Do you live at your mother's house? Why do you call it your house if it is her house?
Do you know how to drive? What's your traditional dress? In America, what is your traditional food? Do you have DSTV in America? Is this what your winter is like?
Since I am the first American many Namibians have met, they ask me a lot of questions. A lot of them are easy, but yesterday in two different contexts I was asked about American traditions. Both times, I bumbled through a very lengthy answer, because while we have American traditions, they are not universal nor very old. Native Americans have differing traditions, but they are not a complete representation of American tradition. Every immigrant brings tradition, but they change and merge with others. There are certainly practices that come from American culture, but I hesitate to call them traditions. It's not a very satisfying answer.
The person who asked about traditional dress showed me a picture of the Queen of England and asked if that was my traditional dress. Sort of, but not really.
No comments:
Post a Comment