Shopping on your head

I will remain forever in awe of all these amazing Africans sauntering along, doing their shopping or carrying out chores with the most incredible, large, heavy and/or precarious items balanced on their heads. I have watched mesmerized as crate loads of food, large basins of water, furniture or even sewing machines go bobbing along, sometimes for long distances, on somebody's head. We had an African dance evening a few days ago and a lad of about 8 or 9 stood and watched for a good half hour or so without thinking to remove the large plate that was sitting on his head.

Babies are not carried on heads - they sit piggy back on backs inside a piece of cloth - regardless of how small they are. Anyone who would be in a pram or pushchair, or who can't walk the required distance, qualifies for the cloth trick. It is very clever and looks most amusing from the front - a small foot sticking out on either side. I haven't yet seen anybody with twins!

"Ndi" (good morning) you say as you meet somebody, (at least if it is the morning) and shake their hand. This is accompanied by finger clicking - the louder the better. I have not quite mastered this art yet - I sometimes think I've got it and it passes uneventfully and then an African I know a bit better will inform me that I still need to practise.

And you don't even need to get near to the person to get the greeting wrong. I have taken to making sure I am carrying something in my left hand just to keep it occupied and stop me waving with it. I have never waved so much or so often at so many different people - mainly kids, but it absolutely must be done with the right hand. It doesn't do, and is in fact quite rude, to get it wrong and wave with the left.

I just hope the locals are gracious enough to forgive my naivety.