"This is Africa"

Januray 21, 2011

First off, for those of you who enjoy Shakira's "Waka Waka," you will know the main line (probably the only one you can pronounce) is "'cause this is Africa!" Shakira is quite intelligent. Why? "This is Africa," or "TIA," is a common phrase that is used to explain why people or late or why fortunate or unfortunate things occur. Go Shakira! Apparently her songs don't lie either... :)

Today we toured Joburg (<- look, I’m local!). We had a tour guide named Elena who was quite the spitfire! One of the most moving parts of our trip was when we visited Soweto. In a section of the city, all of the homes were built from scraps. There was no electricity or running water. For bathrooms, there were “hired toilets,” or Port-a-Potties. For running water, there was a spigot shared with all. In order to keep the homes from being hit by lightning, they put tires on the roofs. These people had nothing. Elena said that these people weren’t bitter, however. They have the mentality of, “it’s going to get better from here.” That struck me because in America, we think more, more, more. More money, more possessions, whether you’re the poorest of the poor or the richest of the rich. South Africans seem to be content. They also have a relaxed attitude. Time seems to slow down here. Most people are extremely friendly and hospitable. When people saw us driving in our huge bus (or “coach”), everyone would wave and give us a good ol’ thumbs up, which means, hope all is well! They would also give a peace sign, which means peace be with you. They have a different family mentality as well. In South Africa, they don’t believe in putting parents in a nursing home. Your parents live with you (as Elena so gracefully put it) until God takes them. Also, you provide for your family. Even if you are the only one in your family of 8, you still have the responsibility to take care of them. Because of this, there were almost NO beggars in Soweto!

Soweto joke for those of you who enjoy cheesy jokes:

When a taxi driver picks you up, he says, “So, wheh to?” (That’s with an accent. Use your imagination!) And you say, “So-weh-too!” And everyone laughs merrily! Except for the driver, who has heard it a million times =P

When it was time for lunch, Elena explained that since we were in South Africa, we must eat like South Africans. She said, “The men will eat cow head, the heart, and the intestines. Ladies, you will eat the cow throat and feet. Everyone must eat what is on your plate; you are not allowed to be rude. And to drink there is only beer.” At this point, I’m thinking, ok, my mom has been to Europe and there beer is cheaper than water…. But I don’t do alcohol, so I guess I won’t have anything to drink… and maybe I won’t go inside so I’m not rude… But then Elena says, “And everyone must get off the coach!” Danggit.

So we go inside the restaurant, PETRIFIED.

Whispers of “I’m going to be SICK!” flew about!

And our waiter approaches us with a tray of every drink imaginable… including soda and water and every other alcohol-free beverage.

I ask Jessie, who is sitting next to me, “Are we allowed to get water? Is it a cultural no-no?”

I decide to risk it and get water, hoping to avoid a lecture from Elena later. Then it’s time to go to the buffet and be served. GULP! What is to come?! It turns out Elena was kidding. We had beef and mashed potatoes. Good one, Elena. NOT. BUT the good news was that we were all SO grateful not to be eating cow head that we enjoyed our not-so-spectacular meal far more than we would have otherwise.

After lunch, we went to the Apartheid museum. At the entrance, there was this quote: Apartheid is where it belongs: in a museum. Walking through was very emotional for me. At the beginning, we were randomly given a ticket that labeled us white or non-white. I was placed as white… I didn’t feel like being white that day… We entered through separate doors; an example of the circumstances during the apartheid era.

I have never felt so disgusted to be white. I found myself smiling at strangers, perhaps as an attempt to apologize for the things people of my color had done…? Three rooms hit me the most. One was a room filled with nooses. Over a hundred hung from the ceiling, representing all of the people who were hung during apartheid during an attempt to end the injustices. The second was a room with an example of the cells where people kept with no trial for up to 550 days. As I mentioned before, I am claustrophobic. I couldn’t stay in there long even with the door open. Think of a small bathroom, and there is the size your living space would have been. The third room was a video comprised of footage from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s depicting the horrors of apartheid. I wanted to throw up (not a common occurrence.)

For those of you who have seen Invictus, I would like to tell you that Morgan Freeman looks EXACTLY like Nelson Mandela, and Matt Damon is spot on as the rugby player! For those of you who haven’t seen it, please go watch it. Not just for the similarities of the actors, but for the history of South Africa. It truly is a very accurate portrayal of the ending of apartheid. Plus, it pays a well-deserved tribute to an amazing man. I am in awe of the wisdom, forgiveness, understanding, and vision Nelson Mandela possessed. I do not understand how one man saved South Africa. How could one choose hope when the entire country was involved in bloodshed and war and despair? How could he choose forgiveness after being jailed for 27 years? What an inspiring man. I look forward to learning more about him!

After the museum, we went back to our hotel. Pryor family (much love to you!): I taught about 10 people Thermo-Nuclear Uno! It was a HUGE success. They weren’t quite to our level. I know this because I won 3 times. J

More great conversations with beautiful people!

Onward to Durban!