Cultural Differences

A recent conversation between me and Dongo, my counterpart...

Dongo: What did you eat for dinner?

   Me: I had eggs.

Dongo: Just eggs?? But how are you getting fat with just eggs?

   Me: Are you saying I am getting fat?

Dongo: Yes.

   Me: Dongo, how many times have I told you I find that insulting??

Dongo: Well what am I supposed to say??

   Me: You say nothing!!!!!You can just not comment on my weight!

Dongo: Oh... ok.

Luckily I like Dongo and we were able to laugh about it, and he has the funniest laugh ever so that helps as well. Seriously though, all the other female volunteers here can relate to me on this one—it's a weekly thing that I get called fat, so much so I expect it and don’t let it get to me. Twice I have been asked if I was pregnant and that one is harder to brush off. I think its the bluntness of it all, if I were not directed towards me I know I would find it comical. When I got my drastic haircut everyone told me to my face that they did not like it and I did not look as good. Also, there is one old lady here that whenever I talk with her she always tries to scratch/pop the mole I have on my forehead. I don’t know how to say "uh no lady that's not coming off" in thimbukushu, so I just mumble 'ka, ka, tjitchu' (no, no, pain). I guess I sort of like that people feel comfortable enough with me to get all up in my buznisss, with all the polite formalities gone.

For some reason I am still super super sensitive about people calling my feet dirty, I am obsessive about them and scrub them raw on the rock I keep in my bathing station twice a day, religiously. It's a natural exfoliation as my friend Christina says. I get so embarrassed when I am caught in town out of the village with dirty feet...just ask my fellow Kavango PCV's they know its a sore subject!

A pretty bad dirty feet day, after walking around doing chores and in the field for the day