31. Half A Loaf Of Bread

“You have A WHAT?! HA, HA, HA!!!!”
One of the street girls was almost crying from laughter as she called her friend over, “Come here and listen to this!!!” Her friend curiously came over.
“Go ahead, tell her Ryan!”
I wasn’t quite sure what was going on.
“OK…um…I have one real brother, one step brother, a half brother…” Before I could finish my sentence I was cut off by the laughter of the two girls.
“A HALF brother?! HA!!! What is a half brother?!”
Before I could answer she answered her own question, “No Ryan! No, you can get a half a loaf of bread at 7/11, but you CANNOT get a half of a brother!!” (the 7/11’s here sell half loaves of bread)
Eventually, when their laughter settled down I was able to explain to them what a “half brother” in my culture is. They explained to me that he would still be my brother, period.
I think westerners do make things more complicated sometimes. I have really enjoyed living in a place with so many cultural differences. In the African culture, even your cousins are usually considered your brothers and sisters, and your aunts and uncles are considered your mothers and fathers. Living in a different culture is fun, but you have to be able to find humor in it and make fun of yourself on a regular basis.
I had another funny cultural difference with a little six year old girl.
I had been with a particular group of little kids for about three hours. I was exhausted because they are all under twelve and all they want to do the whole time I am there is hang on me and play with me.
I was tired, I had done all of the little tricks and games I knew, and I had just sat down on a little wall to rest.
The little six year old girl came up and sat on my lap. She was a sweet little girl with a small little frame and petite little features, but she came from a really rough neighbourhood. She sat on my lap and just stared at me and smiled.
After a while it felt a bit awkward with her just staring at me and not talking or anything so I decided to do an old famous trick that all the adults do to the little kids in America.
In my tiredness, I forgot what the hand symbol I was about to do meant in the South African culture.
Putting your thumb in between your index and middle finger in South Africa is the equivalent of sticking up your middle finger in the States. With the little girl in my lap, I reached for her nose and pinched it and then put my thumb between my two fingers and said, “I got your nose!”
She looked at me, a bit confused, but in a playful mood, and decided to play along. She pinched my nose extra hard and then held up her two little middle fingers and said, “I got your nose right here!!”
I had to quickly explain myself and she didn’t seem to understand. Poor little girl!
Afterwards I was able to laugh really hard and it gives me a funny story to tell about cultural differences. It has definitely been fun, interesting and at some points really funny to live in a different culture!