Africa’s Big Leopard. Thorny Bush Game Reserve, Mpumalanga
4. Ubuntu
I like to think of myself and my fellow Americans as warm and welcoming people. The truth is, in
even the most hospitable of households back home, we Americans are simply outdone by South
Africans. As one of the Peace Corps goals is to enlighten Americans as to the traditions and
ideals of other nations, upon my return to the US, I aim to instill a higher commitment to
hospitality in my American counterparts. I also challenge myself to exhibit that commitment in my
own behavior.
As a visitor in South Africa, it is unacceptable to visit the home of natives without joining them for
a meal. This is true across the spectrum of cultures; I have visited with friends from various
tribes, Afrikaners, English and Scottish South Africans, and beyond. Even in some of the poorest
parts of the country, families have happily served their only morsels of food, sometimes
consisting only of porridge. To decline food is an absolute insult to the host. This has resulted in
an ongoing fluctuation of my weight as South Africans love bread, meat, and starchy vegetables.
While these are foods I had mostly avoided back in the US, my personal preferences aren’t worth
offending the overly affable cooks in my host country. I’ve learned to roll with the changes; loving