To Home I Go!

1/25/11

Sawubona!

Hello All! So I have been in Durban for several days now, and I seem to be getting a handle on things, but that doesn’t mean I am quite settled yet. Today was a very busy day, beginning very early with us moving out of our hostel (I apologize for misspelling it in the past few updates…thanks Prof. Zafar!). It seems that things get started very early in South Africa, I guess because the sun rises significantly earlier than it does in the states...around 4 am! That means early to bed, and early to rise (which has also been quite disappointing for my study abroad friends and I trying to find nightlife at11pm). Anyway, then we began our second day of Zulu lessons. I think I am picking up the language nicely, except the clicks still trip me up a bit. There is so much more mouth involvement with this language. More tongue is necessary, and coordination of the breath is super important when making sounds. I don’t want to brag, but I think I picked the clicks up faster than some of my companions in the program. One has to have a natural command of the mouth…which apparently I have.

But that isn’t even the most interesting part of it all. After Zulu, we went to the Megamall (shopping centers in SA are split into two groups Mega and Minimalls). Please believe when I say Mega, that this mall was HUGE. I have never seen anything like it before. For those back home in North Carolina…think of South Park (that’s how nice it was) and then multiply that by 3 or 4. The mall was very nice, obviously catering to the rich, but we only had time to eat lunch. We practiced some of our Zulu on some of the workers we met at the restaurant. Zulu People are so excited when they learn we are learning their language, and are so willing to help.

After that, we heard a lecture about Cato Manor, the township in which we were going to stay. But nothing could have prepared me for my initial trip into the place. Everything that this program does, it does for a reason. The Megamall (also called The Pavilion) sits on a hill overlooking the valley where Cato Manor is situated. The difference between the two places is incredible, surpassing the extreme differences of economic class that I have seen in the US on both sides. The Pavilion glows ironically green on the hillside at night, and is visible from the valley. Cato Manor is a township with much history (too much for me to delve into at the moment…that was an entire two hour lecture today!) But it is a neighborhood of working class people in Africa. The houses are small, but comfortable. They are really close together. I can’t really find words to describe the place…it’s just very different. I can only say that the impoverishment is obvious. There are no tin shacks, which you may see in movies, but the cinder block homes only took the place of the tin shack shantytowns…Anyway, I will post pictures later and you can definitely see for yourself.

The biggest part of the day was that I began my homestay in Cato Manor. I am actually sitting in my room right now. Boy was I nervous when I stepped foot off the minibus to look at my abode for the next month or so. A very small 3 bedroom house with a living room and a kitchen. I don’t come from a huge home, but even for me, this is the smallest living arrangement I have been in. My current room is about half the size of my single room last semester. But I am not complaining! My host family is really nice. My “mama” is very nice and very welcoming. She has two adult children both of whom live at home, and one grandchild who is 13 years old. We spent the rest of the evening talking about SA and the US, finding out more about each other, and watching television. South Africa has soap operas I might add. Maybe I will get more into them as time progresses (although the languages span from English to Zulu to Xhosa (the x is a click), to Sutu) which means I will have to get more used to reading subtitles.

Anyway, it has been raining here a lot which has cooled it down a bit My host family says it is too cold tonight, so they put a heavier blanket on my bed (although I have a feeling that took this one off of their bed to make me feel more comfortable) I, however, am still hot (it's about 75 right now). So, we shall see how that goes. I am absolutely not used to being treated like a guest; however Zulu people make sure that their guests come first. I noticed at dinner that I had the most of them all 9we had rice, beans and potatoes). I cleaned my plate, but did not decide to get seconds. The lack of money here is painfully obvious to me. I don’t want to be a burden to my family, and I don’t want them to surrender their comfort, even though it is their custom. That’s just something that I am working through at the moment. Anyway I think that is about all for now.

Salani Kahle! (Stay well!)

PS. I just wanted to add this morning that I woke up the the crowing of the rooster!