Funny how a word you almost never hear at home can so suddenly become a part of your daily vocabulary. The divisive culture of aparthied continues to reek havic in South Africa, since I've come to Cape Town I've heard, seen, or been part of discussions surrounding xenophobia on a regular basis. But nearly two weeks ago the situation erupted in Johannesburg and since has spread, in just the past day or so, to Cape Town. Foreigners, more specifically those from Somolia, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe (for the most part), are being attacked and the country is quickly going into crises. So far 42 people have been killed, some 15,000 are displaced, and about 500 people have been arrested.
A friend from Congo, who came to Cape Town to escape violence, death, and fear, now finds himself unable to leave his apartment, caught in flashbacks of the trauma he tried to escape. Zimbabweans are returning home to hyperinflation, food-shortages, fear and violence related to the recent disputed elections (and with rumours flying about a possible assassination attempt on the opposition leader--Tsvangirai-- who should be winning the run-off elections on June 27, stability is not soon coming) in fear for their lives. Somali shops and homes are looted and burnt to the ground. The violence is centered in the townships, so (Somalies in particular) are escaping into city centres to seek protection. The mining industry depends on migrant labour, but the migrant workers are not showing up, (in one mine that employs 80% Mozambiquans production has been shut down completley) so the economy will quickly feel the brunt of the effects. And the police force, which underwent reconstruction in 2005, is not capable of dealing with the riots and violence, so the military has been called in for assitance. With some Western countries issuing travel warnings, the tourist industry is already being hurt (I'd like to note that it's not tourists or rich white people that are being attacked here--it's other Africans whom South Africans blame for taking away thier jobs and homes, a sentiment which could be compared to Americans blaming Mexicans for the same. It all comes down to a question of scapegoating doesn't it? Many South Africans--both black and white--were living under better conditions during aparthied (I am not condonind aparthied, just stating a condition of existence), becuase the current government has failed to achieve or successfully implement much of it's promises. When it comes down to it, it's easier to take out your frustration and desperation on a migrant worker who showed up with nothing and now is doing better than yourself, than to take it out on the president. I am not an expert on the situation, this is simply my own understanding and observations from my conversations and reading. There is a lot of history and politics playing into this that I am not fully knowledgable of as well).
In a world that is more interconnected than we realize, the implications of the situation are broad. In Southern Africa, people are returning to unstable situations, as well as threatening reactive violence (attacking South Africans in Mozambique). Foreign investment in South Africa will (has) dwindled, and South Africa's economy plays a huge role through out the continent.
There is still much to learn about what is going on, but I feel compelled to keep people updated with events in my own piece of the world that you either won't hear in your local news, or you won't hear very throuroughly or accurately. Don't worry about me, as I said, being white and not living in a township leaves me fairly far removed from any immediate physical xenophobic threat.
23 May 2008
17 May 2008
It's been too long!
It's hard to believe that it's May! How have five months gone by and I've not posted a single adventure or politically pertinent story? Well, much has happened! Let's see, I've:
*rafted the source of the Nile in Jinja, Uganda (splitting my lip open in the process--had to walk around with tape on my face for a week, and I still have a scare (and a bump, scar tissue?)
*moved to Cape Town! where I've:
*lived in a backpackers for 3 weeks and then crashed on the couch of a friend I met in the backpackers for another 3 weeks until I managed to find a place to live in Cape Town
*meanwhile I started my Masters in Anthropology at the University of Cape Town, which started a quite a bit of confusion and was initially a bit overwhelming, but I'm loving it
*moved into a fabulous house in Cape Town with chill house-mates (thanks gumtree!), will have to post pics soon
*spent many days lounging on the beach and jumping in (and immediately back out) of the icy Atlantic Ocean
*hiked all over the incredible mountain parks in the area--and still many more to explore!
*swam in a reservoir of iodine red water in Silvermine National Park (something to do with the lead content I'm told)
*got mugged by a guy wielding a piece of KFC as a weapon--luckily only lost my cell phone!
*drove for the first time on the left side of the road, in a car that was not only a manual shift (not a problem) but also a manual choke (a little unnerving initially since I had never even heard of such a thing, but it was fine :)
*got attacked by an out-of-control wave on the beach--my reader is still traumatized and my bag still has sand in it, but we survived
*attended my first rugby match (Cape Town Stormers vs New Zealand Waratahs), also got drenched by the rain falling horizontally, and it was a draw!
*am developing a research question for my MA thesis, something to do with the impact of aid on development, if you have any connections to international humanitarian organizations in Eastern Africa (Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi) let me know!
That surely is not an exhaustive list, but it's the things that immediately spring to mind. Now that I'm a bit more settled I will attempt to post blogs more frequently! More adventures are soon to come as I am planning a short road trip to Namibia the beginning of June and shortly thereafter will head to Cyprus (!) for my friends wedding. Cape Town is an incredibly beautiful, interesting, and challenging city to be in, and I'm ecstatic to have the next 2 years to explore it, it already feels like home!
*rafted the source of the Nile in Jinja, Uganda (splitting my lip open in the process--had to walk around with tape on my face for a week, and I still have a scare (and a bump, scar tissue?)
*moved to Cape Town! where I've:
*lived in a backpackers for 3 weeks and then crashed on the couch of a friend I met in the backpackers for another 3 weeks until I managed to find a place to live in Cape Town
*meanwhile I started my Masters in Anthropology at the University of Cape Town, which started a quite a bit of confusion and was initially a bit overwhelming, but I'm loving it
*moved into a fabulous house in Cape Town with chill house-mates (thanks gumtree!), will have to post pics soon
*spent many days lounging on the beach and jumping in (and immediately back out) of the icy Atlantic Ocean
*hiked all over the incredible mountain parks in the area--and still many more to explore!
*swam in a reservoir of iodine red water in Silvermine National Park (something to do with the lead content I'm told)
*got mugged by a guy wielding a piece of KFC as a weapon--luckily only lost my cell phone!
*drove for the first time on the left side of the road, in a car that was not only a manual shift (not a problem) but also a manual choke (a little unnerving initially since I had never even heard of such a thing, but it was fine :)
*got attacked by an out-of-control wave on the beach--my reader is still traumatized and my bag still has sand in it, but we survived
*attended my first rugby match (Cape Town Stormers vs New Zealand Waratahs), also got drenched by the rain falling horizontally, and it was a draw!
*am developing a research question for my MA thesis, something to do with the impact of aid on development, if you have any connections to international humanitarian organizations in Eastern Africa (Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi) let me know!
That surely is not an exhaustive list, but it's the things that immediately spring to mind. Now that I'm a bit more settled I will attempt to post blogs more frequently! More adventures are soon to come as I am planning a short road trip to Namibia the beginning of June and shortly thereafter will head to Cyprus (!) for my friends wedding. Cape Town is an incredibly beautiful, interesting, and challenging city to be in, and I'm ecstatic to have the next 2 years to explore it, it already feels like home!
27 January 2008
A wedding, part 2
The story of a Ugandan wedding continued...
In the following weeks:
A marriage here only happens if EVERYONE plays a role. "Wedding Planning Meetings" were held frequently. At these meetings committees were formed (eg transportation, kitchen, budgets, etc), duties assigned, and contributions requested. We had to establish who had vehicles that could be used, who could help cook, who we could borrow plates and chairs from, who would make the dresses, where we could get decorations, and who would watch the bicycles to make sure they weren't stolen during the ceremony. And of course everyone is asked for contributions. One couple may offer to purchase a crate of soda for the reception. Someone else may offer to pay for fuel for a vehicle. Another may simply give 5,000 Uganda shillings (which is less than $3 USD, but here that's a lot of money). While it was torture to sit through these meetings, I appreciate how much of a community effort it is to put together such a celebration. The old adage "It takes a village..." is actually quite literal here. Everyone is referred to in familial terms (mama, aunt, sister, uncle, brother, father...).
quick explanatory diversion: I was in a village with some friends drinking malwa and chatting with the locals. The old man next to me decided he needed to explain--"in Uganda everyone is family. all the old men in the village are your fathers, the old women are your mothers [. . . . ] so now I am your what? Your father. You are my what? my daughter." I said "ok, papa Simon, give me the what? the straw." The malwa is in a big pot in the middle and everyone drinks from long straws.
This theme extends into nearly every aspect of life.
January 26,2008:
Here's a glimpse at life in "Africa Time"--the wedding was scheduled to start at 10 am. I arrived at about 12. The ceremony began about 1:00. The program had us eating at 6:00, so if things went according to schedule (meaning 3 hours behind schedule) we wouldn't be eating until 9:00pm. This did not give me pleasure!
The ceremony began with singing worship songs. After a while the groom began his march down the aisle with his peg boy and best man, accompanied by a choir. This march down the aisle lasted nearly 30 minutes! It was a very, very slow process. It was followed by more singing, and then the bride's march with her bridal party (quite large: 2 flower girls, a maid of honor, a matron of honor, and 6 maids.), they were a bit quicker than the groom, only took 20 minutes! (Here's just a little snippet of how wonderful it was...)
The two exchanged vows (same as the traditional vows in the west) and then there was a sermon. By the time it was all said and done it was 5:00.
The reception was taking place just outside, so we shuffled around and waited while the bridal party
drove off for picture taking. The MC began seating everyone in their proper places (there were 3 tents and everyone is arranged similarly to how they are for the wedding) about 6:00 and got things started until the bride and groom arrived. They fed each other their first meal, cut the cake, gave gifts to parents and other prominent attendees, received gifts from the guests, and then started announcing for various sections to go eat (food was seriously my main concern at this point since I hadn't eaten since 10:00 and had only had 1 meal the previous day). Unfortunately for me I got distracted by talking to people and by the time I stood in line to get food, it was gone! At first I wanted to cry, but then realized that I had been hungry for so long that I wasn't even really hungry anymore. My friend scrounged up some scraps for me (thank goodness for chapati!) and it was fine--this is when the fun really starts anyway--dancing! It didn't last long though, once it gets dark people are ready to head home, traveling in the dark on bad roads is not really fun. Thus ended the excitement that was James and Norah's wedding (and begins the excitement that will be James and Norah's marriage). I'm glad I was a part of it, and hope no one ever expects me to march down the aisle at the speed of a sleepy snail!
In the following weeks:
A marriage here only happens if EVERYONE plays a role. "Wedding Planning Meetings" were held frequently. At these meetings committees were formed (eg transportation, kitchen, budgets, etc), duties assigned, and contributions requested. We had to establish who had vehicles that could be used, who could help cook, who we could borrow plates and chairs from, who would make the dresses, where we could get decorations, and who would watch the bicycles to make sure they weren't stolen during the ceremony. And of course everyone is asked for contributions. One couple may offer to purchase a crate of soda for the reception. Someone else may offer to pay for fuel for a vehicle. Another may simply give 5,000 Uganda shillings (which is less than $3 USD, but here that's a lot of money). While it was torture to sit through these meetings, I appreciate how much of a community effort it is to put together such a celebration. The old adage "It takes a village..." is actually quite literal here. Everyone is referred to in familial terms (mama, aunt, sister, uncle, brother, father...).
quick explanatory diversion: I was in a village with some friends drinking malwa and chatting with the locals. The old man next to me decided he needed to explain--"in Uganda everyone is family. all the old men in the village are your fathers, the old women are your mothers [. . . . ] so now I am your what? Your father. You are my what? my daughter." I said "ok, papa Simon, give me the what? the straw." The malwa is in a big pot in the middle and everyone drinks from long straws.
This theme extends into nearly every aspect of life.
January 26,2008:
Here's a glimpse at life in "Africa Time"--the wedding was scheduled to start at 10 am. I arrived at about 12. The ceremony began about 1:00. The program had us eating at 6:00, so if things went according to schedule (meaning 3 hours behind schedule) we wouldn't be eating until 9:00pm. This did not give me pleasure!
The ceremony began with singing worship songs. After a while the groom began his march down the aisle with his peg boy and best man, accompanied by a choir. This march down the aisle lasted nearly 30 minutes! It was a very, very slow process. It was followed by more singing, and then the bride's march with her bridal party (quite large: 2 flower girls, a maid of honor, a matron of honor, and 6 maids.), they were a bit quicker than the groom, only took 20 minutes! (Here's just a little snippet of how wonderful it was...)
The two exchanged vows (same as the traditional vows in the west) and then there was a sermon. By the time it was all said and done it was 5:00.
The reception was taking place just outside, so we shuffled around and waited while the bridal party
drove off for picture taking. The MC began seating everyone in their proper places (there were 3 tents and everyone is arranged similarly to how they are for the wedding) about 6:00 and got things started until the bride and groom arrived. They fed each other their first meal, cut the cake, gave gifts to parents and other prominent attendees, received gifts from the guests, and then started announcing for various sections to go eat (food was seriously my main concern at this point since I hadn't eaten since 10:00 and had only had 1 meal the previous day). Unfortunately for me I got distracted by talking to people and by the time I stood in line to get food, it was gone! At first I wanted to cry, but then realized that I had been hungry for so long that I wasn't even really hungry anymore. My friend scrounged up some scraps for me (thank goodness for chapati!) and it was fine--this is when the fun really starts anyway--dancing! It didn't last long though, once it gets dark people are ready to head home, traveling in the dark on bad roads is not really fun. Thus ended the excitement that was James and Norah's wedding (and begins the excitement that will be James and Norah's marriage). I'm glad I was a part of it, and hope no one ever expects me to march down the aisle at the speed of a sleepy snail!
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