Dumelang

The other day I was cleaning the table center pieces which are fake flowers that had got all dusty. A man came along and was like “Is this what you flew 6,000 miles for? (chuckle chuckle chuckle)”. I had to take a deep breath but all I could reply was “someone has to do it”. What do people think?! That there are some jobs that are more worthy than others? And for some reason I am of a higher worth and shouldn’t be caught doing such work? So who then is of less worth who will clean and tidy for us? Ridiculous – pure arrogance.

I wonder what things I think of as beneath me? I hope I don’t judge people’s worth by what they do. We have cleaning ladies that clean the café and offices here. I wonder what they think when they see me, “café staff”, cleaning the plants!? I should offer to mop for them one day and see what happens.

I am attempting to learn a bit of Tswane, so far the only thing I can remember is “Dumela”, which means “Hello, good day”. I am also trying to learn numbers in Afrikaans but get confused with the German I know for them already. People react all amazed when I come out with “Goeie More” or “Een, Twee, Drie”. I feel like a child speaking for the first time with all the encouragement and praise I get!