When in Rome...

Do as the South Africans do (some things I have learned along the way):
1. Generations, the favorite TV drama here (watched nightly), makes me long for shows such as the Jersey Shore and the Real World which feature a much higher quality of acting and a scintillating plot line in comparison.
2. Hot Chilies often harbor themselves in such delicacies as briyani and should NEVER be ingested whole (or suffer thereafter).
3. One cannot sit in door frames, not as an issue of comfort, but because the ancestors need space to enter and exit the house. Aside: one should never assume the former and argue with one’s mama that sitting in the door frame is quite pleasing and comfortable.
4. Screaming when you see a cockroach leads to excessive teasing and fits of laughter.
5. Women should not drive, date or drink beer therefore speaking about any of the above merits shocked looks and perpetuates notions of a loose American culture.
6. The president, as a member of the ANC, will always be loved. This holds true even through reputable reports of infidelity, 20+ children (some out of wedlock), and dry, empty promises made during state of the union speeches. A note: I truly miss listening to our lovely president eloquently speak of country politics and appreciate his ability to memorize his own speeches and never read the word “pause” in front of the nation.
7. Open-faced cellphones that require number lock and only feature the colors black and orange are very trendy among foreign students. Locally, it is hip to have higher-tech phones that broadcast the radio (just in case the TV and main house radio are not providing enough noise).
8. Bandwidth does not only describe the limitation to a successful 4-way video chat on Macs, but is purchased in units and conserved accordingly. Programs such as Skype and Youtube require a lot of it and are taboo in most places ( One can get around said limitation by using Skype from one’s ipod touch at an internet café as ipod touches are easily disguised as iphones in such instances and thus, talking into one is culturally appropriate).
9. It is imparative that one's underware is washed by hand, daily and then hung on the line to dry, otherwise people will think you are a dirty person. What i have learned is that American's have much more elaborately decorated underware that is much more embarassing to hang out on the line.


(Finally, some pictures!)