South Africa in general
A few random thoughts about South Africa….
They can turn anything into a job. The parking attendants in parking lots who tell you where to park and watch your cars for you, the attendants at petrol stations (you NEVER pump your own gas here), the waitresses in virtually every coffee shop or restaurant (it’s very very rare to get something to go), the maids that everyone has come clean their house, and even the people selling things like purses, rugby jerseys, and trash bags at the stoplights in town.
The one thing that I regret about the trip to Cape Town is that everything was so structured and “tourist-y.” It was very cool to meet people from all over the world on our tours and waiting in the queues, but my most treasured experiences in South Africa have been the most authentic ones: hiking down the Robberg Peninsula in Plett, visiting the township school with a teacher, and hanging out with friends at the braais.
The differences between a South African braai and an American barbeque: First, the obvious difference: you light a fire using wood with a pile of coals underneath, and after a while, you push the wood aside to use the hot coals to cook your food. Also, whereas a barbeque is usually a mid-afternoon event, braais don’t begin until about 7 or 8, and you may not cook your food until 10 0r 11 (I heard horror stories from Tess about not eating until 1 AM). In South Africa, the host will usually provide the side salads and chips, while the guests bring their own meat, while in America, the host provides the meat and guests bring the sides.
When driving, people pass all the time, whether or not the dotted line in the middle of the road says you can. Even scarier, when someone wants to pass (or as they say here, overtake) you, you have to pull onto the shoulder so they can get by without going into the other lane. Slightly scary when there’s oncoming traffic. However, it is a civilized society: they have cameras mounted on poles, that records your speed and takes your picture if you’re speeding. A week or two later, you’ll get a ticket in the mail.
What really makes me laugh here is the way of pronouncing words. For example: Weber grills are “wee-ber,” a road is a “root” instead of a “route,” making computer network routers called “root-ers.” Dem had us American girls in giggles with his pronunciation on the Cape Town trip.
They can turn anything into a job. The parking attendants in parking lots who tell you where to park and watch your cars for you, the attendants at petrol stations (you NEVER pump your own gas here), the waitresses in virtually every coffee shop or restaurant (it’s very very rare to get something to go), the maids that everyone has come clean their house, and even the people selling things like purses, rugby jerseys, and trash bags at the stoplights in town.
The one thing that I regret about the trip to Cape Town is that everything was so structured and “tourist-y.” It was very cool to meet people from all over the world on our tours and waiting in the queues, but my most treasured experiences in South Africa have been the most authentic ones: hiking down the Robberg Peninsula in Plett, visiting the township school with a teacher, and hanging out with friends at the braais.
The differences between a South African braai and an American barbeque: First, the obvious difference: you light a fire using wood with a pile of coals underneath, and after a while, you push the wood aside to use the hot coals to cook your food. Also, whereas a barbeque is usually a mid-afternoon event, braais don’t begin until about 7 or 8, and you may not cook your food until 10 0r 11 (I heard horror stories from Tess about not eating until 1 AM). In South Africa, the host will usually provide the side salads and chips, while the guests bring their own meat, while in America, the host provides the meat and guests bring the sides.
When driving, people pass all the time, whether or not the dotted line in the middle of the road says you can. Even scarier, when someone wants to pass (or as they say here, overtake) you, you have to pull onto the shoulder so they can get by without going into the other lane. Slightly scary when there’s oncoming traffic. However, it is a civilized society: they have cameras mounted on poles, that records your speed and takes your picture if you’re speeding. A week or two later, you’ll get a ticket in the mail.
What really makes me laugh here is the way of pronouncing words. For example: Weber grills are “wee-ber,” a road is a “root” instead of a “route,” making computer network routers called “root-ers.” Dem had us American girls in giggles with his pronunciation on the Cape Town trip.
posted by Katie | 12:56 AM
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