... Lets face it, Afrikaans isn't used outside of Southern Africa, and even in South Africa, it's only used amongst certain groups of people. There's really no need to go through all the trouble of learning the language if there's very little chance of using it. Some of the overseas consultants working with us are learning the odd word here and there just because it helps them understand some of the borrowed words we use in English ("nooit, jislaak, sommer, etc."). Some words are also just more fun in Afrikaans (grondboontjiebotter) especially when pronounced by foreigners. Having said all of that - whenever I travel overseas, whether with native English or Afrikaans speaking colleagues, I end up defaulting to speaking Afrikaans. When a street vendor in Hong Kong is trying to rip off a friend, it's very useful to be able to warn him without the vendor knowing what you're saying. I find that I talk more Afrikaans when I'm overseas than I ever do here in South Africa.

Afrikaans people tend to speak English by default to strangers because so few people speak Afrikaans. I find it funny when two Afrikaans people meet for the first time and talk English to each other until one of them realises that the other also speaks Afrikaans. I grew up in the southern suburbs of Cape Town and I now live in the northern suburbs. I also used to believe that the north was very Afrikaans, but it's more of a generalisation than a real rule. The joke about living behind the "boerewors curtain" (you have to be from South Africa to understand that one) is still used widely for someone living on the N1 beyond Tygerberg hill, implying that you're an Afrikaans speaker. I work for a company behind the boerewors curtain that had a very Afrikaaner culture in the past, but these days it's much more multicultural. I think it's the influx of overseas consultants and the increase in the number of black people joining the workforce. Having said that, I sit next to a black guy who grew up on the Cape Flats (traditionally where coloured people live) and he speaks better Afrikaans than I do.

Die besigste tyd gaan klaar wees

Die dae het ek baie gedoen. Ek was te besig. Ek het alles wat nodig is voorberei en al die materiaal vir die visum bymekaargemaak.

Vanmôre het ek Vincent gekontak, wat nou in die kamerwoning bly. Hy het vir my gesê dat die wifi in die kamer afgesit is. Ek moet sê dis nou 'n baie moeilike en spesiale tydperk vir my. Maar dis ook 'n goeie tyd vir my om ander dinge wat kosbaarder is te doen. Ek gaan met Vincent praat oor dinge waaroor hy bekommerd is. Ek sal met hom en Bahar gesels om die laaste tyd in die kampus te geniet, want ons sal geen tyd hê, alhoewel ons wil, om universiteit terug te kom nie.

Maar die grootste nuus is Vincent het IELTS afgelê. Na vier maande se voorbereiding en eindelose nagte waarin hy nie kon slaap nie, het hy uiteintlik die beste uitslag gekry. Dit beteken dat hy meer tyd en kans gaan kry om met Bahar te praat. Vir my is ek baie bly vir hom en ook vir hulle. As hulle vriend wil ek regtig hê hulle moet saam wees. Ek weet niemand kan miskien verstaan wat ek hier neerskryf nie, maar dis wat ek regtig in my gedagtes dink, en wens. So weer, beste wense vir hulle.