My first real experience with South Africa during this study abroad was on the plane ride to Cape Town. I sat next to an international student from Johannesburg who was attending college at Wheeling University. We talked throughout the plane ride, and he was more than happy to tell me about Cape Town and places to check out. He told me that Cape Town is similar to Los Angeles in the US, and his home town of Johannesburg is essentially New York City. His excitement certainly amped me up for the start of our trip.
When we first arrived, we exchanged our money at the airport, and our tour guide met us there. From the start, he was so warm and welcoming. He always took extra care to make sure everyone was comfortable throughout our trip. I noticed this type of hospitality quite often. All the hotel and restaurant staff went the extra mile in serving us and making us comfortable. They would check in on us much more than we see here in America, and they were always so polite and eager to serve their guests.
It is clear that tourism is such a large part of South Africa?s economy. We ate at many nice restaurants with other internationals, and often the native South Africans there were very wealthy. This posture towards tourism made sure that we were very comfortable in an environment where many of us were apprehensive about food and living arrangements. Everything so far has been much nicer than we first expected, and we often felt like we were just in another American city.
While South Africa and the United States share many similarities, there are some cultural differences that have caught my attention. The concept of time here seems more flexible, with a relaxed idea of punctuality. People take the time to engage in meaningful conversations, valuing interpersonal connections over rigid schedules. This contrast has reminded me of the importance of being present in the moment and valuing human connections.
