iScatterling’s Saffer Traveller Manifesto (Part 1)

If this is your first visit at iScatterlings, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

iScatterling’s Saffer Traveller Manifesto (Part 1)

To those that will follow us into the diaspora, be careful and make certain that you or the member of your family is ready to leave home, is brave and can be counted on to be resolute in the face of severe adversity and will have more than enough money to survive 6 months without a job in a strange country because you will still have to pay rent (and pay out a deposit to the landlord), buy food, entertain yourself at the pubs and clubs, clothes washing at dank ‘n rank laundrettes, transport yourself by bus, train and bus to the pubs and clubs and to job interviews and also pay utility bills.

Onthou dat zero kontant = nil zol, nada poenda, geen vodka, no dancing, cheap pay as you go SIM cards with no international roaming, no internet cafe’, fokhol warm bedsit to go home to, missing out on job interviews, interviews, interviews en meer blerrie interviews, no buddies, dossing on other peeps sofas, snot en trane, plenty crying and whimpering ‘I wanna go home’ and then totsiens over and out, ek is huistoe!!

Whatever perception you may have about how you are going to knock ’em dead and ‘WOW!’ everyone in the country you select to move to, think again. In fact sit down now because you need to face up to the fact that you are going to find life to be not so cushy and easy as you are used to having it at home. Nee ou maatjie, no sonskyn, braaivleis en Chevrolet here! At least not for a while anyway.

Remember you are leaving your neighbourhood, your home, the comfort zone, your security, your roots to establish a new life in a host country that will demand that you meet and maintain certain standards which the citizens of the country you have chosen to go to, will expect you to honour and abide by. You must adopt their ways rather than the other way round where they accomodate you.

You must always regard their customs and standards as inviolate and never ever think you need not acknowledge and abide by them. Never ever conduct yourself in such a manner as to bring you, your country of origin and us ex-pats into disrepute. To do so shows total and singular disrespect toward your host(s) and their culture and to all of us as well.

As an incomer, you will bring with you different skills and also exciting and different ways of doing things. Please take your time about offloading all your different methods and ways of doing things. Sometimes what you accept as normal for a certain behaviour is actually considered impolite and frowned upon by your hosts. Just as you will want them to know your culture and that it differs in many ways to theirs, you must be first to grasp theirs. By understanding and being proactive about it and able to show them that you do care and will protect their customs, your life will begin to become easier.

The stress of your new life

Holy macaroni! Even before your plane lifts off the runway at Jhb or CPT to take you to your country of choice, you will have been exposed to one of the singlemost important differences between home and the new home to be – it is called the Forex Experience.

This is a depressing fact of life in the diaspora. Coming from Africa you will despair at how far your local currency does not go. This in itself is a major stress point.

…..to be continued
In Part II, a few pointers will be given on how to alleviate the financial burden and attendant worries you will be headed for.

Meanwhile, please feel free to comment , scale me out , protest that you do do all the good things (liar!) you mommie & dad told you to do while away from home etc etc. If you don’t agree - Bite my Web 2.0 butt! It’s my blog and I’ll party on anyway!
;0)