I'm a few weeks in to this African adventure and I'm getting into my schedule, I'm learning how people communicate, what is dangerous to do or not do, and might I add getting a beautiful tan. It is so opposite of Fort Wayne, IN but certain things are so familiar that I do feel at home here already. I know where to buy meat, veges, the like and i'm starting to realize what to cook here. I still have not been downtown Joburg also known as the CBD or central business district because although tempting I have been firmly warned by all locals to only go there with someone from there because it is HIGHLY dangerous, as in mugged/kidnapped dangerous, but I do have plans to visit at least Ukutula lion park and Soweto before I leave whoop whoop!
So lets see this post will be...what I've learned and what I wish I would have known
What I've learned: Most everyone in this area is some type of Christian but traditional beliefs are STRONG. Something I had never heard about is the famous Lobola or bride price. So traditionally a man would pay the brides family a dowry and this dowry or lobola would be considered a traditional marriage. The brides family is happy everybody is happy. However in today's world this bride price really doesn't mean that they are technically married and if things go south and the husband dies his family could claim all that 'he' had leaving the lobola wife with nothing. Many in this area simply can't afford lobola (families will extortion) and so couples just live together. The solution is getting registered in South Africa where they are currently living but many couples cross national boundaries making not only registering for marriage (chieftains sometimes involved oh boy) as well as communicating and delivering the dowry which I've learned to most people is more important than a piece of paper (unless that piece of paper is a check for the lobola with a large number written on it)
People eat meat, I mean a lot of meat. Meat for days
I have only seen 2 cats since I've been here and one of them was dead. I found this odd since there are so many dogs but I've been told that cats are still linked to spiritism and so many African families dont want to have them around.
Most people here are so chill and laid back which is awesome but sometimes communication and planning takes a wayside as well.
Cosmo city although full of drunk guys, rats, trash, stray dogs, and lots of alleyways is not that dangerous. Once again though the chill side to some allows them to go in service by themselves which for me is off the table. I guess a brother was mugged a month or two ago...
KFC is huge here
People DO NOT allow animals inside, they think that's disgusting
At a SA braai (barbeque) they cook so much meat that to hold it all before we eat they literally just throw it into a cooler (or should I say warmer?)
What I wish I would have known:
I wish I would have brought my paper copies of books and brochures because we use our phones/ipads rarely. Which means you have to have your scriptures DOWN no search bar word searching here.
Hot topics for conversation here are soul/spirit, happy family life, and suffering.
I wish I would have brought better shoes and more suntan lotion.
People get up here super early, consistently at 5am but they don't stay up too late either.
Apartheid ended in 1994 meaning it was ILLEGAL to mix up the 3 classified groups of people aka black/white/coloured (coloured is interesting because it covers huge swathes of people, it is also a legit term that is non-offensive) If you ask a local they can tell you based on suburb/town name which group mostly lives there. I've also been told that many white south africans moved to Australia when black south africans began moving into their neighborhoods (head shake). Most people my age didn't really experience the blatant racism of apartheid but older ones definitely did. So race and identity is definitely and interesting topic around here. I am learning that certain things are cultural. Most black families don't drink or drink a lot and in fact I've been told it would be offensive for a child to drink in front of his/her parents (which is the opposite of how I grew up : ) ) and I've learned that soup is not a popular word ; ) And even with in each group there is so much diversity and yes even the white people are different think Afrikaans speaking versus English speaking. To me there is still and vague air of the British colonialism hanging around, especially when you see how white people really are a minority here but white people seem to be in the 'nice' places. Oy Vey. This reminds me of a post I have to write about the zulu word "mlungu" and other funny escapades I've had just out and about.
The rand to the dollar is completely in my favor even around Joburg where it should be more expensive, but certain things are more expensive like butter, cars and especially gas.
Its very dry in this corner of Joburg and my hair once again only looks good when its greasy, amp up the volume!!!
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