Sanibona!

That's Zulu for hello!  Today was a little on the quieter side, which was nice.  And also means I have the chance to talk about the amazing Zulu people.

So, first and foremest, they are the most friendly people on earth!  No.  Seriously.  Friendliest people ever.  They are constantly smiling and laugh about anything and everything. (Reference the picture of Bheki from the last post)  They make me think I'm so funny!  I love it!  The positive energy is infectious and an awesome motivating factor.  I think one of the best examples of this is their driving etiquette.  Most roads in this area are one lane each way, which can obviously cause major congestion issues, especially with the major trucking industry.  But, the drivers try to be conscientious of each other and move to the shoulder when they are slower.  And here's the best part... when the car passes, they flash their hazard lights to thank the other car for pulling to the shoulder.  I don't know why, but I kinda love that.  It's just so friendly.  It reminds me of something my friend used to say:  The courtesy wave is the key to world peace.

Ok, observation two about the Zulus: they work on Africa time.  This means they tell you they'll be there at quarter to 8, and show up at 830.  It definitely fits their laid back, smiley demeanors, I will give them that.  I see two options for myself.  I could easily get frustrated and annoyed, but this doesn't really help anything.  And then the other side is the temptation to adopt these habits.   Thus far I've been avoiding this temptation in the belief that it could be a major detriment when I move back to the States, especially when I have to start being back at work before sunrise.  So at this point my strategy is to be ready when they tell me and then try to find halfway productive things to do while I wait.  This is harder than you think when I don't have my better half, aka my iphone.

One of said distractions is trying to pick up some Zulu.  So, here's a little Zulu lesson.

Sanibona!- hello for a group
Sawubona!- hello for an indvidual

Response:
Yebo, ninjani?- how are you? for a group
Yebo, unjani?- how are you? for an individual

Your response: (this is my favorite part)
Sisaphila- we are still healthy
Ngiyaphila- I'm fine
       - I like this part because -phila is pronounced -PEElah, which is super fun to say.

In general it's a super fun language with all the vowels and such, and I haven't even gotten to the clicks yet!  Can't wait!  Ok I think that's all for now, I will keep you posted with more stories, cultural observations, and language lessons. :)