Mother City Mama

Things have changed. A transcontinental move with school-aged children, now first and second graders, means new territory and new worry. We’ve scouted potential neighborhoods with schools in mind, bus routes,…

I had things to do, so many things. I had to write this column, finish a book proposal, edit two reviews and write another. The Easter Bunny required provisions and…

With varying levels of dedication, I’ve been an “enviro” my entire adult life. Before we moved to South Africa, before the twins had even turned two, I bought a thick…

Compassion, generosity, gratitude–these are basic principles of uBuntu and, one might argue, of the holiday season. Scan the headlines of any newspaper, read of violence, corruption and greed (South Africa…

I’ve heard many South Africans say that they’re tired of news on HIV/AIDS, tired of hearing their beautiful, diverse country equated with disease and tragedy. I agree. On the other…

Last year, our third October in South Africa, a relative bounty of Halloween bric-a-brac filled the stores, and I decided to involve our own cul-de-sac. I envisioned charming the neighbors…

Like many mothers, I like to think I’d give anything to ensure a safe and fair world for my children, and for my children’s children. But I, thankfully, have never…

To hell with it. I’m tired, he’s tired. We’re into the second leg of our trip now, a 12-hour day-flight from Amsterdam to Cape Town. Thomas slept maybe three or…

I met Wendy the morning we arrived in South Africa. She breezed through the door of our empty home with local grapes, mini-pizzas, and a bouquet of flowers. At the…

South Africa’s record on crime is appalling, its reputation infamous. South Africa suffers a murder rate roughly ten times that of the US, and the incidence of rape, including child…

To assimilate: to become similar. In a place as diverse and complex as South Africa, assimilation has little to do with blending in, and nothing to do with complacency. It…