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Interesting letters this month! From my daily dealings with South Africans around the world, I feel it is safe to say that the majority would go back to RSA if the country was safer and economically viable. The majority of these South Africans left with a sore heart. The day they can go home, set up businesses creating masses of jobs - that is the true freedom of RSA. Anne Lehmkuhl Canada Home page: www.rupert.net/~lkool/ Hi Colin, It is Pieter writing. Received a mail from you about expats. My girlfriend and I are from Pretoria and will be moving to Toronto soon. We don't know anyone there and are looking for some conversation in Canada. We will also be in the job market and might use a few tips. I program in Natural and Cobol and she is a Clinical Research Associate. Hope to hear from you Pieter Hi Colin, Found your site through a friend here in S.A. We were glad to access it as we're interested in immigrating to Canada. Have you got some information, tips, motivation re: the immigration process. Have read up about Canada but now need information from people who have actually made the move ! Could you maybe put us in touch with some newly immigrated couples as well as some more established families so that we can get the bigger picture. Look forward to hearing from you. Your web site is really great!! Regards, Darryl and Heather Hansen G'day Col, Besides being controversial at times your thoughts and opinions are well and truly respected by most people I speak to in Melbourne. Just simply keep on doing your thing. I did previously ask you to ask your readers out there if they happen to be ex-students of Harold Cressy High School in the 1955/56/57/58. I would like to here from them as my wife and I happen to be ex-students as well. I must share with you the satisfaction I am getting out of cricket umpiring in Australia after many games at the other end. It is a completely different perspective seeing the game from behind the stumps.Wish me luck in my 7th year. Best regards and God Bless. Austin Acker Hi Colin, Sorry about "long time no hear". Regarding people leaving the country being termed "traitors". An Indian mate of mine who spend 90 days in jail for his ANC activities, is now leaving for NZ because he sees no "future for his kid" in the brand new, fast backwards evolving good old RSA!!!!!!!! He had the guts to stand up for the ANC and now that he had his part in getting them elected, he is skipping the country. How do you explain that? Cheers, Koos Hi, I live in South Africa and I don't have any personal links in Canada. But, I think your site is very useful for those South African's living abroad - it makes it easier for people to keep in touch with their real home! I don't think many ex-pats really left by choice, but were rather "forced" out due to the circumstances here, both past and present! Anyway, people have the choice to live where they wish. Patriotism, I believe, is a much deeper feeling than merely where you live, but rather where your heart is. The idea that you put so much effort into keeping in contact with all that is South African, even though you live far away, is enough proof of where your heart is - a true patriot. Keep up the good work Li-or Losinsky (21-year-old Physiotherapy student at U.C.T - Cape Town) Dear Colin Thought that you might get the urge to make a good roti. Try this recipe: Ingredients: 3 cups of flour 1 tsp. Salt 1cup water 8 tablespoons of melted butter oil Sift dry ingredients together rub in 4 tablespoons of butter till flour resembles breadcrumbs Add water and mix together, must be a soft dough. Add more water if needs be. Knead dough for at least 10min. The more kneading the lighter the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and stand for at least an hour. If left overnight even better. This makes a light and flaky roti. Divide dough into 12-14 equal portions and shape into balls. Okay, if you need more butter use it. Roll out each ball into a thin circular shape. Pour 2 teaspoons of melted butter onto centre of roti and spread lightly with hand. Using a knife make a cut from the centre of the roti to the outer edge. Starting at the cut edge roll the dough into a close cone shape. Pick it up and press the apex of the cone and the base towards each other and flatten. Lightly flour board and roll out dough gently taking care not to press too hard. Roll to size of dinner plate Mix 5 tablespoons of melted butter with a 1/4 cup oil. Place this mixture on your roti plate (pan) and heat. Fry off your rotis. They should be lovely and flaky. I make a large batch and freeze them ready fried. All you do is heat for 30 seconds in m/w for a hot roti Mooi Bly. Regards, Shareen Masoet. Colin, I agree totally with your sentiments regarding expats. However, the best news of all was reading about the money allocated to fight crime in SA. That is wonderful news! I hope that it really happens and doesn't get embezzled. If it does work, this could be the start of a great nation. Brad K Hi there, You don't know me, just like you don't know many others, but it is a plesier to read some news from back home. Gosh, I've been gone so long and I'm not in the US anymore. I'm now living in Germany. I would love to know how many South Africans are here but man, that is like finding a needle in a haystack. I don't know how to make a homepage and I'm too old to learn...heheheh.. Anyway, keep up the good work and I will keep reading. Averil. Cape Town Skolliegirl :-) Dear Colin Just a short hello from Port Elizabeth and to say I enjoy your website. I don't always agree with your views but keep up the good work. David Gemmell South Africa. Hi Colin, I really enjoy your Family Focus and boy, you tell 'em like it is! Good for you! I happen to love the States and have lived in California for 27 yrs now, immigrated when I was only 19 and it was the BEST thing I ever did. Anyway, keep up the great work.....I pass it on to all my SA buddies online...all 68 of them! They really enjoy it as well. Mooi bly Magda :-) Hi Colin, I'm one of those "who visit on a regular basis". I log in every 2/3 weeks to see what's new and interesting on your website and am never disappointed! It is three years now since my husband, 2 children (actually young adults) and I left Johannesburg to live in Perth and whilst we enjoy a carefree, stressfree lifestyle here, there's always a small part of us that will "verlang na die Vaderland". It would be unrealistic of you to publish only the "good" news coming out of SA and it is very sad that the "bad" news (or negative as you say) is on the increase and at an alarming rate too. Keep up the good work Colin and keep on publishing! Regards, Christine Sutherland. Colin, I was born in Jo'burg, lived in Florida (Roodepoort) went to school at St. John's College and had my holidays at Amanzintoti. If I think of all this, I`ll start to cry. Thank you South Africans for everything, now I live in Milano, Italy and I always think of the people that I met those good old days. I'll never forget South Africa, never. What a strange, cruel, beautiful world. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do... I just feel sorry. I send you all my best regards, thank you Colin, you didn`t forget your country. Kind regards, Giovanni Pisapia Hi Colin, Thanks for an opportunity to keep in touch and also to be kept in touch. I am a recently arrived immigrant from South Africa (Midrand and Durban) and involved in Executive Search in Toronto. I was wondering if there are any other human resource practitioners out there to touch base with. Shawn Jacobs My Email:sj@grSearch.com Dear Colin, I am an English immigrant to South Africa, of 25 years standing. Very few people leave their home country permanently unless something there is driving them away. I left the UK because I could not stand the hypocrisy and incompetency of the then Labour government. The sun was shining then in SA, despite a totalitarian regime. You, presumably, left SA because you had a problem with living here. Politics. Race. Fear. No matter. You left. Your choice. No problem. Those who stayed are picking up the pieces in a one-sided fight against poverty and crime; the government is incapable of doing anything to build anything, to combat crime, to make SA a place of peace and harmony in, say, 20 years from now. The very culture of the majority of the population decrees against it. The very fabric of the nation is crumbling while the unelected MPs flee to the "white" suburbs, drive Mercedes and BMW cars, eat in the best restaurants and wear the best of clothes. If only they did the jobs they are paid to do. Watch the parliamentary TV programme and see how most of the benches are empty (or their tenants are sleeping). How the rules of parliament are blatantly ignored (ministers reading prepared speeches instead of answering for themselves, as is required). The government ministers are corrupt, the police force is undermined by dishonesty (which is a crying shame for all the honest, hard-working cops who daily risk their lives), the criminals rule by force of fear (testify against me and my friends will kill you) and drugs are flooding the nation. Nobody here has a "venomous hatred" against you or any other emigrant, Colin. Just a desire that you, and others like you, look SA and its now incompetent government square in the eyes and say "You are useless!" Treat them like any other incompetent government anywhere in the world, forget they are black, and simply say: "Resign!" Then come home, set up a business, and employ lots of people. Les Stephenson Cape Town Howzit Colin, Thank you for giving people a place to touch base. You can almost hear the accents as you read the letters. Your website is very refreshing but also very real. I am very excited about finding it and will certainly be back. I would love to find South Africans living in Southern California. Many thanks, Michele V. Hi Colin, Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Thami Ngwenya and I live in a small township outside Durban called Lamontville. I am currently concluding my Masters and I have started a community based youth initiative that is primarily focused at empowering young people to live a drug-free life. I would like for you through your web site to find out if there are any South Africans that are working with drug organisations in Canada, as I would like to have a link with these with the hope of coming over to do my PhD in Canada and an intership with such an organisation. Drug organisations in Canada are known to have moved miles ahead of us here back home and with the current initiatives of setting up a drug policy and a drug master plan (already done) strategies to meet and introduce advanced responses are needed now, thus my interest in coming to study in Canada. Unfortunately I am not funded by any organisation or Government. I have relied on working my way through university and internships. Please help if you can. I have tried direct communication with some of the organisations with the hope of getting scholarships but I have been told that they are reserved for Canadians only My e-mail address is: thams80@hotmail.com Looking forward to hearing from you. Regards Thami Ngwenya Hi, Finally found an ex-pat but alas we are newbies up north in the Arctic Region of Yellowknife. We arrived in Vancouver in October last year from Durban...studied and found work up here in North West Terrortories at Microage Computers. Only been here two weeks and am still using a map to find our way around the town of 18 000 strong. We may be the only ex-pats up here but we are still searching. Give our regards to all the brave men women and children of AmaBoston and may God look over you all. Regards Fanie, Susan and little Zoe, Yellowknife NWT Hi Colin I think you are doing a great job as an ex-South African and you are a man of my ideals. I still live this side but I'm sending my two daughters aged 21 and18 to London in December. We want them to experience another country (particularly a 1st world one) and then hope they make the correct choice of where they would like to live and enjoy their future. I stress "enjoy" because there is basically nothing positive here for them because of the reversed racism and equality. My wife and I have been considering emigrating but we haven't decided to which country as yet. Coming from Durban, we would preferably enjoy moving to a country of similar climatic conditions. I have thought of Canada as a possible choice but cringe at the weather conditions. But this won't be a major stumbling block for us as much as just getting the wheels rolling. I am 41 and my wife is 45. I too lost a career due to affirmative action. I have an arthritic condition and could not be placed in a more suitable post in the Fire & Rescue services here due to affirmative action and subsequently was medically boarded. I was senior management and could still have been a great asset to the service if it weren't for affirmative action. Subsequently I embarked on studies in the IT direction and hope to use this qualification in my CV when making application for emigration. I am also looking at companies seeking IT staff and hope to find a sponsor through one, if that's possible. Well keep up the good work and tell it like it is. There will always be those who will run you down. I think you have done the best thing for yourself and your family. God Bless Bobby Van Wyngaarden Thank you Colin for the great site. It surely keeps us South Africans in Canada close to home. Good wishes from Mississauga, Ontario! Mojalefa Mapena Hi Colin, You can be assured of my personal support for your move to Canada. It must have been traumatic giving up your home in South Africa and adapting to the new culture.You have been very brave. Things, as you know, are not so kosher in South Africa. Rampant crime, corruption and high unemployment creates intolerance, fear and disillusionment. I get first-hand information of what is happening in the country. My home for instance, due to the hours I work, is surrounded by nine-foot walls with razor-wire, floodlights on a timer, movement sensors and an alarm-system. Two months ago a friend came to visit and was hijacked by three armed robbers. Since then I had to improve my security once again. We live in a country where you fear going home, driving at night, not even daring to speak on your cell-phone in public out of fear of being robbed. We live in a country where we have been victims of crime countless times. We live in a country where the person you loved was brutally murdered, as in my case. When you live in a country where you lose your job because of affirmative action, as in my case two years ago, then I can only envy you living in Canada. To live in South Africa is to live in fear. You have my support and admiration and if ever the opportunity arise that I can leave to another beautiful country such as Canada, I will grab it with both hands. To emigrate is difficult. Believe me, I tried. I hope you and your family realise the fortunate situation you are in. My prayers are with you and hope your new life will be fulfilled and prosperous. Wishing you all the best Yours sincerely Errol S. Hi Colin, Great job! Its been good to get news of former South Africans living abroad. We have lived in New Zealand for 6 years now and are loving it. I have a brother in Toronto and decided to see what your website was all about. I am impressed! Caroleen Jonker Colin, Thanks for the Family Focus. I almost gave up looking for it. Yahoo could not find it and I tried some of the other Search Engines and finally one turned up with your website. I must congratulate you with all that you have on your website and I was glad to see a wonderful picture of Table Mountain. We often do feel bad about negative reporting about South Africa, but I can assure you looking at the local newspapers in Manila that as bad if not worse things are reported and pictures are shown of the rapists, drug dealers etc. Manila is often referred as the kidnap capital of the world, this is a common thing here and often an attempt is made on foreigners. All foreigners are called Joe, they think you are American and so even the kids in the streets call you Joe. They cannot believe that a white person can come from Africa and like the most of us we know very little about the rest of the world. I was quite upset the other day when I was informed that the Honorary South African Consul in the Philippines has been closed down and we now have to deal with Kuala Lumpur for all our updates and passport matters. It was so easy just to go and see the local man, who by the way was a Filippino, and he was always so helpful and he dealt with Kuala Lumpur in Malayasia. I will return to family focus when I have some time and enjoy what you have put on the website. Greetings and best wishes. David Birkenstock. Hello Colin, It was interesting to see a photo of Alexis Fernandes (nee Roscoe) and her husband in the visitors section, which mentioned her brother's name (Lance). I went to school in SA with Trevor Roscoe and Lance. Harry Valentine harryc@ontarioeast.net Dear Sir My name is Albert Snyman and I am a 23-year-old honors student at Varsity who has been thinking about immigrating for quite awhile now. I have a degree in drama but more specifically in theatre management and design. I also have quite a strong backround in running a radio station and was wondering if South Africans in Canada would be interrested in a local radio station that caters for them as a sub-community -- that is if there is a large enough number of South Africans in one specific area. Please let me know what your thoughts are on this and if you could let me know if there are people that could help with pre-arranged employment if I tried to immigrate. I apologise if this is a bit forward but I know no one in Canada and your website seemed the one I could most identify with. Yours sincerely A.Snyman Hi there, Enjoyed your page. I will be in SA around Dec 2 to Dec 7th, Cape Town. Before that I may join a tour covering several countries in Africa: Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and SA: Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks Vincent Nguyen Hi Colin While reading the news on your website, I was, and still am concerned about all the trouble in SA. Although, I'm not and never was a politician or a preacher in South Africa, but I can read between the lines! For those people who criticise us for leaving SA, let me say: We did it for our children's sake! It was not a happy 'get-away'. We left our family, friends and neighbours behind. We do struggle in our new 'First World'! After nearly 3 years in USA I can say that my children are safe and I don't have to go and inspect every window and door for safety at night! We sleep with our windows open. We don't lock our doors. I'm not allowed to work in the States, but who cares. My children are safe, we struggle, but I'm not complaining. Not me. Sorry Colin, but I had to speak my mind! Ek is in elkgeval Afrikaans en lag vir al die leke wat ons probeer af kraak! Groete Elsje
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