This post is titled as such because one of the other girls on the trip got attacked by bed bugs. And no that is not an understatement... So, here, the phrase "don't let the bed bugs bite" is actually very applicable to our lives and something that, growing up in the US, we are not used to having to take literally.
Anyways, now that I’m settled in my homestay I don’t think I
need to recount to you all the little details of my day, so instead, I think
today I will go into a little more detail about what life is like here and
about the people I have met so far. Sorry if it’s a little disorganized ---
This trip is definitely going to be one with a lot of
personal growth. So far I’d have to say most of my personal growth has been in
regards to food. Sadly enough I eat a more balanced diet here in South Africa
than I do at home. Each day for dinner I some form of rice or starch, potatoes
(regular or sweet), salad (their definition of salad dressing is essentially
watered down mayonnaise), some form of meat, beets, and some sort of bean
concoction with other veggies mixed in. That being said, I have had to overcome
man of my food preferences here. First, I now can palate beets – I hate to say
it but by the end of my stay I may even like them! Second, I have had to
overcome my hatred for eating meat off of a bone, for that is the only way meat
is served here. Thanks to demonstration and instruction from my sister I have
now gotten much better at picking almost every piece of edible meat-like
substance from the bones. And third, I have gotten over my aversion to
strangely textured things. I guess a fourth point is that my stomach has also
overcome the large portions by expanding to accommodate the large amount of
food that is put in front of me for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All I have to
say is it’s a good thing I spend so much time running around with the kids…
Speaking of the children, most of them are adorable and lots
of fun. There are a handful of them that have an evil side, even they look cute
at first glance. My sister, Smu, runs the town. She’s always got my back and
always says “if you mess with her, you have to go through me first.” In the
picture above, My sister is in the middle. To her left is Nandi, one of her
friends who lives down the street (and is Elise’s sister). On her right is
Katie’s sister Rato, who also lives nearby, and in the front is one of Ratos
sister (I’m not sure of her name). All of the girls have such attitude. They
love to sing (especially beyonce and high school musical) and dance. They try
to teach me, but unlike the Zulu dances, these dance moves require a little bit
more coordination, and they end up laughing at my failed attempts. They have
performed Zulu dances and church songs for us, all of which have been very
impressive. They also love to play with our hair. They attempt to braid it, but
its so silky that the braids don’t stay in. Nonetheless, they could do our hair
for HOURS (and do).
The boys are a little rougher. They like to race us, play
tag, soccer, beat us up – you know, the usual. There is one boy, Spe
(pronounced spay), and he can be the cutest and sweetest
boy, but will all the sudden turn on you and punch you, and he doesn’t take it
easy, either. They taught us how to play a game called gate keeper, which is
somewhat like fishy fishy cross my ocean, but with more running involve.
Regardless of gender, they all love to give and receive hugs, get shoulder
rides and piggy backs, and just generally be picked up or sit in our laps. When
we walk to or from our houses or the playing field we each have at least three
children around us (one on our backs and one on each hand); however, most of
the time the number is much greater. Coming home from school to this welcoming
committee has definitely helped to make me feel more welcome in the community.
All the little kids wave at us and want to play, and since I loveeeee kids, it
has been one of the highlights of my trip
This brings me to another area of personal growth -- cleanliness. Now, most of you know that I don't shower every day. Surprisingly I bathe every day here! haha I just don't wash my hair everyday because it is extremely difficult without an actual shower, with the amount of water I am given, and with how dirty the water gets after watching my face and body. Essentially you have to choose one or the other -- or deal with using dirty water. Anyways, I guess that wasn't too much of an adjustment, but dealing with the filth of the kids, the maybe not so clean dishes, and lack of soap has been an interesting adjustment. Some of the kids are very clean, especially the older ones -- however these aren't the kids that are climbing all over you. The little ones tend to smell slightly like poop, have dirt everywhere, and food remnants on their faces. Don't get me wrong, they are adorable, but they are dirty. I still play with them though, telling myself "it won't kill you." I think my immune system is probably getting better from the exposure! I try not to think about how much dirt and snot I have received from the kids or what is living under my nails or how the dishes are essentially just rinsed when they say "washed." If you worry about germs here, you will definitely go crazy.
I’m sure I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again – this
trip has definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. I’ve had to get much
better at interacting with strangers and putting myself into uncomfortable
situations. That being said, I also feel at home here, even after just a week
and a half. Its probably partically because I’m surrounded by children, but
there is also a sense of minimalism, community, and freedom here that you don’t
find much in the US. Everybody knows everybody and everybody says hi to
everybody and most of all everybody is so open. There are just enough
boundaries to maintain one’s own personal space, but people are free to come
and go. Yet its not a free for all or chaos. For the most part people respect
each others property and boundaries. It is this balance of respect and freedom
that makes their community and culture so unique, and I really feel like the life style fits my personality, interests, and beliefs.
Oh! And I finallyyyyy met my older brother! He is in law
school and living in Chesterville right now, which is essentially the next town
over. He comes over most nights to say hi to my Mama, who I believe is his Gogo
(granny). He is very nice, and speaks very good English, which helps when
trying to ask him questions about South Africa.
I'll leave it at that for now since this turned into a much longer post than I had planned on. We are starting to get into our actual lectures and discussions on the problems that South Africa faces as a nation and a relatively new democracy. I'll try to share some thoughts about what I've learned in my next post!
Miss you all!
-Andrea
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