Emily Grose on the mountain top
I cannot believe we have been here for over five weeks, and while I have learned so much and so glad I chose to come to Cape Town, I do think I should take some time to reflect on the challenges I have faced thus far. In our pre-departure course, we talked with students who participated in the program last year and they explained one of the challenges they faced was with the language. While almost everyone spoke English, it was usually the second language of people they worked with. I must admit I brushed these comments aside, thinking that if most people spoke English, then it can’t be that big of a deal.
However, I learned quickly that both the language and culture of the people I work with are very different from my own, and adjusting and opening myself to a completely different environment has probably been the biggest challenge I have faced since arriving. Michelle and I work at Olive Leaf Foundation in Khayelitsha, one of the biggest townships in the country, populated by predominantly Xhosa speaking people. I remember sitting in the office the first day with people all around me laughing and chatting away in Xhosa, and only speaking English when Michelle or I asked them a question directly. I have never really been in a situation before where I am aware people are probably talking about me but have no idea what is going on and cannot begin to comprehend what they are saying. I felt uncomfortable and for a second questioned if I should have chosen an internship at a place where communicating would not be such a large barrier.
After the first day, Michelle and I quickly learned that if we initiated conversation and made an effort to talk to our coworkers, they were more likely to take interest and talk to us. The huge difference in accents between people living in Khayelitsha and people living in Connecticut makes talking in English a challenge as well, but once both sides learned to talk slowly, we finally could start to get to know each other. Some of my coworkers have explained to me that if someone keeps to themselves, then they remain quiet but if someone takes interest in getting to know them, they are willing to share their life story. Whenever Michelle or I have engaged in conversation with people, we have learned about their families, their childhood and their greatest struggles. I have found that hearing our coworkers’ stories and thoughts about the problems the townships face has been the most informative and interesting part of going to our internship.
Another component to being accepted into the community is to learn some Xhosa. Xhosa is a language with includes several different clicks, which are incredibly difficult to pick up if you have not grown up around the language. When our whole group began to learn about the clicks during orientation we were determined to say them correctly. Imagine a huge van driving around during the first week full of 15 college kids trying their hardest to pronounce the clicks of the language by trying to push air out between their tongue and teeth every way possible – I never appreciated silence so much after those rides. However, I am still practicing and every time I try to say something with a click at work, a chorus of laughter undoubtedly will follow. I have accepted that I will be laughed at on a regular basis, but making the effort to speak in Xhosa is greatly appreciated by our coworkers, and helps show them that I am trying to understand and fit in with their culture.
Besides the language, another aspect of the township culture that I have had some trouble adjusting to is the food that everyone eats. Michelle and I were spending time visiting one of the clinics during the first week and the guys who worked there told us that we had to experience the townships and their cuisine and we would not really know the area until we tried a “smiley”. I asked what a “smiley” was and one of the men explained that it was a sheep’s head, and the eyeballs and tongue were considered the best parts, almost delicacies in the culture. I double checked to make sure they were not joking, and I must have not been able to disguise my look of horror and disgust, as they all erupted in laughter. They all remind me on a daily basis that I am going to try “smiley”, and since then sheep stomach, sheep feet, chicken feet and sour milk have been added to the list of things I must sample. I have to remind myself every time I see someone eating one of these foods that I am in a different country on a different continent and that these foods are favorites among the majority of many of the people here; they probably would think that fruit rollups, Krispy Kreme doughnuts and much of the health food America eats are utterly disgusting. Last week, I decided that I will try one bite of whatever they serve me, because even though I come from a culture that thinks sheep head would be appalling to eat, there are so many other cultures and populations out there and I can try my best to respect these differences. Who knows, I might really enjoy whatever I taste. So yes, Mom and Dad, ask me when you come and visit if I have munched down on chicken feet, because the answer will probably be yes (this is coming from the girl who would refuse to eat 5 green peas as a teenager).
I come home exhausted from my internship not because I am running around all day, but because I constantly have to be alert and “on” paying close attention to what people are trying to say and absorbing all the differences that I see and experience everyday. I have had many moments of discomfort and awkwardness, and spend lots of time smiling and nodding while thinking in my head that I hope I am understanding what people are saying or else I will truly look like an idiot in a second. I often get frustrated when I have no idea what is going on or when I cannot communicate what I am trying to say, but as I reflect on my time in Khayelitsha, I am really glad I have had this experience. I think that I am becoming someone who is more aware of differences between people and cultures and the challenges and importance of understanding these differences in order to communicate and get along with each other.
View of Khayelitsha
