I’ve lived a nomadic life. I was born in Georgia, on the south-east coast of America and when I emigrated to South Africa the first time I had been living in LA on the west coast for 7 years prior, so I have many moves between the 2 coasts. I have lived all over South Africa: in various suburbs in Johannesburg, several homes in George, Knysna and various places in Hout Bay. I’ve lived in Belfast in Northern Ireland, hopped over to England and bounced around the East Midlands, West Midlands, Surrey and we rented here and there on projects so I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few across the UK.

I have permanent residency in both the UK and SA and a US passport.

But I can’t vote. 

This is so frustrating and makes me feel powerless. I never had any interest in politics when I was young and my family never discussed anything remotely political. When I left the States I had never registered. Now 30 years later I have no proof of last residence, social security card or any of the required documents they wanted when I tried to register to vote for Obama.

It was probably my marriage to news junkie Norm which got me interested, or possibly it evolved from my time spent in SA. I had never heard about apartheid until I met my first husband, I guess that started the awareness at least.

Today was a national holiday to allow everyone the time to vote. As several of us couldn’t vote, we decided to work and take off on Monday as Tuesday is Women’s Day and we get that day off as well. Now we have a long 4 day weekend.

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We went for a late team lunch at Vasco Da Gama Tavern when we finished work.

We walked as it wasn’t that far from the hotel where we park so had aimed for a closer pub but with it being a holiday it was closed, so ended up traipsing from the foreshore to Greenpoint. It poured with rain just after we arrived but luck was on our side and we were dry on the way there and back. I headed home with a relaxed Friday feel, except I have 2 days of work remaining!

I would have loved to vote, I hope that the DA can take more areas from the ANC. The ANC has become a farce of the type of party Mandela envisioned. “President” Zuma is an uneducated, lying, unethical, cheating, misogynist much like Trump. Neither should be in power.

I’m waiting excitedly for the results in SA.

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Mmusi Maimane is our hope.

He has been compared to Obama but prefers to align to Bill Clinton. If he can convince enough that he is the best candidate it will make such a difference. 

Let’s all hope for positivity and change for SA.