Only reason I left SA and went thro all that heartache and pain was the high crime rate and violence. I had this absolute paranoia about being woken up in the middle of the night with someone at my bedside and then raped by someone with Aids. I couldnt sleep at night anymore and we had 3 breakins into our yard in 3 weekends so you find yourself getting up at all times of the night and checking and putting on floodlights to check to see who is in the yard and never get a full nights sleep. I coudnt live like that anymore and so the choice to leave. I miss SA and the people and family and the mountains and everything that goes with it but would never trade my freedom for that lifestyle again. To walk down the street and not worry about your bag being snatched off your shoulders, to take your car keys out of your bag when you get to your car, to open your purse at the parking meter - these were all things you could never do in SA. I have 3 keys on my keyring and not 53!! NZ is not Utopia, no place is, but it sure beats looking over your shoulder all the time.
