Just Because I Have Time To Blog

We got this afternoon off, so I thought I'd go blog s'more.

I've enjoyed having the opportunity to see the stereotypes they have about us. First, as a white person, or lekgoa, it is assumed that I am rich. Less so in Gabs, but elsewhere, everyone asks me for money. Or for my digital watch.

Then, coming from a place that is so often portrayed in TV, movies, etc., I've gotten many wonderful responses to "I'm from New York".
"What celebrities do you know?"
"Do you know Beyonce?"
"Do you know Kevin?" (asked while watching Home Alone 2)
"Do you know Clark?" (asked while watching Smallville)
"Is high school really like that?" (same as above)
"Did you have a Sweet 16 party?" (MTV)

Remember that next time you catch yourself thinking "It's just Africa".

When I first got to Gabs, I htought that if I wasn't carrying around a backpack all day, I wouldn't be so conspicuous. I soon realized that even in the middle of the night, my white skin shows. Whoever said we're all the same when we turn out the light never went to Africa. I think inconspicuous is unrealistic.

On Friday, we had a class on religion in Botswana. The most fascinating part was not what was taught, but how it was taught. Christianity is so entwined in Setswana culture that they don't realize it's there. We were discussing the three major religions in Botswana (Christianity, Islam, and Traditional African Religion) and the lecturer was explaining Traditional African Religion to us. He said that it is monotheistic, includes ancestor worship, is obsessed with impurity, and has important purification rituals. The question I had was: Wait a second; other than the ancestor thing, why does that sound so much like Christianity? The explaination I received was: They used to have initiation ceremonies that involved animal sacrifice and circumcision, but when missionaries came here they convinced the Africans that these practices were "wrong" and that the purification ritual is much better.

Ohhhhhh. So by "Traditional African Religion", you mean "the bastard child of Christianity and Traditional African Religion". Fascinating.

(I don't mean to be offensive, I just tend to be a bit...sarcastic...sometimes.)

This weekend was a comfort food/activity weekend. I went shopping. (Everything here is cheaper than in America. Well, everything except for books. Ouch.) I bought some cheap underwear. (Take that, laundry by hand!) I saw a movie. (Are We Done Yet? starring Ice Cube. It was terrible.) I ate fried things. I watched a lot of TV. (They have Discovery Channel!)

Friday night we had a chill-out party at the SIT office. Delicious things were cooked, like pancakes, cookies, baked apples, and bacon. (Don't worry, I didn't eat the bacon. I didn't eat the feta cheese either.) There may have been wine. (South African reds are fantastic.) We put our feet on tables. We didn't cross our legs. We wore shirts that revealed our shoulders. We complained. We sang. We danced. It was wonderful.

Then my family watched more Big Brother.

I thought a little bit about trash. Really, it's interesting. In America, we pour chemicals into the air and water, but get all upset about a napkin thrown on the ground. In Botswana, they haven't destroyed the environment yet, but they throw trash on the ground. And it makes me crazy. What do I do with this can? Throw it on the ground. I...can't...do it. It hurts me inside. But I have no problem hopping in the SUV and driving a mile to the store.

I miss sushi. And human contact. Somewhere in Rhode Island there is a couch full of people with my name on it.

To anyone reading this:
Leave comments! Say hi, share opinions, ask questions. Wait at my stage door with Sharpie in hand and tell me what you think. I'll try to respond in a timely Setswana fashion.