Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Change Within

So following on from such a sad piece... let me up my tempo!

While last Wednesday had me trummeling out sad scenarios, by Thursday night I had a good bottle of wine in my system and curry to wash it down with, and we were talking to a Civil Engineer friend who is heartly involved in making concrete change to our lively province.

Good things are happening in Jozi!

And it is going to be sad to miss. Come five years time & my arrival home... Rosebank & surrounds is going have a very different look & vibe. Hopefully and knowingly, it will be even more cosmo & upbeat than the fun air it already lauds.

- I am going to miss the World Cup and plus four weeks of CHAOTIC karnival fun that will be around the city & country. And there are a handful of Scandinavians who want to take me out now that THE couch is up & leaving just a few months before all football hell breaks loose. I’m just hoping the Confederation Cup will compare.

- I am going to miss getting into the REA VAYA habit of things. As much of a bitch as it is now (don’t take my Oxford lanes away!), it should be shweeeet in a year or so’s time. Just pop on & up Rivonia Road you’ll go – no petrol or traffic jams of your own to manoeuvre.

- Rosebank is going high rise – from living to working. And yes, they are trying to demolish my most gorgeous ex-apartment. But otherwise, it should put in some city living & renovate a world that could use a twist of paint. Another nook of Jozi to celebrate!

- The Gautrain is going to be old news by the time I step on it to ride from Oli Tambo to home. You guys will have your “oyster style” cards and now what works when and how and where. I won’t have the first clue.

- I’ll miss 5 years of whatever the next presidential party involves. Step off the Gautrain just in time to vote for the following regime. Here’s praying & karma’ing & sacrificing all I can in the hope that this next 5 years involves such positive developments... that I will even have missed the start of the clean up of crime & selfishness & violent backhanded actions & mistreatment of the nation’s children.

When you’re in it, you usually do not see what change is going on around you. The roads quietly deteriorate & suddenly the whole country is calmly & habitually swerving potholes. One day, the Hyatt was the tallest building in Rosebank, this morning its competitor got a little higher. One day, you were swerving potholes to work... the next you were buying your monthly bus card for Rea Vaya.

Yes, the change could go either way. But sometimes when you realise you will be out of it, the change looks all bitter sweet and positive.

Enjoy it for me!

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

When are you off, Champers? :(

Champagne Heathen said...

We're aiming for July. JUST FOUR MONTHS!!!!!!!!!###^!*&^(!^!*^$!%#!%$#!*&^*&!!!!!!! Breathe.

po said...

When you put it like that it all sounds exciting and new. I really want to come home too. Who knows what the place will be like.

Koekie said...

Champers, good to have you back online. Although I have missed a few steps... where are you going??

Janine / Being Brazen said...

*hugs*

Home is always home..no matter how much better or worse it gets ;)

Champagne Heathen said...

Po - :) You always gotta come home, if even just to wonder at all the change. Such is the fun of a Developing Country!

Koeks! Thanks & good to have you back too! I just realised I've given you no link love this time ... uh oh. Yup, up up up & away... so you'll have to leave the crazy dutchies & visit the new drinking spot!

BB - I hope you are having a good time resting! And yup... home had better still be home when I come straight back to it with loving arms in a few years!

Koekie said...

Champers, our love requires no links for validation :-P

Anonymous said...

The best thing about leaving home is coming back and realising that the world still turns and sometimes change is all good!

# 302 said...

maybe you should stay

Champagne Heathen said...

Koeks - :P Now pass some first world living this way!

DT - AND that you've changed!!

Numero - Ah, but then what fun would it be coming home!

Anonymous said...

the fun's in the journey not the arrival

Champagne Heathen said...

Anon - too much craziness!! One of those where it'll be fun to look back... when I finally have the time!