Good Luck, S!

June 21, 2013

June 21 marked the end of S's three month secondment here in South Africa. Three months has come and gone so quickly;  it's hard to believe that if we'd gotten our way initially (two years ago when we were first entertaining the idea) we too would be packing up to head home. I know that while S wishes he could stay longer, he managed to cram a lot into his three months here, and in a lot of ways it feels like we've all been here much longer.

We met S our first week here, when he was only one week into his assignment. As evidenced by the photos and stories on this blog, we've spent a lot of time together in the last three months! We'll miss you around here, S!

S's "Last Supper" in Joburg, at The Local Grill

Here are a few thing we'll remember about our time here in Joburg with S:

1. Never quite understanding what he was saying. And the use of the words faffing and punchy.

2. The car parts we lost and the lessons we gained in Melville. 

3. Listening to the Breakfast Express together and being introduced to South African radio humour.

3. Drinking Rooibos tea after dinner. Sometimes with rusks, crunchies or chocolate, but always tea.

4. For M and S, everything is a competition. Settlers, Table Tennis, Golf...

5. After work runs around our neighbourhood, and trading stories of our experiences in the office.

6. Combining our first real road trip together with everyone's first SA safari in Madikwe. 

7. Picking out S's first SLR camera and hearing "what's your shit at?" when he was learning to shoot. 

8. Hiking Drakensburg and surviving our self-guided hike day (despite it being twice as far as we expected...).

9. Shopping for tennis rackets and teaching me to play tennis.

10. The progression of our flat from first having to eat dinner on the floor to eventually having a bench, then chairs, then a table, but still never having a couch for the entire three months.

Perhaps someday we'll have stories to add from the U.K., Canada, or Spain?