Beautiful faces we meet on our travels

Living and traveling in Africa is a different thing than on other continents. The land is vast, empty on most places, the infra structure, the houses. It looks so different than the countries we have lived in so far. And what I notice every time I live in a different country, is the differences in the faces you start to recognize. For Caucasian people they find (at first) that all Asian people look alike, and vice verse. Well, of course that is totally not the case. I learned to recognize the different nationalities of Asian people when we were living in Thailand. There is a huge difference between say for example Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Singaporean, etc.. But at first you don't recognize that, now we do! It is not only the differences in faces, but way of behaving and clothing, makes a huge difference and you learn by living locally to see that.

I am starting to learn to see the differences in African people as well. With its 53 countries and 1 billion people (according to Wikipedia) there is a lot to discover and learn about the African continent! While I read more about their cultures, backgrounds you see the subtle differences which at first you are totally oblivious to. That is what makes living in different continents so interesting! (Our 4Th continent so far) I learn so many new things every day by just being around so many nationalities. Start appreciating so many more cultures, way of doing things that your mind is constantly broadening to other views and ways of living. But you also start to see so many similarities, which is also an eye opening!

I really appreciate being an expat! I am glad to give my children that valuable experience of seeing that no matter what skin color you have, what language you speak, what religion you believe in, down at the core we are all the same!

So here some pictures of beautiful faces we met on our travels here in South Africa. They call SA a rainbow nation, because of the many different backgrounds and nationalities that have settled here and live together in one country. An interesting mix of people and I hear so many different languages around me that I haven't heard in any of the other countries we have lived in so far.

So here some beautiful faces... each with their own story.


This little boy/girl? was doing a heap of laundry by hand outside the house... so young and working so hard already!



Our tour guide at Lesedi, a cultural village where different tribes live and work. A spunky and fun girl!






A little boy and girl who we gave some liquorice, candy that not everybody likes. At first they didn't like it either, but then when they saw us eating it as well, they tried it again.



A Zulu man.






Unfortunately not met in real life, but on a life size poster, the face of Nelson Mandela, or as the African people say: our beloved Madiba.


By the way: I hope that my computer problems are solved by now, and that I can start blogging and emailing again on a regular basis. Wish me luck!!

Hope you had a good week(end)!
Mireille