Lev David | Rehumanize yourself.

I am NOT a patriot. But I'm looking forward to being back in the
country I know better than any other.

This morning, having left the TV on while taking a shower, I heard
that Doo-bee-doo rubbish us South Africans know so well playing on
VH1. I ran out of the shower to sing and dance-along. With great
enthusiasm.

Yes, I prefer humanism to patriotism. It's a fancypantsintellectual
stance to take, and I like fancypantsintellectual stances. Still, on
some level, I'm a fool and gladly so. Hand me that gaudy, Y-front flag
and I'll wave it. I might even get a lump in my throat.

Here are a few things I'm looking forward to, apart from friends and
family (none of whom are getting presents, so get over it already):

Sushi at Tsunami.
Browsing at Bookdealers on a lazy Saturday afternoon.
Drinking water out of the tap.
Dancing my arse off at some truly crap spot around the corner from nowhere.
Glasses of wine at Ant Café.
Stealing wi-fi.
Driving my car. (I hate that I'm looking forward to that, but I am.)
Jacaranda flowers. (Okay, I'm a cheeseball.)
DVD Gurus and Video Spot.
Flirting with girls and not worrying about being picked up by the
morality police.
The Market Theatre.
Parking in the shadow of Turbine Hall.
Horror Café.
The Bassline.
Newtown and Melville and Rosebank as a whole, actually.
My lovely Zoo Lake and, of course, the zoo. (I like animals best in captivity.)
Joburg toughness, combined with Joburg softness: the way strangers
talk to each other as equals and friends... at least in the parts of
Jozi I live, work and play in.
Cold nights in summer, wearing coats.
Vida.
Buying cheese and nuts at the flea market.
Saying "Howzit!" and not being looked at funny.
...Getting a haircut.

And that's just Joburg! I should be in Durbs by the weekend. Cape Town
soon thereafter.

Not a bad little country, South Africa.