Bridget Pretoria
Mar 9th 2008, 7:20 pm
#1
Banned
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Joined: Jun 2003
Location: North of Auckland
Posts: 1,996
Bridget Pretoria
Hi folks
born and bred in South Africa, had a wonderful secure outdoors childhood, didn't miss television, remember "Squad cars"
We live in Isle of Man from South Africa, more jobs than people if you are interested, lousy weather.
I was hijacked iin JHB at gunpoint with both kids in the car at 9.00 in the morning at a friends house in Houghton, we had countless previous burglaries, muggings petty thefts etc.
We eventually left our huge house, pool, court, 2 domestic servants,private schools, country club to do our own cleaning, ironing, cooking, mowing, laundry in peace.
My eldest sons best mate was shot in their home and bled to death, my younger was at nursery school with Julian Lap.
We never intended to leave and stood in the elections ques for two days with our domestics, it was like a picnic all sharing food and drink with everyone in the ques. But the crime in South Africa doesn't happen only to other people.I wasn't too fussed for me, but I wasn't going to have a child die there or be permanently traumitised by an incident like the Laps.
Its been tough and financially crippling (I wan't to die when I see what our house price is now) but our kids have had a happy secure funfilled childhood as everyone deserves.
I am a bit sour when people enthuse about the local scenery and have to resist telling them they clearly don't get out much!
But the beauty of South Africa and the living standard aren't worth dieing for.
Moving has been really heavy going.
I was in for a bigger culture shock than I realised. At first I didn't think anyone was speaking English!And I never left a Doctor without offering to pay! It took months to stop being surprised that my car was still where I left it.
I eventually stopped treating strangers with suspicion and assuming any stranger striking up a conversation was up to no good, so don't make eye contact ever.Almost everyone and everything in South Africa is dishonest, corrupt and incompetent.I still can't get over getting everything safely in the post here and am still surprised that no-one has yet cheated me on Ebay.If I move now it will only be to a place with a decent postal service, South Africans don't know what that is.
born and bred in South Africa, had a wonderful secure outdoors childhood, didn't miss television, remember "Squad cars"
We live in Isle of Man from South Africa, more jobs than people if you are interested, lousy weather.
I was hijacked iin JHB at gunpoint with both kids in the car at 9.00 in the morning at a friends house in Houghton, we had countless previous burglaries, muggings petty thefts etc.
We eventually left our huge house, pool, court, 2 domestic servants,private schools, country club to do our own cleaning, ironing, cooking, mowing, laundry in peace.
My eldest sons best mate was shot in their home and bled to death, my younger was at nursery school with Julian Lap.
We never intended to leave and stood in the elections ques for two days with our domestics, it was like a picnic all sharing food and drink with everyone in the ques. But the crime in South Africa doesn't happen only to other people.I wasn't too fussed for me, but I wasn't going to have a child die there or be permanently traumitised by an incident like the Laps.
Its been tough and financially crippling (I wan't to die when I see what our house price is now) but our kids have had a happy secure funfilled childhood as everyone deserves.
I am a bit sour when people enthuse about the local scenery and have to resist telling them they clearly don't get out much!
But the beauty of South Africa and the living standard aren't worth dieing for.
Moving has been really heavy going.
I was in for a bigger culture shock than I realised. At first I didn't think anyone was speaking English!And I never left a Doctor without offering to pay! It took months to stop being surprised that my car was still where I left it.
I eventually stopped treating strangers with suspicion and assuming any stranger striking up a conversation was up to no good, so don't make eye contact ever.Almost everyone and everything in South Africa is dishonest, corrupt and incompetent.I still can't get over getting everything safely in the post here and am still surprised that no-one has yet cheated me on Ebay.If I move now it will only be to a place with a decent postal service, South Africans don't know what that is.
Hi Bridget
Welcome to BE.
Don’t get spooked by me starting a new thread with your name
, it has been done before and the purpose is to move my response to your great introduction ( I wish all new members would do one ) is just to move out of that thread as the moderators have in the past asked members to move discussions out of there.Here we go ……………….
How long have you been out of South Africa?
Your comment regarding the “financially crippling” is interesting as it is a biggie and the VERY HIGH PRICE folk pay to live in South Africa.
We left South Africa three years ago to move to New Zealand at R5 to the Kiwi $ so 1 Million Rand - $200 k. At that time it was around R12.50 to 1 British Pound so 1 Million Rand = 80 thousand pounds.
Of course when we left SA the maximum you were allowed to take out the country was R 1M.
That is why South Africa is like a fantasy land and if you ever want to leave there and plug into a global perspective you realise how worthless your money really is. Both my wife and I ran our own businesses in South Africa and worked VERY hard.
I often say to new settlers we meet in New Zealand (and loads from SA) that it is very different for us ex SAers. In my case I felt I HAD TO leave a place that I considered my home.
Compared that to the Brits coming here as a result of choice and also getting $3 for every British Pound.
It all puts a different perspective on long term outlook and although I certainly do not regret my time in Africa it is very hard moving to a new country and starting again in your forties and with children.
In terms of the financial outlook we do not put a price on the safety of our wee boy and offering him to grow up in an environment that is different to the one yu have described.
Interesting what you say re lots of work in the Isle of Man. What are the property prices like there? Yes, coming from South Africa the weather is a biggie.
We have a nice summer here in NZ but LOTS of rain in the winter and the houses and not well made so you tend t feel the cold and damp.
Enjoy BE
Mar 10th 2008, 11:10 pm
#2
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 6,669
Re: Bridget Pretoria
Welcome to BE Bridget.
