Swirling Thoughts
My last few days have been a whirlwind of studying and conversation. These are some of the thoughts swirling in my head.
Two-thirds of the people in Africa live on less than a dollar a day.
I spoke French with a waiter from Congo at dinner earlier this week.
"It smells like they boiled the ocean!" - a friend
I witnessed a smash-and-grab robbery in the middle of the afternoon at a busy intersection yesterday.
Being surrounded by conversations only in English is going to seem so strange and boring after months of overhearing Afrikaans, Zulu, and Xhosa. I'm not sure I'll be able to focus on one conversation when I can actually understand the ones around me!
In South Africa, I've never seen a white janitor, homeless person, minibus driver, prostitute, or security guard. Sometimes I wonder if the legacy of Apartheid will ever fade.
"You know what the problem with forks is? They don't spoon properly!" - me
Windows without bars and houses without fences are going to seem so odd when I get home.
"As Tina Turner said, what's love got to do with it?" - Professor K.
Why do scholars from Africa, Asia, and Latin America have to write in European languages in order to be considered "legitimate"?
What am I going to do when, at the end of my time here, all I have left to eat is half a jar of peanut butter, moldy bread, and some soy sauce?
"Extreme religion remains dangerous." - Professor M.
I actually have nightmares about packing and standardized tests.
Me: "Who has nightmares about standardized tests?"
Friend #1: "DJ Tanner on Full House."
Me: "You actually remember that show?"
Friend #2: "Actually, that's what I was going to say, too."
Me: "Sad."
Why do westerners assume the existence of one "African Traditional Religion" when "European Traditional Religion" and "Asian Traditional Religion" don't exist?
"I'm writing on my spirit." -Mbembe
Everwhere I go, I hear American music, usually old rap and R&B mixed with Britney Spears. *shudder* I'm looking forward to diversity of radio in the U.S.!
"I'm not actually going to sew hatred and discord, but it sounds like fun!" - me
I haven't seen ranch dressing or pepperoni pizza in 4 months. I didn't even know I could survive this long without those foods.
What is my orientation in studying Africa: am I facing west or facing Mt. Kenya?
Are the conditions Orwell imagined in Nineteen Eighty-Four plausible?
"When you're upside-down and yoru car is on top of you, this is not good." -Professor K.
I'm worried about getting into graduate school, while the kids I work with in the creche may not even graduate from high school.
Which is the better place to sit on the minibus, the front seat, or the back? Which is the better job, minibus driver, or minibus guard?
Two-thirds of the people in Africa live on less than a dollar a day.
I spoke French with a waiter from Congo at dinner earlier this week.
"It smells like they boiled the ocean!" - a friend
I witnessed a smash-and-grab robbery in the middle of the afternoon at a busy intersection yesterday.
Being surrounded by conversations only in English is going to seem so strange and boring after months of overhearing Afrikaans, Zulu, and Xhosa. I'm not sure I'll be able to focus on one conversation when I can actually understand the ones around me!
In South Africa, I've never seen a white janitor, homeless person, minibus driver, prostitute, or security guard. Sometimes I wonder if the legacy of Apartheid will ever fade.
"You know what the problem with forks is? They don't spoon properly!" - me
Windows without bars and houses without fences are going to seem so odd when I get home.
"As Tina Turner said, what's love got to do with it?" - Professor K.
Why do scholars from Africa, Asia, and Latin America have to write in European languages in order to be considered "legitimate"?
What am I going to do when, at the end of my time here, all I have left to eat is half a jar of peanut butter, moldy bread, and some soy sauce?
"Extreme religion remains dangerous." - Professor M.
I actually have nightmares about packing and standardized tests.
Me: "Who has nightmares about standardized tests?"
Friend #1: "DJ Tanner on Full House."
Me: "You actually remember that show?"
Friend #2: "Actually, that's what I was going to say, too."
Me: "Sad."
Why do westerners assume the existence of one "African Traditional Religion" when "European Traditional Religion" and "Asian Traditional Religion" don't exist?
"I'm writing on my spirit." -Mbembe
Everwhere I go, I hear American music, usually old rap and R&B mixed with Britney Spears. *shudder* I'm looking forward to diversity of radio in the U.S.!
"I'm not actually going to sew hatred and discord, but it sounds like fun!" - me
I haven't seen ranch dressing or pepperoni pizza in 4 months. I didn't even know I could survive this long without those foods.
What is my orientation in studying Africa: am I facing west or facing Mt. Kenya?
Are the conditions Orwell imagined in Nineteen Eighty-Four plausible?
"When you're upside-down and yoru car is on top of you, this is not good." -Professor K.
I'm worried about getting into graduate school, while the kids I work with in the creche may not even graduate from high school.
Which is the better place to sit on the minibus, the front seat, or the back? Which is the better job, minibus driver, or minibus guard?
posted by Lauren at
3:50 PM
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