Recent wanderings

Our weekend was so enjoyable, filled with a good taste of African culture and a comforting taste of our church here in South Africa. On Saturday we ventured out to LESEDI, a living cultural experiment where 5 different S.African tribes have come together to build their traditional villages, practice cultural traditions and work to have a peaceful existence. Part of the experiment is of course a tourist experience where outsiders are brought in to witness each village, the differences in traditions and languages, and the best of what each culture has to offer. It was an extremely positive experience for me; to see groups of people who had for centuries fought one another (and in some parts of JoBerg are still fighting, only now with guns and in street clothes instead of with spears in traditional dress) come together in an effort to educate others. We were all enamored of the friendliness of those who were our guides and teachers. Lucy was the absolute hit of the experience. Everyone from the tour guides to the Spanish tourists were so in love with her, they watched her every move and were sad to see us go because they enjoyed her presence so much. I found it interesting to learn that even when we, the tourists, aren’t around, each group treats the other with due respect, entering one another’s villages with the traditional greetings and traditions, and speaking one another’s languages when in one another’s villages (there are 11 official languages, and most South Africans of color speak at least 8, amazing huh?). We got to hear each language and shout greetings as best we could when prompted by our tour guide. Each village, while showing similarities, was surprisingly unique. I especially enjoyed the quiet peaceful tribe called the Basotho. They live in the high mountains of South Africa, and even now have their own country; if you visit the Basotho you must take a passport with you. This tribe wears a conical hat (think Vietnam) to represent the mountains where they come from. They also wear colorful blankets to show the type of climate they endure during winter (cold). At one point in this tribe’s history they were defending themselves against the mighty Zulu (also represented in this same Lesedi experience). The zulu were very powerful and deadly, and the Besotho king worked hard to care for his people and also to allow other refugees from other tribes to find safety with his people. Each morning the king would come out of the village and thank the god’s for the light of a new day as his people were protected from harm during the night. I thought this such a humble sentiment, to show gratitude for each day where enemies (both real and figurative) are kept at bay for another day of light to fill our lives.

Of course as part of the evening we got to watch the tribes dance. This was an especially fantastic display with all the color of their traditional dress, the loud rhythm of the drums and the joy displayed by all who participated. At first I thought it would be a “performance”. But truly by the end of their demonstration it was very clear that they were having such fun; like a huge family gathering to tell their stories (think mountain lions and brave dogs Hadfield’s) and be so caught up in the fun of being together that they almost forget other people were hanging around their campfire listening in. It really touched me to see all the different tribes interact with friendship and warmth. This to me is such a sign of hope, that civility and kindness are possible among those who for centuries had chosen division and hostility. And it was great fun to see Molly dancing along, really keeping the beat and having so much fun kicking her feet and shaking her hips as she tried to pattern the movements.

Our visit was made complete with traditional foods served buffet style for dinner. We tried venison, ostrich and maize mixed with beans. We had salad and squash, and much to Brynley’s relief (not adventuresome when it comes to foods) we had bread and butter. A great meal actually, I liked the ostrich a lot, and so did Lucy! The ride was quiet as we all thought about our day. Kids down to bed and a nice sleep in for Sunday was ours as the ward we thought we belonged to didn’t start until 12.

Sunday brought a lovely day of worship and rest. Sleeping in was so pleasant, especially considering the fact that I think it was the first full 12 hour stint without jet-lagged kids in a week! Baths and showers for all, along with lovely home made pancakes by chef John made the morning clip right by. Church was of course so nice to participate in. Many friendly welcomes and lots of kind hello’s spoken as we moved from meeting to meeting. This is the congregation our friends Lee and Trisha Wright were a part of when they lived in Joburg (Hi guys!). So many families asked if we were the friends the Wrights had emailed about, which made us feel so looked after. We soon discovered that our rented home is not exactly in the boundaries for this congregation of our church (the LDS church has congregations by geography. This makes it possible for us to look after one another and help each other based on proximity. To learn more just visit mormon.org). After a sad deliberation on our part, John and I came to the conclusion that we probably ought to attend the congregation in our area, which actually meets at the same building but at a different time (8 a.m. ouch!). With friends met and a welcome spirit felt we left church and headed home on foot; our building is only a block away from the house, cool huh?