On crazy, wonderful life in Mzansi

Once in a while, a new blog comes past that is just so absolutely delightful, humorous, sharp (that's Mzansi for witty), that you just have to share it with others.

Today, it is The Disco Pants Blog.  I noticed it a week of three ago when it went viral after a link by "Africa, that's why I live here" on FB and it has unleashed a storm of reaction.  People who love it totally get it, others foam at the mouth.

Oh, my country.  It has rightfully previously been describer as bi-polar (by a bi-polar).
Our lows are terrible, our highs are way up there. Few inbetweeners. And as you read the comments on Susan's blogposts, you'll realise that people's viewpoints are as diverse.  And their circumstances.

Source: the great talent of www.rudidewet.com

There are the lucky ones, with great jobs, homes, holidays and education.
There are the unlucky ones; unemployed or very poorly paid, in tin shacks or on sidewalks, unskilled, unschooled.

Government asked "each one, hire one", but that is not always possible.  The very legislation aimed at protecting the employed, guaranteeing better salaries, also resulted in less being employed, because many can't afford paying the minimum wages

As we are preparing for an election, a program on "active citizenship" got me thinking again, reminding me of the quote "ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country".  And much of what she says on her blog, boils down to that.  

There's a lot to do, a lot to contribute, a lot to learn.

Source: send someone a card from www.spreadthelove.co.za

We are lucky, having a cleaner and gardener/general assistant.
We also have a social responsibility.  Therefor, although our eldest son is only 9, we also have a boy hopefully graduating with a BCom (Accounting) degree this year, and a girl with a diploma in Tourism.  Next year, another boy will start his studies.  An although our other son is almost 6, we have another turning 6, 7, 8, a pre-teen girl.  

Hopefully, by helping these kids through their education, we're helping to improve their future, their possibilities, their abilities.

Jeepers, I went off track here.  But that's what Disco Pants does.  Although very funny, is has an underlying seriousness, a sense of what this country is about, about what it can be, why people love it  That is why they chose to return to South Africa from Europe, and many others do the same (the post about why they returned and another about angry expats caused the foaming :-).  It's not just the beaches and Kruger Park and cheap labour and Table Mountain - it's that pull that South Africa and its people has.

We get that.  When deciding to return from Australia after less than a year, we also got the foaming; from expats there, people in SA, family.  But we knew why we wanted to return, and we had families praying us back.  

Goodness, we have our frustrations, with the cheap labour and the responsibilities and the alarm system and high fencing. But we love and embrace the vastness, the variety, the options, the fact my son's school mates can include kids from diplomats and refugees, academics, aid workers and businessmen; at school functions we can enjoy injera  and empanata and seaweed dishes, melktert and Eritrean coffee.  

Source: http://www.vayamzansi.mobi/

Ah, life in Mzansi.  Always interesting, challenging, never boring.

Lets hope the Springboks run over the Red Dragons tonight, and the  Buccaneers does the same with Al Ahly tomorrow :-)