Today marks my one month anniversary away from the States. While there are some very large differences in culture between the States and South Africa, I have found that the little day-to-day unspoken rules and nuances have had a greater affect on me. I have soooooooo much more to learn about that many cultures here, but I thought I would share some of the small differences I have discovered so far:
BARE FEET: It is perfectly acceptable to go into stores, malls, petrol stations, and restaurants without shoes. While I love being barefoot, it still catches me off guard to see a man walking out of the grocery store with no shoes on, or glance over at the person next to me in Wimpys (a popular restaurant similar to a Denny's) and see their toes wiggling around.
(Ironically though, we did get stopped while trying to enter a dodgy bar because one of the guys had sandals on. Go figure.)
GREETINGS: In Afrikaans culture it is very rude to not greet someone the first time you see them each day. In the mornings you must greet each individual person the first time you see them. Also if you visit their home, each member of the family will stop what they are doing to come greet you. When you leave you must say farewell to each family member and the entire family will walk you to your car and wave goodbye as you drive away. So many 'good mornings,' 'hello's,' and 'goodbye's'!
MEAT: Meat, meat, and more meat! I feel like I have eaten an entire family of cows already. They love to braai (which is similar to a barbecue). I have had at least two braai meals each week since I have been here. They will eat red meat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And one of the popular snacks is Biltong which is similar to jerky but better.
ANIMALS: Only in Africa can you get an Ostrich at an animal shelter! Last week, a group of us went to the animal shelter to get a new dog for campus. I was so shocked to see that you could adopt not only just dogs and cats but also an Ostrich!
