Wednesday, July 19, 2006

O.R. Tambo International Airport


RUSSIA
Where were you born? St Petersburg.
Where did you go to school? Petrograd.
Where do you live now? Leningrad.
And where would you like to live? St Petersburg.

SOUTH AFRICA
Where were you born? Natal
Where did you go to university? Kwazulu-Natal (for my 3rd year of first year!)
Where do you live now? Ok it doesn't really work but you get the picture.
And where would you like to live? Kwazulu (No, not really but do you get the picture?, and I'm sure there is an example that would work).

Name changes in South Africa, as in Russia and around the world are merely reflective of a turbulent and evolving history. Live with it, get on with life. The name will change again in due course. Hankering for the good old times is indicative of a selective and blinkered memory.

1 comment:

Vallypee said...

I couldn't agree more! A rose by any other name etc. In time we forget what the previous name was as in fact the place itself is not changed by its name, it's all the other factors!