16 Months of Learning

1) I’ve found that I’ve adjusted completed to the slower pace of life, frequently dubbed “Africa Time” that is present in most of South Africa. In a lot of ways this has helped me better integrate into my community because I am in tune with the schedule of goings-on. However, my succumbing to “Africa Time” has it’s downsides. For instance, my counterparts were eager to start a new Zazi club. I happily agreed and we discussed some details and then we went about our days. I wholeheartedly expected to have at least two or three more of these casual discussions of the program before we got anything moving, so I was shocked when two days later my counterparts approached me and told me they were starting sessions the following Monday, only 4 days away. I had to scramble to get them supplies and documents for the program and it was nobodies fault but my own.

2) I am almost positive that every single PCV who has ever served has developed the same expression. It carries no real emotion, just an appreciation of whatever is going on and your utter lack of surprise at it. I can only describe it as the Barack Obama “Not Bad” meme, coupled with “Yep” instead.

Taxi breaks down? Yep.

Waitress teaches you how to eat ethnic food by sampling what she just brought you? Yep.

Nobody shows up for your event? Yep.

Someone calls you Lekgowa (white person), even though you know they know your real name? Yep.

Someone calls you fat (a compliment in South Africa) after you get back from the capital? Yep.

3) My ability to speak Sepedi has greatly increased over the past year. I frequently find myself speaking Sepedi without realizing it, or without first having to translate in my head. Having never studied another language as intently, I am really fascinated by the brain’s ability to tie words from different languages together so tightly that translation isn’t needed. There is still work to be done though. My grammar is atrocious and I weasel my way out of speaking in certain tenses (Past Negative) by piecing together from what I am comfortable with.

 4) Whether I am speaking in English or Sepedi, I have learned to use hand gestures for almost everything. It helps to prevent the inevitable, “what?” when someone didn’t exactly understand me, or I was speaking a little too fast in English.

5) Long Distance Travel has taken on a whole new meaning for me. Back in The States, the 6-7 hour drive from MA to MD was about the worst I would usually deal with. Now, I find it lucky that the taxi home from my shopping town only took 1h50min, or that I made it to Pretoria in less than 9 hours. Taxi travel has its upside: yes the gas is much cheaper. However I dream about having my car back. That six-hour journey from MA to MD is going to seem like nothing when I return. Why? Because I can stop when I want. I can listen to the music I want. And most importantly, when it is hot enough to bake bread in my car, I can turn on the A/C or even roll down the windows.