KFC and Calloused Feet

Hey Everyone,

 

Yesterday marked two milestones for our trip.  Since we departed San Diego on October 14, 2008, yesterday marked six months of traveling.  We're only on our second continent and will be here for two more weeks, so we still have a way to go before we get home, but it looks like we are definitely more than half-way through our trip now.  Yesterday also marked four weeks that we've been here in South Africa.  We've visited a lot of cities and towns here and have had a good time overall, but I think both of us are anxious to get moving again to the next stop.  As usual, I've made a few more observations about the people, culture, and country since we've been here over the past month so I'd like to share a few of those with you. 

 

Internet Access:  South Africa has had the most limited internet access of any country we've visited so far.  When we are able to find connections, it's very slow and very expensive and there seems to be little different between the speed and availability in major cities versus small towns.  WI-FI is almost non-existent.  I cannot understand why the country seems to be so far behind in this area.  Even Peru and Bolivia, two of the poorest countries in South America, had reasonable internet access in the places we visited.  But in South Africa, even in the places you would expect to find the best connections, like internet cafes, using the internet is tedious at best.  This would normally not be a big issue; we've traveling after all, not here to spend all day online; but unfortunately, we've had business to take care of and not having internet access has made that difficult.  It's frustrating enough having to file taxes while you're out of the country and living out of a backpack; it's another thing to file taxes online when you don't have a reliable internet connection.

 

Shoes:  We've noticed a lot of people, especially from the Wild Coast to Durban, prefer to go barefoot... all the time.  Not just walking around the hostel or at the beach, but walking to and from the beach or the store, while driving, in all sorts of public places and everywhere else in between.  And it's not just your hippie types in the small towns.  It just seems to be part of the culture, among blacks and whites, to go barefoot whenever possible.  I'm sure it's more comfortable after a while, but when you see what some of the terrain looks like, it's no wonder some of the people we've seen can walk on broken glass and gravel roads without even thinking.

 

Language: This has been one of the most interesting things about South Africa.  The country has 11 official languages.  Most people speak English and may have spoken English since birth, but English for most people is still secondary to whatever primary language they speak.  Among Blacks, Xhosa and Zulu have been the most common in the places we've visited, while Afrikaans has been the most common among Whites.  I have rarely seen to blacks speaking English to each other, whether on the street amongst friends or in a business with strangers.  The same is true among Whites, especially the older Whites.  Occasionally, you will see a Black person and a White person speaking to each other in a language other than English, but that has been rare.  Half the time, when I go into a store or business alone, if the person working is Black, they will speak to me in Xhosa.  As soon as they realize I am not a local, they quickly switch to English... usually.  If Sean and I go out together, to a restaurant for example, even though all the staff has usually been Black, they will always approach us in English. 

 

I like that so many different languages are still spoken in one country and I have always found it important to retain native languages.  It is especially nice to see so many Blacks speaking multiple languages because it's very rare to find back home.  But however great it is, not speaking the language is a constant reminder to myself that I am different and, like our experience in PE, it can also be a liability since it immediately identifies me to others as a tourist.  For whatever reason, it was much easier for me to blend in while in Brazil than it has been here, even before I learned any Portuguese.

 

McDonalds vs KFC:  Unlike everywhere else in the world, McDonalds has not really made inroads here in South Africa.  And like Black people back home, Black people here LOVE their fried chicken.  In South Africa, KFC is KING.  There is a KFC on every corner in the big cities like Cape Town, but even in the small towns like Port St. Johns, with a population of 1500-2000 people, you can still find a KFC.  I'm not a big fan of KFC back home; I prefer Popeye's, but I had been anxious to try KFC here since I first saw one in Cape Town.  I can't remember the last time I had fried chicken, but I waited until we were in Durban and looking for a quick dinner to test it out.  All in all, it was good, not much different than back home.  And the best thing about it was the cost.  I had a special meal deal consisting of a chicken sandwich, an original recipe chicken breast, fries, and mashed potatoes with gravy for about $4 USD. 

 

Cigarettes:  Everyone smokes but no one ever has cigarettes.  Like many places in the world, including back home in San Diego, you can't walk down the street smoking without someone asking you for a cigarette.  The difference here in South Africa is, almost EVERY person you pass will ask you for a cigarette.  On the rare occasion someone does have their own cigarettes, nine times out of ten, they will still ask you for a light.  It's so predictable, it's pathetic.  Granted, at $2.50 a pack, cigarettes here are more expensive than they were anywhere in South America, but remember, this country is not as poor as those in South America, and like my philosophy back home, if you can't afford to buy your own cigarettes, then it should be that much easier to just quit.  Like I said, it happens everywhere, even back in the States, so it wouldn't normally bother me so much.  Unfortunately, that's how the guys who jumped us originally approached me.  Since then, every time someone asks me for a cigarette, I am reminded of the assault, which is painful enough to be reminded of.  But since I'm still here in the same country where I was attacked, anytime a stranger approaches me and asks for a cigarette, I have to ask myself, what will this person do if I say no?  Do they really just want a cigarette or are they sizing me up for some other purpose?  I don't like to think the worst about people, but that is the result of my experience here.  And I only have so many teeth.  I typically don't even smoke anymore when I'm walking down the street, especially if there are other people around.  That has been hard for me since, in a country where you can't smoke indoors, outside is usually the only option.  Yet another reason why I'm ready to move on and leave this country.   

 

That's all for now.

 

Cheers,

Ozell