Aliyah – the good, the bad and the meshuga

BENITA LEVIN

In Johannesburg, we’d drive all of four minutes to get to school each morning. It seemed completely normal then. It’s only now, that we realise how bizarre that was. A 10-minute walk to school here is a great start to the day. Cycling – with helmets on – is brilliant exercise.

I’d predicted it would take a few months before the children would be comfortable walking on their own. I couldn’t have been more wrong. On their second day at their new school, we were advised our “escorting services” were no longer needed, they knew the way home and would happily walk together. It’s a fabulous “new normal”. 

Earlier this week, my daughter and I went for a walk along the main road in our city. (As a life coach, I often talk about the need to be outdoors, to change one’s surroundings and appreciate the power of nature.) It may be winter, but if the sun is out here, we are outdoors.

One of the friendly school moms stopped her car at the traffic light and asked if we needed a lift. I laughed and replied that we weren’t going anywhere in particular – we just wanted to walk together, well, because we could.

It takes a while for South African parents to get used to seeing young children getting onto buses as they bop up and down listening to music in their oversized headphones. It’s unusual for us to see primary school pupils cross the road alone. It also takes a while to get used to how many people walk the streets of the city late at night.

Women can be seen pushing prams at 22:00, energetic types can be spotted jogging close to midnight and groups of teenagers can be found on electric bikes at any hour.

The various modes of transport here also take getting used to, after decades of only travelling by car. When heading to Tel Aviv, I’ve been advised that if one doesn’t want to navigate traffic and circle for much sought-after parking in the heart of the business and entertainment centre, you could take a bus (with WiFi on board), take a train (with WiFi on board) or join a car pool.

There are many stark differences for new motorists, besides the obvious one that involves driving on the wrong side of the road:

• Most petrol stations are self-service.
• There are no car guards.
• Roadside parking is often scarce. If you can’t find the free allocated parking bay, you can simply use an app on your phone to pay for your spot. That same app can later help you find your car if you’ve forgotten where you left it. 

We recently met a wonderful couple who spend six months of the year in Israel. They told us they don’t have a car here, because they love using the buses. The one bus takes them straight to a popular beach in Herzliya Pituach.

The other route they use takes them to the promenade in Tel Aviv. We’ve met many families who have one car, partly because buying and maintaining vehicles here is very expensive and partly because public transport here is both reliable and safe.

So, part of our journey around the country here will hopefully involve trying out all these types of transport. For now, “these boots are made for walking”, and I have a feeling the novelty of this new-found freedom, will last for a very long time… 

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Favourite new word for the week – Sababa – slang word meaning “great” or “cool”.  

The phrase heard most often this week – Lama Lo – Why not? (Preferably said while shrugging one’s shoulders). 

Favourite new life coaching phrase of the week – “Le’at le’at”- slowly, slowly. 

Smile of the week – walking for 30 minutes just to get to your favourite nut shop to buy a packet of delicious, warm, sugar-coated nuts – and then inadvertently finishing them on the walk back. Surely this type of dedication and effort should qualify one as a true local?