Dear Editor – Are you enjoying it? Why did you choose South Africa? Is it very different to Germany?
These are the questions I’ve been asked many times since I came here. To give an answer to this is easy and difficult at the same time. But I’m going to tell you a bit more about myself before I answer these questions.
My name is Karoline Schwarzer from Germany and I’m a long-term student in South Africa. I arrived on July 20 and for these three months I experienced three different host families and met many people. At the moment I stay in Kempton Park and attend Edenglen High in Edenvale.
The first questions is quite easy to answer. Yes, I enjoy being in South Africa and even if many things are different to what I expected, I am very happy here. Why I choose South Africa is a bit more difficult.
I was always fascinated by the African culture and wanted to experience a real rainbow nation. But I also had a bigger personal reason to come here. I was born in Swaziland but I left Africa before I had the chance to get to know my birth country. That’s why I was always curious to see if the things are really like I believe them to be. I didn’t think that the lions run through the streets or that I am going to ride on an elephant to school. I was also aware that it’s not so safe like I’m used to, but to see all the walls, gates and security was still a surprise for me.
The weather is also very different. Instead of four seasons with a lot of rain during the whole year, the rain just seems to come in summer and the winter is dry and everything is brown and burned. That the houses during winter are like a fridge was also unexpected. But beside these obvious differences, the South African lifestyle is quiet similar to the German.
My first host family was English and beside the language and the exotic pets, my life didn’t change much. My second host family was Indian and very religious. This was a bigger change for me and especially going to church was very different. For me church in Germany is old fashioned and boring for the young people. We also believe in evolution and see the bible as a big metaphor. My family believed that the world was made in six days and instead of going to the doctor they believed in healing through the Holy Spirit.
This view is very different to what I learned and to what I’m used to from church and society. It was hard for me to handle it. Although I just stayed for a week it was very interesting and also fascinating. The host family I’m staying with at the moment is Afrikaans and is very similar to the Germans. Many things from their culture are influenced by the western culture. What for me, is a bit challenging is that I can’t go outside alone and that I’m a bit far from my school, but I’m getting used to it.
The school is also a point, which is very different to Germany. Education is free and we don’t have any rules how to dress.
Moreover we are getting oral marks, that’s why we have to be much more disciplined in class. We also have to do more subjects and don’t have subjects like accounting or consumers. Another thing about the South African schools is the big focus on sport activities. Since I’m here I started mountain biking and I also swim for my school. The first day I arrived my host sister took me to pole dancing, which was a very strange and interesting experience.
But what I really like about South Africa is the openness and kindness of the South African people. Most of them seem to always be in a good mood and ready to sing or dance. In my school many students were coming to me and were very curious about Germany. But after a while the exciting part of having an exchange student became normal and I wasn’t interesting anymore.
Since I came here I haven’t had a lot of opportunities to travel. Nevertheless I went for a week to Ballito and afterwards I went to Uvongo. It was an amazing time and the beaches are no comparison to Germany. In Joburg the nature is mostly brown and dry. But in Ballito and Uvongo I saw some very beautiful parts of South Africa and I would be very happy if I could have more opportunities to travel and to discover more of South Africa.
My Rotary Club is the Rotary Club Edenvale and I’m very thankful to them that they support me and try to make me happy. Even though this is a small club, they are full of motivation and energy and they want to do many projects. That’s why I finally want to thank Rotary and especially my Club for giving me this amazing opportunity to get to know South Africa and to present my country at the same time.
Karoline Schwarzer,
Germany – Foreign exchange student.
