New Year’s Travel Resolutions for 2010

The month of January is named after the Roman god Janus, god of new beginnings and doorways, said to have two faces, one looking backwards and the other forwards. And so as 2009 draws to a close we all do as Janus did – reflect on the past year and make plans for the new year to come. Here are some of my travel-related resolutions for 2010:

1. Have more local holidays. South Africa is a beautiful country and although I’ve seen most of it already, my husband hasn’t yet. Weekend excursions is the way to go and will give me something to look forward to more frequently than the next overseas trip (which is only in November 2010!).

2. Take more pictures when on holiday. For some reason, even though I have a digital camera, I am very stingy when taking photos. There’s absolutely no logical reason for it, it doesn’t cost me a cent and I can always delete the bad ones later. Here’s to clicking away merrily!

3. Write more travel articles. Will 2010 be the year that I finally get published in a travel magazine? Not if I don’t sit down and do the work! Be more proactive about travel writing and chasing those enthusiastic but non-committal editors!

4. Improve a foreign language. Without the chance to practice, my German language skills are fading slowly away, and what’s left of my understanding of French is simply shocking. Perhaps I should enrol in a foreign language course at Unisa or the Alliance Française to keep the lingo going?

5. Save more money for holiday purposes. This year’s trip to Zanzibar was paid off before we even started packing our bags and it was bliss! Nothing as relaxing as being on holiday and knowing that it’s paid for! Try to have holidays paid for as soon as possible, but on the other hand, don’t let the bill keep me from going anywhere.

Making the resolutions was easy. Now, let’s see how long they last…

Christmas in Africa

There is something special about this time of year. No matter what your religious denomination, I think most people look forward to the Christmas season. Not only because you finally get to wind down and relax and spend some much-needed quality time with loved ones, but also because there is a certain undeniable magic in the air the closer the calendar moves to the 25^th of December. It’s visible in the smiles of the people who pass you in the shopping centre, the excitement on children’s faces whenever a rotund man in red asks them if they’ve been good, the sparkling fairy lights wherever you look and the sing-a-long carols filling the air. Christmas is a near-global state of goodwill.

And so, with the song “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas” revolving in my head, I can’t help but think how differently Christmas is celebrated around the world. I’ve had two white Christmases so far – one in Germany and one in Wales. The first was spent on top of a mountain in the Alps, with sauerkraut and game meat for our Christmas lunch later that afternoon; the other with the in-laws, opening presents and stuffing ourselves with a roast pork dinner. They mostly fit the traditional picture of Christmas as it is presented to millions of people around the world: snow falling softly, a fireplace burning in the background, family members surrounding the Christmas tree, carolers knocking on the door.

In South Africa, we do things a little differently. In our family, we open our presents on Christmas Eve and go to church on Christmas morning. And because it is high summer here, most people go down to the coast for their holiday. The day is therefore usually spent outside, at the beach or in the pool, with the traditional roast lunch replaced by a braai (BBQ). Although this may sound strange to someone from the northern hemisphere, to me, this is exactly what Christmas should be like. A white Christmas is beautiful, but a warm Christmas is home.