Umbrellas

On Monday I wrote about how similar small children are here and in the US. I did not mean to give the impression that other parts of society are significantly or irreconcilably different, and I fear I would be remiss if I did not correct that impression quickly.

Yesterday it was misting and cold (of course, the further you get into winter, the sillier it's going to sound when I call 60s cold). But I went grocery shopping for some minor groceries: milk, oatmeal, apples, etc. On the way home, an older woman scolded me, "Where is your umbrella?" I smiled and apologized, but this struck me as humorous for a variety of reasons. First, not using an umbrella is the kind of thing I would be scolded for by my own grandmother or someone from my church. Second, my umbrella was in my backpack, ready for use if I needed it. Third, it was only misting and had I used an umbrella in such weather at home, I likely would have been ridiculed by hardy midwesterners.

I think in order to fully understand the situation, you have to realize that Swaziland is a country with many umbrellas. When it is sunny, umbrellas serve to keep the sun off. When it's rainy, they keep the rain off. When it's in between, they serve some other function that I am seeking to discover. So no matter what the weather, you will certainly see umbrellas as you walk down the street.

One fantastic thing about this is that the umbrellas are very... eccentric. If you walk through Washington, DC when it's raining, you'll see many black umbrellas. You might also see my pink one (it was good luck because I found it on the bus the night the Packers won the Super Bowl). But in Swaziland, umbrellas are black, green, plaid, yellow with smiley faces, brown with puppy dog faces (including ears that stick up), and many other patterns. But the connection between a person and his/her umbrella seems random at best. When you see a face pattern on an umbrella, there is simply no telling whether it will be sheltering a 12-year-old girl or a businessman in a suit. It's a wonderful adventure every time you walk down the sidewalk.

-Ben

P.S. I've become somewhat familiar with local sports. Soccer (football) is more interesting when they play in sand, but still not my favorite. Rugby seems to be a game for large anarchists, and definitely not for wimps. I think cricket is something of a cross between dodgeball and kick the can, but I can't say I've got it figured out yet. Although American football is still my sport of choice, I have to tip my hat to rugby players for their exceptional mettle and audacity. I was told that soccer would appeal to me more as I began to understand other cultures, but I don't know why anyone would watch soccer when rugby is on. Of course, soccer is more social and in many cases it's the only sport available to kids who can't afford more than a simple ball. In this case, it is entirely acceptable.

P.P.S. Because I don't have a TV, all of my knowledge of televised sports comes from standing in line at the bank. They have TVs hanging from the ceilings and the lines are long.