We've been in South Africa for more than a week now, and it's a bit less "exotic" than I expected. In fact, at least once a day my wife, Jen, and I say, "This could be L.A.!" With its 6-lane highways, mega-malls, palm trees, and sun-drenched days, "Joburg" is far more sophisticated and functional than I figured. It's a lot like Los Angeles, and a lot like America - at least on the surface.

Here's a picture of a highway near downtown Joburg.

ABRAHAM MCLAUGHLIN

For instance, in a big testament to globalization's spread - and the universality of teenage rituals - a Joburg mall was bustling with teens on a Friday night. Throngs of spikey-haired boys and midriff-baring girls were all eyeing each other. The movies, meanwhile, were straight from Hollywood - and only slightly out of date: Pirates of the Caribbean, American Wedding, etc.

But there definitely are differences. In fact, an American friend said to us on our first day: "It seems a lot like the US, but every day you'll find out more about how it's not."

For one thing, we hear Khosa, Zulu, Afrikaans, English, and some of South Africa's 7 other official languages. And instead of "Hi" people here say, "Howzit?" - as in "How's it going?"

More on the differences next week....

We've packed the essentials from our Boston condo - my wife's DVDs and onion salt, my omelette pan and rocking chair - and we're headed off on a big adventure. We're moving to Johannesburg, South Africa, for The Christian Science Monitor. I'll be reporting on the 49 countries of sub-Saharan Africa.

Jen is the real adventurer, though: She's never been to a developing country. And now we're moving to a continent full of them!

My overarching questions for reporting on Africa include: Can Africa - or parts of it - join the world's rush to globalization and greater wealth? Who should solve Africa's problems - outsiders or Africans themselves? And what can the rest of the world learn from Africa?

So come along as two American kids head off with not a lot of knowledge - but tons of curiousity - about our 800 million new African neighbors.

Check back once in a while for weekly blurbs about life on a grand continent....