Sweet, refreshing rain

There are few things better than a Highveld thunderstorm. Anyone who's ever lived in Johannesburg will speak enthusiastically of the experience. I'll leave it to you, to find someone to relate the aforementioned, but in short, it's exhilarating.

Late afternoon on Saturday the heavens opened, sending big, noisy drops down on our verandah's tin roof. There is nothing quite like the way Africa smells before and during and after a rainstorm. Initially, it's a dry, dusty, red-earthed, powdery, in-your-nostrils kind of smell. Rain begins to fall, 'plop, plop, plop', sending out small, powdery rings as it hits the dry earth. Soon you're caught up in the frenzy of drops pelting the ground. It becomes a cacophony on the roof, joined by the glorious smell of wet, warm earth - like an athlete at the end of a race : the perspiration steaming off the top of their head, their pulsing muscles. Africa burns from within, and the rain is an analgesic - a soothing balm, relief, water, hydration. The rapturous smell of rain evaporating into warm afternoon air. Rain keeps falling and slowly our world begins to cool down. It's as if you're relaxing from your feet up - the wet earth, wet grass under your feet, the smell of rain in your nose filling your head, the memory of it is so evocative - swirling, washing away the tension that is drought. Dryness giving way to rivulets. Rivulets joining, become puddles, the earth drinking it in. Drinking, drinking.

billy joel

Last night was the first of 3 Billy Joel concerts at the Dome in Northgate. We went along. He said he hadn't been to Jozi before because South Africa is off the beaten track for world tours. True, but only ten years ago-true. All the big bands have been here, it's just that he hasn't. We had golden circle tickets which was great and there was an awesome vibe without too many people behaving like idiots. In fact, I'm guessing that we were having such a good time, that people were giving us a wide berth - there was a whole lotta dancing going on. I ache this morning.

He only sang a few of the classics which was a disappointment - I'm never too sure why they do that. I mean you go and see Bruce Springsteen and he plays ALL his gold singles, and the audience go crazy for it. Does Billy like think he's like totally in this new phase and we've all been listening to his new music so that's what we're there for ? Sorry Billy, the answer is no. We want to sing along to all your fabulous hits. He's a legend, so why not play legendary songs. Having an audience just standing around because they don't know "this one", is just stupid for a live show. We want a little electricity.

Well, enough said.

Yesterday I took myself off to the local mall - Cresta - and got a bit of retail therapy. Mum needed some new pillows, and I found a few other bits and pieces for her 'pad'. Cresta is always bigger than what I remember, but I left seven years ago so thing do change. One thing that really struck me though is how people park in the mall's parking lots. There seems to be a general trend that you just park wherever you like, whether there's a bay there or not. If there are yellow stripes painted, you can just park there too. In fact there are 4x4's parked on the pavements. This isn't because there's a shortage of parking - it's just that people can't be bothered to walk any distance. A note to self : don't be intimidated by the painted stripes, as long as you're out of a thoroughfare, you can park there.

Johannesburg International Airport is Oliver Tambo International Airport is not going to cope

We flew into Johannesburg on our Boeing, landing around 9:10am. It was a great arrival - one of the first times in years that I haven't had to catch a bus from the other side of the airfield to get to the terminal building. Whoo-hoo ! But that's where it ended...

First the passport queue : this is when I realised how many international flights had arrived simultaneously - the place was heaving. Thank goodness for the S African passport as I got into a relatively short queue, and they were happy to process Zack's British passport for me at the same time. It was quite ridiculous really - people must have been standing in those queues for at least an hour and all the desks were open. What are they going to do in 2010 ?

International arrivals has 3 luggage carousels. Our luggage was supposed to come off onto carousel #1. It just so happened that luggage for 2 other international flights were also coming off onto carousel #1 - El Al, and Air France / Delta. There were plenty of trolleys but not enough space for all the people and their baggage. We waited about 45 minutes for our second smaller piece to come through, and in the end I had to pack everything up and put it onto the trolley : large suitcase (23kgs), smaller suitcase (14kgs), laptop bag, baby bag, and Zack's Maclaren pram. Heaven forbid I'd had to do it with a Bugaboo ! I was carrying Zack and pushing this monstrous trolley, and people kept driving their trolley's into my heal. I had words with 2 people and then really let the 3rd woman have it - can people not open their eyes and see what a palava it is pushing a trolley with one hand and carrying an infant with the other ! Honestly.

The throng of bodies trying to make their way through into the arrivals hall was insane, but once I'd got through that and handed Zack over to his uncle, I was coping much better with my wayward trolley and all it's load.

packing to go

I leave tomorrow night for six weeks in Sunny South Africa - to visit friends and family, to relax, to rejuvinate my exhausted mind and body.