I’m tired
- Of people begging at the robots (traffic lights), asking for money, trying to sell me things or collect my trash.
- Of singing worship songs in languages I don’t understand or can’t pronounce.
- Of people having difficulties understanding me or of my having difficulties understanding them because of
1st South African Cheesecake our accents.
- Of the time it takes to bake any of my favourite things because I have to convert the measurements (sometimes twice) or hunt around for ingredients that are hard to find.
- Of feeling pulled in many directions, from people, from projects, from commitments that demand my time. Sometimes I just want to do what I want to do. Sometimes I want space. God, could you please place me in timeout?
- Of the use of archaic words, such as “whilst,” in everyday English.
- Of trying to find the balance between a relational culture and the reality of time constraints and deadlines.
- Of seeing the worst of American culture imported to this beautiful country, giving South Africans a warped view of my country and heritage.
I’m not unhappy. I still love my life and work in Cape Town; but even in the best of times and in the best of circumstances, cross-cultural living can be challenging.
Adventures in Living 