Where she grew up there was no electricity, and they got their water from a well. The yards and families were scattered with big spaces between them. She grew up on a farm with fields for vegetables, and kraals (corals) for goats and cows. They raised all their own food.
Her favorite food is papa [pap-ah] and phane [paw-nee], which is porridge with mopane worms. A delicacy from her home village! The worms are in season in December and now, in March.
A favorite memory and tradition happens on Christmas Eve. She said, [On this day,] "we go to a certain yard. They will be selling different kinds of snacks and traditional drinks. We will be singing, competing with other choir groups, only using our mouths (no radios or music allowed) until the next day. In the morning, they will be making bread for us and we eat tea and bread together. At lunch time, they slaughter a cow and cook it. We eat this with papa and beet root."
