Yesterday morning I received a worried call from Horst, my landlord. A friend of his had just read on page 10 of The Star, a South African daily newspaper, that Horst’s house had been attacked by maggots.
Yep, you read correctly. The maggots in the Lucky 5 Star (now long gone, thankfully) made national news in an article by Ufriedo Ho titled, “Joburg is where I belong.”
Unfortunately the article doesn’t appear online so I can’t attach a link.
The maggots were just mentioned in passing and not the focus of the article. The article is actually about two expats, me and Karen Lim from the Story of Bing (Karen is a Singaporean, by the way, not a New Zealander), who write blogs about life in Johannesburg.
This article is really cool for several reasons. First and foremost, seeing my photo in the newspaper is cool. (It also happens to be the last photo that Jon ever took of me.) Reading the headline of the article — Joburg is where I belong — and realizing that I actually said those words, is cool.
I think it’s really cool that an article like this was written. I love the fact that South Africans enjoy my blog, so much so that a South African journalist wanted to write a story about it.
I started 2Summers nearly two years ago with a desire to record my journey from America to South Africa, and with a vague inkling that some people might find my story interesting. I figured my friends and family would read 2Summers, and maybe a few other Americans looking for resources on things to do in Joburg. But I had no idea that so many South Africans, particularly Joburgers, would read it. It turns out that South Africans love reading about a foreigner’s impressions of this city, especially foreigners whose impressions of Joburg are largely positive.
WordPress.com has a new stat-tracking feature that shows WordPress bloggers which countries their readers are from. Thanks to this feature, I now know that 50% to 60% of my readers are South African, compared to 25% to 35% who are American. I think this is pretty cool.
Thanks, South Africans. Thanks for reading my blog, and thanks for making me feel like I belong here. And thanks especially to the people from Jozi who are reading this. I think you’re all pretty lekker.
South African and American flags in Melville, Johannesburg, June 2010. (Photo: Jon Hrusa)
PS: 2Summers has 196 fans on Facebook. Join us now (www.facebook.com/2Summers2010) and you may become the lucky 200th fan!
Congrats! That’s pretty exciting you both made it into the newspaper 🙂
Thanks Lauren, Darren, and De Wet. And thanks to all of you for reading.
Lekker Heather! Really lekker.
How totally exciting this is! And it is equally exciting to know so many South Africians are also embracing your journey there!
Thanks Jennifer. I know, pretty cool, huh?
How totally exciting this is! And it is equally exciting to know so many South Africians are also embracing your journey there!
Thanks Jennifer. I know, pretty cool, huh?
Great stuff Heather, congrats. And its good blogging
Great stuff Heather, congrats. And its good blogging
That’s so awesome! And thanks goes to you for loving our city xxx
Yep, I think the city is lekker too!
That’s so awesome! And thanks goes to you for loving our city xxx
Yep, I think the city is lekker too!
So cool 😉
I know, right?
So cool 😉
I know, right?
I am an Australian, living half the year in Italy, and I like reading about South Africa too.
It is quite an interesting place, I must say…
I am an Australian, living half the year in Italy, and I like reading about South Africa too.
It is quite an interesting place, I must say…
I love to read about Jozi from your perspective. Thank you for adding colour to a cold Joburg day!
Thanks Sheryl. I’m so glad you enjoy my blog.
I love to read about Jozi from your perspective. Thank you for adding colour to a cold Joburg day!
Thanks Sheryl. I’m so glad you enjoy my blog.
That is so totally cool, Heather!
Hugs,
Kathy
Thanks Kathy 🙂
That is so totally cool, Heather!
Hugs,
Kathy
Thanks Kathy 🙂
Like you, I started my blog for similar reasons- although mainly to record the journey for my kids who really don`t care too much to enjoy the detail. I have found a similar pattern. About half of my views come from Japanese! Congrats on the article! You do a great job of promoting Jburg through your pictures and posts.
Thanks Emily. You have also had a crazy blogging journey!
Like you, I started my blog for similar reasons- although mainly to record the journey for my kids who really don`t care too much to enjoy the detail. I have found a similar pattern. About half of my views come from Japanese! Congrats on the article! You do a great job of promoting Jburg through your pictures and posts.
Thanks Emily. You have also had a crazy blogging journey!
Congrats, this is such great news! I’m just sorry you had maggots mentioned in the same article.
Haha, I know. I think I had just written my maggot post the day before my interview with Ufrieda. So it stuck with her 🙂
Congrats, this is such great news! I’m just sorry you had maggots mentioned in the same article.
Haha, I know. I think I had just written my maggot post the day before my interview with Ufrieda. So it stuck with her 🙂
lekkers like a cracker ….
When I first heard that word, I thought people were saying “lacquer” — like the wood finish! I love that word.
lekkers like a cracker ….
When I first heard that word, I thought people were saying “lacquer” — like the wood finish! I love that word.
that is really cool. Just came from Karen’s site where I read the same article. Funny, I just happened to notice as well that my South African readership now has surpassed my American one. I never would have thought that South Africans want to read about my views of their country, but they do seem to enjoy it!
I know. It’s an interesting phenomenon.
that is really cool. Just came from Karen’s site where I read the same article. Funny, I just happened to notice as well that my South African readership now has surpassed my American one. I never would have thought that South Africans want to read about my views of their country, but they do seem to enjoy it!
I know. It’s an interesting phenomenon.
you are famous! pretty soon you’ll have to wear a wig and dark sunglasses….
Yep. I was already recognized at my local wireless internet hangout 🙂
you are famous! pretty soon you’ll have to wear a wig and dark sunglasses….
Yep. I was already recognized at my local wireless internet hangout 🙂
Heather,
That is so coooooolll!!!!!
Deano
Thanks Dean!
Heather,
That is so coooooolll!!!!!
Deano
Thanks Dean!
One fan from Dhaka, Bangladesh
Thank you! You are fan #201 🙂
200 from Bangladesh???? wow!!!! sounds grt
Oh no, 200 FB fans total. Now it’s 209 🙂
But isn’t the tracking based on where people live and not nationalities, and thus it wouldn’t account for ex-pats who live in other countries. I.e., all the Americans (British, Europeans, Chinese, etc.) who live in SA who read your blog are being counted as South Africans. So it’s probably really a smaller percentage of actual native South Africans than what WorldPress stats indicate.
Yes, I do have a lot of readers who are expats living in South Africa. But I also have a lot of South African readers. I know many of them personally or through their blog comments.
But isn’t the tracking based on where people live and not nationalities, and thus it wouldn’t account for ex-pats who live in other countries. I.e., all the Americans (British, Europeans, Chinese, etc.) who live in SA who read your blog are being counted as South Africans. So it’s probably really a smaller percentage of actual native South Africans than what WorldPress stats indicate.
Yes, I do have a lot of readers who are expats living in South Africa. But I also have a lot of South African readers. I know many of them personally or through their blog comments.