Random stuff from my village:
Several people have told me that the light skinned babies are referred to as "Sheila's children."
Today I rode in the most decrepit taxi I have ever seen. Probably made in 1970s (red vinyl seats, altho with springs coming through). Rust and dents everywhere. Holes in floor. Sticker on dash read: "It's All in God's Hands."
The employees of Shoprite, the only supermarket in the big city of Thohoyandou, were protesting (AKA here as "toyitoying") outside the store. Mostly dressed in cheery Shoprite work t-shirts, they were stomp dancing, singing and shouting "Amandla Awetu" (Zulu for "power to the people," often used during anti-apartheid marches in the past). I asked a guy at Wimpy, the hamburger chain across the way, "what's wrong with them?" meaning, "why are they protesting?" "Oh, they're just doing aerobics," he answered.
Once I first started offering kids around my house pieces of bubble gum they have often come to my window plaintively calling out "Chappies, please." (like an irritating teacher, I made them add the "please") Now they have progressed to shouting out daily requests for "malegere" (sweets), "penisela" (pencil), "blue-peni" (blue pen), "bugu" (book) -- pretty much anything they have ever seen in my bedroom that they would like to have. (Gum = "Chappies" brand made by Cadbury. Fruit flavored versions of Bazooka. And usually not stale. My favorite South African candy after Cadbury chocolate bars. I don't like Banana flavored Chappies, though. I give those to the kids)
One of my teachers prefers wearing Safari vests to school over his dress shirt and pants. When I complimented one of them, he told me: "I can go without a tie. I used to see some people at the university wearing a tie but they are tsotsis (Johannesburg ghetto slang for "thugs"). Their hearts are not pure. They used to disguise themselves by means of wearing beautiful clothing. You do not need a tie to show that your heart is pure. It is inside.
There are two versions of the Academy-award winning movie "Tsotsi" floating around here. They have very different endings. One is the official version. The other is a bootleg. I won't give details for folks who haven't seen the film yet. But it makes an interesting discussion as to why people here favor one version over the other. Here's a clue: one reflects the ending as it was written in the book by Athol Fugard and one does not. A reviewer for the Financial Times wrote:
...the film rejects the bleak ending of Fugard's novel by creating a space for redemption. [Gavin Hood, the director] suggests that it reflects the reality of the times. "In South Africa in the 80s, it felt hopeless. In the current political climate, in spite of epidemics, in spite of poverty, in spite of refugees fleeing war, it does not feel as hopeless as under apartheid. There is still some sense of hope."
