From March 2nd to March 5th, my fellow co-educators
and I had our homestay experience in Ocean view. I had relatively high
expectations going into the weekend since many former students said that the
homestay was one of their favorite weekends during their time in South Africa.
I also had a lot of questions in my mind, such as what the typical day for a
South African family looks like, what traditions my host family might have, and
if there would be any big cultural differences between us.
Shona and I were roommates for the weekend, and our
host mom was Auntie Harriet. Auntie Harriet has a husband whose name is Edmund,
and 18-year old daughter named Celestine, and two sons who aren’t living at
home anymore because they’re married. When Shona and I arrived on Thursday we
sat around and got to know the family a little bit. Edmund was immersed in a
popular Afrikaans soap opera, which he seemed to know a lot about. One aspect I
immediately noticed is how accommodating my host family was. As soon as we
arrived, they seemed very concerned with making sure that we were comfortable,
which was very kind. The first night went well, however; there was one instance
that threw me off a bit. On our first night, Auntie Harriet was talking to
Shona and I about past guests they’ve hosted from other universities and
programs, and she was telling us various things previous guests did that
bothered her. This made me slightly uncomfortable because it was one of the
first conversations we had with Auntie Harriet, however; it wasn’t a big deal
overall.
On Friday morning we helped out at a local crèche,
which I was looking forward to because I worked with the same age of children
when I was a camp counselor. It was interesting to see the differences between
the crèche in Ocean view, the one near my internship in Khayelitsha, and the pre-schools
back home. The crèche in Ocean View had many more resources than the one in
Khayelitsha, but fewer than the ones I’ve seen in the United States. As I was
helping out that morning, I kept thinking about the children at the crèche near
my internship, and how I wish they at least had the same resources as the
crèche in Ocean View. In the afternoon we went to the beach with a group of
children from the community. At the beach we played various games, had a
sandcastle competition, and got to know the kids. The look of excitement on
their faces when we arrived to the beach was indescribable, and you could tell
that they were all really enjoying themselves. It was hard to say goodbye to
the kids at the end of the day because I felt like I had already made strong
connections with them in such a short amount of time.
On Saturday, we spent the entire day with our host families
and got to know them much better. In the morning we went to the farm and got
sushi, which was a nice treat. Afterwards we ran some errands and picked up
groceries for the braai that our host family was planning for that night. One
thing I especially enjoyed about this weekend was the fact that I got to try a
lot of traditional food; from curry to potjie, I got a little taste of
everything. When we returned home, Shona, Celestine, and I gave each other
makeovers, which made us all feel a lot closer. Auntie Harriet even let me do
her makeup, and at this point in the weekend I felt like I was bonding with her
more. That night we had a braai at the house, and some of Auntie Harriet’s
extended family came over. I had a good time, however; one comment was made
that didn’t sit well with me. One of Auntie Harriet’s friends made a remark
about how she thinks that some women in abusive relationships enjoy being hit.
I think Shona and I handled this situation well, as we politely explained to
Auntie Harriet’s friend why that isn’t the case. I completely understand that her friend
didn’t receive the same education or upbringing as I, and so she may not
understand the implication of what she said; however, it was still a little
shocking to hear. With that being said, Shona and I defused the situation, and
the rest of the night went well.
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| Erica (in center with striped shirt) with UConn co-educators and some Ocean View host families. |
On Sunday morning, we went to one of the local
churches with our host family. This was an interesting experience because the
service was a lot different than the churches my family and I went to when I
was little. After church, we all relaxed at the house together until it was
time for Shona and I to say our goodbyes. The main thing about this weekend
that stood out to me was our host families’ generosity and courtesy. It seemed
like Auntie Harriet and her family wanted to ensure that Shona and I were
always comfortable and enjoying ourselves, which I appreciated. Overall, I
enjoyed the homestay experience because I got to try many new things, and I was
able to see how the typical South African family spent their day. I think this
experience is valuable because it immerses you into a new culture, and gives
you the opportunity to make connections with local South Africans
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