My brother picked me up at the airport after I got my phone up and running and was able to send him a message. This was at 7:00 am in the morning. In Johannesburg they are building a lot for the soccer WM 2010 in ZA. So the airport and the surrounding area looks like one big building site. They building a new highspeed train access to the airport, hotels, terminals etc.

After delivering me to his home, I unpacked and we left for Fady’s place to get a computer for me. So I saw Fady’s business for the first time. Very nice, a big storehouse filled with used computer parts, a repair shop, and a logistics bureau. The whole building is without a heating.

A this is something interesting here. There is no air conditioning or heating at any place I visited so far, beside on restaurant, were there use heating mantles. They also do not have a chimney or fireplace in their houses. So it gets really cold at night (outside -1 to 4 degrees C).

While talking about the weather. I explain a little more about the country side. In ZA it is winter. For Johannesburg this means it is cold at night, no clouds in the sky, and no rain for month. The grass already turned brown and then they burn it to lower the risk that it burns down itself on its own. Also this improves the soil. The air is so dry that even at night there is no hoarfrost.

The terrain is a little like the great plains in the US with long hills, the ground is dry and there are only a few trees. The birds present in this country are definitly louder as any German beard including hungry or mating magpies.

So after staying in Oldenburg in a wet, hill-less area only 13 m above sea level and summer, I’m now in a dry and hilly country and 1800 m above sea level. Because of the dry air I have to drink definitly more water, which means tea. They have no coffee in their home. So much to the British influence on culture. The tea is actually quite good. 🙂

A yes and another thing. The water smells like water for a swimming pool, because they have to put more chlor in it. But this is a wise precaution, because in another city (I forgot the name) they used too less and now they have an cholera epidemic going on there. So chlor is ok 🙂

Ah, what else is different?

They drive on the left side. And you should’t try to leave a computer shop after buying something without consulting the security personnel at the exit. They check that you do not take anything with you, which you haven’t paid for. And without their sign, you do not get a guarantee on the bought device. And you have to walk on the left side. And the default collision avaoidance procedure is to move to the left.