Here or There

So further to my previous post, I've been thinking about some of the advantages and disadvantages of London and Cape Town. Just as a matter of interest, really - I'm not planning on making any decisions based on this, I'll be here for a couple of years still, but it's interesting to consder since you tend to take things for granted wherever you happen to be at the time.

Here, there's places to go and ways to get there (locally and further afield, like Europe). There, there's my parents, my sister, my nieces, my dog.

Here, there's earning good money and good career opportunities. There, there's the sea and the mountain and Kirstenbosch.

Here, there's cheap and fast internet. There, there's familiarity and knowing how things work.

Here, there's a rented flat that never feels fully yours (short term) or impossibly expensive house prices (long term). There, there's crime and not feeling 100% safe even at home.

Here, there's insane politicians. There, there's insane politicians who don't seem to know how to run a country, and are more interested in their own profit than the good of the country.

I guess it's a tie.

More thoughts:

Here, there's you pay effectively no bank charges; there, people have a sense of personal space.

Here, it's crowded and noisy and dirty and busy. There, there's peace and quiet and space and trees and plants and room to see to the horizon.

There, there are birds, and animals, and pets. Here, there are very few mosquitos and other insects.

Here, even I can't get sunburned. There, I know where to go to the dentist, have my hair cut, buy whatever I need.

Here, paying for utilities is incredibly complex - insurance gets paid for a year upfront; other things are paid monthly, but only over 9 months in a year; gas and electricity is paid every month, but on an estimate basis and you only get a bill every 3 months. There, things make a lot more sense.

There, you get Niknaks, biltong, droewors, koeksisters, Steers, and decent steaks. Here, you get Green & Blacks chocolate, icecream and hot chocolate (although: when I went back for a visit, I did see Green & Blacks chocolate... so maybe they'll be getting the icecream and the hot chocolate too!).

There, I got to wear jeans to work.

There, my bathroom actually had a bath.

Here, there's waaay more TV channels. But then, there's a higher proportion of rubbish, so it about cancels out.