"This is Africa."
I'm not sure when this phrase came into use. It's usually used by non-Africans in response to a situation they wouldn't expect in their home countries. It's kind of like saying "that's how it is, get used to it." Power outages. A new package of batteries that have all been drained of power. Roads that are more pot hole than road. Waiting ages for over-packed public mini-buses to depart. Waiting ages for anything.
What I've realised is that the phrase is never used in a positive context. All of the things I just described are certainly a part of daily life for a large part of this large continent, but they do not alone define Africa. There are a lot of things that I encounter here as part of daily life in Africa that are actually fun, or amusing, or strangely interesting, or fascinating, or awesome. And sometimes those things that people find frustrating are great lessons in questioning what are expectations are, why they are such, and if they actually benefit us.
So, I'm re-activating this blog (it's been over a year since my last post, and they have been very infrequent for much longer) in a project to reclaim and redefine the phrase "This is Africa." I didn't move here because I love it when the power unexpectedly goes out for anywhere from 5 minutes to 5(+) hours (or that it goes out every time it rains), or because I prefer my roads gouged and bumpy, or because I've always wanted to be able to hear someone say on the phone "I'm coming" and have no idea what-so-ever when they will show up. I moved here because there is so much more to Africa. There's beauty and laughter and creativity and a whole lifestyle which has benefits that, for me, outweigh the frustrations. We all have frustrations, no matter we live in the world. Africa is more than frustrations! Let me show you.
I'm not sure when this phrase came into use. It's usually used by non-Africans in response to a situation they wouldn't expect in their home countries. It's kind of like saying "that's how it is, get used to it." Power outages. A new package of batteries that have all been drained of power. Roads that are more pot hole than road. Waiting ages for over-packed public mini-buses to depart. Waiting ages for anything.
What I've realised is that the phrase is never used in a positive context. All of the things I just described are certainly a part of daily life for a large part of this large continent, but they do not alone define Africa. There are a lot of things that I encounter here as part of daily life in Africa that are actually fun, or amusing, or strangely interesting, or fascinating, or awesome. And sometimes those things that people find frustrating are great lessons in questioning what are expectations are, why they are such, and if they actually benefit us.
So, I'm re-activating this blog (it's been over a year since my last post, and they have been very infrequent for much longer) in a project to reclaim and redefine the phrase "This is Africa." I didn't move here because I love it when the power unexpectedly goes out for anywhere from 5 minutes to 5(+) hours (or that it goes out every time it rains), or because I prefer my roads gouged and bumpy, or because I've always wanted to be able to hear someone say on the phone "I'm coming" and have no idea what-so-ever when they will show up. I moved here because there is so much more to Africa. There's beauty and laughter and creativity and a whole lifestyle which has benefits that, for me, outweigh the frustrations. We all have frustrations, no matter we live in the world. Africa is more than frustrations! Let me show you.
