Ten differences between living in Joburg, and living in a small town on the coast...

We've been living on the coast now for ten months since pulling up roots in Joburg. A few differences between city life and becoming part of a village with 50 houses have slowly come into focus.

1. In Joburg we had weather. On the coast we have The Weather. Checking the Yr app on an hourly basis has become second nature.

2. In Joburg rust is a style thing. On the coast it's a fact of life. So is painting, damp clothes, geckos and weird goggas.

3. In Joburg bike and canoe racks on Fortuners is the thing. On the coast it's fishing rod holders and cow bars on a Ford Ranger.

4. In Joburg suppliers make firm appointments, date and time. On the coast they "should have time next Tuesday, but please send me a reminder SMS".

5. In Joburg, I never spent more than fifteen minutes in a shop. On the coast I spend ten minutes buying something and half-an-hour discussing the best beach spots for picking mussels.

6. In Joburg Friday night is shopping night in the malls. On the coast you get thrown out the shops shortly after lunch because "we close at three".

7. In Joburg walking home after dinner at friends is unthinkable. On the coast walking home in the dark is also unthinkable because we have puff-adders dozing in the road. (I'm not making that up.)

8. In Joburg, a private school is the logical choice, on the coast, it's home schooling.

9. In Joburg, you buy braai wood in packets at the petrol station. On the coast you buy a bakkie load from someone in the Pick-n-Pay parking lot. (Coastal people take braaing to a totally different level)

10. And, of course, the skyline here a little different...