My culture is very dear to me. Where I come from makes me the person I am today. I love being a Zulu girl. In fact I don't know of any other tribe that is well known in the whole world like the Zulu's. Even when I started working taking restaurant reservations for a five star hotel this side(UK). When I had to spell letters for customers it was A for alpha, B for bravo and Z for ZULU!! I later discovered that this was used internationally. I was blown away.
It is funny how when people are placed in a different environment they tend to conform instead of transform those around. They conform in the sense that they start to speak differently, behave differently and sometimes loose their cultural values that were taught to him since he was young. I know of some people who would go to Johannesburg, SA for a week and then come back to Durban speaking "broken" zulu. I would be like, duh!
I think that it's good to be different rather than conforming to foreign attitudes and behaviours. I must confess my accent has changed slightly since I have been here (trust me it was not voluntarily). But I do work on my South African accent to make it remain. What I do not permit myself is to be cold like most British are, or to speak broken English like most Londoners do.
I will stick to my guns. As a Zulu gal I was taught to respect my elders, to treat an older person as if she were my mother or grandmother, I was taught never to interrupt elders whilst they speak, never to raise my voice to an adult especially my parents- the list is endless.
When I came to England, I was left with my jaw wide open when I constantly witnessed children as young as toddlers barely able to speak ( And I am not exegerating) throwing tantrums and screaming at their parents and sometimes telling them to shut up!
As a child and even as a teenager I would get a big fat smack or a dozen, for doing even 1% of what these kids do.
And so it goes without saying that I am proudly South African, I am priveledged to be a Zulu gal and please do not conform to foreign behaviours but transform those around you. Make them think 'wow her parents taught her well'.
Go Ahead.
It is funny how when people are placed in a different environment they tend to conform instead of transform those around. They conform in the sense that they start to speak differently, behave differently and sometimes loose their cultural values that were taught to him since he was young. I know of some people who would go to Johannesburg, SA for a week and then come back to Durban speaking "broken" zulu. I would be like, duh!
I think that it's good to be different rather than conforming to foreign attitudes and behaviours. I must confess my accent has changed slightly since I have been here (trust me it was not voluntarily). But I do work on my South African accent to make it remain. What I do not permit myself is to be cold like most British are, or to speak broken English like most Londoners do.
I will stick to my guns. As a Zulu gal I was taught to respect my elders, to treat an older person as if she were my mother or grandmother, I was taught never to interrupt elders whilst they speak, never to raise my voice to an adult especially my parents- the list is endless.
When I came to England, I was left with my jaw wide open when I constantly witnessed children as young as toddlers barely able to speak ( And I am not exegerating) throwing tantrums and screaming at their parents and sometimes telling them to shut up!
As a child and even as a teenager I would get a big fat smack or a dozen, for doing even 1% of what these kids do.
And so it goes without saying that I am proudly South African, I am priveledged to be a Zulu gal and please do not conform to foreign behaviours but transform those around you. Make them think 'wow her parents taught her well'.
Go Ahead.
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