So different, So familiar

  After three flights and many hours spent sitting in airports, the twelve of us were glad to finally be in Pietermaritzburg, where our orientation would begin. We piled into a large taxi – excited to begin our year in South Africa. The radio was on and I began to listen, ready to hear a hit from one of South Africa’s most popular bands. Instead, my ears were greeted with the opening notes of American singer and rapper Travie McCoy's “Billionaire.” It was my first hint that not everything was going to be new and foreign to me.

  Though Coca Cola and Sprite taste basically the same, our experience with cream soda at Nando’s (once described as the McDonald’s of South Africa in terms of its popularity) left us wondering why the cream tasted like lime. Money here is called Rand and is definitely cooler looking than U.S. Dollars (Sorry, Uncle Sam!) When it comes down to it, an ELEPHANT is just more interesting to look at that than George Washington. (Sorry, George!)



Up close and personal with some wild giraffes and zebras in Bisley Park



  Though English is one of the 11 official languages in South Africa and spoken many places, it is more similar to British English than American English. Words like plaster (bandage) and biscuit (cookie) are used, resulting in some rather strange looks coming my way when I use the Americanized version.  Fortunately, thanks to an obsession with Harry Potter and other forms of British culture (as my family and best friends can testify to at length) I’ve adjusted fairly quickly. Like cars in the United Kingdom, the steering wheel is on the right side of the car.  I won’t admit how many times I’ve almost gotten into the wrong side of the car. I definitely won’t admit how many times I HAVE gotten into the wrong side of the car. (It was only once and no one noticed.)

  The most obvious change is the difference in seasons. Winter only recently ended here while back home it’s starting.  As a Midwesterner who has frozen through more winters than I want to remember, it will surely be a shock when I am eating braai (barbeque) outside during the Christmas season. If I miss the snow and cold (and that’s a big if) I can always watch my DVD of “White Christmas.” I could even watch it while in my swimsuit, just for dramatic effect.

  Though changes in language and food are easy enough to explain, differences in culture and attitude are harder to pinpoint. No matter the country, all people (not counting those on reality shows or CSI) share common values of family, friends, and love. They like to laugh, share stories, and work hard to provide for their families. Like many countries, South Africa has its share of problems – the HIV/AIDS epidemic directly or indirectly touches the lives of so many, thousands upon thousands of people live in clusters of tiny, one room shacks that are sometimes barely across the street from someone with a three-car garage, and travel beyond one’s hometown is a luxury many people can never afford.

 

Shacks near Pietermaritzburg



  But South Africa is not just the poverty that exists in its borders. This country has a proud history of sports – the most popular are soccer and rugby, whose history is tied intricately with the politics and reuniting of a country torn apart by apartheid. It has thriving industries (Americans only have to visit the grocery store to see the bottles of South African wine that line the shelves). South Africa is also its people, who are friendly and generous, so welcoming to strangers (especially clueless Americans who are always asking questions). I have been so humbled by the generosity I have been shown during my stay here.

  Our first Sunday in South Africa, the twelve of us worshiped at a church affiliated with a local university. While many of the song were familiar, the congregation surprised us by singing them to completely different tunes and rhythms than we were used to. It was the perfect example of how something can be both new and old, both familiar and foreign at the same time. It’s been one of many lessons I’ve learned in my short time here and I know it won’t be the last surprise in store for me this year.