Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with South

3in Folding Blade in South Africa?

Spurious — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 11:22:11 -0800

South African Knife Laws Filter: Can I Carry My Pocketknife? I am moving to South Africa in a few months. In the states I regularly carry a small folding pocketknife (3in blade) around with me on a daily basis.

Does anyone know South African knife carrying laws? Is this legal?

Cost of Living in South Africa

Anonymous — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:13:48 -0800

Is USD$1,800/month enough to live comfortably in South Africa? Sorry for the anonymous question, I do not want people connecting my name with this post.

I am relocating to South Africa for 18 months to fulfill a lifelong dream of mine of writing a novel. I have enough savings in the bank to spend $1,800 per month on living expenses while in South Africa, probably Cape Town.

Is USD$1,800/month enough to live comfortably in South Africa?

Ultimate trip to Peru

deeman — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:55:53 -0800

Help me plan the ultimate trip to Peru!!!!!!!! Ok here is the deal: a buddy of mine is Peruvian and we're looking into going to Peru beginning of June next year. Just me and two of my friends. The closest I've been is parts of Mexico for spring break but I want something more substantial for a trip and want to journey through south america. Three things that have always drawn me to Peru:

1) Machu Picchu - it's just so mysterious and ancient. kind of feel like I lived there in a past life and want to go home
2) Nazca Lines - mysterious and beautiful. taking a plane ride over the Nazca desert would be absolutely amazing
3) Ayahuasca - I work in a cubicle where my soul is slowly dying. I would love to take some Ayahuasca tea with a Shaman and take a spiritual journey

I'm 6'2" and your typical white guy from Boston. I would be so out of my element it's not even funny. Help me plan the ultimate trip:

1) what should I watch out for/avoid? I want this to be a safe trip as in coming home alive with all of my organs intact
2) what should I absolutely see/do before I come back home.
3) how should i prepare?
4) what should i not bring home with me (other than illegal drugs)?

Any tips/tricks/advice would be greatly appreciated!!!!!!!

Durban for a Year

chrisalbon — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:20:16 -0800

In two months, Wife and I are moving to Durban, South Africa, for a year. What should we know? Background:

My wife was just accepted to a one year masters program at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, starting Feb 1st. She has a very generous scholarship to attend the program. I will be working on my dissertation and other projects the entire year.

We have arranged to stay in a poolhouse in a nice neighborhood near campus. We have researched all the visa options and are 75% through the process of getting a pair of long term visas. This is not our first time outside the US, or first time in Africa. However, this is our first time living in South Africa and, more specifically, in Durban.

Question: What should we know about packing for, moving to, and living in Durban for a year?

Thanks Hivemind!

By the waters of Cape Cod I sat and wept when I remembered Hotlanta . . .

MasonDixon — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:06:46 -0800

What are the best websites about the American South and Southern Culture? Help me remember what I have left and to keep abreast of the cultural happenings in my homeland while I sojourn amongst the Yankees. I'm looking for things like the Southern Foodways Alliance that celebrates Southern food and The Oxford Americana Southern magazine of writing.

Southern Lit, Sociologically oriented sites, Websites on Southern Music, a great history website or well written, Southern focused blogs are what I am looking for.

Amazon, the place not the store

Freedomboy — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:51:15 -0800

I have a friend about to move to Manaus, Brazil for a two year work related stay. Any hive members have experience there or in Brazil in general that can help him be ready for the good the bad and/or the ugly?

Do you have a psychotherapist recommendation for Pretoria/Joburg South Africa?

bluesky43 — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:06:27 -0800

Do you know a good psychotherapist to recommend in the Pretoria/Joburg area of South Africa? My daughter, age 18, is volunteering in South Africa (near Bella Bella about two hours north of Pretoria). I'm in the US. A close friend and fellow volunteer was drugged and raped. My daughter is understandably very distraught about these horrific events and wants some professional counseling. Her sponsoring organization in South Africa is sitting on their hands and of no help. Do you have a psychotherapist that you would recommend that she could contact in either Pretoria or Joburg? Feel free to memail me and many thanks.

South Bend, IN restaurants

cainiarb — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:01:01 -0800

I need suggestions for South Bend, Indiana restaurants. This will be for a group of ladies meeting for lunch on a Friday. We'd like a place that is local and non-franchised. Mid-range lunch price. No jungle gyms for kids to play on. WiFi would be nice. Easy parking. Plus we don't want to be rushed out in 30 minutes. Ideas?

Suggestions for hiking routes in the south of England

mairuzu — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:34:57 -0800

I want to go away for a good day's walking and 1 or 2 night's camping in the south of England next Monday / Tuesday and would like suggestions for any good routes people know. Ideally the route should be circular and have a camp-site and pub at the start / finish and should be within 2 hours drive of London. However any other suggestions also gratefully received.

Many thanks in advance

Miles

Travelling with Swine flu risks: Safety vs Bargain

gttommy — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:12:08 -0800

Safety and budget -wise, should I buy a heavily discounted ticket now to SE Asia in January 2010? More details inside... Hi guys!

I am calling on the powers of mefi to help me in a time of swine flu fear...

I am afraid of the Swine flu getting worse and I hear it's pretty serious in those hot tropical countries.

While at the same time I would like to know whether there would be cheap flight deals leading up to Jan next year, based on historical trends. Any bargain travel shoppers here who can speak from experience?

If it is unlikely, I will have to just take up the bargain and hope that Swine flu doesn't get too bad in around 5 months time!
If likely, I will play the pragmatist and just wait it out a little more for the next hot airfare deal.

Many thanks.

Want to lie in a tent at night and hear nothing but the waves.

lottie — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:35:43 -0800

Where are the best places in New South Wales to camp in close proximity to a beach? But wait, here's the catch... I would prefer recommendations which aren't for established camping grounds full of tents, caravans, dogs, cars, shower blocks, jet skiis and other people.

I'm looking for a National Park-type setting where a hike is rewarded with a gorgeous, private location. It would be great to be able to use fire to cook etc.

Tell me your favourite spot, and I promise to take care of it and to leave exactly how we found it.

Sharlto Copley stars in "My Left Claw"

TomSophieIvy — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:17:23 -0800

District 9 has infected me, so to speak. I can pick up on the cinematic influences and the overt South African references, but surely there are more South African influences that elude me. Help! D9 has overtaken my brain for the last day. I picked up on Enemy Mine, The Fly, Independence Day, Starship Troopers, The Office, RoboCop, and ET (among others) as cinematic references. However the references to South Africa namely refer to apartheid and District 6, but I also felt there were references to the mercenary movement in South Africa, witchcraft, shantytowns and underground economies. I'd like to know what other South African references I am missing...other than the obvious reasons already stated, what makes the location such a vital part of the movie?

How to find someone to travel with? (Strangers will do.)

pixxie — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:41:50 -0800

Are there any websites that pair up lone backpackers/travellers with others who are also looking for companion(s) to travel with? Money saved up? Check. Physical stamina? Check. Time freed up (well, it's during the xmas break)? Check. Companion to go travel with? Nope. For the past 2 years, I have asked NUMEROUS people (college friends, HS friends, acquaintances, etc) to go travel with me in South America, not for long, perhaps for a 2- to 3-week period. Their replies have always been the same: no money, school, work, kids, too hot, dirty, language issues. All of those reasons are very understandable, and I guess I shouldn't obtrude upon others to commit in something that they don't feel very passionate about. If I wish to experience a completely different culture than mine, but too scared to do it on my own since I have never even stepped out of my OWN country, what should I do? (Please don't tell me to watch the Lonely Planet because, trust me, I have already seen them ALL.) Where can I find fellow "loners" who are in the same situation as I am? Thank you & take care!

Southern Road Trip Ideas?

milestogo — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 07:58:52 -0800

Four friends and I have 5 days to get from Atlanta to Baltimore. What should we do in between? A friend is getting married (yay!) in Baltimore on Sunday, so the gang has elected to drive up from Atlanta. The groom will be with us, so it's a Bachelor Party/Road Trip combo.

We will be leaving Atlanta on Sunday afternoon, and we need to be in Baltimore sometime Thursday morning. Obviously, we can stray far off the east coast, as we have plenty of time. What do you recommend visiting along the way? If you could think of the best(=most fun) route, please suggest it.

I am open to any ideas. Right now we have a few thoughts:

1. Going to Biloxi, MS to play some blackjack (We don’t really want to go this far, but we'd like to stop off somewhere that has table games as we don't care for slots. Is there anywhere closer that has table games?)

2. Going to the Bourbon Trail in KY.

3. Various Smoky Mountains related drives in TN, maybe even a hike.

All three of these would be perfect for our trip. I don’t think we'll to fit them all in, but we are looking for advice and suggestions.

Whaddya got?

Trouble reaching South African Consulate/New York

bluesky43 — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:34:19 -0800

Any Mefites working at the South African Consulate New York? I know it is a longshot but I have an urgent issue that needs fast resolution. My daughter and I have been trying to reach the South African Consulate in New York since this morning (7/13/09). We get only a busy signal. My daughter is scheduled to leave on an AFS South Africa volunteer assignment on Thursday (yes this THursday) and we have been trying to resolve a problem with the visa application for three weeks without success. We have also emailed and faxed and have not received a reply.

At this point, things are quite urgent as we are about four hours from New York and obviously she can not get on the plane without her visa/passport. If any Mefites have any direct insight/help to offer we would be most grateful. Many thanks! feel free to mefimail if that works better for you.

How to travel and volunteer for a very first timer?

pixxie — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 07:49:17 -0800

My current volunteering gig is standing still, how do I search for a new one and be able to travel? I am a 26 year-old female living in Canada throughout much of my life. I have never traveled anywhere except moving from one province to another. In 2007, I obtained my BSci in Chemistry, then I decided to pursue something I truly want which is Nutrition and Physiology. Since last year, I have been volunteering @ this NGO with the hope that I would be “shipped off” somewhere to do humanitarian work. However, this NGO will NOT send any volunteers oversea and being a French (especially) and/or Spanish speaker is a plus for this fairly big organization. At the office, I perform mostly secretarial tasks such as being a webmaster for its website, using Illustrator CS3 to design icons for training modules, etc. In spite of meeting some wonderful people in the office and doing something I enjoy on the side, I get very very bumped out every now and then. Why? Because what I wish to do is to volunteer with regard to global nutrition, not doing clerical tasks that are identical to my job @ school. In addition, it is also a personal reason. I have spent the past 8 years always worrying/stressing about money and student loans (I receive zero contribution from my parents), such that I never get to enjoy much of my summer or life rather. Instead of just moping around, I really want to make some changes NOW. Therefore, I really need some step-by-step advice as to where to start:

1) Is everyone volunteering for NGOs always multilingual? What other organizations can you recommend to me that will emphasize more on my education background (I don’t want to teach English or get some random jobs just for the sake of “seeing the world”, I want to help the underprivileged), rather strictly based on what languages I can speak?

2) Starting in September, I plan on taking some Spanish classes @ the YMCA. In the meantime, I want to get a head-start in the next few weeks before school starts so that I can become more familiar with the language. I honestly don’t expect to grasp a new language overnight, but if I keep this up, do you believe I will have the adequate background to converse semi-fluently by the end of April?

3) Like I mentioned earlier, I am a total noob when it comes to traveling, thus I don’t want to shop around and try to learn everything any person can possibly know about cheap airfares, restaurants, etc. I decided Argentina is where I want to go. With this focus in mind, where can I find the best site (e.g. blogs?) that is not only there to discuss about the country’s hot destinations, but is also informative as to HOW to travel for a clueless person like me?

4) Money is a major issue for me. Trying to support myself throughout the school terms and saving for the trip can be challenging. Hence, I need to set some sort of a goal to get myself motivated. How much money do you think I need to save prior the trip? Is $4000 CDN enough?

4) Is anyone here familiar with Idealist.org or has had participated for this organization? What are some of your thoughts about it? Pros and cons?

Tell me about moving to South Korea.

GilloD — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:26:09 -0800

We're moving to South Korea! We've never been to Asia! Tell us what to expect! More inside! (!!) So, my wife and I will be moving to South Korea at the end of August to teach English in Gwangmyeongnam. We're excited about this! We've both traveled extensively across Europe, the USA, South America and a little bit of Northern Africa. We've lived in rural middle America and have made Brooklyn our home for the last year. So, we're not too spooked about packing up and moving someplace foreign.

However, there are a lot of mysteries involved. I guess what we're looking for is "101, Welcome to South Korea" starters kit. I poked around MeFi and found some posts, but they were all a few years old. I wanted to make sure we were up to date. We've also donea ton of reading, but, well. That's reading.

Some general Q's and then I'll just say, "Tell me what you wish you'd known":

We'll be teaching in a public school, so hopefully we'll be spared some hagwon hijinks. Still, are we likely to be screwed on this? What's the public school experience like? I'll be teaching Elementary, my wife will be in a high school. How liberal are they with vacation etc.? Are there a lot of "federal" holidays?

Stuff we should bring: I've been told deodorant and clothes that fit. Anything else?

As far as laptops go- I'm guessing we'll need new power supplies? Or will a converter do the trick? (I fried my Powerbook once in Germany. Maybe it was coincidental)

Are there things we should start learning now? Stuff we should start preparing for?

The won: Down, now back up a bit. A bad currency to hold on to? We'll make about 2.1 mil a month, each. What're living expenses like? Utilities?

I guess I secretly have an enormous number of tiny questions that are part of a big question: What's it like? What do you wish you'd been ready for?

Farewell gift for a traveler?

pixxie — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 03:45:21 -0800

I have a 20-something friend who's leaving on the 22nd of this month, he plans on traveling for a whole year throughout Europe and South America. I want to get him something that is useful/meaningful for the journey, any ideas? For example: A watch? A Compass? (good or bad?)

what to expect in Durban and Port Elizabeth?

nanhey — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:03:30 -0800

What can we expect when we travel to Durban and Port Elizabeth for the World Cup? Looking for info on transport, safety, lodging, etc. i found lots of info on Cape Town on AskMefi, but nothing on Durban and Port Elizabeth -- what are these towns like? are they safe? cheap/expensive? how should we get from one to the other? We (my boyfriend and I -- both 24 yr old white kids, in case that is relevant) are planning to be there during the World Cup.

any info you have would be greatly appreciated!

How should I say goodbye to the East Coast?

susoka — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:29:08 -0800

So I'm moving from Baltimore to Atlanta for work - yay, new job! Boo, leaving the East Coast! I've got a month remaining, so in the time between finishing my business here and taking deep breaths, what should I do here that I won't be able to do in the south? I've been here for two years and haven't really explored the area much at all. I'll definitely spend at least one more day in DC and maybe go for a weekend in New York. Any other awesome places I should visit? Are there regional delicacies I won't be able to find in Atlanta? Non-perishable consumer goods? Basically: what should I buy, eat, see, and do? Money's not an issue... just time.

How can we most enjoyably spend 1.5 months this summer [in spanish]?

Acari — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:06:29 -0800

Please help me decide whether to spend the summer in south america or in central america. My new wife and I have about 1.5 months to do with as we please this summer, and we'd like to go away.

The main aim would be to hang out and not to *omgseeeverythingrightnow*, but we'd most likely want to:
-take an intensive spanish course
-maybe hang out on a beach for a few weeks
-scuba dive, if it's possible and not too expensive
-take short [less than 200km] bike trips to neighbouring towns.

The south american plan would either be to [fly into peru, take a spanish course in bolivia, hang out in ecuador, fly out of Lima] or to [fly straight into ecuador and just stay there]

The central american plan would be to maybe fly into costa rica or cancun [cheapest points of entry to the region for us right now], and then take a bus to one or two 'base camps' from which we could accomplish similar amounts of nothing.

We have both been to [different countries in] south america before, and love the friendliness, the food, and the inexpensiveness of our experiences. Neither of us have been to central america, but just sort of assume that it will be pleasant in similar ways.

The only way for this to be a long trip will be for it to be a cheap trip, so we won't be staying in hotels or renting helicopters, but it would be really cool if we could go diving at least a couple of times somewhere amazing because it's just so fun.

Is there anywhere great to dive near ecuador that isn't the super-expensive galapagos islands? If we fly in to cancun or costa rica, where should we try to find a place to stay?

What am I forgetting?

Which books should I read ?

nicolin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 02:27:28 -0800

In order to pass an English competitive examination in France, I need reference (but not too long) books on two history subjects. I do not have many history books, and I don't have much time either. So I must tap into real good books from the start. The first subject is The abolition of Slavery and The English Debate from 1787 to 1840. The second one is the South after civil war, from reconstruction to resegregation. I will gladly take into account any serious internet resource.

South Korea & iPhones -- Yes or No?

Chasuk — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:26:36 -0800

South Korea and iPhones. Are they a good mix? Can I use them or buy them there? I'm moving to South Korea soon, and I don't want to invest in an iPhone if it will be useless there. I've Goggled it extensively and found lots of contradictory information. Does anyone know the true story?

2C-i

ed\26h — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:48:43 -0800

What is the legal status of the designer drug 2C-i in South Korea?

Great views in the southern US?

EnormousTalkingOnion — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:11:50 -0800

What are the best views you've experienced in the American South or Southwest? Specifically Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia.