Don't get killed

Before I took off to Cape Town I think my mother told me at least a 100 times that I had to be carefull and what I should and shouldn't do. Everytime that somebody heard that I was going to Cape Town I got all the stories about what happend to a friend of a friend.. And so on. My first experience in Joburg completely reffered to all the stories and warnings that have been told. Sight, seven more weeks to go....

Im here now for 9 days and I start to feel nice and comfortable in this environment. This have been different when I arrived here. In the beginning I felt really unsafe. The only feeling of safety was in the appartment behind two massive gates and a security guard. When I went out for a run in the morning I was afraid that every beggar would attack me and steel my keys. So I was running with a bottle of water in my hands ready to attack anyone who dare came to close.  

In the hospital I never took the elevator if it would only be me with no other western looking staff (If the elevator even showed up). I would rather take the sixteen stairs and started my day all soaked and overheated than get myself into trouble. 

Finding a way through daily life felt so much more complicated then I have ever experienced it before. There were all this unwritten rules like: don't go there alone, don't be alone in the dark, lock your doors, lock the windows, dot stop for a red light at night, dont go near the townships, don't give money to the kids, don't take a random cab, don't go to the ATM all by yourself but don't let someone take you to the ATM aswell, dont help strangers, dont stop for peadestrians, dont drive over peadestrians and most important.. Don't get killed. 

Nobody will ever tell you a story about there friend who went to Cape town and nothing happend, that story would definitely be too boring. So maybe all the stories are a little over ratted and otherwise what are the changes of something happening in a city with a couple of milion people? I mean eventually even in Rotterdam you will cross some bad stuff. So with my new mentality I tried to find my way in the mother city and after a few days I noticed that everyone is sooooo kind and friendly here!!  Things happend that I've never experienced in Europe before, random people who invite you for a braaij, people who print maps for you, cab drives who drive in front of your car when you are lost. Instead of being afraid and feel treatened I started to feel really happy and joyfull. 

Within a week I got my own car and was driving around through this amazing city. Every morning I've put a new bag of apples in the car to hand them out to people on the streets that were asking for money. This gave me so much positive energy! The gratetuted of people was amazing, there were kids that kept on waving and smiling just for an apple. Everyday I have funny conversations with complete strangers and I absolutely love it! And I know it's not as safe as home, but it's definetly more excited!!

~ May you always do, what you are afraid to do ~