Christmas Day is just around the corner and for me, it’s going to be a very mellow time. The whole thing is so much more low key here than in the States, much more my style. Although the consumerism is becoming more prevalent than it used to be, it’s still not the overblown, over-hyped holiday it is there.

I’m going up to Mick and Debbie’s for Christmas Day and will spend the night so I don’t have to make a night drive. It’s about 45 minutes and as I’ve mentioned before, drivers here are crazy! Best to avoid the roads after people have been partying.

Debbie’s family will be there and I will be the token other Jewitt! My contribution to dinner is a Pavlova, or what we (our family) call it - Hammerfield Special! And it will have granadillas (passion fruit) to make extra authentic.

My only other holiday event was to see the Christmas lights at the Botanical Gardens. It is a spectacular display and very well-attended. Ok, so here I am trying to be politically correct and will attempt to couch my wording appropriately! Black, white, colored, Indian were all in attendance and for me, that was something new. In my past experiences and growing up here, events were not mixed. Coming from the US where it’s relatively normal and over the many years I lived there, I became used to it. But here, because I have all the old memories, it’s quite jarring. People who live here and have lived through the changes of the last 25 years, accept it as normal. For me, it’s a bit of a mind-bending experience, jumping back into a world I don’t know any more.

There are still a lot of the old colonial ways that are going to take a while to be buried. I went to a lunch with Rosemary at the retirement hotel where she lives. It’s a beautiful old, stately place which has been converted to retirement units. Lunch was set up on the veranda that spans the front of the building, with spectacular views of the city and ocean. White tablecloths, flower arrangements on the tables. (No, I did’t make myself conspicuous and take any pix!) Waiters, all black and dressed in uniform, waited on the residents, the majority definitely skewed to women, and it was interesting observing how they treated “the help.” Habits die hard.

That experience reminded me of our holidays at the Pumula Hotel when we were growing up. We had that same treatment; our same table and same waiter every meal. He wore uniform that even included while gloves! The children all ate before the adults. Poor guy had his hands full with all four of us!

Even though where I am living is pretty much urban, there is still a lot of “wild” life around! This blue-headed lizard is barely 10 feet from my front door! And I got all kinds of hear about my cover photo of the shongololo on my last post - it was seen as a “red penis” which shows where my friends minds are!

My little granny flat is very comfortable. It’s everything I need. I’ve added some plants and few odds and ends, but pretty much everything is here. The surroundings are very lush. Looking out my window, it’s all greenery but lots of light. Sam and Jonathon just hung a bird feeder in the tree, along with a water bottle so I expect there will be an influx of birds in the next couple of days. The pool is just a few steps away and the water is perfect, although I haven’t been in as much as I should, as it’s not been that warm!

One of the things I miss the most is the music in the States! Local radio here is awful (in my opinion!) Luckily, with good wifi here, I can stream iHeart radio and get all the artist i like! Now I just need a good bluetooth player! Gotta have Van Morrison and my country!