It is soul-sapping to have to wait a long time for a taxi. People rush from one taxi rank to another every day, trying to make a quick connection.

It is soul-sapping to have to wait a long time for a taxi. People rush from one taxi rank to another every day, trying to make a quick connection.

We never learn that we are just rushing to catch the end of a very long queue. We all blame shoppers who join us during peak hour.

I wish the government would ban shoppers from staying in town until the rush hour because they clog the routes.

As the winter creeps in the long queues make us crabby and we snarl at these day trippers.

I don't know why people come to Johannesburg from all over Gauteng and Mpumalanga just to shop.

I mean, Pretoria, Springs, Kempton Park, Nelspruit and the other towns and cities have the same shops you find in Joburg.

They also have cheap shops such as the Boutique Le Donosa. For those not in the know, Boutique Le Donosa are those trailers full of used clothes from overseas.

These sell for anything from R5 to R60. People can dress to the nines for as little as R40.

The downside is that you will be three or four years out of fashion - but if you are quick-witted you can always claim that you found the outfit while clearing out your wardrobe.

Auntie Emma says a trip to Joburg is a serious undertaking. It means getting up early, wearing your best rags and shopping until you drop.

A shopper can take a break and buy greasy chicken for lunch. She says the chicken tastes better in Joburg because it is helped along by the pollution, which is different from that of other cities.

These tourist shoppers then brag about their good buys in the taxi. I have discovered great places to shop by listening to this chatter. I have often been amazed at how little I know about Joburg.

Auntie Emma says a trip to the big city helps young people size up the latest fashions. There is no need to buy magazines to read about what colours are in vogue.

Auntie Emma tells us that her man of the house once came all the way to Newcastle from Witbank to take her on a trip to Joburg to see the Carlton Centre.

At the time moegoes were defined by whether they had seen this marvel or were merely chatting about something they had not witnessed.

She told us she had an album full of pictures they had taken at the shopping mall. She wore a dress and a coat while the man of the house wore his best suit.

Afterwards they went to the Park Station restaurant for fish and chips as a treat.

Auntie Emma says she is still grateful to him for showing her this new wonder in South Africa.

Pinky, our model C, giggled uncontrollably and said Auntie Emma must have been a cheap date.