As I prepare to leave South Africa, one part of popular culture here that I wish that I could take with me is the soap opera. South African soap operas are different from the mundane, cyclical, fodder that passes for daytime television here. The acting is excellent and the storylines relevant. They reflect what is going on in the world -- up to the minute. Xenophobia, the public servants strike and even Barack Obama's win over Clinton, have made their way into episodes. South African writers and producers seem to understand that time does not stand still in real life, nor should it on daytime soap operas.