Learning Experience

In exactly one month I'll be headed home from South Africa.

Now before I came here a month seemed like a pretty long time. Since I've been here, however, I've realized (or, 'realised' as it's spelled here) that it really isn't. As a result, I've been thinking a lot about the past eight weeks and everything that's happened to me over the course of them. I've learned so much about so many things completely unrelated to school, which is interesting considering I'm supposed to be here for school. But I guess the most important learning you do doesn't take place in a classroom anyway:

--I couldn't learn how incredibly fortunate I am just to live in a house with both a refrigerator and a bathroom in a classroom. It's hard to really grasp that until you drive by people without both of those things on your way to work every day.
--I couldn't learn how patient I am (or can be when necessary) with communication in a classroom. Working in an office where a majority of the people prefer to speak a language completely different from your own can be, among other things, exhausting and frustrating. You learn pretty quickly to let it go.
--I couldn't learn how thankful I am for the first-class education I received for the past 15 years of schooling in a classroom. Seeing high schools (some of which don't even have proper sanitation) in some of the poorest townships and villages in both the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape has made me appreciate absolutely everything about my high school especially. Even the terrible drinking water.
--I couldn't learn how much I absolutely love, like really love, my hometown/state/country in a classroom. The US may have a lot of progress that still needs to be made in terms of acceptance and social cohesion, but at least 'American' is the what we label each other before anything else.
--And I definitely couldn't learn what it feels like to climb a mountain in a classroom. That one was really cool, and really exhausting.

I wonder what I'll learn in the last month of my adventure?

The Other "A-word"

Throughout my preparation for my internship in Cape Town, South Africa I encountered numerous bits of information concerning racial tensions and problems of inequality still in place from the infamous apartheid era. Therefore I embarked with the expectation that once I had arrived in South Africa, it was possible, even probable that I would witness those tangible problems firsthand. What I did not expect, however, was that I would witness the divisive power of racism firsthand before I even got off the plane.

            For the plane ride from New York JFK to Johannesburg Oliver Tambo International Airport I was seated in a row of four white Americans (3 others and myself). Across the aisle to our left were a white South African woman and a black South African man. At a couple points during the plane ride I had seen them exchange annoyed glances and even heard her speak to the man in a harsh tone (I later learned that the man had been drinking for most of the flight and was being very rude and obnoxious toward her). I didn’t think much of these exchanges, however, until the plane was pulling up to the gate and people were beginning to collect their belongings. It was at this point when I realized how deep the tensions left over from apartheid really were for some people.

            I wasn’t paying much attention to what was going on around me since I was busy gathering all of my things in my backpack but all of a sudden I heard the white American man who had been sitting next to me tell the black South African man across the aisle to “get your hands out of my face.” I, as well as everyone within earshot, looked over at what was happening to find the two exchanging harsh words and telling each other to “back off” repeatedly. This continued to escalate until the black South African man used the “f-word” in telling the white American man to get away from him. At this point a white South African man interjected and told the black South African man to watch his mouth because there were ladies around (like me, who was, again, sitting two feet away from all of this) and because he was giving South Africans a bad reputation. His response has been stuck in my head ever since: “No man, you’re not South African. I’m South African; you’re apartheid!” At these words there was a combination of uncomfortable silence from all nearby foreigners, like me, and a collective eye-roll from all nearby South Africans. A couple other people intervened to get the two men away from each other, we were finally able to exit the plane, and that was the end of their altercation. Needless to say, I was pretty happy to get off the plane at this point. 

            Although the man’s words cast a bit of a dark cloud over my first day in South Africa, I am happy and very relieved to say that was the first and, so far, last time I’ve heard any talk of African vs. Afrikaaner, apartheid, or anything of the sort in a confrontational manner. I’ve seen countless friendly exchanges between black and white South Africans and heard only minimal talk of anything suggestive of apartheid’s divisive legacy. While it’s undeniable that the apartheid era left a blemish on this country, what’s quite clear is that it is fading with every passing day and South Africa is moving forward and leaving that period where it belongs: in the past.

Posted up at the Tip of Africa

Hello from Cape Town!

First off let me just say that this city is absolutely GORGEOUS! No matter where you are you always have breathtaking views of the mountains; and the ocean isn’t far away either. The scenery alone is unbelievable.

Okay so now that I’ve gotten that off my chest I’ll recap a little bit. The plane ride from NYC to Johannesburg wasn’t bad, considering its length that is. I slept for most of it (probably with my mouth wide open looking so attractive), watched movies, and witnessed an uncomfortable, to say the least, altercation between a white American, a black South African, and a white South African. That last little bit is worth its own entry so I’ll write more about that later. After that I hopped on my flight to Cape Town, was picked up at the airport with two other girls from MSU and taken to our hostel, where we stayed for most of the rest of yesterday (Tuesday).

The hostel is where I fought my first of what I’m sure will be many battles with the sub-par internet service provider used all over the place in SA. (That being said, if any employees of Skyrove Telecommunications are reading this per chance, YOU SUCK. YOUR INTERNET IS THE ABSOLUTE WORST ATROCITY TO BEFALL MANKIND. MY MAC SAYS I HAVE FULL SERVICE AND I DON’T AND IT MAKES ME VERY MAD.) The first few days were pretty crazy though; we were tired, groggy, hungry, and tired for most of it but we still made time for fun. On Thursday we moved into our amazing apartments and got settled in before a trip to the Pick n Pay (aka Meijer, but much smaller and more crowded. It’s a headache in the form of a store).

Friday I had my first day at work at Equal Education and it went really well. The people were all so nice and very accommodating, even though I had to have everyone repeat their name at least twice before I could understand. I’ll be interning in the Youth Department for the summer/winter so I’ll have more on what that will entail when I know. Friday night a bunch of us grilled out at the braai (barbeque) on the roof under the stars and Saturday morning we left bright and early for Robertson Valley for the Wacky Wine Festival.

Overall the first week has been exhausting and amazing and so surreal. I love this city/country so far and everyone I’ve met has been so friendly, too! I’m definitely having the time of my life here.

So I’ll conclude this with a little list of things that are different here in South Africa:

1.    -Everything is so literal here. What’s ‘butter’ in the US is ‘fat spread’ here (and it is AMAZING.).

2.     -Everything, well almost, is smaller here. The Pick n Pay is nowhere near as big as any grocery stores back home and they don’t sell anything in bulk, except maybe wine.

3.     -Speaking of wine, there is tons and tons of wine here. There’s a whole section in the grocery store dedicated to it and it has all been delicious.

4.     -65-degree weather is cold in Cape Town. Everyone is bundled up like it’s the middle of winter in Michigan while we’re walking around in jeans and maybe sweatshirts. That might be how everyone knows we’re foreigners right away.

5.     -On that note, the last thing I’ve noticed that still catches me off guard a lot is the fact that I’m an outsider in South Africa. It’s so strange to be somewhere where you’re different from everyone else. At times it’s frustrating, but it’s always pretty grounding.

Okay that’s all for now. I have tons of other stuff about which I want to write, but I’ll have to get to it later.

African Marketing

So since I'm leaving for Cape Town, South Africa for roughly three months in a few days, I thought writing something about Africa seemed pretty appropriate. The tough part though, is deciding exactly what to write. Once again, as it seems to always happen, inspiration came from a highly random source: a t-shirt, or rather, a tag on a t-shirt.

This one requires a backstory: A couple weeks ago when I was visiting my cousin in Chicago I was walking around downtown in a sundress and cardigan when, in typical Midwest fashion, the weather completely turned on us and it was freezing outside. I had already bought a pair of khaki capris so we went into Nordstrom and I bought a t-shirt to wear so I could put on my new pants and be warmer (unfortunately it continued to get colder and it didn't make much of a difference anyway). I found a plain white v-neck t-shirt on sale, bought it, and went in the dressing room to change when I noticed the logo on the tag. The shirt was made by a company called "Threads for Thought" and their tags boast sustainable production practices, organic cotton, and an outline of Africa, implying subtly that their name combined with a picture of Africa will help sell the shirts.

After I noticed this I looked into Threads for Thought and was disappointed, but not really surprised at what I found. It turns out that their connection to the continent they rely upon for marketing is, go figure, a charitable one. I hoped that their products were perhaps produced somewhere in Africa or at least made from materials of African origin. Nope. My shirt was made from US materials and assembled in Mexico. So instead of partnering with cotton farmers or textile producers in Africa to make clothes, Threads for Thought treats the continent like a charity case. In the company's blog, they even refer to Africa as "one of the three most critical challenges we face on our planet," with the environment and conflict being the other two.

Don't get me wrong, it is absolutely praiseworthy that their products are made of organic cotton and other sustainable materials; and the charities to which they donate (The International Rescue Committee and The National Resources Defense Council) do very important, laudable work. Their use of Africa as purely a marketing tool to attract well-intentioned consumers, however, is definitely not okay. This is especially disappointing since business organizations like Threads for Thought are exactly the ones that should stray away from the perpetuation of Africa as a tragic, sad place that we all need to help by participating in capitalism and buying things. In other words, I'd have a lot more respect for T4T if they treated Africa and Africans as partners in development rather than recipients of Western handouts and a "critical challenge" we have to address. (What exactly does that mean, anyway? In my mind, challenge implies something that must be overcome, so we have to 'overcome' Africa? Seriously?)

Because as it stands now, I'd only buy another t-shirt from them if I was even more desperate than I was in Chicago.

But that's just what I think.

PS-To my four loyal readers who aren't my family and thus feel obligated to read these posts, my entries for the next few months will be all about my time in Cape Town. Probably lots of anecdotes and observations, but I'll try and shake it up a bit to keep things interesting. Enjoy :)

Just for Clarification

As a symptom of being back in my small, mostly conservative hometown for a few weeks, I've often found myself driving behind cars decorated with all sorts of political bumper stickers. Today I encountered the same sticker twice on two separate cars and the blatant misrepresentation of a sensitive issue irritated me just enough to write about it.

I suppose I should specify exactly what the sticker said: ""I've noticed that everybody that is for abortion has already been born."-Ronald Reagan."

Okay, I'm going to use all-caps here because I want this to be as clear as possible: NO ONE IS FOR ABORTION. No one thinks abortion is a great asset to our society; no one loves the idea of purposely ending the life of an unborn baby; and no one would ever encourage more abortions. The pro-choice movement doesn't support abortion, it supports a woman's right to make a very personal, private, life-altering decision without the intervention of a detached, dispassionate state.

Abortion is an extremely sensitive issue, one that requires education, civil discussion, and holistic solutions aimed at reducing the number of abortions by providing support for less affluent pregnant women and their families. Making abortion illegal is not the answer. I mean, people didn't stop downloading songs on file-sharing websites because it's illegal, they instead started using riskier programs with the potential to damage their computers, just as people won't stop having abortions. It will just become a highly risky, dangerous practice if made illegal.

So before this hyperbolic, inflammatory diction penetrates our civil discourse any further, let's remember that we all have the same ends-reducing abortion practices. Where we differ is our means. And this discourse of intentional misperception and unwillingness to address the problem without partisan rhetoric only drives the wedge further between us.

But that's just what I think.

America's Royalty

As anyone that saw me in the past few days especially knows, I am a little enamored with the British Monarchy. While it's hard not to be given the extraordinary pomp and circumstance surrounding the Royal Wedding, I've always had a high level of admiration for the House of Windsor and all they represent-tradition, yet modernity, continuity, stability, poise, and class.

Obviously Americans don't have such an esteemed monarchy to revere, but that's not to say we don't have royalty. We have plenty of royalty in our country, from all facets of culture and society, that many of us almost unconditionally admire. So who is this famed royalty in the U.S. of A.?

Well the kings and queens, and you'd have a hard time convincing me otherwise, are professional athletes. For the most part they live extremely lavish and decadent lifestyles, drive expensive cars, own huge, grandiose houses, and, often, wear ridiculously extravagant jewelry. Plus they play sports, so most people automatically adore them. In a culture that tends to value consumption, wealth, and exuberant displays of masculinity via athletic prowess, these guys (emphasis on guys, as it is a male-dominated field) reign supreme. I'd argue even to the extent that they can get away with anything.

Just under the highest tier lies the cultural figures that are famous simply because they're famous. You know who I'm talking about-the Kardashians, Lauren Conrad, Snookie and the Situation, and Charlie Sheen. People love them, but why exactly? What have they done to earn our unyielding admiration? Well, nothing really. They were involved in a scandal of sorts, starred in a reality TV show, nicknamed their abdominal muscles, paraded around drunk on television, perhaps had a film career of sorts, or a combination of these attributes. Now they live extravagant lifestyles similar to those of the aforementioned athletes that continually capture the American public's affection.

Finally we have Hollywood (film stars and musicians are included here). And it goes without saying that we'll always find something we love about the glamour of Tinsel Town, even if they do come after the above strangely-famous "cultural" icons.

The problem with this facade of American royalty I think is that we tend to grossly  undervalue people that deserve all the reverence befitting a monarchy. We don't appreciate people like teachers, social workers, diplomats, intellectuals, scientists, etc. who are truly instrumental to our country's progress and future. And we have considerably less adulation for those of us that transcend cultural, political, and social constraints to make the world a better place for everyone. Think about it, Charlie Sheen can parade around on stage talking about nothing to sold-out crowds across the country, but lectures and presentations by prestigious intellectuals have a hard time filling seats even on a college campus.

So what I'm really saying is that we should reconsider who we admire. Our idols are a reflection of us as a nation, and right now, I'm not sure it's a flattering image.

But that's just what I think.

Tolerance

In Economics, a public good is defined as a "good or service exhibiting nonrival consumption and nonexcludability" (I took the definition from my EC 310 textbook; if you really want the specific page number and such just ask). What I want to delve into is the idea of 'nonrival consumption,' which essentially states that one person or group's use of the good does not impede another's use. A common example is with roads-just because I drive on a certain road doesn't mean someone else can't (although my boyfriend might contest that given his feelings about my driving).

So after learning about this idea of nonrival consumption as it relates to public goods, I wondered why this idea isn't more widely held, particularly when it comes to religion? Why does one religious group's faith practices have to impede those of another? Why can't we treat religion more like a public good? And the only reason I can think of is tolerance, or, intolerance in this case.

I was raised Catholic and spent 13 years being educated in the Catholic school system in my hometown, yet I will never insist that my religion supersedes any others. I will never tell a believer of any other faith that they should change their ways and convert to Catholicism if they wish to be saved, or that their faith and customs are inferior to mine. My practicing of Catholicism should not hinder someone else's practicing of Islam, Judaism, or any other religion, period. Unfortunately this attitude is not as widespread as it ought to be, hence a disturbing anecdote I was told about certain religious instruction methods in my home town, as well as some of my own experiences with religion classes.

But imagine what it'd be like if more people felt this way and just let others worship as they please. Imagine how many people would avoid persecution and even death in the name of religion. Imagine how much more peaceful and harmonic the world would be without conflict of this nature.

That brings us to the question of why aren't people more tolerant? The answer is pretty simple, but not something people are willing to admit: fear borne out of wavering faith. Think about it, if you really believe in your religious ideology, then why do you have to censure all others, and often all followers of other religions? Why do you have to judge, persecute, or even kill followers of other faiths to proclaim yours? It seems to me that if people firmly believed in the teachings of their faith then they wouldn't have to put other religions down, as they so often do.


I mean a lot of religions ultimately lead to the same truth and many of the differences between them are hardly more than cultural. So when you criticize the practices of another religion, it says a lot more about you and your faith than anything else.


But that's just what I think.