Johannesburg! First Impressions of Southern Africa's Biggest City
Johannesburg, Jo'burg, Jozi.... the largest city, commercial capital and the place to be in South Africa. I was on assignment as an independent consultant in a suburb of Johannesburg for a three month stint. I was very excited to get the opportunity to have an extended stay in the this beating heart of Southern Africa. As with any new place visit, I started reading about Jo'burg and got a varied picture that was exciting, intimidating and confusing at the same time. Exciting - I was going to back Africa after 29 years. I spent my childhood in a small university town in Zaria, Nigeria. A lot of fond memories had me all nostalgic. I also was going to the haloed ground of two of the greatest leaders of the 20th century - Mahatma Gandhi and (Mahatma) Nelson Mandela. All the songs, skits, plays I participated in my middle school (Blue Bells International) showing Indian solidarity for the Apartheid struggles of South Africans, had me pumped up. and, of course the wild life ha