Merigoesaround

Cocktail season is here. During the last years of expatriation there are some things that have become traditions for BH and I when we celebrate national days: We dress in  blue  for the Day of Europe We dress in  orange  for Koninginedag Day I dress in  red  for the Spanish Day Cocktails used to be fun networking occasions and I would enjoy getting all put together, hold the arm of my man and socialise all night long, but the emptiness of the conversations and the repetition of the sentences, hihowareyouwheredoyouworkwhendidyouarrive, starts making me feel that, or I am getting older or cocktails are getting worse. I think the latter, look at my perfect cleavage in the picture, not a single wrinkle. There are some things I have learned in those nights. 4 mainly: Eat before going. Really, the little gouda piece you are going to fight for or the slice of ham (never ever good ham) are not worth it. Also, save yourself the calories, those fl...

From Vilakazi Road one can see the twin towers of Johannesburg (one pictured). They bring you back to the time when the sky of that city was polluted with the fumes of the coal mines and its land was poisoned by the injustices of apartheid. Vilakazi Road is said to be the only street in the world where 2 Nobel Prizes ever lived (Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu). Today there is little of that Nobel spirit, a fried chicken place in the corner, American-styled coffee terraces for visitors and terrible handcrafts are all you can find. And then, further away, the twin towers and then skyscrapers from Joburg downtown. Two cities in one. Still divided. Like twins that ignore each other.