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Anyway, within the first few days of my winter break I started feeling as relaxed as I usually do throughout the year. Instead of leaving Colima I spent Christmas with Mexican friends of mine. One of the books that I read during that break was the novel “The Dogs of War” by Frederick Forsyth. Frederick’s novel “The Dogs of War” revolves around some mercenaries in Africa. It also brings up the topic of why these mercenaries want to lead a life as mercenaries in Africa instead of living like Joe Consumer or Harry Up The Road. Even though I can’t claim to have ever been a mercenary, I do have some sympathy for these chaps in the novel. Because I’ve never been a mercenary I can’t identify with the thrill of still being alive after a battle. However, I do identify with their experience of “having Africa in your blood”. It’s difficult to explain what it means. When you’ve spent some time in Africa you know exactly what I’m rambling about. Just spend some nights in the desert or the savannah in Africa. When you wake up very early in the morning you see huge baobab trees. The sunshine is already plenty strong. The animals make an incredible noise. Once you have a rhino in front of your jeep. Then – while being on foot – you’re only separated by a few meters from a wild elephant. Or when yours truly crossed the border from the Drakensberg in South Africa into Lesotho I hitchhiked. A black truck driver gave me a lift. I reckoned more than once that we’re about to fall off a cliff (which would’ve been a slightly more dramatic departure than getting run over by a bus in Germany). Even city life may be characterised as distinctly African. The rain in Egoli – the Zulu name for Johannesburg – smells different to the rain in Germany. The rain in Egoli smells African. Start the day with a mug of coffee on a verandah and look at Table Mountain in Cape Town. Once you’ve experienced that sort of thing for a longer period of time you’ve Africa in your blood. Does all this mean that I’m keen on returning to Africa? Not necessarily. At least for the time being I don’t wanna live anywhere else than in Colima. Colima may even turn out to be a long term thing. But if I had to choose between living in South Africa or New Zealand, Western Europe or North America, I’d go for South Africa by a gazillion….despite my reservations about South Africa’s midterm future. During all my years in New Zealand I reckoned that there’s something missing there. I’ve always had difficulties pinning it down. I reckon that I can now after getting a healthy distance from the South Pacific. What’s missing there is the sense of adventure. New Zealand may be a choice spot to start a family and raise chamacos (Spanish colloquialism for children). But for independent bachelors New Zealand reminds me of a bottle of red wine without alcohol. For folks inclined to deviate from the mainstream the land of the long white cloud (one of New Zealand’s nicknames) lacks the certain something. Western Europe and North America….we don’t wanna talk about it…. Latin America Versus South Africa Despite my reservations about the country’s future South Africa may still be one of my top places on my dance list. However, I’ve no intention whatsoever of relocating anywhere. The reason is quite simple. My current life in my current Latin American backwater could hardly be more pleasant. During my time in South Africa I was working for a business and management consulting firm. My clothes looked accordingly from Monday to Friday. From Monday to Friday yours truly had to wear a suit and a tie in Jo’burg. Based on my experience so far, appropriate clothes appears to be quite a significant matter in Latin America. But we’ve to keep in mind that there are a few differences between Mexico City and Buenos Aires on the one hand and Colima on the other hand. For example, the climate in Colima tends to be virtually tropical. Moreover, Colima ain’t the centre of the universe. All this means for my clothes that I need formal clothes primarily for graduations, and every now and then when I’ve to put something together for private activities that we may call “executive casual”. Anyway, when I need formal clothes for graduations, I like the idea of attracting attention by doing things a little differently. Similar to New Zealand most men in Mexico go for dark suits and black shoes. It won’t surprise you that I pop up on those occasions in rather bright colours and wine red shoes. Businessmen in South Africa wear quite often suits in bright colours. I thus continue to display my South African influence in Colima. Needless to mention that the main reason for this habit is my deeply ingrained contrarian instinct. Doing what everybody else does and having too many folks in the same boat makes me nervous. Anyway, wearing formal clothes forms the exception to the rule for me in Colima. Most of the year – which of course includes my appearances in the classroom – I stagger around dressed in jeans and polo shirt. Changing my jeans every day and just going through a pile of polo shirts makes life very easy. Doing that sort of thing may not always be possible in Mexico City and Buenos Aires. But again, Colima isn’t the centre of the universe, which I’m very grateful for. Besides the casual clothes that I can now enjoy wearing there are other – more crucial – reasons why I should be grateful for leading a mellow life in a Latin American backwater instead of being exposed to South Africa’s uncertainties. On the whole – there are a few exceptions of course – Latin America currently radiates an air of tranquillity. It’s off the beaten track politically. In mega cities like Mexico City and Rio de Janeiro you’re likely to have to put up with loads of crime. On the other hand, in backwaters like Colima – we may add heaps of other spots all over Latin America – you don’t have to waste a thought on that sort of thing. Do compare that with South Africa. Everybody and her pet are aware of the horrible crime rate there. It may have reached another level. A while ago, a mover and shaker in South Africa’s mining industry was assassinated on his way to dinner. The mining magnate I’m talking about is Brett Kebble. His assassination was carried out gangland style killing in one of Johannesburg’s posh northern suburbs. Brett Kebble was no ordinary Joe Blow in the street. A mining executive in the city of gold – the nickname for Johannesburg – quipped that Brett was the JR Ewing of South Africa’s mining industry. There have been a heap of rumours and speculations that his killing may be linked to his business dealings. In case there’s some truth to these speculations it may give us a glimpse of what that killing may portend. “Banana republic” is the term that springs to my mind. To put it slightly different, Mike Davies – Africa analyst at London based consultancy Control Risk Group – reckons that the city centre of Jo’burg is as risky as Liberia and the Ivory Coast. Final Thoughts The purpose of the exercise of all this rambling is twofold. First, after spending an extended period of time in Africa you’ve Africa in your blood. It’s very difficult to get it out of your system. That’s presumably one reason why I’m now completely useless for a life in Germany. In case yours truly were to return to Africa, without hesitating I’d pick South Africa. South Africa may be characterised as spectacular and “not entirely risk free” at the same time. However, the combination of South Africa and a certain German may most likely be put on file in the history department. Second, in case you’re looking for a lifestyle that may fit the bill for tranquil, mellow, relaxed….in a pleasant climate you may be better off at various places in Latin America. Living and/or investing in the less developed world always entails a certain degree of risk. But most of Latin America currently tends to be marvellously off the beaten track from the world’s trouble spots, from trouble in all shapes and sizes. Finally, to get a feeling for my former and my current stomping ground you may be inclined to suss out www.financialmail.co.za and www.businessday.co.za for South Africa as well as www.informador.com.mx for Mexico. These outfits radiate neither the international flair of “The Economist” nor the brilliant contrarian instinct of “The Spectator”. But they’ll help you learn a few of the local dances before you put your boots on the ground. At least I hope so. The following is a list of articles written by Jurgen for the magazine:
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Look At College Life From A Backwater ~ 