The Failure of Judging the Culture to Quickly

I was having problems the other day with the iron shutting off the electricity and I was failing in locating the electrical box. I finally decided to ask our neigbor, who I believe manages some of this housing complex, to help me locate it. Him, his wife and daughter have been the friendliest, neighborly people to us since coming here in June. I told Jenny that I would walk over, knock on the door and ask if he couldn't come and help me. Jenny said ok but then said that maybe I ought to call first because they always called to ask permission before coming over. I had noticed that and thought it a little odd as I usually feel comfortable just going up to the door and knocking. Maybe that is the way it is in Jo-burg and so I thought it best to do so.

Hugo was glad to come over and helped me find the box. His wife came by just to say hi since we had not seen her for a better part of the week. Somehow in our conversation they told me that when our directors first moved in the wife would always call them before coming over.

"In fact," she said, "Our custom is just to knock and walk right in. I did that once but the look on Lois's face told me that Canadians may not do that. So we started to call first."

I laughed. What first perceptions we pick up from the places we visit can be so skewed. I told her that I would have no problem walking over an knocking, though for Americans and Canadians, if someone just walked right into the house, it may seem a little strange."

So we now find it no problem to walk up and knock on the door.

Our Friends with Nadia

Friendliness
I have now been in Johannesburg for two months and it has been a pleasant experience. I have found people to be quite friendly here even though Josie or Jo-burg as it is called locally is a metropolitan area of 10-12 million people. I was told that Soweto alone has about 2-3 million people alone. Most people know Jo-burg to have a reputation of being quite dangerous but whatever that has been in the bast, the consensus here is that it has improved and is definitely blown out of proportion. I would be just as fearful walking in Philadelphia, L.A. or Chicago as here. Of course it all depends on where you are in the city and street smarts is always important. However, I am actually more nervous in Beira at night then I am in Jo-burg and I actually was held up at knife point in Capetown, so this feels quite safe to me.

Anyway, I was not writing to create fear or determine which city is safest in the world but to write about the friendliness her in such a large metropolitan area, which I have not found in our North American Cities. I might add that the friendliness has been throughout, regardless of the people from different backgrounds and ethnic groups here in the city. People always ask how I am in the store with a smile and people will smile and chat if you talk to them.

Yesterday, I was walking back from our directors to the guesthouse and I realized that I have gotten used to purposefully not looking at people I pass on the street since living in Denver so as not to disturb their private space or make them uncomfortable with my smile or "hi". Or maybe it is just street smarts of protecting oneself. In Mozambique, if eye contact is made, dozens of people will try to sell you something, or comment on your white-ness, call you their friend and try to sell you something or ask you for something. how you really want to do something for something. It is easier to not look them in the eye then to dissappoint them in the end. Anyhow, I happened to glance up at a young woman as I passed. Her beautiful dark face broke into smile and she said, "Hello". It felt so good to be recognized and I smiled back and said, "hi" as well. Maybe it was the surpirse of it, or the pleasant face, but I thought about it all the way back to the guesthouse. It is what the world needs, a few more pleasant faces and friendly "hellos".

Kick'n up the feet

Nadia's doing well and there are some more pictures on Flickr for those interested.