The Merit of Listening to South Africans

Four years ago I was in a gathering for a group of South Africans in Doha/ Qatar. There were a few events and we finished that day with a dinner together. Even though I usually enjoy meeting new people from different backgrounds, but I still remember that I didn’t enjoy that gathering so much and I couldn’t wait to go home, simply because I didn’t understand their accent. So I was able to feel their kindness but the lack of I could not grasp to their way of pronunciation, it made me feel lost and out of the loop that day.

This year was different; I had a chance to live with South Africans for two months, and when I was invited to the same gathering, I hesitated to go because it’s never fun to ask people to repeat what they said every two minutes. I wasn’t haven't bern exposed to South African media much in my life and their accent wasn’t what I got used to listening to, but for some reason I had to go, and I thought to myself that it’s just a few hours and I’ll manage, as long as I keep a friendly smile and keep my conversations short.

What surprised me the most that day was the fact that I enjoyed myself so much and I understood everything that was said. Not only that, but I was also able to hold long conversations with the hostess and her visitors. I honestly didn’t know that listening to South Africans on a daily basis for two months in the same household is  was going to make a difference, but it did and my ears were adapted to the new sounds.

That day I realized that humans tend to avoid and dislike what they don’t understand, and this is why I didn’t want to go in the first place, yet that gathering turned out to be so interesting and successful, and I was no longer bothered of by the way South Africans abbreviate their words ;) You would hear the word “University” abbreviated to “versity” for example, besides a new vocabulary that I never heard of before, like “Braai” instead of grill or barbecue, and "Takkies" instead of sneakers.

I wish I can hope to have the same experience with New Zealanders, because I still can’t get over the meeting I had once with two New Zealanders, and the problem is that they were talking fast, as if I would understand them if they were talking slower ;) Miracles happen, so one day I might understand what they say without embarrassing myself and bore them to death by asking them to repeat their words.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that once you get used to the difference, you’re going to like it. Thank you South Africans!