The City of Many Nicknames

As mentioned in my previous post, I've been doing some research about the city that will become my temporary home. Johannesburg is a city with an intense history and glowing future. I'm excited to experience life in Joburg first hand, but until January, I can only try to imagine it.

Below are some fun facts I've learned about Joburg from a distance:

• Johannesburg has multiple nicknames; the obvious being Joburg, but my personal favourite is Jozi. Hence, the title of my blog. Joni and Egoli are two other nicknames for the city.
• The trees pictured in the background of my blog are called Jacarandas. Johannesburg is known for these beautiful trees and their bright purple flower. I can't wait to see them in person!!
•  The dominant language is English (thanks goodness, for me), but Zulu and Afrikaans are also commonly spoken by many locals.
• In South Africa, one drives on the left side of the road, and apparently Joburg is not a walkable city, so I'll be getting a car and hoping I can remember to keep to the left!
• South Africa is known for it's red wine and when I visited Cape Town I loved it for its red meat as well. One of the first things I'll be doing when I get to Joburg is going for a nice dinner with red wine and ostrich steaks. Yum!
• Joburg has fantastic markets and it seems that everyone loves to hit their local market at least once on the weekends, so I think I know where I'll be doing much of my shopping.

Single White Female

As soon as spending a year in Jozi became a real possibility, I started Googling.
I wanted to learn about life in the city, specifically what it's like to be a single, white, female living in Johannesburg. So that is what I Googled. This search showed me there is a robust online dating scene, but that wasn't what I was looking for.

I wanted to find someone who was talking about what it was like to be a woman, and because race in South Africa is very much a part of your daily life, a white woman, living on your own in Johannesburg.

When you tell someone in Canada that you are moving to Johannesburg, their immediate thought (whether they verbalize it right there, or a few minutes later) is, "Is it safe?"

And yes, Johannesburg is safe, but you do have to take precautions to ensure your safety that you wouldn't think about in Toronto.

I've heard about the gates, fences and alarm systems protecting everyone's homes. I've been told to always keep my things in the trunk when driving. Speaking of which, I will be driving a lot, because walking around on your own, is ill-advised. And public transit, isn't a safe option, especially for a white person. I've also been told that when driving at night through certain neighbourhoods, you don't stop at red lights.

These things stated all together can sound a bit intimidating, but speaking to one of my future colleagues, who is a single, white, female, eased my mind. Yes, you have to be careful. Yes, there are things you just can't do in Jozi that you could do in Toronto. But if you use common sense and follow some safety tips, you'll be just fine.

So, long story short, that is why I'm writing this blog. I want this expat perspective to be available to someone considering a move to Jozi. For better or for worse!

Also, if I'm really diligent, it should be a great way to log my journey and keep my loved ones up to date while I'm away. :)

Preparing to Move

It was only two weeks ago when I was offered a position in our company's Johannesburg office and already I have sold my couch and been for a chest xray (part of the work visa application). Things are moving fast, but they have to, because my start date is January 12th.

I am in a bit of a weird limbo state where January (only a month away) feels insanely soon while also feeling like a decade from now. I have lots to do before January and yet, due to my diligent list making, I feel like I'm right on track with everything.

So I will continue to sells things on Kijiji, gather all my necessary paperwork and sort out handover of my current role in Toronto. Oh, plus get through the madness that is December on any usual year.

Well, good thing my motto is: It always works out in the end.