6 Courses That Didn’t Prep Me for Teaching in Africa

Who can describe the character Gilbert for me?”

Silence…

“Well, he’s British, educated, admired by the people, and deeply committed to the well-being of his community.”

More silence…

Dare to Wear Shorts

“Howzit?”

This is the most common greeting I’ve heard here in South Africa, short for “how is it?” It is said in passing to strangers, to friends, texted, scrawled on bathroom walls. Often it is followed by, what’s your name, where are you from, what year are you? And, much to my surprise, “Can I visit you at your residence?”

Call me crazy, but I’m not comfortable having someone whose name I barely know over to my room. But that’s just a cultural difference – while Americans enjoy and guard their privacy, South Africans are much more willing to open their homes to anyone. I’ve seen this in other situations as well; after only half an hour of talking to the manager of a local restaurant, she invited us to her home and was planning weekend trips for us, volunteering her son as our tour guide.