December is on our doorsteps, which means family, fun and festivities to go around. Depending on where you are in the world, you may be looking forward to soaking up some sun pretty soon, or taking out those winter jerseys as you prepare for a very white Christmas ahead.
For those of us not living in South Africa, the festive season may also play on those nostalgic heart strings and make us long for those summery holidays where the sun sets at its leisurely pace and the days are spent laughing with friends. You can almost hear Boney M booming over the speakers in all the malls.
So if you’re sitting abroad, we’ve put together a list of five things you can put on your wishlist. Leave the little list lying around or stuck on your fridge with alphabet magnets. If the longing is really getting to you, you may go as far as posting it on your Facebook timeline with a few sad emoticons.
The expat wishlist
1. New braai gear
Because, let’s face it, yours is old. And even if it isn’t old, you can never have enough braai gear. Frankly, you’ll settle for anything from braai tongs to pizza braai stones, braai cleaner and braai grids. As long as it has something to do with a braai.
2. A South African book (or two)
You don’t really care if it’s something deep and draining like ‘Country of my Skull’ or something classical and adventurous like ‘Kringe in ‘n Bos’, but you want to hear a South African voice speaking to you from the lines of a hard copy print.
3. Local tunes
Streaming South African music from your cushy possy in your new home. But it’s not the same. You can also download your choice of tune at the click of a button. But it’s simply not the same. You want to feel the CD cover in your hands, or hear the crackle of the vinyl on the record player. And you want to know how far it travelled to reach you.
4. South African art
Although you’d prefer an original, you’d be happy with a print as well. A nice picture of Table Mountain from Blouberg, a leopard lazing around on a Lowveld tree branch, or some kids playing around in a puddle on the beach – as long as its South African, you know it’ll look perfect above your fireplace.
5. South African flavour
Okay, so you know it’s not always practical (or legal) to ship South African foodstuffs abroad, but some things go at least. You’ve been dying for a bit of taste from home, but of course, you can’t very much ask mum to ship you a box of biltong offshore, can you? Nope. But you can make other plans…
If you’re sitting abroad and wondering how you will get your SA gifting to your door this year, then wonder no further. Funky Munky’s list of South African shops abroad will make your love much easier and way sweeter.
We hope you get a bit of South Africa over on your side before the new year. If you need some of your money that side for the festive spending (of course you do), finglobal.com can help administer the process and see to it that your money gets there faster and at a better exchange rate than most other providers can offer you.
Just leave your details and we’ll call you.