10 October, 2013
The cultural differences are really starting to show now that I'm living in the village. I consider this one Real-Talk worthy because I want to share these differences with you and also share how I feel about everything.
1. When nature calls...I have come up with a theory that Namibians are super humans that never have to go to the bathroom. At least I've never seen it since I've been in the village. I think a more reasonable excuse for this would be that they go in the bush. All the power to them, but my white skin doesn't allow me to blend in as well, so I'm glad they just built me my own pit latrine. They're also going to build me my own area to bathe so that I can stop using my neighbor's. It's nothing fancy, but just a hard dirt floor surrounded by tall bundles of straw. I actually really enjoy bathing this way underneath the open sky. The other weekend I got back to the village late but couldn't stand all of the dirt caked on my skin, so I decided to brave it and take a bucket bath at night time. In the middle of it I looked up and the sky knocked the breath out of me. It looked as though the universe was working on an art project and spilled an entire bottle of glitter on black paper. I smiled because I know that was no accident. Just last night I was bathing as the sun set and watched the rays break through the colorful clouds as I shampooed my hair. While the occasional hot shower is desired (and trust me, I soak it up when the opportunity rises), I'm going to miss this special connection with nature when I go back home.
2. Music. Babies here leave their mother's womb with a certain rhythm in their step. I picture the baby dancing as someone cuts the umbilical cord. That's not actually how it goes down...but I wouldn't doubt it if someone ever told me they saw it. Kids here start dancing before they can even walk. And it's probably due to the highly infectious rhythmic music they are exposed to. When namibians aren't listening to mainstream pop and hiphop from America they're listening to catchy tunes comprised of a repetitive bass drum on every beat, African singing, and a somewhat Latin American vibe. I hear it blaring from the mud hut bar across the way just about every other night. I even find myself dancing in my bed before I fall asleep. You simply cannot listen to their music and not move.
3. Movies and television. This is one category that my brother would find difficult to accept. The movie and television department lacks a particular culture that the United States is proud to have. We focus more on symbolism, and the art of expression, whereas here, with the obsession of telenovelas (Spanish soap operas dubbed in cheesy English) and Nigerian movies, people watch film and shows solely to pass time.
4. Let's eat...People in Namibia love to eat. And I enjoy the traditional food of maize meal (porridge or "pap") with meat and sometimes some sort of vegetable. You eat it with your hands. And you eat it every day for lunch and dinner. Or they eat rice...with large portions of ketchup and mayonnaise mixed in. Or bread with cheese and butter. As you can see, the diet lacks a certain amount of nutrition that I'm used to. I cooked brown rice with zucchini, garlic, onion, green bell peppers, and mushrooms the other night and wanted my 18 year old neighbor to try it...she said, "We can't eat this. There are too many vegetables." Oh, and dad, you would love the fish here. And they fry it whole, head and tail and all. It took me a minute to get over the fish eyes staring back at me and the song that goes "fish heads, fish heads, rolly polly fish heads, fish heads, fish heads, eat em up, yum" plays in my head every time...but it's all good.
5. Simple life. I was hanging out with some of the little village kids the other day, and I realized something about this culture that I admire very much. They are incredibly resourceful and enjoy whatever they have, even if it's broken or as simple as it can get. For example, I watched this kid take a bottle cap, poke a hole in it, pick up a piece of thick straw, put it in the hole, and then spun the thing on the ground like a top. It functioned better than any store-bought top I ever played with as a kid. And then the other kids, all in completely tattered and torn clothing, were kicking a half deflated ball back and forth, and having the time of their lives. It's not that their parents can't afford to buy them new clothes...it's that what's the point in having perfectly presentable clothing when the kid is playing outside in the heat and the sand surely to ruin it? Of course when they go to town, they put on something with less holes. But I compared it to the culture in America...I can't count how many times I've heard kids yelled at by their parents because they tore a hole in their shirt while playing football in the front yard, or they have a grass stained knee from falling on their bike. Really, parents, what did you expect?
6. Speaking of dirt...I've accepted the dirtiness that comes along with Africa, especially the village life. It doesn't matter how many times I bathe, how many times I sweep or wipe down my things...dirt and sand have permanently fused themselves with my home and my body. And as strange as this sounds, I don't mind one bit. I think we're obsessively clean in the United States...well, my mother would argue that I'm far from clean, but that's because even when I lived in the states I thought people were obsessively clean (especially her...love you, mom ;)...), and now that I live here, my belief is confirmed. When I cook a meal, bite into it, and crunch on a granule of sand, life goes on. When I pull a tomato or apple with a few blemishes out of my fridge, I still eat it because it's okay. In America, we spend five minutes digging through the pile of fruit at the store looking for perfection, and as soon as it begins to "go bad" we toss it. My standards for cleanliness has dropped, and I'm glad for that...because I'm okay. Oh, and the pungent smell of sweaty people has no negative effect on me anymore...in fact, I don't seem to mind it at all. It's not that people don't use deodorant...it's just that this african sun is hotter than hell. And because of pheromones flying around with the natural smell of people, there's nothing sexier than a young hard-working village guy fetching water from the borehole. When I get home, I don't see myself settling for the office type. Thanks, Africa.
7. Speaking of "type" and "settling"...The culture of relationships, particularly male and female, is veeeeery different than that of the United States. It's a hopeless romantic culture (even though the relationships seem to contradict this mindset with a pattern of unfaithfulness) where the guy isn't afraid that the words they say may scare the girl away. If a guy meets you and is intrigued, he won't hesitate to say he loves you. Because I'm from America, I get a lot of propositions to marry someone and take them back home and have their babies. This subject usually comes up within five minutes of conversation. I try telling guys here that in America, men at least pretend to be a girl's friend first before making a dating proposition. So, if they want the keys to my heart, they're going to have to slow down because that ain't one thing about my culture I'm willing to give up.
There are many things about Namibia I've had to adjust to, many things I'm still currently adjusting to, and many things I didn't need to adjust to just because they felt right to begin with, and hopefully I can bring those cultural things back with me to the states and teach people.
Quite a few times in my new Namibian life I've found myself wishing (only for a minute or so) for something familiar in culture or people...wishing for my family and friends...but much more often than that, I find myself completely in awe of my new lifestyle and environment. As a kid, I would watch National Geographic Channel and see documentaries where people are traveling the world, and I used to envy them. I yearned for the opportunity to leave everything familiar behind to explore new territory and people. As a kid I never thought it would be possible. But here I am. And I wouldn't give it up for all the money in the world. Or I would take the bribe, and use that money to come right back, pick up where I left off, and then continue my traveling adventures ;)
The things I listed above only scratch the surface of differences I've experienced so far. If I tried to write about everything I experience, I wouldn't have any time left to actually experience. So, with that being said, I'm out.
Yea, not a moment of the day and night goes by where I'm not sweating. But it's a great excuse to not wear make-up. And I'm wearing my first African outfit that my teacher friend gave me :) ...oh one more thing before I forget! Namibians don't care if you have visible tattoos in the workplace, nor does the overall culture mind (you only get the occasional person who thinks you're in the Illuminati...that's something I'd rather not waste my time writing about). Most Namibians aren't too quick to judge someone by their appearance, even older generations, so I don't have to cover my sleeve even when I start teaching.... :P suck it, America.
Okay, for real this time. Later.
