Happy Feet

Ok, so yesterday me and my friend spotted this penguin coming out of the ocean as we were coming from lunch. So of course, we freak out and run over to it. But then we realize there is something wrong with it…it was covered in oil!! Yes like oil as in BP oil….I mean I’m not saying it was from BP but nevertheless isn’t that horrible? The poor little guy was so far from home and he was all alone covered in this thick layer of oil. So we had to try to find help for the little guy. We couldn’t stay until the rescue came so some other people took over but I really hope the little guy is ok now. I can’t believe I actually witnessed this. It kind of put everything that I hear in the news about pollution and environmental toxins into a realm of reality. I mean I have never been a fan of littering and I always try to be eco-friendly but now that I have seen this little guy suffering because of poor decisions we as human beings have made. It’s so sad. And now I feel I must do more. More to help. Look at em’….

Ubuntu: a person is a person because of his/her relationship with others!

So I’m in my cultural studies class and he brings up this concept of Ubuntu which is a Zulu word that literally translates to “humanity” or “humanness”. It’s a concept that initiates a way of life through values such as respect, helpfulness, community, sharing, caring, trust, unselfishness. The idea of maintaining harmony within your community.


As said by Barbara Nussbaun : Ur pain is my pain


Ur wealth is my wealth


Ur salvation is my salvation


Wow right? I mean honestly when I make decisions or when I have pain or when I am blessed with something…I never think beyond me. In America we have this idea of “ima get mine and you get yours.” We love to say look at me, what I know, what I did, what I have. Why is it that American culture is about self gain and self promotion and not the prosperity of those around them? Because if he prospers he might just get ahead of me right? But so what? What if he does get ahead of you? Congrats to him? I mean because we are all living for a shared destiny according to African concepts. Living that we may be successful or wealthy, or go to heaven, or have kids, or see the world. Inevitably we all are living for eternal happiness, in whatever form that may be for you.


I realized that maybe I should start to recognize others in my life. Recognize how my gain or lack of is directly affecting my counterparts. In the same respect recognize the worth of others in my life and how their life adjustments affect me as well. One must have a proper self assurance to be able to give what is “rightfully theirs” for the enabling of another though. If I have food and I share with you and then you now have more food than I do then I’m pissed lol (I love food). That’s where the self assurance comes in, that you know without a doubt your ability to get more food and your understanding that under this idea of Ubuntu you will never go hungry because your hunger is their hunger and they will one day share with you.


This has even been used in some court cases here in Africa. The people share each others pain, so in one instance a guy kills a woman’s brother but she forgives him because she shares his feeling of guilt and the case is dismissed…..WOW. This is also where the idea of polygamy comes about. Many wives sharing one husband….but that’s a whole different blog.


But then I ponder this. If we start to live under this concept of Ubuntu wouldn’t life be easier. Wouldn’t it be so comforting to know that you are not alone in your loneliness or your strife? What is mine may be meant for you too so from now on I am determined to share my knowledge, my love, my understanding, my pain, my pride, my success, and even my food lol. And you better share yours. Beautiful concept guys please read more about it.

Transportation

Omg the mini buses……..let me just say that I hate them!! Hate them! These are the reasons why? Most of them are raggedy, they only hold about twelve people but they will press about 20 to 25 people in that thing just to earn the extra bucks. Along with being pressed against a complete stranger they drive like they are the only people on the road. I get car sick every single time. *actually recently in the news one guy ( the attendant that takes the money) was sticking his head out of the window trying to attack customers and the driver ran to close to a street sign and left the attendants head on the side of the street. You see what I mean?? And you know what he probably didn’t notice for a while because the music is deftly loud!! But I have to take these buses because…that’s the only way to get around besides walking and sometimes you just can’t walk another step. Check out this video…I took it on a night ride on one of the buses notice all of the bumping around on a smooth paved road. I had to end the video because the attendant got into a fight with another attendant……ha…..

Diamond in the Rough!

Shopping here is beautiful of course I love to go to the free market on Sunday and just look at all the handmade work from the people. Very talented people. Beautiful artwork that really blows my mind…because they didn’t have four years of art training you know? There art comes directly from the heart, from their environment, and that’s what makes it remarkable. These artisans are so talented….i mean museum talented. And they don’t use machines or computer graphics. This is blood sweat and tears put into this. And talent like this sits on the side of the streets hoping to get a buyer. In America anyone with money can be famous regardless of his talents you know (I’ve seen a lot of artwork that has proven this point)? But they have some seriously talented people that can’t get a break. Painting, sculpturing, beadwork, sewing…they can do it all. That makes me want to work even harder, because I do have the opportunity to make something of my life and I don’t want to waste a chance, a chance that could have been given to one of them. I have to take advantage of ever y opportunity God places before me! Not letting anything go untried, unadventured, unexperienced, unsaid, undone. Doing all that I am capable of in Gods name. Because I’m not a diamond in the rough, but I’m a gem in a pretty decent life and I am going to live it up. What’s worse being a diamond in the rough trying to make it? Being so good at something and not having the resources to make it. Or being a diamond or even a pretty descent gem in America and sitting on it…..you get the picture.

Perspective

The Indian ocean on this side is magnificent, I walk there at least three times a week. It’s a very short walk from my neighborhood. As you see in this picture you can barely see me. I’m so small compared to that massive body of water. I’ve attempted to walk out as far as I could stand ( the water is freezing because Antarctica is south of us). When you walk in you feel this powerless feeling, you feel that the waves could knock you down at any moment and although there are people on the beach they would probably not even notice because I was just a little speck in the distance. You know until you have seen yourself in comparison to the grandness of an ocean you don’t realize how much bigger life is than just you and your little situations. You know? You start to have a deeper prospective that the world has so much more to offer than just to you and that you only play a very very minute role in this world. It’s a scary but a humbling experience. Humbleness is a word that I would like to ponder on for a while because I feel that that is what I have gained during this journey thus far. Coming to a new place feeling like a fish out of water will give you that feeling, whether you want to or not. It’s like learning to walk again. But nevertheless this chance to start a new me is brilliant. And I would like to thank the Indian Ocean for giving that perspective.

My Digs

So this is my “digs”. I am actually pretty happy with my room because it’s a decent size for all my stuff. But a few weeks in I shared this room with someone….ugh! That wasn’t good but thankfully I got a single room somehow and now it’s a lot easier to cope. I have a pretty descent closet and a table so again my room is ok. However, it’s the kitchen and the restroom that really get to me. The kitchen is very small. I could touch everything in it standing in the middle of it. And of course there are no up to date kitchen supplies so it’s hard to make a real meal. And the restroom is infested with some type of mold and stuff. So ANTIBACTERIAL soap is what I use everyday and shower shoes…room shoes…kitchen shoes..you get me.

south africa!

So I have been here for about a week now! Everything is very different and difficult. Its a whole new culture even very different from that of Tanzania. I find that in South africa you have to have a tougher skin. I am staying in a house with four other women so that is a struggle in itself. Two from zimbabwe, one from germany, and one from aritria. So its alot of cultures mixed together and im sure will make a great semester!! I have to walk about 2 miles to school everyday! oh gotta go. be back later! Hey Mr. Christrian Luckett, I love you!