We discussed this in our lastest class and it is completely true, or so I have found. The first thing is that the people of SA lie. We lie, but they lie A LOT. They tell us to meet them somewhere, but they end up not being there. They agree on plans, and do not honor them. We were warned of this very attitude by our professor. People have no ill intentions when they lie to you, they just seek as little problems as possible. Just a way they have around here. Also, another thing is getting things done. SA is notorious for their lack of commitment to a deadline. At our orientation, we were told: "I will do it now"= "I will not do it".... "I will do it right now"="I will do it sometime today or tomorrow"... "I will do it now-now"=" I will actually do it in the next hour." So when we ask for things, we ask for them now-now.
Another observation I had was not given to me via lecture. It is the South African sense of ownership. I will be sitting on a chair in a bar watching the game and a number of people will come up and take my vuvuzela that was sitting next to me, blow it, and set it back down. When going airport security in Jo-burg, the security took it out for inspection and three or four officers proceeded to take turns blowing it. This is the same with small object of smaller value, they assume it is everybody's to share and there is no real ownership. I think it is kind of cool having this lax sense of ownership, but seems very quirky when first encountered.
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I know some people from back here at home who would do a lot better in the SA kind of environment of not having to do things right away hahaha...it is a very interesting thought. The vuvuzela thing is odd, if only because they are putting their lips on it--or am I the only one to think of that? It's one thing to use my stuff, another to put your mouth on it...but maybe i'm just paranoid from working in a lab with H-flu bacteria hahaha.
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