"A Tale of Two Cities*" By: Carolyn Dilz

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…” Just kidding. Before I bore anyone with Dickens and/or fail to live up to his great expectations (yes, that just happened), I should probably mention that I have never been to London or Paris. Thus, in hopes of maintaining whatever credibility I may have, I’ll resort to tales of two more familiar areas: Sir Lowry’s Pass, South Africa and Athens, Georgia.

· Comparison the First: Sense of Community

The first thing I noticed in Sir Lowry’s Pass was the sense of community. Older children took care of younger ones outside of their immediate families, “soup mothers” fed every child who came to their doorstep, and neighbors constantly went in and out of different houses to help one another. In Athens I can’t even name the people who live two doors down from me. Do I have something to learn from the township families? I think so.

· Comparison the Second: Openness and Hospitality

The coolest thing about our first day in Sir Lowry’s Pass was hearing the stories of the amazing people who live there. Within one minute of meeting, they were willing to tell me about everything from their past to their families to their dreams to their hobbies. Despite their poverty, they immediately shared both their homes and food with us. In Athens it takes me several days to find out the names of the new people I meet in class. I have never shared a meal –let alone my life story—with a stranger in my home. Yes, South African hospitality beats my southern hospitality (or lack thereof?) by a mile.

· Comparison the Third: Music and Dance

It doesn’t matter if you’re in America or South Africa: EVERYONE loves busting a move to Justin Bieber. Feel free to sing along: “And I was like baby, baby, baby ohhhh…”

*Sir Lowry’s Pass may be a township rather than a city, but please cut me some slack for the sake of a catchy title.