I know I’m in the Eastern Cape when…
I hear this kind of announcement on the National News: “The tax return deadline will be extended by at least 2 weeks, due to the tendency of South African’s of leaving things to the last minute”.
I see a sign picturing a cow that reads: “Stray Animals—next 150 km”
Crowds of hitch-hikers stand next to the “No Hitch-Hiking” sign; piles of garbage are next to the “No Dumping” sign.
During morning prayer, I hear a commotion nearby and look up to see a huge pig race by squeeling, chased by 3 men with 6 barking dogs at their heels. Prayer goes on as if nothing out of the ordinary is happening…(I later find out that they caught the pig and butchered it).
I enter the preschool and notice that one of the teachers is sitting with a towel on her lap and her skirt and needle and thread in hand. What better time to do mending than the present!
The entrance to the airport has rumble strips to prevent cows from wandering onto the runway and impeding take-off.
Saying “now” doesn’t tell you very much. Instead, “now-now” indicates the immediate future, while “just now” means later. Confusing!
Distance estimations can’t be trusted. A sample conversation I’ve had:
“So the turn off is just up ahead?”
“Yes, yes, very close. Just there.” (points ahead)
20 minutes later, we reach the turn off.
Fellowship group potluck is scheduled to start at “6:00 for 6:30”. Arriving at 6:30 not only made us the first guests to arrive, but also meant that the hosts were not even home yet.
These are just a few things that ensure Mthatha is never a dull place to live!
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2 comments:
this made me laugh. the time thing must be frustrating for you, although it sounds like you are aclimatizing to your situation
LOVE IT! Much of it sounds like Paraguay. Claire, once you´re able to identify these cultural tendencies, do you find yourself able to roll with them more easily?
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