I am embarrassed to admit that I forgot today was Thanksgiving (my favourite American holiday, no less!). I forgot because here in South Africa, I had to go to work and the kids had to go to school. It is not a holiday here, so life continues as normal.When we first moved here, we had so much to learn and we wanted to fit in. Now that we've been here one year, we still want to learn and fit in, but we also don't want to completely lose our cultural identity. How much of the South African culture do we adopt? How much of our American culture do we maintain? Finding that balance is, right now, difficult.
3 comments:
Hi, I stumbled accross your blog (can you say that... English is not my first language ;)) trying to find a picture of "School uniform in SA" to show my Canadian friends who were having lunch with me today. THey can still not believe that we went to school dressed like that... I am a South African, living in North AMerica, Canada to be exact, for nine years already.
I could do nothing but smile at your blog... I can only imagine... only imagine... I read so many things that is the exact mirror image experience of mine.. like my beautiful spring birthday in beginning september, when all the blossoms are out... that turned into a Fall birthday... something about that is just wrong isnt it? Not to MENTION the pizza dilemma, or driving on the wrong side of the road....
Can you imagine the frown you get when you ask for "monkey gland sauce" in Canada???
Anyway, I will read your blog when I get time. I have little kids, so I dont have a ton of spare time..nonetheless...
it is great to read it all... after nine years, everything is still so painfully familiar.. even though i am now a mother of two Canadian children, who ski and ice skate, and smiles about the same things you smile about when we visit SA...
Nice to meet you.
I am curious to see how your journey unfolds. What a blessing to know that you are in Gods will for your life. Many days that is all that keeps one going when home is just a whole world away. And some days, it simply is.
Certain things get easier... certain things get harder... and certain things just never ever change.
Right now, I would give anything to have JAcaranda flowers on my October pictures...or have tea (poured from a teapot) and melktert and koeksisters with my mom or some girlfriends... listening to everyones stories and jokes, and just feeling that warm africa sun on my skin... smelling the earth after a thunder storm.
Blessings to you from North America..
A South African in Canada
Oh... I can totally empathize with you!! Yes, I can only imagine the looks you must have received when asking for Monkey Gland Sauce in Canada! Can I send you some?
You are a beautiful writer.. you should start a blog as well! I loved what you wrote about the melktert and koeksisters, and smelling the earth after a thunderstorm. We have grown to love the South African thunderstorms.
And you are so right that it is God's will that keeps us going, and that sometimes that is all we have to hold onto.
Blessings to you in Canada. Geniet die dag!
Hello! I also stumbled onto your blog, and all of your posts warm my heart. Many of them, especially this one, relate to many of my new experiences as I also learn to be an American-African.
I am a Texan, and recently moved to Pretoria, South Africa this past August. I married an Afrikaans South African in March, and even though we have been in a relationship for almost 5 years, and I have visited South Africa many times, I still find myself stumbling around like a stranger and trying to 'fit in'.
A part of me doesn't want to 'fit in', because that means sacrificing pieces of my personality that make me, me. Do I really have to say all of the funny words? Bum, plaster, robot, bonnet, boot, and serviette to name a few. I feel so silly! But the looks I get when I ask politely for a napkin, are even sillier. I am on the verge of continual social annoyance. Everyday social interaction with the South African culture is intensely different than the 'southern charm' that is part of my heart. 98% of the time I feel like the outsider, the other 2% I feel like a traitor to my true self.
My favorite holiday is also Thanksgiving, and this past year I wasn't going to miss it just because I was in another hemisphere. It was slightly different, I arranged it to be on a Saturday instead of the traditional Thursday, but somehow I was still able to maintain the same atmosphere. I found a (smallish) turkey, made stuffing, giblet gravy, and I found REAL, orange, sweet potatoes and made sweet potato casserole. I had to separate the white marshmallows from the pink ones, couldn't find anything similar to Kayro corn syrup to make a pecan pie, and when I opened the can of "mushroom soup" I decided that a greenbean casserole was not going to be possible, aside from the fact that finding French's fried onions is just as probable as finding Crisco shortening.
I have however learned to make some South African versions of Texas home cooking. You can use polenta for corn meal to make cornbread, and WoodenSpoon vegetable fat for Crisco Shortening to make tortillas. If you would like any recipes, please let me know. I have gotten along with cornbread and chilli, chicken and dumplings, real BBQ sauce, and a variety of mexican food such as enchiladas, spanish rice, refried and ranchero beans, quesadillas, and even real fajita tacos. If you know where I could find tomatillos to make a enchiladas verde con pollo, that would complete my southern culinary withdrawls!
So far, I have learned to enjoy the never-ending cups of coffee and tolerate AllGold, but I doubt I will ever get over my aversion to long-life milk.
Blessings from a similar heart,
Victoria Dühring
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