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I have to specially acknowledge the efforts that you continue to portray in respecting each other's cultural differences and even more so for trying to speak the other languages.

But I must admit, white people have changed completely! They are very stylish in the clothes they wear, walks, their approach to things and in general. If you do not get the joke, you definitely do not know what was the popular stereotyping about white people.

If you are a football lover, I am sure that you have also caught the Man United (Manchester United FC) fever that is taking South Africa by storm. We might have to take the “Red Devils” spirit out next week by visiting the sangomas or slaughter goats.

But let us revisit this issue next week so that we can really do justice to the topic.

For this week, I have been informed that there are two Mt Pleasant pre-school teachers who will be attending a funeral in the Eastern Cape while I am aware that some of you, like the Hermanus Tourism manager, Storm Kreusch, might be making those visits to the Eastern Cape and would like to improve your African greeting. “Sharp sharp Bra'Arch” might work in Archiecracy but will never do so in more traditional areas and other parts of Africa.

The African greeting, just like any African tradition approach to life, time spent on issues has a direct correlation to the importance on the issue or person. In simple terms, the more time you take greeting a particular person the more you portray importance or respect over that person. But the Western culture philosophy that “too much of everything is not good” does apply to a certain extent.

To me, African greeting is more of an art than anything as one can never stop improving on it. I say art in the sense that you need to balance a lot of things at the same time which would range from your greeting of different aged people to a firm handshake to a male while a soft warm hand would be ideal for women. The firmer your handshake, the stronger you will portray yourself to be. In leadership meetings you might want your handshake to be a bit more firm than when greeting someone in a restaurant.

There are times when you would have to greet someone who is from a royal family or is in a superior position or you view to be more important than you, like the Comm Cetyana or Mr Baleni (Whale Crier of Hermanus), for example. Upon approaching him, I would have to tone my head partly down, extend my left hand while protecting his or with my right hand as a sign of immense respect.

The right hand must be positioned in such a way that if it is raining, the other person's hand must be protected from the rain. This form of greeting can only be used for someone who is in a position of power or influence. If you want to show immense respect for any other person, you will need to greet with both hands while you can still utilize your body to show more respect.

Remember, the lower you tone your body when greeting, the more respect you will show. In actual fact, if we are true to the tradition I shouldn't greet any elder with one hand. It is bad! It reflects lack of respect for elders. Also be reminded that in the African culture just like in the Afrikaner culture, the elders are extremely import hence they should be respected at all times.

For the day-to-day greeting, a light smile while approaching with left hand extended to the other person accompanied by “molo” (good day) “kunjani” (how are you)? “uyonwabele (enjoy) imini yakho (your day)” will have to do.

But when seeing the person the first time in his or her environment, you will have to do better than that. You will have to give your background like who you are, where your family is originally from. It is not as difficult as it sounds. All you need to understand from your grandparents is where your family come from before saying where you are based. The logic is that one's background provides an idea of one's likes and dislikes which will give the person you are talking to an idea about you.

If I were to introduce myself to you I would start it from the Eastern Cape, although I was born here, while I would end in Hermanus. So, I would give you my family migration journey in a very brief way. After which you will be able to know that the Eastern Cape premier issue is a no-go area because you would have picked up that Balindlela's family journey would be the same as mine. This therefore would mean that the Balindlela story is a no-go area while you would be free to talk about the Western Cape premier Rasool.

On a lighter note: Be reminded that this is my regime within which you have the right to be an African, you have a right not to be silent and anything you say in Xhosa will not be used against you. So you have no excuse not to greet everyone in Xhosa.

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