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The last Thursday of November is celebrated big time in the US. That is the day of Thanksgiving, one of few holidays that is not a religious one, but has to do with the Indians sharing their food with the Europeans arriving. Nowadays it's still mostly about eating!

It's also a real family holiday. Most of my friends in New York have disappeared away to the towns where they grew up to celebrate with their parents. Everybody knows that almost no one living in the big city actually grew up there. Most people have their roots somewhere else.

I was invited to one of my friends who instead had his family coming over to him in New York. They made turkey, sweet potatoes, corn and pumpkin pie, while I was asked to prepare Swedish meatballs to add something new to the table. The evening was then spent eating and playing different games, and since I had brought the Swedish lawn game "kubb" I would say that this Thanksgiving was definitely a mix of the traditional American and the new Scandinavian style holidays.

It is that time of year again when traffic volumes decrease and you realise that you only have a few weeks left before Christmas. Then before you know it, there are only 3 days left before Christmas and you are one of a handful of mall patrons scurrying around for last minute presents.

December in Johannesburg is the best. Residents of this bustling city migrate to places where they can kick back and relax in the sun next to an ocean or in the bush. Then you get the die hard crowd that firmly believe that there is no use in migrating out of the city with everyone – the ones that stay in the ghost city.

Suddenly you don’t have to reserve seats at popular restaurants; you don’t have to swerve for mall trolleys and pedestrians; nor will you drive for an hour to work while only living 15km away. Johannesburg literally becomes an oyster that you can explore at your own pace – Africa time.

I can attest that many smaller inland towns also experience the ghost town syndrome over the holidays (I used to be a small town girl)... so, if you are planning to be in South Africa for the festive season you might consider spending some time where the pace has quietened down – and that means: inland towns.

On the night of the game this sidewalk outside East Village Tavern was full of cheering people.

November the 3rd there was the election for mayor in New York. As far as I could see, in the neighbourhoods I walked, current mayor Bloomberg was the most popular candidate. It was a tough match, but he was finally the one who walked away with the victory - but with less support than last time he won. People seem to think he has wasted too much money on his campaign and some has pointed out that he wouldn't even win if it wasn't for his finances, something they say shows that it's not the democracy but the money that talks.

The day after it was time for another important battle - in baseball. New Yorks own darlings The Yankees was doing well in the World Series and on the 6th game they managed to win over last time champion Philadelphia Phillies and take home the whole thing.

I didn't know the important game was played this evening until I heard a loud roar outside my bedroom window just before midnight. On the other side of the street is sports bar East Village Tavern and of course the celebrations inside and on the sidewalk were immense.

 It's pretty easy to find a room to rent in New York - most people use Craigs List. But to get your own apartment is harder. The subleases are expensive and to get your own contract the landlords want to do a credit check and then you need a US social security number.

Since I'm a freelancer I can not show any proof of employment or consistent paychecks and since a guarantor needs to be a US citizen, sometimes even live in New York State, I had to find other ways.

In these last few days I did sign my own first contract and this is what you should do:
• Get papers of all your assets: Savings, stocks, bonds. Translate the value to USD. Sometimes the landlord will ask for 6-12 months rent in advance but sometimes it's enough to just show that you have money.
• Get account statements that shows that you have had money coming in and going out the last year.
• If you have a credit card, ask them to write a letter that certifies that you have paid on time and how much you've spent. The more the better.
• Bring your tax report from the last two years.
• Write a personal letter that explains what all the numbers mean and why it shows you are a trustworthy tenant.
• Try to rent straight from the landlord that will then be the one showing you the place. It's easier to get them to trust you if they meet you instead of just talking to a broker.
• Be prepared to get an apartment that is not "the best deal in town". If many people want a place the landlord will pick the one with all the normal requirements.

 
Along Herbert Chitepo Avenue in central Harare there is a large park. On weekdays it serves as a training ground for recruitment of security guards and on weekends it is a tivoli. The attractions are colorful and it costs one to three U.S. Dollars for a ride. Happy children are running around with ice cream in their hands looking for the next adventure.

I tried to find a ride that looked least scary and decided to try "the Shell". I sat in a giant red and yellow striped shell that started to spin around at high speed. It was all fun at first, but after a while I began to feel dizzy. Damn, am I getting too old for fun stuff?

However, I had a great day watching the kids having fun!

When thinking of Brazil, you immediately think carnival costumes, Copacabana Beach and the Christ statue (in Rio) throwing its shadow over the city below. Lat week though, they added another attraction...

In 2016 the world will be streaming to the city of Rio to see the best athletes in the world compete for Olympic glory. I can only imagine the fanfare and atmosphere the Brazilians will bring to this event.

Photo: sfmission.com

by Bridget McNulty

So we’ve been by the sea for nearly a week, and I have to say I love it. Absolutely love it! Forget cities, forget towns, I love love love being by the sea. I always knew this, of course, but now I’m 100% sure.

We arrived in the sleepy seaside town of Ban Krut last week – exhausted, sweaty, a little strung out. Sick of being on the move. 5 nights later we emerged (like butterflies out of a cocoon!) rested, relaxed, happy and calm. We’ve spent the last six days getting enough sleep, swimming in the sea, waking up early to watch the sunrise, eating delicious food, reading a lot and spending real quality time with each other. Most days we had a vague itinerary when we woke up (rent a motorbike and explore the surrounds, walk the length of the beach, do some photographic or writing work), but nothing too strenuous. We left plenty of time for afternoon naps and long picnic lunches and spontaneous swims…

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The Travelstart team played Survivor as our team building exercise at La Med, Camps Bay Cape Town.

We were put through our paces in a number of activities to prove our mental & physical prowess & we had great fun in the process.

And the day ended off with a Col'Cacchio high note!

Earlier this week, Priya Raghavan & I met with a truly inspirational lady, Bridget McNulty.  Bridget & her partner, Mark Peddle are heading off on an incredible adventure throughout South-East Asia spreading awareness about diabetes & life beyond.

The pair are concentrating on developing third-world countries where the knowledge is sparse, or non-existent  & their aim is to educate the local population on the importance to spot the early symptoms of diabetes with the need to seek medical treatment & a change of lifestyle.

Priya & I learnt the differences between level 1 & 2 diabetes, where level 1 is genetic, but not hereditary, & level 2 is developed due to lifestyle, which include poor diet & lack of exercise.

Bridget will be keeping the Travelstart world fully informed & entertained throughout her journey with informative & fun multimedia updates via her Blog.

Travelstart is proud to announce that we have sponsored Bridget & Mark’s air tickets for this mission, which will not only benefit areas, which do not have access to this vital information, but will highlight the compassion & expertise we have here in South Africa.

UPDATE

Read Bridget's first official post on the Sweet Life Blog