THE JOHANNESBURG DIARIES - ANTICIPATION - #BlogchatterAt2Z2023

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Welcome Home!
Photo Courtesy - Priyanka Menon Rao

Excitement personified – that is what we were… two eager beaver grandparents off to Johannesburg from Thrissur, Kerala, all set to see our daughter and her family. The flight to Dubai, and then onward to South Africa seemed interminable. We were looking forward to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow that moment when we would see our adorable little ones, their parents included.

The security check at Dubai was surprisingly easy this time… normally we have ended up removing everything electronic, leather, liquid, chargeable and wearable! I often wonder how people wearing leather belts to hold their pants up weather the brief period of frisking. This time, we did not even have to take our laptops out.

At Johannesburg, it was a whole different story. It was as though we had entered Zootopia, with a special sloth behind our counter. The official was determined to be stern with us, his façade slipping at moments when he would turn and crack a joke with his colleagues, hopefully not at our expense. I have never seen a slower gentleman, and the new biometric system did not help in the least. We were all thumbs, pun intended!

Pinterest - Zootopia

Finally, we came out only to be avalanched in hugs as the little ones came dashing towards us. God was in His heaven, and all was right with the world! Isn’t it true that with grandparenthood comes a whole new level of love which warms the cockles of the heart?

                                                              Briana Thomas

Back home,  we found several thoughtful gifts placed on our bed, which my daughter termed as ‘necessities’, including my Gummy Bears and Grandpa’s chewing gum! 😊 The highlight was the two cards drawn by Z and S, with a precious message welcoming us with loads of love.

(No prizes for guessing which one is which! :))
Precious Keepsakes by Z and S

The holiday we had waited for so eagerly over two years had begun. The nippy weather, the intense storm clouds, the pelting rain and the load shedding (which is a staple here apparently) did not take away from the warmth of the occasion. As we all sat around, clad in warm clothes, enjoying the antics of Z and S, and exchanging notes about folks back home, I felt my eyes closing in languor, with all the excitement and the ANTICIPATION!

Tomorrow would be another day.

This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z2023.

https://www.theblogchatter.com/



Comments

  1. Rajeev Moothedath4/01/2023 02:43:00 PM

    A nice read. Looking forward to the other posts.

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    Replies
    1. deepti menon4/04/2023 02:01:00 PM

      Thank you so much, Rajeev Moothedath! I am glad you enjoyed it.

      Delete
  2. Deepika4/01/2023 04:15:00 PM

    What a wonderful read that made. Will be looking forward for more. All the best

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    Replies
    1. deepti menon4/04/2023 02:02:00 PM

      Deepika, thank you ever so much! I am thrilled! :)

      Delete
  3. Seetha4/01/2023 05:02:00 PM

    Such an endearing post. I loved the phrase "avalanched with hugs". So apt for the love grandkids shower :)

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    Replies
    1. deepti menon4/04/2023 02:02:00 PM

      Thank you so much, Seetha! Yes, the phrase is one of my favourites as well. :)

      Delete
  4. A Rustic Mind4/01/2023 06:14:00 PM

    This had me smiling and chuckling. Looking forward to more such anecdotes :)

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    Replies
    1. deepti menon4/04/2023 02:03:00 PM

      Thank you ever so much, Manali! I am thrilled that you enjoyed this post which is close to my heart! :)

      Delete
  5. Tomichan Matheikal4/01/2023 06:24:00 PM

    Zootopia in Johannesburg with the official who could joke with his facade on is the best.

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    Replies
    1. deepti menon4/04/2023 02:04:00 PM

      Thanks ever so much, Tomichan Matheikal! The sloth in the movie quite cracked me up, which is why the comparison came automatically! :)

      Delete
  6. Prasanna Raghavan4/01/2023 08:31:00 PM

    Welcome to Zootopia, dear :) Yeah, officers at the airport arrivals can sometimes be funnily stupid. Stopped using JHB since long time ago, Cape town straight. Loadshedding is going to stay here for a while, on a favourable note doesn't come unannounced. You're welcome to Cape town. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. deepti menon4/04/2023 02:05:00 PM

      Thanks so much, Prasanna, for the welcome and the comment. Load shedding seems to be a never ending process here.

      Delete
  7. Suchita4/01/2023 09:31:00 PM

    Those drawings are so so precious!

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    Replies
    1. deepti menon4/04/2023 02:06:00 PM

      Yes, they are, Suchita. They quite warmed the cockles of my heart! :)

      Delete
  8. Chinmayee Gayatree Sahu4/01/2023 11:26:00 PM

    The drawings have my heart and zootopia had me laughing out loud :-) Lovely read, Ma'am !

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    Replies
    1. deepti menon4/04/2023 02:06:00 PM

      Chinmayee, thank you so much for that lovely comment! :)

      Delete

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