all the days are hurryin' by, when you're in love, my, how they fly...

so after singapore, johannesburg OR Tambo airport is completely different.

singapore offered great quality service (from food to transit hotels) for a very reasonable, almost cheap, price.
the airport is huge. you could never be bored there. they have some activity you can partake in at all hours. from video games to food to transit hotels to physical games to... the list honestly goes on and on. i was at the transit hotel, which offered 6 hours for USD$20. this gave me access to internet, a gym, shower, all you can eat snacks, and a very comfortable lounge. did i mention how safe singapore is, and how amazing the place is?

johannesburg's airport, on the other hand, is a place i would prefer not to be stuck at for 12 hours (unlike singapore). i checked out the transit hotel, which offered a package for USD$12o. that was the only service they offered. what did that 120 dollars give me?

a bed.

i asked the reception lady if she would pay that money if she was in my position. she said yes. of course it might have been a smartass question on my part (she didn't look too happy in general), but honestly? can anyone call BS?

so i'm at a cafe overlooking the OR Tambo runway and gates. the african morning is beautiful, and i feel like i got the better end of whatever deal. i'm at this news cafe and i think i've befriende the waitress. of course, it's hit and miss at this airport too. it's sad -- the mentality you should have for service in africa should not be too high. you really need to be chill. which isn't a bad quality. but you have to wonder... what a shocker it will be for the whole world for world cup. cynical, i know. but seriously.

but boy, do i love the african sky. i can't help but look up, whether it's sunny or not. during the dry season, it's this big gaping blue, hypnotic. you feel consumed by it. and there's a sense of belonging. and during the rainy season, the gray rain clouds... there's something more dramatic than anywhere else. and take a breath of zambian air. oh me oh my. how some things never change. and how i wish some things never would.

much as i say that i probably will never find myself living in africa ever again, people are right in saying that there will always be a part that will always be longing and will always belong.