Random Observations From My Day

• I'm taking a course on play therapy techniques every evening this week. The instructor is a woman who is amply qualified in her field, and yet we call her "Tannie Hermien" (Auntie Hermien). I love the hierarchy in the Afrikaans culture. It took me a while to get used to, but there's a lovely juxtaposition of respect and intimacy in calling someone "Auntie", even if they're a complete stranger. Much better than "Professor Hermien."
  
• I drove home late at night, in a Land Rover, shifting gears with my left hand, watching the lightning bolts streak across the sky and listening to South African music. Now I'm listening to the crickets, rain, and rustling of the thorn trees in the wind. Doesn't get much better than that.
• My course was from 17h00 to 21h00. This occurred during normal dinner hours. South Africans, however, don't seem to mind eating at odd times. They will gladly put off eating a meal in order to attend a course or do something more important. Food is not a god for them. I love that about South Africans. They will willingly set aside their own comfort for what they deem more important.