This place was BEAUTIFUL. The air was so clean and fresh. I have never seen so much green space in my life. The people there were too friendly for handshakes. Hugs instead. We had the privilege to attend a Zulu wedding. How cool is that? Dancing, singing, vuvuzelas, fellowship- a most excellent experience.
After attending the reception, I must say that I am extremely happy that meat is not a part of my diet. A tied up goat greeted us at the entrance. Poor little guy. The men carried around slabs of slaughtered animal to be cooked over open fire. The dead animal was not exactly handled in the most sanitary matter. Again, a proud moment for a vegetarian.
The students with whom we worked were AMAZING. Shy, at first, but who wouldnt be in such a situation? Their mother tongue is Zulu, and their English is far from perfect. Speaking to us was intimidating, but speaking to us in English was really intimidating. As we spent time together, we all started to overcome the language barrier and had the privilege to learn all sorts of things from each other. Many of these students live in what we would call highly difficult situations, yet they were SO HAPPY to be at this camp and to be hanging out with us. I have no doubt that we (the Americans) learned much more about South African life and society, and life in general, than we could have anywhere else in any other situation. Students who are as eager to learn as these kids were are far better teachers than textbooks and scholarly articles.
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