My
stay with Auntie Harriet and her family in Ocean View was such an enriching
experience. I was admittedly pretty nervous about joining a new family for
three days. Each family has a different dynamic that has been carefully
formulated throughout their years of living together. Would Ava and I be
intruders into their lives and specific set up? Luckily we were welcomed into
the family seamlessly. This shouldn’t have been a surprise for we were told
countless times that our host families were so excited to have us and that we
would be enveloped in their families the second we walked in the door. This was
so true as Auntie Harriet greeted us with a motherly hug and warm
introductions. She immediately made us feel right at home in the typical South
African fashion I am still getting used to.
One
thing that Ava and I learned as the weekend progressed is how important family
care is in the culture. All weekend different babies were dropped off at the
house and welcomed in for the day to be taken care of, whether from a family
friend or sibling or aunt or uncle. Children are constantly being nurtured and
taken care of, something we got to take part in. Another cultural difference,
for many of us staying in Ocean View, was how much soda the community drink
instead of water. This was an adjustment throughout the weekend but it has also
inspired an activism project that a few of us are really excited about that
will focus on awareness of the health benefits of water.
The
highlights of the weekend were working in the Creche and having a Braai.
Working at the kindergarten, while very tiring, was also so rewarding. It was
awesome to see how happy the kids were to celebrate Valentine’s Day and see the
animals at the farm. In between some disciplinary action, guarding toddlers
from the main road and relieving tired feet, there were some fun moments
connecting with kids from another culture and a different world entirely.
The
Braai was so much fun meeting family and friends of the family, especially
friends of one of the daughters because it was her 16th birthday
over the weekend. Ava and I had forgotten what it was like living in the
judgmental world of 16 year olds because nobody would dance out of
embarrassment, despite our best efforts to convince them. The adults had a
great time eating, dancing and bonding. Something that I learned about the
Ocean View community is that doors are constantly open to neighbors. A small
girl next door ventured over after hearing the festivities of the Braai. She
soon became very excited to introduce us to her mom and her family who welcomed
us into their home as a five-year girl brought two strangers by the hand into
the house. We made some welcoming and warm friends and eventually had to
venture back to our temporary home. Thinking about how taboo this action would
have been in the United States is pretty comical because it felt so natural to
play with a little girl and she asked us to meet her family. Reflecting on it,
something like that would be so rare back home. Overall, it was a weekend of
fun, lessons and meeting, without question, the kindest people in the world.
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