It’s the Little Things
When I went to Europe last summer, I could feel the difference the moment I stepped off of the bus. Signs were written in french, the cars seemed smaller, the streets were narrow and cobbled, and architecture looked different. I was nervous going into shops because of the language barrier, and I often didn’t know what to order at restaurants because I couldn’t understand what it was. I was expecting a magnified version of this feeling when I first arrived in South Africa, but it never came.
Of course there are some differences, but they don’t completely surround you. I didn’t feel completely out of my element, and I even thought that I would do just fine traveling alone if it weren’t for safety concerns. Part of this reason was that everyone speaks english, so all of the signs, menus, books, and any other written language is in english. There is a distinct cuisine, Cape Malay food, but there’s also an array of Italian, French, Mexican, and health food restaurants. The same music even plays at the bars. The central square almost reminded me of a smaller Copley Square in Boston.
It’s only when you delve deeper that you understand some of the differences in culture. I wouldn’t necessary call this culture shock – it was gradual and easy to pick up on. There were definitely cultural differences: tax is included in bills and tipping is only 10%, you can’t find iced coffee anywhere, people take their time more when eating meals, South Africans seem to have warmer personalities, and religion is much more widely practiced. But none of this was shocking in a way that stepping into a completely new environment is thought to be.
Some of the things I loved about the culture were very different to ours. The vibrancy and color of the clothing, and the bold style of those donning the garments was absolutely beautiful. The craftsmanship that I saw in markets was unique and very different from anything I could buy in the U.S. The Xhosa language was wonderful to listen to, melodic and almost unpronounceable with my clumsy tongue. All of this was so new to me, and I know I’ll miss these the most when I leave.
