I have been in Cape Town for a few weeks, and if I doubted it before, I am sure now that I am back in AFRICA! It has been difficult trying to get settled in. Unfortunately, my work has been put on a hold, just a little, until I get some of the important details of everyday life settled. For instance, getting a car in Africa has been quite the ordeal. For those of you who are not familiar, the term TIA, This Is Africa, is used mostly when things here just don’t make sense. I have had many TIA moments in trying to get settled in.
I had called on many cars, and I spent much of my time on the phone with people I could barely understand as the language barrier is intensified over the phone. I made an offer on a car. It was accepted, and I was thrilled. Later that night I get a text message telling me the seller decided to sell the car to someone else. A few days later I get a text message telling me the other buyer backed out. Lucky me! But not so fast! He came crawling back, and I wasn’t so sure I wanted the car anymore, so he lowered the price, and I accepted.
As I am getting on the train to meet the seller, I get a text telling me the he is going to be an hour and a half late. TIA. Muizenberg is a dodgy little town, so I go sit in a South African/Italian restaurant and decide to eat some pizza. I just didn’t want to be walking around on the streets. As I am eating, one of the workers approaches me and says, “I don’t mean to be too forward, but are those your real eyes?” To which I responded, “Yes they are.” But his reaction to this was not typical. He then mouthed the words, almost in a low whisper, “ But that is so weird,” and simply walks away. I am sure he meant well, but I felt a bit like a freak as he walked away.
The seller finally shows up. He was late because he was putting new tires on the car. But in looking at the car, I can see that there are only three new tires, not four. The seller tells me that the tire store apparently only had three new tires and not four. TIA. At this point I don’t care much about the tire and decide to get this exchange over with. I proceed to sit in a pimped out BMW that I swear drove through a time portal from the 80’s, and we finalize the exchange.
I decide to go to the beach with a friend. Walking down to the beach, I look back at my beloved new car and notice that the front tires look a little flat. Surely I am being paranoid. I later go to the gas station to fill them with air. The African worker agrees that the tires were pretty flat. I tell him that they are new. I am looking for some type of reassurance. He then tells me that he thinks tomorrow they will be better. TIA. What’s funny was he said this with such confidence.
After dropping my friend off, I begin to start the car- it doesn’t start. I try again- nothing. I start praying and continue trying to no avail. My friend walks back out to check on me and we both cannot help but laugh at the craziness of the situation. I call the seller, and he explains that sometimes when too much gas has been put in the car, it can flood. He told me to keep trying, and it would eventually start, and eventually it did. I had just put a full tank of gas in.
I wake up this morning to find two flat tires on my new car. Now what? I skype call the seller, and let him have it. He apologizes, but gives me no solid explanation. I first ask for the phone number of the place that put the tires on, but he doesn’t have it. I ask if he has the receipt for the tires. He doesn’t. I ask him if he knows the name of the place he took it to. He doesn’t know the name, but insists that he has used them before, and they have been very reliable. He apparently knows that they are not open on Sundays, and tells me he is going to call them tomorrow…I really hope he can find that phone number. TIA.
When crazy things like this happen here, I always think about how it is not likely that this would happen at home. Then I am reminded that I am not living in a developed country. Nothing here happens easily. It seems to take forever to accomplish things that would take just a few hours at home. If you don’t adjust to this way of life, it can be very frustrating. Being flexible, patient, and loving is a must. This lifestyle is not for the easily agitated. If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen. This Is Africa.
But it is not all bad…
Earlier tonight I was sitting in a church service full of people from the nations of the world. Africa was obviously represented the most. As I stood there, crammed in the midst of a couple hundred Africans, dancing, clapping, singing, and so very joyful, I was filled with thankfulness. Africa as a continent is still figuring out how to function in many different ways. People who have been oppressed and in slavery for hundreds of years don’t just instantly break free from the slavery lifestyle and mentality. Despite the times like I have explained above, I love the people of Africa. I love the continent, and I am thankful for my time here. I am happy to now serve the very people that were held captive in slavery. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. This Is Africa.
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