choir camp

Last weekend was choir camp. It was an intense weekend of singing. We stayed at a camp type place (bringing our own bedding, staying in 12 person dorms, but with food provided, etc). It had a challenge course (which we never got to use) and three donkeys which lived in the challenge course. It also had three dogs, with whom Christa immediately fell in love.

A few pictures:

We ate, sang, relaxed, sang, had a braai (grilled meat), and hung out and talked.

My favorite part was the talent show for first year members. I was part of an alright improv skit (the dating game) and I also sang a duet with Peter, a St John's friend, which was tough after a full day of singing. Then Peter played some bluegrass with backup from four or five African men. On one of the songs, they just added some harmonies to the easier parts, but on the other song, one of them starting beatboxing using mostly Xhosa clicks. These guys are incredible! On breaks, they walk around singing together, traditional harmonies as far as I can tell.

Later that night I spent a while talking with a girl who was teaching me some Xhosa words and laughing at my clicks. She also explained some things about Xhosa culture to me. I learned a lot that day. Turns out she has an 18-month-old daughter with her boyfriend (also in the choir). Her daughter lives with the grandmother.

This girl explained the very patriarchal marriage process in her culture: the potential husband has to get his father and all of his uncles together and get approval of his choice of wife so that they can go to the woman's father and uncles and offer a labola or dowry. My friend's would be a little lower than average because she already has a child. Probably a little more than R10,000, or in the range of $1300.

Related to gender: every time we have a braai (we've probably had four now), we are told that men will do the braai-ing. At choir camp, the men were told to go get wood for a bonfire and the women were told to put the tables in order in the rehearsal/dining room. No one seems bothered by these divisions, but our St Ben's/St John's group certainly makes our opinions known, and we remain rebellious about who cooks. Even at Pendla the gender division is prominent in who is asked to do which chores. Boys move chairs and open windows. Girls take roll and do book-keeping. It takes some getting used to for liberals like us.