Cape Town resident, Koinonia Baloyi, didn’t know her dreams were about to come true when she received an unexpected call from Flight Centre in July, informing her that she had won a trip to London to see Mi Casa perform in the iconic capital.
26-year-old Koinonia says she was ready to get out of Cape Town for a few days and reconnect with her family when she decided to enter the Flight Centre and Mi Casa competition. She posted a photo of her ‘Familia’, (also the title of Mi Casa’s new album) onto Flight Centre’s Facebook page and hoped for the best. “I thought that there would be no better way to bond with my sister than through an incredible trip to London. As a fan of Mi Casa and their music, this was the perfect opportunity to meet them. The new Mi Casa Familia album is a story of family, having fun, coming together, fellowship and unity,” explains Koinonia.
Koinonia wasn’t expecting to win and was at work when she received the call from a Flight Centre representative. She says she was shocked, surprised and excited all at once, when she found out that she would soon be jetting off to London for a weekend to see Mi Casa live. “After I heard that I had won I just couldn’t focus for the rest of the telephone conversation, never mind the rest of the day! All that was on my mind was London,” she laughs.
Once Koinonia had calmed down, she picked up the phone to call her sister, 28-year-old Ebenezer, to ask her if she was free over the Women’s Day long weekend and if she would like to go to London for a concert. The rest of their conversation consisted of screaming and cheering. She explains that this was her sister’s first time overseas. “The experience was amazing. I now have incredible travel memories created with a special family member - we enjoyed every moment of it, exploring new places, trying new food, getting lost and discovering London, meeting new people and forming new friendships,” she says.
The two sisters left for London on Wednesday, August 9 and as soon as they arrived in London they kicked off with some sightseeing. Some of the famous spots they visited included The London Eye, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace. The sisters also made sure they set aside some time for a morning jog in Regent’s Park, a visit to London Tower Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, Piccadilly Circus and even the Arsenal stadium.
The Flight Centre prize package didn’t only include their flights, accommodation and tickets to see Mi Casa perform live at the Scala, but also lunch with the band. “Our lunch with Mi Casa was so much fun! What I truly enjoyed about this experience was the vibe and atmosphere. It was like connecting with old friends over burgers and chips. Their new music is all about family and from the few hours that we interacted with them, that was so evident. They are a big happy family and they make you feel like you are an important part of that family,” she smiles.
Mi Casa’s show at Scala was sold out and was a great highlight for the band, which of course made the whole experience even more exciting for Koinonia and Ebenezer.
Koinonia says that the highlight of the trip was definitely their lunch with Mi Casa as well as watching them perform. “We also really enjoyed exploring the beauty of London. St Paul’s Cathedral is breath-taking and the view of London from Tower Bridge is something worth remembering. This was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience and something we will always remember. Flight Centre has made a dream of ours come true!” says Koinonia.