How can I not love my hometown East London?

I've never moved out of East London in South Africa, and I'm now 41.  Actually, it's sad that I've not yet been to Cape Town, overseas, or flown in an areoplane at the age of 41 either!  I'm happy here in my little hometown of East London, and how could I not be?

I've grown up in East London.  It's home.  I have such great memories of this place I call home - and I don't want to ever say, or refer to it as "The place I used to live in."

What does East London have that no other places in South Africa have - besides great memories if one grows up here, and very friendly people?

Well, pehaps not such a good point - but I like it - East London is also known as Slummies - but it's in such a nice way, I think.  People are mostly relaxed, down to earth, and just themselves.  Of course there's times or outings that call for dressing up a bit, but, generally, hardly anyone looks at you twice, here, if you go into a shop barefoot, or with curlers in your hair.  It's acceptable.  It's Slummies.  It's nice.

What else does East London (Buffalo City, South Africa) have?

It has Friesland milkshakes.  Come on, everyone who's tried a Friesland milkshake loves them.  It's the kind of thing, that makes an East Londoner sit up in the middle of the night, suddenly, and say: "Aw gee, I don't think they are open now, but I want a Friesland milkshake nooooow!"

East London has the Windmill, right at the bus station near the beachfront, and the Windmill has hot chilli burgers.  Aged about 18, (some 23 years ago for me now),  three of us friends used to go off to the Windmill, get some chilli burgers, then go do something odd and 18-ish and park in a cemetary eating the burgers, and cry from the heat of the chilli - or disguise our fear at being where we were!

East London has Numbers.  A nightclub and disco that's moved around a bit - not sure if I loved it best when it was still out next to the old drive-in because it was next to the old drive-in, or just because those times, spent at Numbers next to the old East London drive-in, were some of the best times my friends and I had at Numbers.

East London has the oldest aquarium in South Africa, along the esplanade, and the only South African river port, down at the Buffalo River.  East London has the Surfers Marathon.

East London has beautiful beaches.  It has Mermaid's Pool;  it has Nahoon beach and Nahoon Reef.

East London has 200 000 year old fossilized footprints , has the Coelacanth , has Joan Harrison and the Joan Harrison public swimming pool (as a kid, I used to spend plenty of summers there with friends.)

East London has Wendy Botha , and Jody Scheckter.

East London has Tony, my boys, my family and friends, and East London has me.

© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010