Lesrail Posted August 2, 2013 Report Share Posted August 2, 2013 Hi Everybody,My wife Carol and I arrived on a parent visa in Sydney in 2010. We were originally from Fourways, Johannesburg but spent the last two years in South Africa, in Sedgefield on the Garden Route. Our children were directly affected by violent crime and they had emigrated earlier. They also saw no future for their two young children in South Africa. I am finding life in Sydney absolutely wonderful because it reminds me of old Johannesburg and Durban where I grew up in the 1940s and 1950s. Personal safety is not an issue anymore and we don't have to live in a ghetto with electric fences and razor wire! We do miss our OLD South Africa but as far as I am concerned, Mandela's dream of a "Rainbow Nation" is in tatters! I read SA's News 24 on the Internet to keep abreast of what is going on in SA these days and I realize how lucky we are to be out of that Country. The Aussies are very friendly people and we have found assimilating very easy.Here in St Ives, Sydney, we have a butcher/grocery shop owned by a bloke who studied in Stellenbosch and who makes delicious boerewors and biltong and sells S A groceries. When we call in there to buy something, we often hear Afrikaans being spoken and certainly S A accented English! Coming to OZ was the best move that we could have made!Cheers, Les 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajay Posted August 2, 2013 Report Share Posted August 2, 2013 What a lovely story - great to hear you've been reunited with your kids! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eva Posted August 2, 2013 Report Share Posted August 2, 2013 Welcome to the forum and glad to hear you are enjoying your life in Australia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesrail Posted August 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2013 What a lovely story - great to hear you've been reunited with your kids!Welcome to the forum and glad to hear you are enjoying your life in Australia. Thanks girls! Your comments are appreciated! Les Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyn Posted August 2, 2013 Report Share Posted August 2, 2013 Hey Les, welcome to the forum.Sorry to hear your children were affected directly by crime in RSA, i beleive they made the right decision to leave. You sound really happy with your decision to move down under and thanks for sharing about your butcher/grocer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesrail Posted August 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2013 Hey Les, welcome to the forum.Sorry to hear your children were affected directly by crime in RSA, i beleive they made the right decision to leave.You sound really happy with your decision to move down under and thanks for sharing about your butcher/grocer.Hi Lyn, Fortunately they were not injured during a robbery but that was the last straw for them. Yes the butcher/grocer up the road here in St Ives is a great place to pop into if you are looking for South African stuff. His biltong and wors is to die for! Les 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaandPaul Posted August 2, 2013 Report Share Posted August 2, 2013 This is encouraging. Thanks for the post. Our plans are underway to relocate to Sydney with our parents in tow a few years down the line (hopefully not too many!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clover Posted August 2, 2013 Report Share Posted August 2, 2013 Thank you for sharing ! I am glad that you have settled in well !We hope to be there soon, cant wait ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesrail Posted August 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2013 This is encouraging. Thanks for the post. Our plans are underway to relocate to Sydney with our parents in tow a few years down the line (hopefully not too many!).Thank you for sharing ! I am glad that you have settled in well !We hope to be there soon, cant wait !Hi Paul and Clover, If our experience can be taken as a yardstick then you both won't be sorry for making the move. The most important thing for us is living in an environment where you don't look over your shoulder at a stop street or a traffic light half expecting a gun to be put to your head! You don't have hawkers nagging you to buy something like we had on William Nicol Drive in Fourways! You don't hear gunshots while sleeping at night! Yes, there is crime in certain areas of Sydney but NOTHING like what we had in Johannesburg. We have also experienced being homesick at times BUT - not for the NEW South Africa!It is a great pity that the world seems blind to what is going on in that Country today! I will never go back - I will just live with pleasant memories of the old days.Good luck with your moves - you won't regret it! Les 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HadEnoughofJuju Posted August 3, 2013 Report Share Posted August 3, 2013 Hey LezWelcome to Australia . It's good to hear that you are settling in nicely and enjoy your new home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesrail Posted August 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2013 Hey LezWelcome to Australia . It's good to hear that you are settling in nicely and enjoy your new home. Thanks HadEnoughofJuju! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreaL Posted August 4, 2013 Report Share Posted August 4, 2013 Hey LesSounds like you are loving life in Sydney. I've been in Australia for nearly 8 years and I can't imagine living any other way than we do now as I sit in my garden having a late breakfast, not even worrying about who might be on the street, and should there be a knock at the door we just shout "come in".People don't realise the freedom or indeed the imprisoned way in which they are forced to live in RSA until they experience it for themselves 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynnie Posted August 4, 2013 Report Share Posted August 4, 2013 Hi Les,Baie welkom - bly julle geniet Sydney en dat julle so maklik aangepas het :ilikeit: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesrail Posted August 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2013 Hey LesSounds like you are loving life in Sydney. I've been in Australia for nearly 8 years and I can't imagine living any other way than we do now as I sit in my garden having a late breakfast, not even worrying about who might be on the street, and should there be a knock at the door we just shout "come in".People don't realise the freedom or indeed the imprisoned way in which they are forced to live in RSA until they experience it for themselves Hi AndreaL, It took quite a while to get used to living in a normal society again - like I remember the old days in SA. We hardly ever lock a door and leave things on the car seats when we go shopping! No need to hide the mobile phone anymore! South Africa is today, an abnormal society riddled with crime and corruption! We are just grateful that we were able to get out of that awful environment! Les 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesrail Posted August 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2013 Hi Les,Baie welkom - bly julle geniet Sydney en dat julle so maklik aangepas het :ilikeit: Dankie Lynnie! Die feit dat ek nog biltong en boerewors plaaslik in Sydney kan kry het die aanpassing baie makliker gemaak! Vrystaat!!!!Les Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OzDreams Posted August 17, 2013 Report Share Posted August 17, 2013 Lovely post, thank you. Hope you have a wonderful life ahead in Sydney. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesrail Posted August 18, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 Lovely post, thank you. Hope you have a wonderful life ahead in Sydney. Hi OzDreams - Thanks! I have had pangs of homesickness BUT when I get regular emails from SA from family and friends and reading SA News 24, I realize how lucky I am to be in Sydney - living my life in a normal society where personal safety is not an issue - where I can get on with things that I enjoy not worry about when I am going to be attacked or have my home broken into! I have read in another part of this Forum how some Saffers are feeling homesick and are contemplating going back - to those people I would say - think VERY CAREFULLY about what you might find when you get back! I loved South Africa like anyone else born there but I'm certainly not going back to the New South Africa! Cheers Les Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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