Away From Home
Whenever I have been away from South Africa (home) over the festive season it really sucked big time for me, be it for work or any other reason. In my case it was mostly for work. Does not matter who is with you or for whatever reason you have left your home country.Most times I dealt with the inner feeling of sadness by getting motherless and/or sometimes just looking for trouble.
Im just thinking about all the millions of refugees and fugitives that have not directly chosen to leave their own countries but have been forced to.
There is a huge amount of sadness going on in the world at this time of year.
Have you ever been in a similar situation?
Hope you have a great week ahead.
I have searched for the most depressing festive song in the world and came up with this.
Enjoy
Comments (16)
I have always been lucky enough to get home for Christmas no matter where I was living.
Sometimes it would be Christmas Eve, but I always made it.
My heart does go out to those who are away from home or homeless at Christmas.
There is a housing crisis in Ireland at the moment, and due to high rents, many people have been made homeless. They may not be actually living on the streets, but a hotel bedroom with no proper cooking facilities is no place to have to spend Christmas Day.
Refugees have been treated despicably by the world, and it will go down in history as a dark period for humanity,
Biff, we'd survive each other's cultural differences, for once day at least :-)
People are people at the end of the day. With the same hopes and dreams.
I even invited a South African once to Christmas dinner
If I could survive that, I could survive anything
Oh, I wasn't saying one day, take them in until they can find a home. Days, weeks, months if necessary. Can't let refugees in for a day and then chase them out again
Be very careful with those South Africans. Some of them are a bit odd. OP and self excepted, of course. And one who lives in Ireland. And one in Spain - oh, okay, not all are odd. But a few definitely are
My house is not big enough for another family to move in even semi -permanently. But yeah, I would offer emergency accommodation.
Why I said one day is, there are refugee centres where people are placed until processed. These are supposed to be short term, but there are people stuck in there for years, and are in limbo really. Not allowed to work, not allowed to cook for themselves etc.
Locals hold Christmas parties for the kids to break the drudgery a bit.
Hell, we're not proud. If you've even visited the place and eaten biltong, you can take out honorary citizenship
(Ducks and runs for cover before the Rhodesian wakes up from siesta)
Get organized and build temporary accomodation - that seems doable. But doesn't happen.
The problem is supposed to sort itself out and I have no idea what will happen but - nothing much, if left to the authorities.
You must have a clearer idea, though?
Siesta time is well over.
I'll never become an honorary one so. I don't like beef
But, for those forced to leave because above hasn't worked, I think the countries just have to take their fingers out and process quicker. Sometimes there are unacceptable delays of 5 years or more. That is ridiculous.
Then, once they are processed, and allowed to stay, they can start giving back to society as many want to do.
There are engineers, doctors, nurses etc., stuck unable to work at present.
Even unqualified people can find jobs, especially if training is given.
In one centre here recently, they set up a lovely café at the centre. They are not working for profit, but volunteering. There are chefs there. But not allowed to 'work'.
It is crazy.
Hot potato, passing from hand to hand and never getting sorted, and it will get worse. I heard the saddest bitter broadcast from an Aleppo civilian when the shelling started again, how we the international community had let them down.
The powers that be at play, never caring about the human fallout. Sorry, bro, we sort of hijacked your blog, but did stay on topic for most of it.
Anyway. Coffee drunk, back to work. I added a pic to my profile of what I look like right now. Not a pretty sight.
That'd be like calling me British I'm sure
Anyway, she has conveniently gone back to 'work'
She mightn't though