The funniest thing happened over the weekend. I started chatting to a fellow myciti passenger while we waited for the bus to arrive. She was a Xhosa gogo who had the most delightfully melodic laugh. I noticed that she kept staring at my fro. Then she asked the question I could tell she was dying to ask:
” So where are you from?”
Me: ” I’m from Cape Town “.
Gogo: “Were you born here?”
Me: ” Yes, mama”
Gogo: ” Then why don’t you speak to me in isiXhosa?” she asked with a frown on her face.
Me: ” Because my xhosa is really bad mama. I only know very basic xhosa”. Gogo looks at my hair and then back at my face and then I understood.
Me: ” Mama, I am coloured”
Gogo: ” But you don’t look like other coloureds, they are lighter than you”
Me: *laughing hysterically* ” We come in all shades, mama”
Gogo: ” And your hair, is it a weave?” she asked with a perplexed look on her face.
Me: “No mama, it’s my natural hair” Her hands went directly to my hair as she simultaneously asked for permission to touch my hair. “It’s real!” she exclaimed. ” You are very blessed to have such curls” At that, the bus arrived.
It took me 39 years to get to the point where I can honestly say that I love every little coily curl that comes out of my head… and man do I love Cape Town and all her beautifully diverse people. Blessed indeed.
The term “Coloured” is an ethnic label for people of mixed ethnic origin who possess ancestry from Europe, Asia, and various Khoisan and Bantu tribes of Southern Africa -Wiki
, I’m Amanda.
Lovely story Mandy, I can definitely relate to this.
I know what u mean… I keep telling people, its real, from the root. So funny. But I love every curl on my head 🙂 thanks Mandy lovies Janine
Nice one….its taken me roughly the same amount of time to love my kinks and curls
Hi mandy i can relate to your story am colored with very light skin coming from a family -my dads side a black gogo and grandpapa who is half white half colored and my moms side my grandmother was black and my grandfather white .so people always take me for a white person but am proud of my heritage .have very frizzy curly hair but can’t tame it don’t know what product to use .but i started using the placenta and bergamot spray and he has done wonders am happy and thank you for sharing your story .
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Thank you so much for sharing your story too.