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With constantly swirling negativity about South African crime and political / economic instability, people become quite perturbed and even upset when I tell them that I would rather live in Cape Town than Vancouver, Canada. They look at me as if I’m crazy, often asking if I read the local newspapers. Are you not aware of the problems here?? Do you not know how dangerous this country is?? Don’t you know South Africa is on the verge of an apocalyptic crash?? Why on earth would you leave the #3 Most Liveable City in the world to live in horrible South Africa?? You must be escaping money problems and/or imprisonment or, the classic, blindly following a man!
Upon explaining (1) I am not bankrupt or an escaped convict and that (2) I am with my South African-Canadian partner but am staying in SA and giving up a great job in Canada because I love it here, people seem incredulous. I can sense my sanity and sobriety being scrutinized and challenged. After a few eye-rolls, the topic changes; I am dismissed as naive, ignorant, and silly, and their focus shifts to waiting for the first opportunity to say “I told you so.” Having had this discussion too many times, I am now publically sharing my reasons for leaving Vancouver with South Africans and the blogging world, whether they are ready to really HEAR me or not. 1. Let’s start with the obvious. The scenery in Cape Town is simply unparalleled. Yes, Vancouver is beautiful with the ocean and mountains and greenscapes. However, it has none of the magnificence of Cape Town’s geographical features. Cape Town’s mountains are more rugged and awe-inspiring (think Table Mountain); its waters are more tumultuous and alive (Vancouver Island prevents the open sea from crashing wildly into Vancouver’s harbours and beaches); its flora is more varied, its fauna more intriguing (where else can you see penguins and baboons in the same day?). Cape Town is visually dramatic beyond belief. I feel alive and energized here. 2. The beaches in Cape Town are second to none. I could have included beaches in the above category, but they are simply too marvellous for words and deserve a separate mention. Rated as some of the best beaches in the world, the long expanses of blindingly white, icing sugar-like sand are heavenly. Vancouver’s beaches, on the other hand, are rocky, small, and dull, with no crashing waves upon which to surf. 3. Vancouverites are not renowned for being friendly in an overtly cheerful and outgoing way. Yes, they are NICE (just like baby ducks, old woolly sweaters and cups of hot chocolate are nice) and will help out when asked, but there is a palpable reserve, an almost overly polite stiffness, that is not felt when interacting with Capetonians. People in Cape Town readily talk to each other: in elevators, on buses, in line ups, on street corners. They offer help, opinions, jokes and smiles without waiting to be smiled at first. Whether it’s your server in a restaurant, a parking attendant, the produce guy or your next door neighbour, you will find yourself having more conversations and more laughs with strangers that you could ever imagine in Vancouver. Most of all, the smiles are broad and genuine. 4. Wine is produced on hundreds of local wine farms near Cape Town and sells for 1/5 the price that it does in Vancouver. No, that’s not a typo. 1/5. Enough said. 5. Vancouver’s weather is so wet and gloomy that thousands of its citizens use light therapy and anti-depressants too fight off Seasonal Affective Disorder every winter. Yes, Capetonians, a condition called S.A.D. does exist – it is caused by the lack of light in winter months when it is grey and gets dark at 4pm every day. Cape Town has sunny weather year round, even in winter, which is very short and could easily be mistaken for a very sunny Vancouver autumn or spring. 6. If you want to know the truth about something, ask a Capetonian. If you want a watered-down, polite, passive-aggressive, politically correct, repressed version of the truth, ask a Vancouverite. Canada’s role as an international peace keeper is reflected in the personalities of its inhabitants. No one in Vancouver likes to offend, shock, raise eyebrows, engage in heated debate, be rude, be an ‘ist’ (a sexist, racist, ageist, etc.), be controversial, politically incorrect or direct. Yes, Vancouverites are lovely people, but if you want the straight story, and the story requires them to tell you something uncomfortable, don’t bank on getting all the goods, especially not in one direct sentence. 7. Cape Town has biltong, Stoney Ginger Beer, Rock Shandies, and Monkey gland sauce. Vancouver does not. 8. The next point is connected to point number 3 and especially connected to point number 6; South Africa produces some fantastic men. Having finally sworn off Canadian men forever, I find South African men to be a highly pleasing mixture: refined yet rugged, chivalrous yet boisterously irreverent. They also have sexy accents that turn passionate debates into foreplay, but that’s for another article. 9. I simply LOVE the expats and immigrants I have met here in Cape Town as it seems this country attracts certain types of people: fearless, bold, adventure-seeking, and independent. Cape Town can be a tough place for a person who tends to live a fear-based life. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the crime reports and constant debates over the future of this country. The expats I am meeting are progressive, forward-thinking, conscious, and committed to living with courage and positivity – truth be told, I think it is the expat community that can give South Africans a more optimistic, current perspective on this country. The absence of a historical lens allows expats to see the reality of the present moment, not a distortion blurred with projections of the past. Immigrants to Vancouver, on the other hand, are the opposite – they leave or flee their countries in hope of finding peace and stability. They are not seeking a more challenging life; challenge is what they leave behind. Expats in Vancouver want a soft place to fall. I don’t. 10. Vancouver is very set in its identity as a clean, peaceful, outdoorsy city; while it certainly has struggles and issues, none as deep or soul-searching as those in Cape Town. South Africa’s history is long, dramatic and controversial. It is one of pride, shame, destruction and reconstruction. It is a history that continues to effect the present to a shocking degree. It is a developing country still struggling to find its identity and jump into the first world. For me, a person who loves politics, human rights, conflict resolution and change facilitation, the dynamic and stimulating nature of this place keeps my mind engaged and my heart open. The spirit and tenacity of the people in South Africa astound and inspire me. Still don’t get it? Then follow my blog and read it till you do: http://dirussell.com |
Always look behind you, because you never know whats coming
Im a young south african and born and bred in cape town...Well I dont always agree with what goes on in the country and there are things that im not alwys happy with but come on guys there is no perfect place of all the places that i have been to cape town or let me say SA is one of the great placec one coul settle into and i even if i MUST MAKE IT BIG IN the world I would live in South and in cape town I wont even go to the suburbs i would say in a atownship because that is whwre the learnigs take place whwre you knw what humanity is and that is where you learn to feel
Sheep in into caoe town or sheep out!
salute
Lick my ass south africa, Canada is and always will be the best country in the WORLD.
I am proudly South African. Stay in your country. You wont fit in here at all.
I enjoyed this article and identified with many of the points you made. I am a South African (not from Cape Town, although I do love the city) who has spent time living in Canada (not Vancouver, but your points were still very applicable).
I actually loved it in Canada, I found staying there very pleasant, the town I stayed in was gorgeous, and experiencing yellow / orange autumn leaves and a (very) snowy winter was an awesome experience.
But ultimately I started finding that something was missing. Some of the things I used to curse when I was in South Africa (the buzz, the turmoil) actually started appealing to me more and more -- I found that I missed the frantic, upbeat vibe that seems to add a bit of spice and excitement to life here.
I found Canada beautiful, but there is something about the ruggedness of South Africa that tugged at me, something about the soul of this place that made me yearn to come home.
I also found Canadians to be very nice, but reserved in a way that made forthright communication difficult (I found that I had to tone down my straight-speaking manner to avoid being perceived as rude).
Canada is a lovely country, but there is something about South Africa that makes life feel interesting, exciting and challenging, like living on other frontier. Sometimes I tell myself it's like living in the old wild west -- sure there is danger, but there is something about it that makes one feel alive.
It feels like one can make more of a difference here, since there are so many challenges to overcome. I guess if I had to describe the fulfillment that this can give I could point to the difference in inheriting existing wealth as opposed to building that wealth from scratch with your own sweat and tears.
Both cities are beautiful and I've lived in both. Actually a lot of South Africans live in the Vancouver area -- perhaps b/c of the geographical similarity and the fact it has the warmest climate in all of Canada (well, except for Victoria).
No 1 made me giggle -- an oxymoronic claim! Even the name, Table Mtn, indicates it's NOT rugged, and it isn't. And the North Shore mountains are a range, 4000ft and higher, not a single flat mountain maybe somewhat over 3000ft. We do have several coastal ranges before getting to the Rockies.
The clouds in June/July (winter) obscure the view from Table Mtn and the cable car is closed when windy and rainy......
As for animals, there is a variety here too -- bears, etc, but granted baboons are exotic for us. A grey whale visited False Creek in Vancouver in May. SAf has Kruger, exceptional.
No doubt the beaches (No 2) in Capetown from the point of view of sand are better, there are many sandy beaches in and around Vancouver where one can swim safely. It was a disappointment to me that I cdn't just walk out and swim. Turn around and you can be knocked over from a wave. Our water laps gently like a lake so is very safe for children and swimming. If you want to surf you go to Tofino.
No 3 -- true Vancouverites are known as reserved but you shd hv bn here during the Winter Olympics! An incredible atmosphere of happiness and celebration, welcoming of ppl from all over the world -- just talk to anyone who was here. Hope the FIFA/World Soccer Cup create the same euphoria for SAf.
No. 4: our wine comes from the dry desert-like interior and the govt taxes provide for our social benefits (plus health and education), but Vancouver produces excellent craft beer
No 5 --Well, it is the West Coast also known as the Wet Coast. Most ppl however are surprised we can sometimes have v little rain June to Sept and that's when water sprinkling regulations are imposed. It is a question of connection. There's a clip from a movie in wch Chief Dan George is sitting in the forest on the edge of a lake with his grandson in silence. Then he says, "Listen to the rain. Isn't it beautiful." I realized how cultures appreciate and incorporate their surroundings as part of themselves. May I caution tourists that November wd be the worst time to come -- it might rain every day! (OTOH, visitors to the Winter Olympics here were amazed at how warm it was and snow had to be trucked in to one site.)
No 6 hm. Few ppl want the truth, even from friends! Nonetheless, Capetonians like Vancouverites are polite to strangers from what I found. Of course, everyone complains about govts, whichever.
No 7 -- Vancouver has fresh and smoked salmon, craft beer, sushi, dim sum, etc, and with its multicultural popn, food from everywhere, even from South Africa.
No 8 -- men are everywhere and agreed, more rugged or more sensitive some places than others; wrt our multiculturalism the selection is wider here in V.
No. 9 -- yes, true, ppl come here to escape their own countries, but some want to build a new life with relatively little strife, poverty, or crime, as well as more freedom and equality. (Glad the earlier law in RSA that a wife was 'chattel' has been changed.)
No 10 -- Those who've stayed in SAf have to be prepared for the challenges -- some unexpected such as the millions from Zimbabwe who want to come in. There were no Africans in the Cape when the Dutch arrived in an empty land. North of the Limpopo the tribes were at war and moving south. The tribal animosity therefore is not felt so much in the Cape --except, of course, the legacy of the white tribe of Africa, as they called themselves.
Read Alan Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country; Wiedner's Africa South of the Sahara for background and context.
If you want truth, Dianne, try travelling around SAf to see the tensions as well as facing the level of crime.
Capetown is beautiful, no doubt, and has similarities with Vancouver and Beirut -- facing west/south with mountains behind and beaches/sea in front.
V is boringly peaceful and Capetown has challenges that can be invigorating to face along with giving satisfaction that one is helping and being positive in life. Capetown probably needs you more than Vancouver.
Fight the good fight safer in C'town than J'burg; for sun-worshippers, those stuck in V shd go to C'town from Nov to Feb. Unfortunately can't even count on a white Christmas in V.
There are pluses and minuses for the two cities but I'd rather they be based on facts.
As for liking one over the other -- no one can question anyone's personal preferences.
Come to think of it, I'm in awe of two ppl who are world-class examples and inspirations for all: Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Truly humbling.
For everyone:
Wherever you are -- enjoy!
Each day is a gift.
if you like it here- cool. u welcome anytime. drop me a line. can hookup for drinks sometime.
if you don't- also cool. entitled to your opinion. but please keep it to yourself & shut the hell up already. we get it. u think its a crap place. get on with your life.
harsh words? i don't think so. as south african's we tried of the constant international criticism and complaints. dam. we know we got problems, but plz forgive us in taking sometime in correcting the wrongs of the past. frankly, the last 350 years of our history has been a pure shit storm.
i don't want to point fingers, but i do feel its rather ironic that the people who complain the most are those who historically caused the shit (yes both locally and internationally). but with that said, i think as a country we have proven our remarkable ability in forgiving.
just on the point of crime. yes its bad. we all know it. but i think its time we stoped treating the symptoms of crime and focus more of our time and energy on the cause- i also feel that its rather unfortunate that certain groups of our society feel they are specific targets of crime, when crime stats clearly indicate that that is not true. every creed and colour of our society are involved in crime, and every creed and colour of our society are victims of crime.
i love my country. i love my people. yes all of them. and thats all i need.
so if you want to help us, please. come. we welcome you with open arms, but remember our home is no disney land.
if not, then bugger off and leave us alone. if we want your thorts and opinion, we'll ask.
Thanks for writing! Cape Town is so much more than what is seen in the papers. People forget that media makes money by publishing misconstrued info about crime. The security industry makes money by the media publishing misconstrued info. Owners of security companies get RICH from other people's fear. That to me is scarier than the crime here!!
Violent crime is everywhere. I know people who teach high school in the inner city areas of NYC and East LA. People who fearmonger about crime in Cape Town should go hang out there for a week. They would run home with their tails between their legs. I can't speak for all of SA, but as a resident of Cape Town, I do know that the vast majority of the murders here happen in specific locations, among people who know each other, and under the influence of alcohol. Yes, some places and people are dangerous, but living in fear is to die a long slow death.
It seems we share a basic philosophy of how to live: live in the present moment and live without fear. For me, it is the only form of freedom that is real - freedom of the mind.
It's like this: if someone worries about being murdered for 10 years, and during that 10 years they live in fear, carry that fear in their bodies and live a very fearful, limited existence, it is like they are already dead. They have already lived the murder a thousand times in their head, imagined how terrible it would be, how painful it would be. They have already experienced the murder by imagining and believing it. To me, they are dead already, but it's even worse than being dead. They are dead and AWARE of being dead at the same time - a dead mind in a living body. Real dead people are at least luckily unaware about being dead!
I'd rather be the person who is aware that everyone dies one day, and none of us know how it will happen. I'm not afraid of death, so I can live with mental freedom every day. If I get hit by a car, have a heart attack, or get murdered, well, that's what happens in life, right? Unless one is a god, but I have not yet anyone who has the magic potion to avoid death yet!!
If you want to read about my personal experience with fear in Cape Town, here is a link to my blog article
http://dirussell.com/2010/05/05/response-to-high-crime-fear-and-loathing-in-cape-town-south-africa/
The comments astound me. I wrote two follow up articles on he topic as well - both are on the blog.
Cheers Loreen,
Hope you can visit Cape Town soon!
D.
I have been to Portugal and actually really loved Sintra as I stayed for a week and had a lovely time! But, like you, my heart is in Africa. If you want to see some of my pics, visit the 'my photos' section of my blog - there is a link to my online photo collection on JPGmag.com. it's all images of Cape Town. Cheers!
I hear this all the time, and the way I respond is this: if you don't like it here, go get yourself citizenship in another country and leave. Anyone can - my SA partner did 16 years ago for business reasons, but hated Canada so much that he has now come back to SA. He worked his ass off to get the citizenship. I laugh when people act like they are 'stuck' in SA and want others to be stuck with them.
I'm a global citizen and want as many passports as I can so I can live where I want. no country is a panacea, and I would never limit myself to one country. To do so is to think small, and this world is far too big with too many opportunities.
If I don't like something, I will change it. So should you. Go get another passport. Maybe you need to do what my partner did and develop a special skill that no one else has so you can get a special visa somewhere else. My partner trained for YEARS first in SA. But it bought him the freedom that he wanted. Nothing is impossible unless you decide it to be so. It seems you have decided that it is so, otherwise you would have done something about it.
So no, I would never give up any passport - that would be dumb. I laugh at the notion that to be a 'real' south african, one must live a small life and only have one passport. Globalization is here my friend. 'Real' Canadians live all over the world. Many have more than one passport. We are people who value diversity. why would I expect an immigrant to Canada to give up his or her passport? Imagine if I said what you have said to someone who has immigrated to Canada from Thailand (another country where I would love to live)?? "yeah, Thai person, you have to give up your Thai passport to be a real Canadian". WTF?
Mr. man in a funk, respectfully, please go live where you want and make your own dream happen like all the other people living as expats in the world instead of pissing on those who have made their dreams happen through hard work and sacrifice.
I am a Capetonian currently living in London.
I just really wanted to say thank you for writing this article!
It saddens me so much that all I hear in the newspapers and reports is how terrible the crime rate is in SA. The majority of reports I read pertaining to the world cup has to do with the crime and how dangerous SA is!
The fact IS that the world cup is taking place in SA, there’s no turning back, but it seems that all the damn reporters want to do is instil fear into the people who are travelling to SA to enjoy the matches.
I definitely will not deny that SA has countless problems and that the crime is horribly bad! And yes the tourists should be aware of possible dangers, but would it hurt for there to be a more POSITIVE vibe around the event! Instead of concentrating on the worst!
I sincerely believe that the security measures being taken will be sufficient to help this event run smoothly! I (and many others) just want the best for my country!
As a final word, there’s no point living in fear, I believe everything will go wonderfully and I also believe that the world is going to be proven wrong! Some serious misconceptions are going to be eradicated by the end of this world cup.
Xx With much love to South Africa! xx
Loreen
South African...Like me?
Cape Town is where the rest of us in South Africa go when we want to take a break of all the violance and crime of the rest of Gauteng South Africa!! Where murder, rape etc is the norm..
Enjoy our beatiful country and stay safely in Cape Towm.
Hmmm, Another Nick, I wonder if I know you...
Anyhow, many people love living in Vancouver and that's fine with me. I'm just not one of them. I need more challenge, more edge in my life, and I find that here in Cape Town.
For people who dream of doing the "volunteer in Africa and help save the world" thing (like I did for about 10 years) volunteering in Cape Town is a good way to get your feet wet. It's not deepest, darkest Africa, but it certainly provides the fix I and other expat-volunteers need.
I didn't plan on staying here -I came for a three month visit. However, the place has captivated me like thousands of other expats - and who knows, if you tried it, it could get under your skin too! Volunteering here really feeds the soul, and not just the souls of those you are feeding.
Cheers. D.