks.
Aaaaah, Korean life.
P.S. Did I mention that I have only been asked if I’m “Russian” (code for ‘lady of the night’) four times in three months. No, no I’m not Russian. Not available, sorry. This is awkward. I’m leaving now…