Leigh on Lee and Jozi, ZA

If you are wondering if Lee is playing a bit of a practical joke on you right now, the answer, is no. My name is Leigh Nightingale and I live in Johannesburg {well Benoni to be precise}.

Lee asked me to come on as a guest blogger from time to time, to tell you a little about SA and myself. 

You might be wondering how Lee & Leigh know each other. I mean after all how often do you have 2 people with the same name, knowing each other? And especially since we live a few hundred miles apart!

The answer:
My boss came across Lee on twitter {he follows all the golfers, and Lee, being the golf lover he is, had somehow managed to caddy for some well known golfer – can’t remember who exactly}, anyway, my boss called me in the office and said, hey – check this guy on twitter – you guys have the same name. I had a little laugh, and said “oh cool – I should follow him, just for the hell of it”. A few days later I added Lee on twitter, and he then messaged me back saying thank you for the follow, and he then started following me. The rest as they say in the classics is history...

To say that Lee has become an amazing friend, despite us never having met, would really be an understatement. He is such a caring person, with the morals and values that women the world over look for. I may not have known Lee for a long time, but can honestly say – if we lived in the same town – I would be fat Lee! Not only from your cooking, but from the excessive alcohol intake I would be subjected to {I have rubber arms in case you wondering}.

So Lee – Thank you for allowing me to guest blog –I shall try my best, but most importantly, for being the ears and eyes of reason, when so often I was blinded. THANK YOU

And in case you are wondering – that is me next to Santa. You see he really does find you everywhere –even on cruise ships ;)

Hope you enjoy my 1st post ...

Johannesburg – The City of Gold

Also affectionately known as Jozi or Joziville. Pronounced {Jo} as in the name Joe and {zi} zee.. Like American people pronounce the letter Z. Jozi

Jozi, like any other city in the world, is built up on many diverse areas. There are 5 main regions that all fall under the Jozi banner, namely: Central (the city itself), The North {Sandton, Bryanston, Fourways etc} also predominately a well off area. The West {not sure how I could explain this area ... } The South {mmm – Alberton - many Portuguese speaking families in the area, Lenasia – Indian / Coloured community, and SOWETO} and of course The East {Benoni, Boksburg etc – also well known for its rather ‘unique’ people}

I – by the way – live in Benoni. You might be wondering if I am one of the ‘unique’ such individuals? And the answer is simply NO. I’m one of the individuals that laugh at them.

Harsh you may be thinking, but since, well this is my 1^st blog – I might as well give you the following T & C’s about me.

1^st - I have a sense of humour. And as much as I can laugh at another, I laugh harder at myself.

2^nd – All the views in my blogs – are mine, and mine alone. They are not meant to be crude or rude or cruel, they are simply my tongue in cheek views on life in Africa.

South Africa has a very diverse culture – I mean we have 11 official languages, of which I think I get away with 2 fluently, and another 2 I tend to mix the greeting between Sotho and Zulu, and that’s really all I know anyway, and as for the other 7 – I have absolutely no clue.

If people ask me what is my favourite thing to do in this place – well it’s simple – I love the airport. O.R. Tambo International. I can spend hours there, people watching, watching aeroplanes taking off and landing. Give me hot chocolate and some free time at night, and that is where I am found.  In a place as busy as a airport, I find myself completely switched off to anything relative to my life, and simply in a world of my own. Imagining the lives of these people both coming and going. The hellos and goodbyes.. the tears of joy and sadness. Total de-stress for me. Until of course 3 hours later you stroll back to your car, and pay for your parking – talk about pricey! Costs more to park at O.R.Tambo than it does for 2 hot chocolates.

Well, I sincerely hope you will enjoy my posts as guest blogger. See you all soon.

Totsiens mense – Tot volgende keer