The Best Taxi Ride. Ever.

A couple of weeks ago I had spent the day in Turfloop at the university and grocery shopping. On my way to the spot I catch a taxi, a friend of mine greeted me and accompanied me to the taxi and helped carry some of my groceries. Once I reached the taxi, I greeted those already sitting in the taxi (the kombis don’t leave until all of the seats are filled). Nearly everyone quickly responded saying hello and asking me how I was doing, in Sepedi of course! As I had a several ags of groceries, the ladies in the front few rows helped me load them into the kombi and made room for me to sit next to them. They quickly began asking me questions. What is your name? Where are you from? Do you eat pap? What are you doing here?

Their questions eventually ceased as I answered them all. One lady then said, “I saw you at the funeral Saturday.” Next thing I knew, I was being bombarded by each person telling me where they have seen me before, church, funerals, playing soccer, riding the taxi, in the grocery store, at the clinic, working at the crèche, etc. I was astonished to hear how many places these ladies had seen me, especially since I did not recognize any of them. The ladies were excited to tell me all the places they had seen me, almost like they were bragging to the other women. It felt great knowing they were recognizing me, that although they did not know me personally, they still knew me.

One of the best things about the YAGM program is their focus on simply being in your site. We do not dwell on what each individual volunteer is doing, rather on having a presence in the community. Through this kombi experience, I have realized just how important it is to merely be here. I am having an effect on the community without needing to do anything specific.
Participating in local events and activities has proven to be a great way to be involved with the community.

For most of the taxi ride, the women continued asking me questions and talking with me, it was great. They really enjoyed it when I would speak the little Sepedi that I have learned. I felt like I was a child learning to walk and my parents were cheering me on, only I just met my parents! Then the taxi pulled over in front of another taxi. They said those going to Ga Mailula and Masealama need to get out and go to the other taxi. The ladies translated that for me and then helped me gather my bags, assisting me to the other kombi. When I entered this taxi, those inside were not as friendly to me. From what I understood, some of the girls were making fun of me. However, my newly made friends from the first taxi stood up for me and had a few words with those girls, their comments and giggles soon came to a halt! As each lady departed to the taxi along the way to Masealama, they told me, “goodbye friend, until next time.” When I reached home, I had a large smile across my face. That was the best taxi ride to date!

"Fall" Colors

It was just Halloween, but it sure didn’t feel like it. Not because nobody in Masealama nor Turfloop, nor probably the entire province of Limpopo for that matter, was dressed for the occasion. Instead, it did not feel like Halloween simply because of the landscape, rather than changing from colors of green to the beautiful earthy reds, oranges, yellows, and eventually to brown, the colors are shifting from brown to green. Some of the trees are starting to bud, producing beautiful purple flowers, and every kind of fruit you can imagine. The brown grasses are now green. People are planting their crops and tending to their fields. Nor did I see a single carved jack-o’-lantern! This is a very odd feeling for me. Hearing, knowing, that the leaves are changing back at home, Denver has received snow just days after having 80 degree weather, and the east coast having power shortages due to mass amounts of snow does not make sense to me. It’s hot out.

I know it is now November. I know that it should be fall. I know that it was just Halloween, Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and Christmas is coming. But it sure doesn’t feel like any of this is true. The only thing that feels like this is the case is seeing Christmas decorations up in the grocery stores. In fact, they put them up much earlier than in the states. I saw them decorating the Shoprite in Polokwane nearly a month ago! Provided they do not recognize Halloween or Thanksgiving as holidays here in South Africa, so their next holiday is Christmas, but nearly three months in advance? Come on. It has always bothered when stores in America dress up their aisles for the next holiday the day after the previous holiday concluded, but I guess it makes me feel a bit more at home here when they decorate for the coming Christmas early too.

The next few months are going to be a bit strange for me. I imagine the intensifying heat and lack of snow in November and December will be the hardest things for me to wrap my mind around. It’s not that I don’t understand that I am in the Southern Hemisphere and the weather is opposite of what is back at home, but my mind and body have come to expect these changes to occur. None the less, I believe it will be a good experience for me to have. It will be fun to see the different ways the people of Masealama celebrate the birth of Jesus. I am excited to be involved with their traditions and share with them a bit of my own. After all, I don’t think Christmas is about freezing your butt off or having snow on the ground, rather it is celebrating the birth of the Son of God, the greatest gift of them all. And last time I checked, Bethlehem doesn’t have snow in December either.

I don’t suppose I’ll be attending any ugly sweater festivities this year…