T.I.A. - this is Africa

I'm still in love with South Africa - hence the long silence again - but one thing here is a bitch: the power sockets. I know people who travel are not allowed to complain under any circumstances "because you're traveling!" or "you went there, live with it", but not having electricity is sort of a problem. Both me and one of my German housemates, Verena, had bought these adapter towers that are supposed to have all the possible electrical adapters in the world. One even says Commonwealth (former British regions) and South Africa.

The so-called "universal adapter tower".

South African sonofabitch.

Well, whoever produced that "universal adapter tower", let me tell you, the South African version was NOT to be found. It's like an electrical 8th wonder of the world. There's nothing quite like it anywhere. So Verena went on and bought a local adapter and because I'm cheap I've been borrowing it from her when she's gone off to work to do her internship.

I've been really lucky with all my housemates at this guesthouse in Gardens. Verena, Susanne, Daniel, Miriam and Christian have all been so wonderful. And what do you know, they're all from Germany! Cape Town is FULL of Germans. Seriously. Even the Germans think so.

Home @ Gardens. Table Mountain in the back.

I even had to ask a local friend am I just imagining it, do I hear afrikaans as German? She said no, South Africa is the number one tourist destination for German people and you really hear it on the streets. Thank goodness. My friends in Berlin, Cologne and Hannover would have laughed their hearts out if my "Sixth Sense" would've been "I see German people".

Visiting Ghana and R.S.A. has also taught me the T.I.A. philosophy. This is Africa. It's a phrase commonly used here especially in situations like the power socket thing or my earlier experiences with the trotros. Kind of like the Spanish mañana attitude, meaning to say it's not serious, take it easy and juuuust relax. You have to adjust your expectations and understand not everything will work like at home when you're this far away.

By the way, did some inventory today and I've only lost two socks in three months! From different pairs, obviously, but no worries. I got some airplane socks on one of my flights so that basically covered it. I think I'm even doing better than at home where I've even lost a cup of tea once. Found it in my bookshelf two days later.