Sawubona!

Sawubona! That means “hello” in Zulu. Zulu learning is a little rough, but it’s getting better now that I have a new family to practice with! My mother’s name is Mama Ningi and she is very sweet. She is a domestic worker and cooks great meals for the family. I have two bhuti’s (brothers). The older brother is named Mino and he works manufacturing trucks. He likes to talk about politics and music, especially R&B and rap. The younger brother is named Aslam and he is in high school. I have been helping him with math homework at night and he helps me with Zulu J
On the first night we watched Usher Live in Concert which obviously was a highlight for me. They all really love music and it’s been fun learning and listening to their favorite songs. I have learned that everyone in Durban, and I really do mean everyone, watches a soap opera called ‘Generations’. It starts at 8 pm so we all huddle around the TV and watch the drama. It’s in half Zulu and half English so it’s a good challenge. Apparently many of them also watch “The Bold and the Beautiful”. It’s seems kind of funny to me, but South Africans really like their soaps. My family also invited me to go to a traditional wedding later next month. I am so excited to go! My classmates are already bribing me with cows to be my date.
I’m spending the weekend with my family. Our plan is to clean the house, go to the mall, go to church, and study Zulu. I’m sure we will also eat a lot of chicken and watch a lot of soaps.
Note: unfortunately the internet is limited and we are not able to upload photos. The South African bandwidth is limited and it’s difficult to upload pictures. If I come across an internet café or something that has a higher bandwidth, I’ll try to upload some sweet South African pictures.