JOHANNESBURG

'Johannesburg the city of dreams' that cliche phrase that might just be a 'cliche'

 It is like an open door of expectations.

When I am in Jo'burg I never miss home. Like every body else I dread going home out of fear of disappointment. I came to this golden place, where apparently everything works out and nobody tells you how shitty people are, for the first time in 2002.

Johannesburg, A place where you always hear people speak about opportunities, good times or "independency"; but nobody ever tells you that you could never go a day without thinking how Jozi somehow resemblembances all the painted images of hell.

The first time I came to Jo'burg at age twelve, I saw this University and I thought “I am going to study there” and, now 11 years later I am about to graduate all because I tolerated the hell I went through.

When I turned fifteen I came for the Jam Alley auditions, hilarious moment! I look back to that day and I just cry with laughter, because on that day I actually thought I could sing... But oh dear, the dreams we often have when we are told of Johannesburg.

All these memories just make me think of how foolish and naive I was when I thought of Johannesburg and my life here. How we fool ourselves with these unnecessary dreams even when sometimes they are ridiculous. But...There is almost so much fun in the disappointment that comes with Johannesburg, that thing that keeps pulling you and telling you that it will get better someday.

Now as an adult I have already lived here in Johannesburg since 2009. From 2009 till today 2013, I have had numerous things happen to me. I have endured lots of pain and self hatred, but in all these moments I never regretted being here. No matter how disastrous things have turned out for me here in Johannesburg, I can't help but fall in love.

There is a balance of Johannesburg. There bad places which smell like piss, and really gorgeous places which look dreamy and sometimes all you can do is hope you stay there someday.

I loathe Johannesburg people though. What is up with the rush? Sometimes even when you just want to stroll around places like Bree or Jeppe you could be stomped to death if you keep wasting peoples time.

I sometimes ask myself how a parent is okay with his child walking around in the busy streets of Johannesburg with no supervision? At times I want to rush to the rescue of the 7 years old boys who cross the roads by themselves or slap the hell out of the teenage girls who chat on their blackberry's and push out their butts strolling through the road as though they are in a cat walk.

Basically, there is so much to see in Johannesburg. I always insist on walking from my place to school everyday so that I can watch the people in this city. There is so much beauty about it.

Its dangers make it the one place you just have to experience. At night its so quiet I sometimes wonder where exactly the crimes are taking place. Unlike home, since I have been in Johannesburg I have never heard a gun shot or a girl screaming from being beaten by her boyfriend or a guy begging a mugger to just take his phone and leave him, or maybe I live on the better side of Johannesburg.

Either way, maybe Johannesburg is not particularly a city of dreams or golden opportunities. It is a city of the harshest reality. Even though that does not make sense, but Johannesburg is where you see lives being lived, it is where you are reminded to keep pushing and to always hope for more. It is a place where dreams can be turned into reality.  How that reality turns out is merely just up to you. I love my Johannesburg.