Some Things I'd Like To Bring Home From Here

I'm a realist. I know, first-hand, that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Every place I have visited, both on this trip and before, has its good, bad and ugly. I even know how not to multiply everything by the exchange rate! :)
Still, if there were just some things I could bring to SA from this trip, it would include these:

1. IKEA
This place is home-makers' heaven! We wandered through real-life kitchens, bathrooms and living areas, beauti(and)fully fitted, from closet to spacious size, and we had to physically restrain ourselves from purchasing anything: not because it would be too big (because everything is sold flat for you to assemble at home), but because it would be too heavy to fit into our already bulging suitcases. Cape Town could do with one of these stores. I alone would keep them in business!


Doesn't that just look inviting?

2. POUNDLAND
Don't be mistaken. This is not the equivalent of the Crazy R5/R10 store. I'm sad to say that South Africa's concept of this is simply, crazy. Poundland actually has useful, every day, for every thing, products that people actually need and buy! We got batteries, toiletries, kitchenware, camera accessories and luxuries - you guessed it, for 1 POUND each!

3. PRIMARK
This is a budget store. My days of chasing labels and looking like a walking advert for the latest fashion trend ended around the turn of the century. I now shop for comfortable, (hopefully) stylish clothes that I can actually sit down in. And I was not disappointed by what I found at this store. Can you imagine buying 10 really decent items of clothing for less than R200? Been there, done that! :)


Some retail therapy

4. BURGER KING
While this has been added at Andel's insistence, I have to admit that I have been well impressed with their vegetarian options, and I have frequented their establishment more than once since being here! :)

5. KIRSTY
Kirsty is (was) my cousin. She is now Andel's cousin. They are inseparable, and I fear they will both be suffering from withdrawal symptoms when we leave. They are currently in a bid to break the World Record for the longest continuous gaming challenge on their PlayStation/Wii/Nintendo (whichever they are playing at any given moment).

But that's not all Kirsty has been good for: she has been a very gracious hostess (giving up a lot of her room space), tour-guide (walking many miles), shopping companion (waiting outside many a fitting room), and yet another example of the fantastic family we have here!