• Drinking: Orange Five Roses tea

• Listening to: Stephen Farris’s Cosmic Sound II

• Wearing: Wool coat, high-waisted wool pants, & wool gloves, leaving my combat boots as the only things not warm & fuzzy about my outfit today.

Hello, cheri.

I just returned from my second South African coffee shop visit — to Mugg & Bean. It seems to be a sort of Starbucks around here, with locations in just about every shopping center you pass. My ticket consisted of a mocha (which was something like a hot chocolate with a coffee-like hint. Here espresso drinks only come with one shot, and I keep forgetting to ask for more!) and a scone, on the recommendation of a South-African-gone-Tennessean friend. It was quite different from the States — less dense & more light & fluffy, & round like a giant biscuit. They also give you strawberries & cream right off the bat, which was delightful. All in all, it was a sweet Friday afternoon escape. I only wish I had thought to bring my camera to work today!

But no matter. We then ventured to a sort of gourmet grocery market, the kind with only a few aisles and just the right kind of packaging to make me want to pile it all neck-high in my basket. I did well, though, & managed to only pick up the necessities — more rooibus, some green vegetables to keep me breathing, & a couple curries. I could’ve spent hours slowly perusing the minimalistic maze of spices & sweets, but I’ll save that for next time.

Until then, thank you for all your love & support! It’s good to know you’re out there & keeping up with my wanderings about this city of gold. Fingers crossed, I’ll have more exciting images to come. For now, here are some more scenes from around the apartment–crazy cat included (but more on that later).

J’adore!