In South Africa, I was a member of a minority. This was a change for me, as I have spent all of my life in the U.S. In my two trips to Europe, only my accent (in England and Scotland) and difficulty with the French and Italian languages set me apart. Even when I traveled to Nicaragua and Japan, being one of the few Caucasians didn't feel awkward.
In South Africa, however, standing out was a given. We looked like Americans or Afrikaners. Our accent probably would have solved that puzzle, but add our light skin to our American clothes and rented car, and we really stood out.
Ronda did okay. She wore a uniform at work and spoke some Sepedi. Brian and I, however, were completely at the mercy of curious African people. In the mountains, the few people we saw seemed to be pleasantly surprised and friendly. It was awkward for me. Was it acceptable to wave at everyone? Was it condescending to smile and wave at people seated by the side of the road as we flew by in our car?
I took a chance, and it felt okay. For me, friendliness worked better than fear.
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