Jo'Burg/Cape Town State Of Mind

coming back to toronto after 2 months in south africa has once again been an adjustment. first of all driving home, i've forgotten how it's like to not have to enter a gate, surrounded by a perimeter wall, topped off with electric fencing. i guess i'm still in that south african state of mind, because today i was sitting at home with my mom and like normal she leaves the front door open, and i couldn't help it but to close it and lock it up. i noticed that the car was parked in the driveway as usual with the windows down, which is unheard of in south africa, and while i was about to roll them back up, i realized there was absolutely nothing that could be stolen (see old school whip below) , i'd even welcome it, if someone tried to jack my broken tape dock.

also coming back to toronto means no more jags, mercs or bm's to roll in, but the old school 94 sunbird joint with the 12 black fake bbs, with the tape deck on full blast. but it's not even that, it's getting used to driving on the other side of the rode. i got so used to the right handed side drive, that when i got back here and the first time i was in the car, i had to actually think about which side to drive on. then not having to deal with crazy south african taxis, or people on the street selling stuff like coat hangers, dvd's, cell phone accessories, soccer balls, fruit, world maps, mirrors can be a little disorientating to say the least. plus not having to pay parking guards, for not breaking into your car. also being back in toronto, i almost forgot that you can't under any circumstances run red lights, which in south africa at night is the norm. if i could count on one hand the number of times i was told that the area we were in was a high highjack area, i would need about 8 hands. but here blazing down the street at 200km's then telling the cops that i thought i was being followed by hijackers, would not fly. these are just a few things that the streets of toronto and just about everywhere else in the world are missing

safety