First Night With Homestay Family

They dropped us all off yesterday at our homestay families. My mama is about 37 I believe and her name is Nokuthula and then she has a sister Penelope who is 33. Nokuthula has two sons, Andile who is 14 turning 15 this weekend so we get to have a celebration!!!! And her other son Siyanda is 17. He already graduated from high school and they don't have enough money right now to send him to college, but he wants to go. Mama works at Nando's which is a restaurant place. When I got there we hung out and talked and stuff. She doesn't speak great English but we understand each other. The kids do though, essentailly English is their first language, they have to learn it in school. Anyway some of the other students came by my house and picked me and and we went on a walk down the street to the other houses and meet the other student's mamas. While we were walking I think we gathered about 25 kids that followed us and were talking to us. One of them screamed "Look the white people are here". They are use to having us twice a year and the whole community knows who we are. They are all very welcoming.

When I came back mama made me eat. Oh the 10 pounds I wanted to lose...looks like I'm gonna be gaining 10 pounds. Apparently the mamas want to make you fat and want to literally see you got fatter when you leave. So she was serving me rice and she was like "is this good" and I was like "ya thats plenty, thank you" and she put another scoop on there...I'm doomed. Anywho I had rice with like vegetable chicken stuff on top with a side of potato salad that had eggs in it. Also they don't eat salad here but they know the Americans like salad so my mama had a huge bowl of salad made for me too.

I ate and instantly gained 2 pounds for sure and then she was like ok time for dessert..yikes! But the dessert was amazing it was like this butter pecan ice cream with custard on the side and some fruit.

Then we basically watched TV with the kids... some soap-operas and then the Zimbobwe South Africa soccer game. They helped me with my Zulu homework. Then I went to bed at 9:30. They said they normally go to bed around 8 or 9. I have my own room that is a decent size that has a queen bed in it and a dresser.

Woke up a 6am and bathed. They have a tub and they just heat water up and I use the tub inside the tub. I will have to master that technique because right now I think it sounds like I'm playing in the tub. They have two other bedrooms though and a little living room and kitchen. I ate corn flakes which is apparently a big breakfast thing cause I've had them almost everyday. The vans come to my "stop" and pick some of us up at 7:15am. Zulu starts at 8:30-11 and a break then the Community Health Seminar in the afternoon. Back to homestay at 4:30ish.

Mama works tonight so she said she will have dinner ready and I can eat whatever but that the kids will stay with me.

My clicks are becoming quite good and I know about five conversations to have in Zulu. Today we really learned a lot. I am going to have to study tonight. With the CHS we have just learned the history of Durban and Cato Manor - which is the township I live in and the health conditions surrounding these places.

We are in charge of our own lunches so I bought food yesterday when we went to the mall but mama actually packed me a lunch today.