Re-posted excerpts from Hyomi Carty’s Tumblr blog
WEEK 41 (April 7- April 13, 2014)
I received a care package today from home, and was excited to see that the items I had requested for my host parents were included.
A few weeks previously, I had been walking to the bus stop (stesh) with Make, and she mentioned that she had been experiencing painful spasms and tightness in her chest. I suspected hypertension, so after some research, I sent an email to my parents, asking if they knew of any natural medicine to help with such a condition.
Being the amazing people they are, they started working on this request right away. When I opened my package, I found several bottles of two different types of natural supplements for hypertension, as well as colored pencils and a sketch pad for my deaf brother, so that he would be able to use it as an outlet for his emotions. Art therapy is becoming a more and more popular field, allowing children to express themselves through another
medium when they can’t find the words.
When I handed the homeopathic bottles to Make, her eyes welled with tears. She beamed, saying, “Never in my life would I have been able to afford this medication for my heart…Lord only knows what we’ve done to get a volunteer like you.”
I was so glad to see how happy this gift had made her, and it made me even happier to know that I could connect my family from home with my host family here through this simple gesture. I am always grateful for the care and support I receive from my parents in America, and for the love I receive from my host parents here. I feel very blessed, to be surrounded by so much love, no matter where I am in the world.
WEEK 40 (March 31- April 6, 2014)
I attended an event this weekend at the local royal residence, hosted by “Philani Mswati,” an organization with close ties to the royal family. My host siblings had been rehearsing in their school choir all week for this occasion, as many schools an organizations would be performing for the Queen Mother, the Indlovukazi (“Big Elephant”). The event was basically to distribute clothes, blankets, and food rations to the elderly and OVCs (Orphaned and Vulnerable Children) of the community.
The Queen Mother remained at the Royal Residence for the remainder of the week, and called the teachers and traditional dance team of my primary school to have a private audience with her at her home. It was an honor to be able to see and speak to her, though protocol about how to do everything was very strict.
All the women present had to sit with their legs out directly in front of them, while the men sat cross-legged. I guess my legs had been slightly bent, because one of the royal helpers hurried over to me and pressed down my knees. I blushed, wondering how much of a faux pax I had just committed. When I asked the other teachers why it was only appropriate to sit in that manner, they couldn’t give me an answer, only saying that it was the traditional way.
In my Japanese culture, I had always learned that it was rude to show anyone important the bottoms of your feet. Normally, people would kneel down when showing respect or deference to someone. Because my brain had been programmed to think that from an early age, I felt like I was disrespecting the Queen Mother, having my legs straight out like
that.
No matter how many months I have been here in Swaziland, making the switch between the cultural norms that I’m used to, versus those of the host country, can still be disorienting. Anyway, the Queen spoke slowly and calmly, expressing her pleasure in meeting us. She even said she was very happy to have met ‘Miss Magagula,’ in reference to me. The dance team was then motioned to perform for Her Majesty, dancing three or four different traditional styles.
WEEK 39 (March 24- March 30, 2014)
I’ve had the opportunity for many a teaching moment, as I may have mentioned before in a previous post. The easiest way to do this is to put things in perspective for my audience, and paint a picture that they can empathise with.
One day, one of my students asked me if I was Chinese. When I said, no, my mother is Japanese, he asked, “But aren’t China and Japan all the same thing?” It’s amazing how many people I have met who conflate all Asian countries under the term “China.” I explained that I could be called Asian, because my ancestors are from Asia, but that I lived in an entirely different country from China.
If this was still too abstract, I would ask inquirers, “Well, just because Sudan or DRC or Nigeria are big countries in Africa, can I just refer to all of Africa as Sudan?” To this, I will always get an emphatic NO. “Then do you see why you can’t use Asia and China interchangeably? One’s a continent, and the other is a country ON that continent.”
Furthermore, when people comment that Japan and China are basically the same thing, I’ll say, “Ok, you’re a Swazi, right? So if I call you Mozambican, is that fine with you?” When they protest, I’ll reply, “Well, Mozambique and Swaziland are in the same area on the same continent, so based on your logic, they’re like the same thing, right?” Once I make an example that hits close to home, something will click in their minds and they’ll understand the difference.
For more exciting stories please visit Hyomi Serves in Swaziland
