002. In Rome do what the Romans do.
While walking in Rome I spotted someone across the traffic crazy rondaval with the Italian drivers and I risked across and spoke to the person. Asked him if he was from South Africa ? Answer, YES.
He was the education head in the South African army, later principal of the then called NATAL University College. It was he who was disgusted with the facilities offered to Non-Europeans and took measures for improvement.
He invited me to join him on a few hours of sight seeing. When the time arrived for him to be at the airways terminal for bus to the airport we were met there by the South African Ambassador to Italy.
The diplomat shook hands with Prof. Malherbe and hesitated for a moment and offered to shake my hands, saying in Rome do what the Romans do.
(Those were the years in South Africa when NO GOVERNMENT CIVIL SERVANT IS ALLOWED TO SHAKE HANDS WITH NON-EUROPEANS. Similarly no typist can address a letter to a
Non-European with the customary DEAR SIR, which had to be substituted by word GREETINGS.
While walking in Rome I spotted someone across the traffic crazy rondaval with the Italian drivers and I risked across and spoke to the person. Asked him if he was from South Africa ? Answer, YES.
He was the education head in the South African army, later principal of the then called NATAL University College. It was he who was disgusted with the facilities offered to Non-Europeans and took measures for improvement.
He invited me to join him on a few hours of sight seeing. When the time arrived for him to be at the airways terminal for bus to the airport we were met there by the South African Ambassador to Italy.
The diplomat shook hands with Prof. Malherbe and hesitated for a moment and offered to shake my hands, saying in Rome do what the Romans do.
(Those were the years in South Africa when NO GOVERNMENT CIVIL SERVANT IS ALLOWED TO SHAKE HANDS WITH NON-EUROPEANS. Similarly no typist can address a letter to a
Non-European with the customary DEAR SIR, which had to be substituted by word GREETINGS.
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