Honorary South African

April 27, 2012

Have I told you that I’m an honorary South African? Perhaps I have as it is a title that I wear proudly. But since I don’t see an entry labeled as such I thought I’d dedicate a day to describing this interesting association. As previously described, there are not a very large number of Americans on the crew. In fairness, we are the fourth or fifth largest group. And I do associate with a number of my countrymen and countrywomen. However, given that many of them are entertainers and generally are working when I am free and vice versa, it creates an opportunity for me to frequently socialize with friends from different nations.

The catalyst for the South African connection is my friend, Lavern, who serves as the Crew Administrator on our ship. She is, of course, a direct co-worker of mine as she is a member of the Human Resources department. Lavern is from Durban in South Africa, and recently began to spend more time having lunch or dinner with two of her compatriots, Alrico and Princess. I had already gotten to know Alrico who is a dancer in our production cast. He and I had shared breakfast a couple of times in the crew mess. Princess is the Event Coordinator for the ship. I had worked with her before, but not with any frequency. So, as Lavern began to dine with the two of them more often, I would occasionally join their company. The best part about this group was how they would linger over meals. The conversation was always entertaining and you never knew which direction it would turn. Those meals turned into invitations by Lavern to join them late in the evening after Alrico finished his show in ‘William’s Bar.’ Now, there is not any official ‘William’s Bar’ on the ship, but rather, it is the Passport Bar where another South African, William, is the bartender. William would enjoy trying out new drink recipes on his mates, so you never knew what the day’s ‘nightcap’ would be. What you were assured of was that you would have more than a few additional laughs.

I was not the only honorary South African in the group, however, as our new International Hostess, Laura, was also brought into the crowd. Laura is half German and half Dominican, which makes for a very fun combination of cultures. The key to fitting into this South African circle seemed to be a willingness to completely accept each member of the group and a desire to laugh and enjoy whatever life threw at you. What was especially fascinating for me was to simply learn firsthand about this country of which I am amazingly ignorant. Except for the history of apartheid, the leadership of Nelson Mandela, and wonderful South African wines, I was fairly clueless. To hear about the beautiful diversity of their country’s geography and culture makes me know that I truly wish to travel to the far southern tip of Africa one day. Hearing the regional rivalries between Alrico from Cape Town and Lavern from Durban made me think of many a discussion I have had with Southern Californians. More profoundly, to hear from a black South African how the end of apartheid created its own set of problems and that her life was not wholly improved by the change was certainly a startling insight into the complexity of the geopolitical landscape.

But as a result of their hospitality I wear my dual citizenship proudly. Their willingness to embrace this middle-aged American definitely has made me a better, more enriched, and wiser person. I hope that my friendship with them will bless them even 1/10^th of how they have blessed me.

And the adventure continues . . .