Friday, January 15, 2010
Sawubona - I see you
I'm taking a break from my recent serious-ness topics and top 10 topics to discuss a movie in a...well...serious, yet not so serious manner.
Avatar
I keep talking to my artsy type friends about this movie and they don't seem to like it that much. and then others like it basically for the 3D effects, etc. I'm going on record to say that i thought it was a brilliant movie. Granted, it's a cliche story. yes, its been done many times in different forms. sure, the acting/dialogue left plenty to be desired. but i think its a story that cannot be told enough times. or rather, a story that needs to be told in more interesting ways, suitable to both adults and children, that tell of some of the atrocities and hawkishness that not only abound 400 years ago, but still remain today.
*********side note*********
i think i enjoyed this movie also cuz the scientist reminded me of my dad who used to work with plants from the amazon forest to try to extract nutrients or chemicals that he would use to make different kinds of medicines. his boss had a long standing relationship with the community that lived in the forest and used to travel there every year. proof that deals can be made on a human, non-threatening manner.
*********side note*********
back to subject at hand. Though the story focused around the americas and relationship of settlers with the native americans, i think its one that can be applied in most colonial histories. i read an interesting article (link below) with this intersting insert:
Avatar
I keep talking to my artsy type friends about this movie and they don't seem to like it that much. and then others like it basically for the 3D effects, etc. I'm going on record to say that i thought it was a brilliant movie. Granted, it's a cliche story. yes, its been done many times in different forms. sure, the acting/dialogue left plenty to be desired. but i think its a story that cannot be told enough times. or rather, a story that needs to be told in more interesting ways, suitable to both adults and children, that tell of some of the atrocities and hawkishness that not only abound 400 years ago, but still remain today.
*********side note*********
i think i enjoyed this movie also cuz the scientist reminded me of my dad who used to work with plants from the amazon forest to try to extract nutrients or chemicals that he would use to make different kinds of medicines. his boss had a long standing relationship with the community that lived in the forest and used to travel there every year. proof that deals can be made on a human, non-threatening manner.
*********side note*********
back to subject at hand. Though the story focused around the americas and relationship of settlers with the native americans, i think its one that can be applied in most colonial histories. i read an interesting article (link below) with this intersting insert:
"Throughout the Americas the earliest explorers, including Columbus, remarked on the natives' extraordinary hospitality. The conquistadores marvelled at the amazing roads, canals, buildings and art they found, which in some cases outstripped anything they had seen at home. None of this stopped them destroying everything and everyone they encountered..."
Link to the rest of the article: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-01-12-mawkish-maybe-but-avatar-is-a-profound-important-film
.
Anyway thats my shout out to the movie. Another interesting fact (see you come to this blog to learn, i just know it!): james cameron and his crew must have done a sht-load of research. kudos to them. did you know that "I/we see you" - a key phrase in the film - is a direct translation of "Sawubona"? Sawubona is the Zulu word for "Hello", but as the movie iterates, its meaning goes much deeper than that. If I see you, i'm acknowledging that you matter - everyone matters - that you are validated, respected, a valued member of the community. It's been described as an affirmation, an invitation to a deep witnessing and presence.
.
I see it as the first step to ubuntu.
Friday, January 1, 2010
happy year of african football (YAF)
Lets not fool ourselves, this year, 2010, is not like any other year. its not like 2009 was just 2009 or 2008, etc. its not sufficient to just say happy 2010 this year, cuz that just doesnt tell the story. rather, i prefer to call this year the year of african football ('YAF' for short). I think that speaks a bit more to the importance of this year, so much more than merely 2010. I'm sure you will agree.
so anyway, here we are in the very first day of YAF and I hope that everyone's having a lovely one. I'm having a very relaxed one myself, after staying up most of last night. in my relaxed state, i thought i'd look back at last year and see what my resolutions were and if i'd resolution-ed them, and also what im looking forward to doing this yr. so here goes yet another list:
2009 resolutions:
so anyway, here we are in the very first day of YAF and I hope that everyone's having a lovely one. I'm having a very relaxed one myself, after staying up most of last night. in my relaxed state, i thought i'd look back at last year and see what my resolutions were and if i'd resolution-ed them, and also what im looking forward to doing this yr. so here goes yet another list:
2009 resolutions:
- do more random trips to random places...check!: groot marico, kruger, natal, durban, uitkyk, limpopo, magaliesburg, hartbeespoort.
- go safari-ing...check!: kruger, couple places in botswana.
- be more involved in community...half-check!
- take the gmat; get my mba...check!: cape town here i come.
- find ways to enjoy my work...half-check!: botswana and a really interesting female flatmate and travel companion helped. [special note: thanks zama for making my bots experience that much more special and for tryin to teach me zulu when you know im a sucky learner and for insisting that others speak in english around me! never mess with a zulu-chik.
- eat more mangos...half-check!: can never have enough mangos. and dried mangos have been added to this resolution.
2010 resolutions:
- enjoy world cup 2010 to the FULLEST. it'll probly be a logistal nightmare and i will be a student, which means that ill have no money or time to do much. but...im enjoying the hype and i will continue to enjoy the hype. first time on african soil, its an event that i'll boast about to my grandkids one day and say "i was there". i love it!
- do bschool/mba. dont really have a choice here now that im enrolled, but make the most of it i will.
- be a man of my words. i.e. when i say that i'll do something, people should be able to trust that i will. not saying that i dont do that now, but lately i think ive disappointed a couple people, even though they wont say it, it makes me feel terrible. so i need to improve on that. with that goes, being there for, and doing all that i can, to help out friends and family.
- be more disciplined. spiritually and otherwise.
- do more outdoors. shouldnt be too hard in cape town. im thinking soccer, squash, tennis, hiking. open to adding other things to the list too (rugby??..)
one thing ive been thinking about lately, before YAF, was how the end of 2009 was not simply a year ending, but in fact the end of a decade. while thinking about the year that's passed and all its challenges and victories, i couldnt help but start thinking about the decade thats passed as well. yes, 10 years of living is a lot to think about but heres a challenge:
over the last 10 years, what are some events/decisions/things that you've been most proud of or that have shaped you the most and in what ways? additionally, what are you most looking forward to this year or in the decade to come.
those are daunting questions and even as i surveyed myself and my friends, we found it difficult to answer those questions at times. some even decided to run away rather than answer the questions! prof...
anyway, lots have happened in the last year, let alone the last decade (from graduating high school to varsity and the loss of a very dear friend to chicago to accenture to nigeria to south africa and gaining new very dear friends to cape town to barack obama to michael jackson and tiger woods and on and on). because of this, its really difficult for me to pick just one thing that i think has shaped me the most. since i introduced the topic tho, i would have to say one event that i think shaped me perhaps more than most has been my decision to move to south africa. included in that are all the lessons i've learned, interesting people ive met, and places ive experienced. i think that decision alone has brought about so many changes in my life and in my world view and it continues to do so. in the next few years, i plan on continuing to grow (personally, spiritually, relation-nally), basking in the glow of the african world cup, finishing up my mba and embarking on a brave new world of african development (however that may look like).
so how will you remember this decade? will you reminisce on opportunities gone by or challenges faced or giants you stared down and beat? will you be thankful that u at least laboured through it (at least there was no "third world war"...)? or will it be full of memories of good times, hardships, lessons learned, and growth? and more importantly, how do you want to shape the next decade, starting with YAF? what will change? how will it be remembered? what role will you have to play in it? its become trendy nowadays to say that we dont have new year's resolutions, but i hope we all have some general plans of what we want to happen or what we're most looking forward to. and i hope we all seek out what role we're to play; what gives our lives meaning, one decade/year/month/minute at a time and strive for that.
In the words of the great JayZ: may the best of our today's be the worst of our tomorrow's!
Happy YAF.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
53 frustrating hours
i just went through 53 (or so) hours that i don't particularly want to encounter ever again. i'm taking a break from my top10 lists, because i just couldnt help but recount how hectic the last couple days have been. i dont think i've had the consecutive set of events rain down on me like they did. not to say that i didn't necessarily deserve some of these things or even bring some of them upon myself, but anyway, like all things...lessons learned! my interesting experiences started on sunday.
sun, 1:15pm: picked up to go to airport. everything seems normal. looking forward to the nice botswana sun.
sun, 1:55pm: at the airport. get out of the shuttle, newspaper on my lap still on the same page it was when we left. negotiate with guy at start of the queue to let me in the shorter line. it works. things appear normal.
sun, 2:02pm: the cheeky lady at the counter asks me where my passport is. thinking she means my visa into botswana, i proceed to show her my exemption visa for bots. no, she says, wheres ur passport. again i translated her misguided english to mean: "where's the extension on my passport" (sometimes they miss the little stamp). no, she repeats, ur passport is out of pages to stamp. i cant let u travel with this. she explained to me that i need at least 3 empty pages in my passport to fly. since i fly to and from bots almost every week i was currently left with about 1.5 empty pages.
sun, 2:15pm: same cheeky lady. now trying to call bots to see if theyll let me through without charging the airline. no go. then calling the nigerian embassy (ha!). no go. solution (for now): i had to postpone my trip for a couple days, go to the nigerian consulate and see if they can issue me an emergency travel document.
sun, 2:55pm: after a sandwich, get a cab back home for a ridiculous amt of money.
sun, 8pm: woke up from a short nap, thinking i should be freaking out. but nah, everything should work out just fine, right??
mon, 7:50am: put on my monday best and head for the nigerian consulate so i can be there before they open and be one of the first in.
mon, 8:40am: arrive at consulate. theres already a queue of about 20 people, including some dear acquaintances. we chat. we wish each other the best of luck.
mon, 9:17am: lady asks if im here for collection or drop off. neither i say, but i have a very important question. she looks at me like im crazy. i recount the whole story from sunday and ask if i can get some sort of emergency travel document while i wait for the new passport. she looks at me like im crazy. transfers me over to the boss.
mon, 9:25am: i hunt down boss, who's trying desperately to escape me and leave the premises, recount my story and plead for sympathy. boss man says, but theres no such thing as an emergency travel document, and sorry i have to leave now, have a very important meeting to get to in pretoria.
mon, 9:27am: back to lady at the front: plead some more. she says, look ive told u all that i know, the only people that would be able to do anything different are my bosses (yea, loads of effing help they are). so btw, what is the normal process if i were to do it? heh, get this: fill out online application. submit and print. but before u submit and print u must print the page entry page, cuz u wont be able to get back to it once u submit. in order to complete the app, u must find a nigerian address to put as ur permanent address, and find a next of kin also with a nigerian address. after submitting, you must find a guarantor and have them fill out a couple forms with their ID photos. this guarantor must have a valid nigerian drivers license and all docs must be certified. after completing apps, u must hand all the docs in physically to the consulate (whats the point of online apps then??) and then u go home. after 3 wks theyll call u to take a photo. it takes at least one full day to take a photo. then u go home. if you're one of the lucky few, you'll get a call in 2 wks to come and collect. and if you're lucky, your passport will actually be ready on the day they say it is (have yet to see that happen).
mon, 9:35am: am starting to freak out now at the parking lot. what do i do? i need to be in bots this wk for training and we go-live the next monday and we've got presentations, etc...
mon, 9:45am: after a couple calls to friends, i decided that best bet is to try to drive to bots and try my luck at the border control instead. i'd submit my app for a new passport and then start driving first thing tues morn.
mon, 12:15pm: I finish the app and submit. i arrange to meet someone with a nigerian drivers license to complete the guarantors part at 430pm.
mon, 12:30pm: (actually this started a couple hours before). i begin calling car rental places to find a car to drive to bots. nothing available yet, but theyll call me back shortly. i call my car dealership, where my car has been for the past 1+wks. get the news that they think theyve figured out whats wrong with my car. gonna cost me the equivalent of $2000. i say go ahead and do it. oh and btw, will it be ready by first thing tomorrow morning? doubtful. so back to my rental car options.
mon, 4pm: i drive to the mall, where i'm supposed to meet the guarantor with the nigerian drivers license. still, dont have a car for the next day.
mon, 4:35pm: while tryin to sit down at a cafe, my flatmate calls me. the house is flooded. especially my room. books, bags, clothes, shoes...all drenched. from water from the toilet. toilet water. listen, i tell roomy, i cant deal with this right now; pls deal with it. i give him the landlords number to help sort things out.
mon, 5:15pm: guarantor shows up. we chat. she signs the forms. we go to an internet cafe. she prints some more necessary forms and signs them. we walk over to the police station (not too short of a walk) to have them certified. no hassles at the police station, surprisingly. everything ready to go, i thot.
mon, 6:01pm: i call back the only car place that said they might have a car available, she tells me she has a citi golf w/ no air con or power steering but i have to pick it up now as shes on her way out. as i was across town there was no way i could get to her fast. as i like a bit of comfort (esp driving long distances), i wasnt about to drive a non-power steering vehicle with no air con to hot and stinky botswana and keep this car for 2.5 wks before driving it back (i had decided that if i made it into botswana i couldnt leave till i was ready to leave for the year, to minimize the number of times they would need to stamp my passport). i decide ill try my luck again with all the car rental companies first thing tomorrow.
mon, 7:14pm: i drop the application at a friends who was also going for a new passport. we chat. i rest.
mon, 9:37pm: i have dinner with a friend. jollof rice and beef stew and fried plantain/dodo. not bad.
mon, around 12am: i get back to my appartment. hear the dripping sounds of water downstairs. feel the wet floor. walk upstairs to me room. the carpet is just soaked. my feet drenched in water as i walk the swampy jungle that is my room. i notice everything is wet. my roomy tried and got some stuff off the floor. problem is he put the stuff on top of my bed, so now my bed and sheets are also wet. with toilet water.
mon, 12:16am: disgusted, i take some dry sheets that were not on the bed and head downstairs to sleep.
tues, 6am: i'm wide awake after an uncomfortable night. do some reading while waiting for others to wake up so i can start calling.
tues, 7:30am: start calling car rental places again. again, nothing available. earliest lunchtime some say.
tues, 9am: remembered that theyre was one part of my app for passport that was missing. i need to print, sign, scan, and email this thing before 11am.
tues, 9:24am: find an internet cafe. all computers booked.
tues, 10am: got tired of calling car rental places with no response, so drop by one of the ones ive been calling. she's flustered. apparently she doesnt have enough cars either. anyway, eventually she finds me another car at another branch that will be ready at noon. phew.
tues, 10:30am: back to the internet cafe. now they have a computer. get on my gmail. need to prnt the doc. now u can only print be first saving on a memory stick. didnt have mine with, but no worries, they have loan ones. 2 of them. their both in use. wait 15 minutes. no joke. finally grabbed one of the guys with one of the memory sticks ask him if i could also put my doc there and we could go print it together. plan works.
tues, 11:15am: doc is finally scanned and emailed. heading back home to get my stuff, then off to pick up the car.
tues, 1145am: call my friend whose car im borrowing to work out how im going to leave the car. we sketch out a sketchy plan. eventually decided i would leave it in a mall and give the keys to his bro-in-law somewhere else. (eventually decided to just keep the keys with me)
tues, 1pm: i finally find this car rental place, but now i cant find a place to park.
tues, 1:40pm: we finish all the paper work and the keys are finally handed to me. now i have to figure out how to get to bots. i start driving and calling friends.
tues, 2-7pm: i eventually make my way with some sketchy and not-so-sketchy directions. didnt miss my way too much. nice adventure. nice scenery, to look on the bright side. said a prayer about every 2 minutes that i'd be allowed to cross the border. got to the border and snuck in between a large group. produced my passport, even declared my laptop. and in the end they stamped my passport. I Was Home Free!
tues, 430pm: i learn that the nigerian consulate rejected my application. whatever. maybe ill try it again. maybe i wont.
all that was much more hassle than i want to go through in the short amount of time again. i still dunno what happened to my flooded room, but hopefully thats been sorted. the day ended with great news tho. im here in bots now (and not leaving till i leave for good in a couple weeks!), i opened my email and i found out that ive been accepted into the university of cape town full time mba programme starting in january. the funny thing is when things like this happen to me, esp the good things, i remember my parents and close family. reason is that i know theyre tru prayer warriors and i can almost feel that theyve been praying for me. so i emailed my parents to recount the events, and surely they had been praying for me regarding these things the same day. my parents are amazing. anyway, extremely stressful day(s) turned into extremely happy night/morning/week. lessons learned!
sun, 1:15pm: picked up to go to airport. everything seems normal. looking forward to the nice botswana sun.
sun, 1:55pm: at the airport. get out of the shuttle, newspaper on my lap still on the same page it was when we left. negotiate with guy at start of the queue to let me in the shorter line. it works. things appear normal.
sun, 2:02pm: the cheeky lady at the counter asks me where my passport is. thinking she means my visa into botswana, i proceed to show her my exemption visa for bots. no, she says, wheres ur passport. again i translated her misguided english to mean: "where's the extension on my passport" (sometimes they miss the little stamp). no, she repeats, ur passport is out of pages to stamp. i cant let u travel with this. she explained to me that i need at least 3 empty pages in my passport to fly. since i fly to and from bots almost every week i was currently left with about 1.5 empty pages.
sun, 2:15pm: same cheeky lady. now trying to call bots to see if theyll let me through without charging the airline. no go. then calling the nigerian embassy (ha!). no go. solution (for now): i had to postpone my trip for a couple days, go to the nigerian consulate and see if they can issue me an emergency travel document.
sun, 2:55pm: after a sandwich, get a cab back home for a ridiculous amt of money.
sun, 8pm: woke up from a short nap, thinking i should be freaking out. but nah, everything should work out just fine, right??
mon, 7:50am: put on my monday best and head for the nigerian consulate so i can be there before they open and be one of the first in.
mon, 8:40am: arrive at consulate. theres already a queue of about 20 people, including some dear acquaintances. we chat. we wish each other the best of luck.
mon, 9:17am: lady asks if im here for collection or drop off. neither i say, but i have a very important question. she looks at me like im crazy. i recount the whole story from sunday and ask if i can get some sort of emergency travel document while i wait for the new passport. she looks at me like im crazy. transfers me over to the boss.
mon, 9:25am: i hunt down boss, who's trying desperately to escape me and leave the premises, recount my story and plead for sympathy. boss man says, but theres no such thing as an emergency travel document, and sorry i have to leave now, have a very important meeting to get to in pretoria.
mon, 9:27am: back to lady at the front: plead some more. she says, look ive told u all that i know, the only people that would be able to do anything different are my bosses (yea, loads of effing help they are). so btw, what is the normal process if i were to do it? heh, get this: fill out online application. submit and print. but before u submit and print u must print the page entry page, cuz u wont be able to get back to it once u submit. in order to complete the app, u must find a nigerian address to put as ur permanent address, and find a next of kin also with a nigerian address. after submitting, you must find a guarantor and have them fill out a couple forms with their ID photos. this guarantor must have a valid nigerian drivers license and all docs must be certified. after completing apps, u must hand all the docs in physically to the consulate (whats the point of online apps then??) and then u go home. after 3 wks theyll call u to take a photo. it takes at least one full day to take a photo. then u go home. if you're one of the lucky few, you'll get a call in 2 wks to come and collect. and if you're lucky, your passport will actually be ready on the day they say it is (have yet to see that happen).
mon, 9:35am: am starting to freak out now at the parking lot. what do i do? i need to be in bots this wk for training and we go-live the next monday and we've got presentations, etc...
mon, 9:45am: after a couple calls to friends, i decided that best bet is to try to drive to bots and try my luck at the border control instead. i'd submit my app for a new passport and then start driving first thing tues morn.
mon, 12:15pm: I finish the app and submit. i arrange to meet someone with a nigerian drivers license to complete the guarantors part at 430pm.
mon, 12:30pm: (actually this started a couple hours before). i begin calling car rental places to find a car to drive to bots. nothing available yet, but theyll call me back shortly. i call my car dealership, where my car has been for the past 1+wks. get the news that they think theyve figured out whats wrong with my car. gonna cost me the equivalent of $2000. i say go ahead and do it. oh and btw, will it be ready by first thing tomorrow morning? doubtful. so back to my rental car options.
mon, 4pm: i drive to the mall, where i'm supposed to meet the guarantor with the nigerian drivers license. still, dont have a car for the next day.
mon, 4:35pm: while tryin to sit down at a cafe, my flatmate calls me. the house is flooded. especially my room. books, bags, clothes, shoes...all drenched. from water from the toilet. toilet water. listen, i tell roomy, i cant deal with this right now; pls deal with it. i give him the landlords number to help sort things out.
mon, 5:15pm: guarantor shows up. we chat. she signs the forms. we go to an internet cafe. she prints some more necessary forms and signs them. we walk over to the police station (not too short of a walk) to have them certified. no hassles at the police station, surprisingly. everything ready to go, i thot.
mon, 6:01pm: i call back the only car place that said they might have a car available, she tells me she has a citi golf w/ no air con or power steering but i have to pick it up now as shes on her way out. as i was across town there was no way i could get to her fast. as i like a bit of comfort (esp driving long distances), i wasnt about to drive a non-power steering vehicle with no air con to hot and stinky botswana and keep this car for 2.5 wks before driving it back (i had decided that if i made it into botswana i couldnt leave till i was ready to leave for the year, to minimize the number of times they would need to stamp my passport). i decide ill try my luck again with all the car rental companies first thing tomorrow.
mon, 7:14pm: i drop the application at a friends who was also going for a new passport. we chat. i rest.
mon, 9:37pm: i have dinner with a friend. jollof rice and beef stew and fried plantain/dodo. not bad.
mon, around 12am: i get back to my appartment. hear the dripping sounds of water downstairs. feel the wet floor. walk upstairs to me room. the carpet is just soaked. my feet drenched in water as i walk the swampy jungle that is my room. i notice everything is wet. my roomy tried and got some stuff off the floor. problem is he put the stuff on top of my bed, so now my bed and sheets are also wet. with toilet water.
mon, 12:16am: disgusted, i take some dry sheets that were not on the bed and head downstairs to sleep.
tues, 6am: i'm wide awake after an uncomfortable night. do some reading while waiting for others to wake up so i can start calling.
tues, 7:30am: start calling car rental places again. again, nothing available. earliest lunchtime some say.
tues, 9am: remembered that theyre was one part of my app for passport that was missing. i need to print, sign, scan, and email this thing before 11am.
tues, 9:24am: find an internet cafe. all computers booked.
tues, 10am: got tired of calling car rental places with no response, so drop by one of the ones ive been calling. she's flustered. apparently she doesnt have enough cars either. anyway, eventually she finds me another car at another branch that will be ready at noon. phew.
tues, 10:30am: back to the internet cafe. now they have a computer. get on my gmail. need to prnt the doc. now u can only print be first saving on a memory stick. didnt have mine with, but no worries, they have loan ones. 2 of them. their both in use. wait 15 minutes. no joke. finally grabbed one of the guys with one of the memory sticks ask him if i could also put my doc there and we could go print it together. plan works.
tues, 11:15am: doc is finally scanned and emailed. heading back home to get my stuff, then off to pick up the car.
tues, 1145am: call my friend whose car im borrowing to work out how im going to leave the car. we sketch out a sketchy plan. eventually decided i would leave it in a mall and give the keys to his bro-in-law somewhere else. (eventually decided to just keep the keys with me)
tues, 1pm: i finally find this car rental place, but now i cant find a place to park.
tues, 1:40pm: we finish all the paper work and the keys are finally handed to me. now i have to figure out how to get to bots. i start driving and calling friends.
tues, 2-7pm: i eventually make my way with some sketchy and not-so-sketchy directions. didnt miss my way too much. nice adventure. nice scenery, to look on the bright side. said a prayer about every 2 minutes that i'd be allowed to cross the border. got to the border and snuck in between a large group. produced my passport, even declared my laptop. and in the end they stamped my passport. I Was Home Free!
tues, 430pm: i learn that the nigerian consulate rejected my application. whatever. maybe ill try it again. maybe i wont.
all that was much more hassle than i want to go through in the short amount of time again. i still dunno what happened to my flooded room, but hopefully thats been sorted. the day ended with great news tho. im here in bots now (and not leaving till i leave for good in a couple weeks!), i opened my email and i found out that ive been accepted into the university of cape town full time mba programme starting in january. the funny thing is when things like this happen to me, esp the good things, i remember my parents and close family. reason is that i know theyre tru prayer warriors and i can almost feel that theyve been praying for me. so i emailed my parents to recount the events, and surely they had been praying for me regarding these things the same day. my parents are amazing. anyway, extremely stressful day(s) turned into extremely happy night/morning/week. lessons learned!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
things i'm thankful for - top 10
It's thanksgiving again. happy thanksgiving! well it was yesterday, but better late than never. this year has gone by sooo fast. it seems like not very long ago that i was thanking God for God, mangoes, muffins, friends, family, etc. for sure, i'm still thankful for these things; much hasn't changed. but i decided to do another top 10 list of things i'm thankful for; many of them same as last year. so the list, in no particular order.
10. Botswana. there's a lot of things that i dislike about this country (so many bugs, so many traffic circles, so hottt...), but all in all i've been absolutely blessed to get to know yet another country in africa and meet some good people along the way. i wish i couldve explored the country a bit more, but theres always next year!
9. mangos. yes i still like them a lot. but they are on this list for a different reason this time. i haven't had one mango this summer yet (still tryin to get used to calling december summer...). i've been watching out for them at stores, but they havent started appearing. maybe i should go back to my favourite adam's family dealer.
8. mugg and bean muffins. i can say enough about these gigantic muffins. if i ever double in size by the time some of my US friends see me again, it'll probably be because of these things. i can't go a saturday without one now.
7. finally getting to sleep in. my wknds are so short these days. i spend the week in botswana, get back on fri night, catch up on friends and other activities on sat, church on sun, and then fly back on sun afternoon. that hasnt left me much time to just enjoy a good sleep. so tonight, ive decided i'm getting good sleep. ill probably still be woken up by the sun and the stupid cat meow-ing, but doesnt mean i have to get up, right?
6. joburg. i like this place. i really really like this place. and i think i like it even more because i've spent most of the year away from it. i find myself missing little things like the theatre, restaurants, people, air when ive stayed away for too long. i definitely do not miss the traffic tho.
5. mini road trips. i used to say i loved road trips, but i never got a chance to take too many of them in the states. i think probably cuz i was tryin to organise the perfect, long, meaningful road trip. this year tho, ive taken several road trips where we decide within a week or less to go somewhere, head there, find some food, lodging, and fun and head back in a couple days. there are so many beautiful sights to see within driving distance from joburg that i think i should take a road trip every couple weeks.
4. attending my first lobola (traditional wedding) celebration. you can see the pics below. what an experience.
the next 3 haven't changed much from last year. but theyre even more important than they were.
3. family. my definition of family is widening, but for now i'll stick to my immediate family. constant support, encouragement, and prayers is just inspiring.
2. friends (and mentors). good friends in the US making sure i never forget them and that they dont forget me! good friends in SA teaching me a whole new level of friendship. the relationships ive built here in just the last 2 years are part of the reason i can't even imagine leaving anytime soon. i dunno if ive taught my friends much or ive influenced them much, but theyve taught me a lot and influenced me and theyre just fun to be around.
1. God. sure i had this pipe dream of traveling to afriker and getting the afrikan experience and putting it in my log book as a been there done that moment and then continuing on with my life. but actually making this happen (this being coming here and enjoying myself) is really a god-send. all of 2-10 would not have been possible, i believe, without a higher power looking after me and making things happen even when i dont deserve it or don't fully believe or trust. i continue to be amazed. "indescribable. uncontainable. untameable. incomparable. unchangeable. amazing. you see the depths of my heart and u love me the same." simply amazing.
0 (a bonus...buy-10-get-1-free-type). world cup. once upon a time, i thought it would be cool to go to a world cup game. once upon a time i thought it would be cool to get to watch a world cup match played for the first time on african soil. this is actually happening: the world cup is coming to sa and im going to a couple of the matches! i remember just being in europe (tho on the east side) during the 06 world cup and how electric/fun the atmosphere was. now i get to see the action up close and personal. just coming back from the airport tonight there were so many signs and billboards advertising the event ("11 languages, 10 stadiums, 4,394, 705 vuveselas" read one). man, i cant wait!
10. Botswana. there's a lot of things that i dislike about this country (so many bugs, so many traffic circles, so hottt...), but all in all i've been absolutely blessed to get to know yet another country in africa and meet some good people along the way. i wish i couldve explored the country a bit more, but theres always next year!
9. mangos. yes i still like them a lot. but they are on this list for a different reason this time. i haven't had one mango this summer yet (still tryin to get used to calling december summer...). i've been watching out for them at stores, but they havent started appearing. maybe i should go back to my favourite adam's family dealer.
8. mugg and bean muffins. i can say enough about these gigantic muffins. if i ever double in size by the time some of my US friends see me again, it'll probably be because of these things. i can't go a saturday without one now.
7. finally getting to sleep in. my wknds are so short these days. i spend the week in botswana, get back on fri night, catch up on friends and other activities on sat, church on sun, and then fly back on sun afternoon. that hasnt left me much time to just enjoy a good sleep. so tonight, ive decided i'm getting good sleep. ill probably still be woken up by the sun and the stupid cat meow-ing, but doesnt mean i have to get up, right?
6. joburg. i like this place. i really really like this place. and i think i like it even more because i've spent most of the year away from it. i find myself missing little things like the theatre, restaurants, people, air when ive stayed away for too long. i definitely do not miss the traffic tho.
5. mini road trips. i used to say i loved road trips, but i never got a chance to take too many of them in the states. i think probably cuz i was tryin to organise the perfect, long, meaningful road trip. this year tho, ive taken several road trips where we decide within a week or less to go somewhere, head there, find some food, lodging, and fun and head back in a couple days. there are so many beautiful sights to see within driving distance from joburg that i think i should take a road trip every couple weeks.
4. attending my first lobola (traditional wedding) celebration. you can see the pics below. what an experience.
the next 3 haven't changed much from last year. but theyre even more important than they were.
3. family. my definition of family is widening, but for now i'll stick to my immediate family. constant support, encouragement, and prayers is just inspiring.
2. friends (and mentors). good friends in the US making sure i never forget them and that they dont forget me! good friends in SA teaching me a whole new level of friendship. the relationships ive built here in just the last 2 years are part of the reason i can't even imagine leaving anytime soon. i dunno if ive taught my friends much or ive influenced them much, but theyve taught me a lot and influenced me and theyre just fun to be around.
1. God. sure i had this pipe dream of traveling to afriker and getting the afrikan experience and putting it in my log book as a been there done that moment and then continuing on with my life. but actually making this happen (this being coming here and enjoying myself) is really a god-send. all of 2-10 would not have been possible, i believe, without a higher power looking after me and making things happen even when i dont deserve it or don't fully believe or trust. i continue to be amazed. "indescribable. uncontainable. untameable. incomparable. unchangeable. amazing. you see the depths of my heart and u love me the same." simply amazing.
0 (a bonus...buy-10-get-1-free-type). world cup. once upon a time, i thought it would be cool to go to a world cup game. once upon a time i thought it would be cool to get to watch a world cup match played for the first time on african soil. this is actually happening: the world cup is coming to sa and im going to a couple of the matches! i remember just being in europe (tho on the east side) during the 06 world cup and how electric/fun the atmosphere was. now i get to see the action up close and personal. just coming back from the airport tonight there were so many signs and billboards advertising the event ("11 languages, 10 stadiums, 4,394, 705 vuveselas" read one). man, i cant wait!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Top 10 - reasons not to stay at a resort slash lodge slash motel
I've haven't done lists in some time, so i figured its about time to bring them back. so for the next few weeks, this blog will feature several lists, along with a bit of commentary. if that makes anybody unhappy, i do not apologise. tough. tho i think it will be fun.
this week's list consist of reasons why i will never again stay at a shady lodge/motel. ok, maybe not never, but not for a long time and hopefully not for work. this week in botswana, there was apparently some big conference and since my colleague and i booked accomodations late, we were stuck with one option - the yarona country lodge. to say that this "lodge" is indeed in the "country" or is in fact a "lodge" would just be "overwhelmingly" "incorrect" (as incorrect as these ""s). was it in a small city even? no. small town? nope. this lodge sat in some small village outside (i think) gaborone city. so on to the top 10:
10. customer service what?? no such thing. in fact the opposite. angry workers wondering why you're disturbing their life by staying at their establishment.
9. dirt. its everywhere. you mean you actually have to clean for guests?
8. staying on the subject of cleanliness, shower shoes and towels. never go to a shady place and forget these 2 essentials. that bathroom was nastily dirty. and the towels, i just don't wanna think about the towels... i chose to air dry, in full view of anyone passing by, cuz of course, the windows don't close.
7. speaking of bathrooms, just to let u know how classy of an establishment it was, they had a full box of condoms - "silky smooth and secure" - by the sink, just in case.
6. emergency button. located just above the bed. again just in case u're having a bit too much fun and you need some assistance. i was tempted to try out the button to see what happens (a loud siren? bull dog comes running? guard barges in with his batton cuz hes not allowed to carry a gun?...), but i chose not to do it.
5. curtains that look like the bed sheets and bed sheets that look and feel like the curtains. hmm... i was too afraid to open up the sheets and see what surprises lay ahead of me (or beneath me) so i slept on top.
4. curfew for internet. yep. kinda like when u were in school and they kicked u out of the lab, right??...there were 2 places to use the internet at this resort slash lodge slash motel. one was in the "restaurant" and that closed at 10pm. I was doing work one night and reached a point where i had to get some info from a couple websites and then email the work. it was close to 10, so i decided to go to the other place, the conference room, to get online and work in peace and quiet. was working for only about 40 minutes when one of the lovely ladies came to me and told me they were closing up at 11pm. so i said fine, just tell me where i will be able to go online and i'll move. turns out theres no other place in this establishment, and apparently 11pm is the curfew for internet use. so i kindly inform her that i will be staying exactly where i am until i finish the work and email. I think she thought this was an argument, because she (and then a few other lovely ladies) kept pointing out the problems in my plan. in my head, it was a pretty simple plan: if this is indeed the only place to use the internet, then i would remain here until i finished my work. see, no argument. and thats exactly what happened. i think i was fair.
3. Dogs. Loud dogs. traffic to and from this place gets really bad, so we decided to leave for work around 6AM. this meant i typically got up at 5 in the morning. by this time the dogs were in full swing, barking at god-knows-what. but barking nonetheless and continuously.
2. The dogs were not the only sound. no no, the dogs actually came last. before the dogs started, the chicken/foul/roosters were in full swing. cock-crowing at the crack of dawn just to make sure that if #1 hasn't woken u up yet, you would now be awake.
and the grand-daddy of them all...
#1: frogs. bull frogs. the damn bull f-ing frogs. loudest bullfrogs you've ever heard. they got started looong before the chicken and looooong before the dogs. they started around 1130PM took a break between 1-245AM, then kept going from then till at least the time we left, at 6AM. i know this cuz i could only sleep between 1-3AM. these stupid creatures must've thought they were making melodic tones that would soothe u into a lovely slumber, barry-white-style. when one frog on one side would take a breather, another would fill in for it, in a slightly different tune (typically a lower bass or sometimes baritone). the result: frog harmonic synphony lilkke you've never heard before. and because they were so good, they ensured that there was no way in hell you could fall asleep during their extended performance. and later on, when the chicken and dogs chimes in...animal farm meets bach like u've never experienced.
so all in all, truly a once (err, maybe its been a couple times now) in a lifetime sort of experience. actually thats more of a wish and a prayer than anything. God, let this be a once in a lifetime deal. I've learned my lesson. be warned.
this week's list consist of reasons why i will never again stay at a shady lodge/motel. ok, maybe not never, but not for a long time and hopefully not for work. this week in botswana, there was apparently some big conference and since my colleague and i booked accomodations late, we were stuck with one option - the yarona country lodge. to say that this "lodge" is indeed in the "country" or is in fact a "lodge" would just be "overwhelmingly" "incorrect" (as incorrect as these ""s). was it in a small city even? no. small town? nope. this lodge sat in some small village outside (i think) gaborone city. so on to the top 10:
10. customer service what?? no such thing. in fact the opposite. angry workers wondering why you're disturbing their life by staying at their establishment.
9. dirt. its everywhere. you mean you actually have to clean for guests?
8. staying on the subject of cleanliness, shower shoes and towels. never go to a shady place and forget these 2 essentials. that bathroom was nastily dirty. and the towels, i just don't wanna think about the towels... i chose to air dry, in full view of anyone passing by, cuz of course, the windows don't close.
7. speaking of bathrooms, just to let u know how classy of an establishment it was, they had a full box of condoms - "silky smooth and secure" - by the sink, just in case.
6. emergency button. located just above the bed. again just in case u're having a bit too much fun and you need some assistance. i was tempted to try out the button to see what happens (a loud siren? bull dog comes running? guard barges in with his batton cuz hes not allowed to carry a gun?...), but i chose not to do it.
5. curtains that look like the bed sheets and bed sheets that look and feel like the curtains. hmm... i was too afraid to open up the sheets and see what surprises lay ahead of me (or beneath me) so i slept on top.
4. curfew for internet. yep. kinda like when u were in school and they kicked u out of the lab, right??...there were 2 places to use the internet at this resort slash lodge slash motel. one was in the "restaurant" and that closed at 10pm. I was doing work one night and reached a point where i had to get some info from a couple websites and then email the work. it was close to 10, so i decided to go to the other place, the conference room, to get online and work in peace and quiet. was working for only about 40 minutes when one of the lovely ladies came to me and told me they were closing up at 11pm. so i said fine, just tell me where i will be able to go online and i'll move. turns out theres no other place in this establishment, and apparently 11pm is the curfew for internet use. so i kindly inform her that i will be staying exactly where i am until i finish the work and email. I think she thought this was an argument, because she (and then a few other lovely ladies) kept pointing out the problems in my plan. in my head, it was a pretty simple plan: if this is indeed the only place to use the internet, then i would remain here until i finished my work. see, no argument. and thats exactly what happened. i think i was fair.
3. Dogs. Loud dogs. traffic to and from this place gets really bad, so we decided to leave for work around 6AM. this meant i typically got up at 5 in the morning. by this time the dogs were in full swing, barking at god-knows-what. but barking nonetheless and continuously.
2. The dogs were not the only sound. no no, the dogs actually came last. before the dogs started, the chicken/foul/roosters were in full swing. cock-crowing at the crack of dawn just to make sure that if #1 hasn't woken u up yet, you would now be awake.
and the grand-daddy of them all...
#1: frogs. bull frogs. the damn bull f-ing frogs. loudest bullfrogs you've ever heard. they got started looong before the chicken and looooong before the dogs. they started around 1130PM took a break between 1-245AM, then kept going from then till at least the time we left, at 6AM. i know this cuz i could only sleep between 1-3AM. these stupid creatures must've thought they were making melodic tones that would soothe u into a lovely slumber, barry-white-style. when one frog on one side would take a breather, another would fill in for it, in a slightly different tune (typically a lower bass or sometimes baritone). the result: frog harmonic synphony lilkke you've never heard before. and because they were so good, they ensured that there was no way in hell you could fall asleep during their extended performance. and later on, when the chicken and dogs chimes in...animal farm meets bach like u've never experienced.
so all in all, truly a once (err, maybe its been a couple times now) in a lifetime sort of experience. actually thats more of a wish and a prayer than anything. God, let this be a once in a lifetime deal. I've learned my lesson. be warned.
Monday, October 26, 2009
ate cake...at a wedding
well, i didn't really eat cake. there was a wedding (bride and groom above), and i got to do whats becoming one of my favorite activities - take a little road trip. so ~5hrs after we left jo-burg, there i was in a village outside of polokwane in the limpopo region called uitkyk (pronounced "ate-cake"). weird afrikaans language. [i'd like to take a moment now to send a shout out to my baby - my car - for all its hard work and endurance. tho i complain a lot about my baby, she managed about 50km on dirt, gravel, and very bumpy roads and never once gave up...thats committment!]anyway, back to the wedding. i was very honoured actually that my friend invited me to his wedding. it was my first of the kind. it wasn't a white, wedding, but the traditional wedding; the celebration that comes after the groom has paid the lobola (bride price), which he did the saturday morning in joburg before heading to limpopo. after lots of celebration and chatting and dancing and eating, i gathered my thoughts and decided that i actually learned quite a lot in one night. here's a sampling (in no particular order):
1. i still have a problem with the whole bride price/dowry thing. if u talk to older people, they'll tell you of the tradition that it symbolises appreciation by the grooms family that the wife's family is allowing "a potential bread weaner" to leave the home. or that its supposed to help with the wedding activities and planning. or something like that. the historical and symbolic meaning is fine, but in reality, today, its turned into something of a money-making or cow-acquiring scheme. this is not the point i want to make tho. the point is that thru all the traditions and customs, one thing was clear: the couple loved and admired each other. and they would honour their parents and uncles and aunts wishes (of adhering to tradition and custom) if they have to in order to be together. and they had fun!
2. i'm not ready to get married yet. yep. thats it. too hectic for me.
3. a cow's head/nose is not all that bad! i had another first. the morning after the wedding, its customary to cook the head of the cow (whose body we all ate the night before). so being a good african, i joined in and just happened to grab the nose. i was told that it was the best part of the head, but im not sure thats saying much. it actually was pretty good. except for when i thought about the fact that i was eating a flipping cow's head.
4. many south african blacks are as racist as the whites, but refuse to admit it. i had a running huge debate with some extremely well educated blacks who felt that if whites hate blacks as a general rule, its racism, but if blacks hate whites as a general rule, its not racism. it cant be. cuz they (blacks) have a reason to hate. i don't buy that at all. in all the definitions of racism or racial discrimination, i haven't come across one that excuses one racial group from the curse of racism. and it is just that, a curse. on humanity. on the other hand, i think i can understand just a little bit of how black south africans feel. they feel that their land was grabbed from them and never returned. that they received political freedom while they were told to just forgive and forget decades of oppression and racism. they feel that the perpetrators and those who still today benefit from the apartheid regime never fully paid for their crimes. some feel that nelson mandela sold them out by not having by not demanding much more in the liberation negotiations. they feel robbed. south africa is still a very messed up place...it just sometimes takes a wedding and few laughs and alcohol and a bunch of guys talking politics to bring some of that out into the open. as an outsider tho, i'm much more hopeful.
5. i really like road trips. did i mention that already. and i like good company.
enjoy the pics:
Sunday, October 11, 2009
whats in a church?
i love my church. i love real people. esp. i love real christians. my church seems to have a lot of them. i think everyone should go to my church. everyone in sa who wants to know how real reconciliation should be done should go to my church. they're not perfect; in fact, not even close. and its this realisation that allows them to be real and brutally honest. to be broken. sweetly broken. and embrace healing. it allows them (blacks, whites, indians, foreigners, etc) to confess that theyre racist, and at the same time joke and laugh about racism. it allows them to shun divorce and yet actively embrace divorcees. Etc...
Welcome back trevor (church pastor); we've missed you.
Welcome back trevor (church pastor); we've missed you.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
independence schm-indepedence. potential my foot.
a long time ago, i swore to slit my throat if i hear another person usher the words potential and nigeria in the same sentence. ok, i didn't really swear to it. and happily, i haven't carried it out. but this past week saw a lot of nigeria and potential talk.
it was nigeria's independence last thursday and the annual parade of articles and op-eds began, lamenting the fact that there's hardly anything to celebrate, while tirade-ing on the vast potential that lies in the future for the country, ready to be tapped. brief tangent: i've been a baseball fan for some time now, and whenever scouts and coaches start talking of potential of a player, you should run away, quickly. for some reason or another, potential seems to underlie something that others think they see in someone/some entity that somehow rarely ever seems to materialise. this counldnt be more true in the case of nigeria.
since i can remember, people have been talking about this ubiquitous potential that will be untapped at any moment now. most people my parents generation will look forward to the days when the current generation dies away and paves the way to newer set of leaders my age (conveniently forgetting that people my age tend to learn from people their age, while perfecting the art of taking as much from the country for themselves and giving back the absolute bare minimum). honestly, i once fell into this trap as well, professing that change was on its way! and even writing an op-ed piece in a local newspaper about how/why nigeria continues to fly when all indicators suggest it should have collapsed a long time ago (like a bumblebee). nowadays, i must admit i'm not so hopeful, but all hope is not yet lost. it cannot be. without hope what is there?
independence day meant little to me this year. besides so good naija cooking and a chance to catch up with some friends, it didnt really mean that much to me. in a sense, i think i didnt want to celebrate the day because it would make me truly assess the situation of the country. and that, my friends, is not pretty. from violence in the niger delta, to militants laying down their arms somehow (also suspicious...why would they do this? whats the government giving them in return? what closed door deals are going on to keep ordinary nigerians begging for food at the end of the day?), to the normalcy of power cuts and blackouts, to the smog generating from generators, to universities striking for the 30975623rd time (ensuring that my age mates are still struggling to finish university), to the stock market devaluing by nearly 60% over the last year and a half...things arent pretty. of course, theres always signs that optimists point to to argue for nigeria's come back, like the brain gain thats continuing with educated and successful people moving back to nigeria to start or run businesses or the laying down of arms by militants (tho with unknown pre-conditions), but i fail to see how these alone will turn a country like nigeria around.
but i love nigerians. as one independence day article that my mom sent me stated: if theres one thing to celebrate, its the achievement and the perseverance of nigerians. this cannot be denied. ex: i got an email from a friend of mine in nigeria, one of those age mates still stuck in the smelly cesspit known as nigerian universities. after going on a tirade about how bad and hopeless things are at the moment, he ends the email saying that we must be happy, hopeful and responsible. 2 things that nigerians cannot be faulted for are being enterprising and hopeful! i don't get it sometimes, but when all is hopeless nigerians keep hoping and actually making the best out of situations. the article my mom sent me listed countless nigerians that have ventured to win several awards and accolades for the work theyre doing in several fields from literature to science research to government and on and on.
so i guess there is something to celebrate afterall as nigeria turns 49. and its not its potential. rather the heights that have been reached by numerous nigerians. now why cant we have a government that reflects our best citizens and our best ambitions (i'll even settle for average), instead of one that fights to reach new lows on a daily basis. in the words of chicago-ans: theres always next year.
post-post: ever had a clogged sink or tub? maybe it wasnt fully clogged, just enough so that when u ran the water, it drained very slowly. not to mention u kept adding to the clog by shaving or bathing. ever bought the wrong solution to clear up the clog? u pour the entire bottle in the sink/tub and run lots of water and nothing happens. more clog. now the water soaks up even slower than before. then u ask someone at the store to give u advice on the right solution/brand to use. u get home, do the drill and it works. water flows like it used to. better than it used to. ever bled? your blood says everything.
it was nigeria's independence last thursday and the annual parade of articles and op-eds began, lamenting the fact that there's hardly anything to celebrate, while tirade-ing on the vast potential that lies in the future for the country, ready to be tapped. brief tangent: i've been a baseball fan for some time now, and whenever scouts and coaches start talking of potential of a player, you should run away, quickly. for some reason or another, potential seems to underlie something that others think they see in someone/some entity that somehow rarely ever seems to materialise. this counldnt be more true in the case of nigeria.
since i can remember, people have been talking about this ubiquitous potential that will be untapped at any moment now. most people my parents generation will look forward to the days when the current generation dies away and paves the way to newer set of leaders my age (conveniently forgetting that people my age tend to learn from people their age, while perfecting the art of taking as much from the country for themselves and giving back the absolute bare minimum). honestly, i once fell into this trap as well, professing that change was on its way! and even writing an op-ed piece in a local newspaper about how/why nigeria continues to fly when all indicators suggest it should have collapsed a long time ago (like a bumblebee). nowadays, i must admit i'm not so hopeful, but all hope is not yet lost. it cannot be. without hope what is there?
independence day meant little to me this year. besides so good naija cooking and a chance to catch up with some friends, it didnt really mean that much to me. in a sense, i think i didnt want to celebrate the day because it would make me truly assess the situation of the country. and that, my friends, is not pretty. from violence in the niger delta, to militants laying down their arms somehow (also suspicious...why would they do this? whats the government giving them in return? what closed door deals are going on to keep ordinary nigerians begging for food at the end of the day?), to the normalcy of power cuts and blackouts, to the smog generating from generators, to universities striking for the 30975623rd time (ensuring that my age mates are still struggling to finish university), to the stock market devaluing by nearly 60% over the last year and a half...things arent pretty. of course, theres always signs that optimists point to to argue for nigeria's come back, like the brain gain thats continuing with educated and successful people moving back to nigeria to start or run businesses or the laying down of arms by militants (tho with unknown pre-conditions), but i fail to see how these alone will turn a country like nigeria around.
but i love nigerians. as one independence day article that my mom sent me stated: if theres one thing to celebrate, its the achievement and the perseverance of nigerians. this cannot be denied. ex: i got an email from a friend of mine in nigeria, one of those age mates still stuck in the smelly cesspit known as nigerian universities. after going on a tirade about how bad and hopeless things are at the moment, he ends the email saying that we must be happy, hopeful and responsible. 2 things that nigerians cannot be faulted for are being enterprising and hopeful! i don't get it sometimes, but when all is hopeless nigerians keep hoping and actually making the best out of situations. the article my mom sent me listed countless nigerians that have ventured to win several awards and accolades for the work theyre doing in several fields from literature to science research to government and on and on.
so i guess there is something to celebrate afterall as nigeria turns 49. and its not its potential. rather the heights that have been reached by numerous nigerians. now why cant we have a government that reflects our best citizens and our best ambitions (i'll even settle for average), instead of one that fights to reach new lows on a daily basis. in the words of chicago-ans: theres always next year.
post-post: ever had a clogged sink or tub? maybe it wasnt fully clogged, just enough so that when u ran the water, it drained very slowly. not to mention u kept adding to the clog by shaving or bathing. ever bought the wrong solution to clear up the clog? u pour the entire bottle in the sink/tub and run lots of water and nothing happens. more clog. now the water soaks up even slower than before. then u ask someone at the store to give u advice on the right solution/brand to use. u get home, do the drill and it works. water flows like it used to. better than it used to. ever bled? your blood says everything.
Monday, September 14, 2009
of culture and identity
yes, i know, i haven't written on my blog in a very long time. for that i apologise. but not really. u know, a man's gotta put food on the table for...himself. anyway, it has been a long time, but i'm back! unfortunately for my legion of loyal readers, this post will have no pictures, mostly cuz i havent done much travelling lately (hopefully that'll be changing soon)...
as you may have guessed by the title, this post has something to do with culture and identity, although i'm making no apologies in the event that i go off topic and take tangents elsewhere.
during my 3rd or 4th year in high school, my history and chemistry teachers decided that it would be a great exercise to make us students do an inter-disciplinary study/research incorporating some thing/idea/figures from both subjects. we were told that inter-disciplinary studies were the new, up and coming, kid on the block, that most studies were trending towards the inter-disciplinary field, whatever that meant. being high school students, we really couldnt care less, just another research paper to do, using mostly internet sources and a couple token library sources. im reminded of this now, because increasingly it seems like my teachers might have been on to something.
obviously, in the last decade, and perhaps even before that, the world has been obsessed with globalisation. from protests (several at my university) of mcdonalds and nike taking over the world to thomas friedman explaining how google and web 2.0 has led to a flattening of the world, bringing both necessary good and unwanted evil, we've been clobbered with images and examples of just how ever small the world is getting. what does culture have to do with this? well, i might be stretching this analogy, but i think culture -today as well as generations ago- is essentially an inter-disciplinary study. when people speak of globalisation and the world flattening, they are not merely referring to a leveling plane of information or the spread of american junk food, but also of the spread of cultures, customs, and ideas. but this is not a new thing. when islam was conquering and developing trade routes into northern africa, they brought with them the religion, which communities in n africa adopted and adapted into their culture. when british christians came to colonise parts of africa and elsewhere, they brought with them christian attributes that were incorporated into the cultures of these communities. when the british settled in america, they adopted aspects of british, french, native american culture. today, we look at these communities and assume that the culture and practises we see have always been part of the culture. but i dont believe this. and the evidence clearly points to culture being something that can and does change or evolve.
a good question right about now would be why am i ranting about this nonsense? well, lately ive found myself having many discussions with friends on the topic of culture and identity. i think most people go through periods in their life when theyre trying to figure out who they are and where they belong. my parents have a lovely saying that goes: never forget who and whose you are. the saying is fine and all, but it assumes that you know who you are and where you belong. anyway, one of my friends recently got extremely frustrated, realising that he couldnt fit the mold of the culture of his parents. he wrote in his blog:
I hate [my country]! i hate [people from my country] and this completely rude, alien, unloving, intolerant culture that is bent on blaming me for everything! i hate this culture that deifies parents and minimises feelings of others down to the most unimportant thing imaginable! I hate it. I hate being a third culture kid. I hate being raised without a culture or home. I hate being raised as a nothing, a wanderer, a cultural and social mutt...What do you have when you have neither family nor heritage?
you see, this guy has travelled and immerse himself in something like 4 or 5 different cultures. and theyve all shaped his thinking, his perspective, and his world view. he came back to south africa, in a sense, to find a home -an identity- in the culture of his parents. he's finding this difficult.
similarly (although i don't think i've admitted this too many people) i came to south africa, in part, to discover the african in me, if there was one. just like my friend, i had immersed myself in different cultures and in my sub-conscious, i wanted to cling to or re-claim, the culture of my birth or of my parent. then one day someone had the balls to tell me that i was not a typical nigerian. i thought about that statement for a long time - a typical nigerian. what is a typical nigerian? where does that definition come from? is it perceived, based on some stereotypes? or is it an internationally defined term that can easily be found on wikipedia? in any case, would i want to be a typical nigerian? after much thought and chats with friends, i concluded that it was fruitless to try and attempt to be a typical anything. ive met so many people from so many cultures and many agree - to be a typical something, is to be put in a category that contains lots of stereotypes, perceived notions, unrealistic expectations, and maybe even a sprinkle of truth. plus thats just boring.
I have nothing against culture. i love culture. well the good parts of it anyway. good, as defined by me. and i fully believe that within culture, we can find aspects of our identity. however, i also believe that culture is ever-changing. and we should embrace this evolution and not run away from it like we're running away from a pile of cow dung chasing after us. obama (i said id go on tangents) quickly won millions over precisely because he was a mutt and many identified with that. we're currently living in a time when mutts are increasing. this is not new. perhaps the rate has quickened, but mutts have been around for ages. the inter-mingling of cultures and identities is something to be celebrated and not castigated.
most of my friends now grew up identifying with more than 1 culture. is that a bad thing? absolutely not. to be able to immerse ourselves and understand multiple cultures makes us lucky and blessed. it means that we can learn from different cultures, and teach others from what we know. it makes us part of a new reality - one in which different cultures intermingle and clash and learn from one another. is it wrong to long for the culture and identity of your parents, as my friend does? absolutely not. to desire the good traits in one culture is admirable. but we should not let that stop us from admiring and longing for good traits within other cultures. who says i must only belong to one culture. i have my own identity. and its one that (like many others i know) has been influenced by many cultures, many practices and beliefs. its an inter-disciplinary identity.
post-post: i've added a new feature to the blog. as you may have noticed to your left is a section for blogs that i like to read, often (feel free to recommend your blog or a good one that i should start reading and maybe put on my blog roll). anyway, its all part of my attempt to transform myself into a techie. first a blog roll, next sql, java, c#, then take over the world.
as you may have guessed by the title, this post has something to do with culture and identity, although i'm making no apologies in the event that i go off topic and take tangents elsewhere.
during my 3rd or 4th year in high school, my history and chemistry teachers decided that it would be a great exercise to make us students do an inter-disciplinary study/research incorporating some thing/idea/figures from both subjects. we were told that inter-disciplinary studies were the new, up and coming, kid on the block, that most studies were trending towards the inter-disciplinary field, whatever that meant. being high school students, we really couldnt care less, just another research paper to do, using mostly internet sources and a couple token library sources. im reminded of this now, because increasingly it seems like my teachers might have been on to something.
obviously, in the last decade, and perhaps even before that, the world has been obsessed with globalisation. from protests (several at my university) of mcdonalds and nike taking over the world to thomas friedman explaining how google and web 2.0 has led to a flattening of the world, bringing both necessary good and unwanted evil, we've been clobbered with images and examples of just how ever small the world is getting. what does culture have to do with this? well, i might be stretching this analogy, but i think culture -today as well as generations ago- is essentially an inter-disciplinary study. when people speak of globalisation and the world flattening, they are not merely referring to a leveling plane of information or the spread of american junk food, but also of the spread of cultures, customs, and ideas. but this is not a new thing. when islam was conquering and developing trade routes into northern africa, they brought with them the religion, which communities in n africa adopted and adapted into their culture. when british christians came to colonise parts of africa and elsewhere, they brought with them christian attributes that were incorporated into the cultures of these communities. when the british settled in america, they adopted aspects of british, french, native american culture. today, we look at these communities and assume that the culture and practises we see have always been part of the culture. but i dont believe this. and the evidence clearly points to culture being something that can and does change or evolve.
a good question right about now would be why am i ranting about this nonsense? well, lately ive found myself having many discussions with friends on the topic of culture and identity. i think most people go through periods in their life when theyre trying to figure out who they are and where they belong. my parents have a lovely saying that goes: never forget who and whose you are. the saying is fine and all, but it assumes that you know who you are and where you belong. anyway, one of my friends recently got extremely frustrated, realising that he couldnt fit the mold of the culture of his parents. he wrote in his blog:
I hate [my country]! i hate [people from my country] and this completely rude, alien, unloving, intolerant culture that is bent on blaming me for everything! i hate this culture that deifies parents and minimises feelings of others down to the most unimportant thing imaginable! I hate it. I hate being a third culture kid. I hate being raised without a culture or home. I hate being raised as a nothing, a wanderer, a cultural and social mutt...What do you have when you have neither family nor heritage?
you see, this guy has travelled and immerse himself in something like 4 or 5 different cultures. and theyve all shaped his thinking, his perspective, and his world view. he came back to south africa, in a sense, to find a home -an identity- in the culture of his parents. he's finding this difficult.
similarly (although i don't think i've admitted this too many people) i came to south africa, in part, to discover the african in me, if there was one. just like my friend, i had immersed myself in different cultures and in my sub-conscious, i wanted to cling to or re-claim, the culture of my birth or of my parent. then one day someone had the balls to tell me that i was not a typical nigerian. i thought about that statement for a long time - a typical nigerian. what is a typical nigerian? where does that definition come from? is it perceived, based on some stereotypes? or is it an internationally defined term that can easily be found on wikipedia? in any case, would i want to be a typical nigerian? after much thought and chats with friends, i concluded that it was fruitless to try and attempt to be a typical anything. ive met so many people from so many cultures and many agree - to be a typical something, is to be put in a category that contains lots of stereotypes, perceived notions, unrealistic expectations, and maybe even a sprinkle of truth. plus thats just boring.
I have nothing against culture. i love culture. well the good parts of it anyway. good, as defined by me. and i fully believe that within culture, we can find aspects of our identity. however, i also believe that culture is ever-changing. and we should embrace this evolution and not run away from it like we're running away from a pile of cow dung chasing after us. obama (i said id go on tangents) quickly won millions over precisely because he was a mutt and many identified with that. we're currently living in a time when mutts are increasing. this is not new. perhaps the rate has quickened, but mutts have been around for ages. the inter-mingling of cultures and identities is something to be celebrated and not castigated.
most of my friends now grew up identifying with more than 1 culture. is that a bad thing? absolutely not. to be able to immerse ourselves and understand multiple cultures makes us lucky and blessed. it means that we can learn from different cultures, and teach others from what we know. it makes us part of a new reality - one in which different cultures intermingle and clash and learn from one another. is it wrong to long for the culture and identity of your parents, as my friend does? absolutely not. to desire the good traits in one culture is admirable. but we should not let that stop us from admiring and longing for good traits within other cultures. who says i must only belong to one culture. i have my own identity. and its one that (like many others i know) has been influenced by many cultures, many practices and beliefs. its an inter-disciplinary identity.
post-post: i've added a new feature to the blog. as you may have noticed to your left is a section for blogs that i like to read, often (feel free to recommend your blog or a good one that i should start reading and maybe put on my blog roll). anyway, its all part of my attempt to transform myself into a techie. first a blog roll, next sql, java, c#, then take over the world.
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