Note to self: This doesn’t include every single thing that I’ve done, just more of the times when emotion is pulled in a certain direction the most.
We (meaning myself, PJ, and Brittney—who are AWESOME, by the way) met a really cool guy named Isias right at the edge of campus. He was selling bags and jewelry and shirts that he had made with cool images of Mandela, Biko, Bob Marley, and the African continent on them. He was from Mozambique and left for SA during the Mozambican civil war in the 80’s. Before saying he was Mozambican he said “I call myself a human being.” I told him I could totally dig that and he said, “There’s one oxygen, brother, one oxygen. We’re breathing the same air.” He was SO cool. He spoke of hope and conflict and peace and surviving cross bullet fire in his hometown. PJ and I chilled with him for a little bit the next day. There was some more solid conversation.
It’s been incredibly interesting talking with a bunch of the guys, black and white and from different places, in my house (aka res aka dorm) about life in the United States and life in South Africa. Some guys were very surprised to learn that there are over 700,000 homeless people in the United States and gun violence and gangs and poverty. They only see music videos and mainstream TV shows and movies that dominate the South African media scene. I also tried to get across the diversity of experience and people there are in the United States and how often those popular media portrayals don’t do a good job of getting the whole picture across. A couple kids asked if I knew or came across any of the celebrities often. It was interesting trying to explain the size and social lay out of my own country. That is definitely a test of how you understand your own country when you have to explain it in your own words to someone who has little substantive background about it. Some of the guys also talked about what common conceptions of Africa are in general in the United States. Generally they are not very informed conceptions, with visions of tribal dances, lions, elephants, civil war, corruption, and starving children. Granted, all of those things form some part of the social and cultural environment in the vast continent, but they are no where near the whole, or even common picture of the diverse societies of Africa. I’m also trying to pick up sweet new South African phrases and sayings and habits. Culture is such an awesome thing. What an experience to become immersed in new cultures and people. Amazing.
One in four people in South Africa are HIV+ or have AIDS. Shit. So many people, even regardless of educational status or race or employment have off-color and inaccurate perceptions of the reality of the epidemic, how to prevent it, and how harrowing its effects are. There is a cool group on campus that promotes HIV/AIDS awareness, practical knowledge about safe sex and abstinence, and some political activism regarding the epidemic. This stuff is a reality in the country for EVERYBODY, no matter their race or background or educational status, and totally affects students at Rhodes, too.
Peace,
Jeremy
We (meaning myself, PJ, and Brittney—who are AWESOME, by the way) met a really cool guy named Isias right at the edge of campus. He was selling bags and jewelry and shirts that he had made with cool images of Mandela, Biko, Bob Marley, and the African continent on them. He was from Mozambique and left for SA during the Mozambican civil war in the 80’s. Before saying he was Mozambican he said “I call myself a human being.” I told him I could totally dig that and he said, “There’s one oxygen, brother, one oxygen. We’re breathing the same air.” He was SO cool. He spoke of hope and conflict and peace and surviving cross bullet fire in his hometown. PJ and I chilled with him for a little bit the next day. There was some more solid conversation.
It’s been incredibly interesting talking with a bunch of the guys, black and white and from different places, in my house (aka res aka dorm) about life in the United States and life in South Africa. Some guys were very surprised to learn that there are over 700,000 homeless people in the United States and gun violence and gangs and poverty. They only see music videos and mainstream TV shows and movies that dominate the South African media scene. I also tried to get across the diversity of experience and people there are in the United States and how often those popular media portrayals don’t do a good job of getting the whole picture across. A couple kids asked if I knew or came across any of the celebrities often. It was interesting trying to explain the size and social lay out of my own country. That is definitely a test of how you understand your own country when you have to explain it in your own words to someone who has little substantive background about it. Some of the guys also talked about what common conceptions of Africa are in general in the United States. Generally they are not very informed conceptions, with visions of tribal dances, lions, elephants, civil war, corruption, and starving children. Granted, all of those things form some part of the social and cultural environment in the vast continent, but they are no where near the whole, or even common picture of the diverse societies of Africa. I’m also trying to pick up sweet new South African phrases and sayings and habits. Culture is such an awesome thing. What an experience to become immersed in new cultures and people. Amazing.
One in four people in South Africa are HIV+ or have AIDS. Shit. So many people, even regardless of educational status or race or employment have off-color and inaccurate perceptions of the reality of the epidemic, how to prevent it, and how harrowing its effects are. There is a cool group on campus that promotes HIV/AIDS awareness, practical knowledge about safe sex and abstinence, and some political activism regarding the epidemic. This stuff is a reality in the country for EVERYBODY, no matter their race or background or educational status, and totally affects students at Rhodes, too.
Peace,
Jeremy
