We’ve had more than a few cross-cultural exchanges over the past few months with our village, but I wanted to share two of the most memorable
1) The Geography Lesson: sitting around the brazier (burning coal stove) and talking with some of our neighbors after dinner
“So when you came here to Zambia, you came in an airplane, right?”
“Yes.”
“Did the airplane cross the ocean in the air or did it float on the water?”
“In the air. Let us show you on our map. The journey was long and we had to take a few different airplane rides.”
“America is part of North America or South America”
“Actually America should be called the United States because there are many countries in both North and South America. The U.S. has 50 states including Alaska and Hawaii”
“Hawaii? You mean people live way out there in the middle of all that water?”
“Yes, just on that little dot.”
“ They are not afraid that the ocean will drown them?”
“No, they are used to it. They can even swim in places where their feet don’t touch.”
“Alaska, it is very cold?”
“Yes, very cold.”
“And there is a small Russia just next to Alaska. I thought Russia was the largest country in Asia.”
“Russia is the largest land country, partly in Asia and Europe, and if this map was put on a large ball called a globe, the large part almost stretches to Alaska. Maybe sometime we could show you a globe.”
“If you went all the way to the end of Russia, would you fall off the end of the earth?”
“No, you would just continue around the circle.”
“Wow, God has really made an amazing great big earth.”
“Yes he has.”
2) The Wedding Talk: with a bunch of youth at the clinic. We were trying to translate the word “partner” into Lunda in preparation for a skit.
“So in America, a partner is someone you are with whether you are married or not?”
“Yes, for example Scott is my partner.”
“(Shock) You mean you’re not married to him?”
“Yes we’re married. He’s my partner AND my husband.”
“When you got married, did he have to pay your parents money?”
“No, we don’t have that custom in America”
“You mean his family didn’t have to pay anything?”
“No.”
“In our culture, the man has to pay the wife’s family because he is taking her away, and the family is losing work.”
“In America, it’s almost the opposite. The bride’s family usually has to pay for the wedding.”
“(All the boys) Wow! Send me to America to get married!”
“(All the girls) If I get an American husband, send him to Zambia so he can pay me!”
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