Alright, so I know I said I would put up some pictures from Victoria Falls but my SD Card won't load onto my computer currently so that has been put on hold and therefore this post is coming much later than expected.
Tonight a group of us went to Linga Longo (a restaurant in town) to watch the Super Bowl - on Monday. I had to force myself to refrain from any contact with the Internet all day, which was definitely a tough task, as the Internet has become such a staple in my daily routine. Anyway, I was able to do it and it really made watching the game 16 hours later a great game. I was kind of torn between who to root for because I really enjoy watching the Steelers play football and love Mike Tomlin as a coach, but Ronnie is a huge Packers fan and it was awesome for him that his team was in the Super Bowl. And luckily we found a place that he could watch it.
Anyway, there were a few things that went through my mind from beginning to end of the game. Firstly, I was not impressed with Christina Aguilera's version of the National Anthem. Great pick on who to sing; however, she could have done a much better job. Secondly, when the clip of all the historical moments in American history were played - I have never felt more proud to be an American than I did at that point. Maybe it was because I was in a completely foreign land where I am a huge minority and seeing those things just makes me think of home, but I think it was more that it took me being in a foreign land to realize all the great things the United States has to offer and all of the great things that make up my history. From the great athletic moments of Vince Lombardi and Peyton Manning to the shots of Martin Luther King Jr. and President Kennedy, I think I may have finally realized what it is like to be an outsider looking at American history and then realizing that it is the history of my country. Anyway, it definitely increased my nationalism (if that is not a bad thing to say in the political realm still) for a bit.
The game in itself really was not too different from any other game. It was a close game for most of it and definitely kept my interest. But, as with every championship game which I watch nowadays, I could not help but to look back to winning the National Championship last December at the end of the game. And every time I think about that I get a weak stomach and really have no words. A few people even asked me 'what's wrong' after the game and all I could say was I was thinking. Every time I see a team celebrate it brings back the incredible memory of running onto the field in Chattanooga after accomplishing the goal which every team in the country has the eyes on when the season begins. And even after you win, it is still hard to believe that you accomplished something that you have watched in every sport for more than a decade and now you feel like you are invincible. It is definitely one of those feelings that you cannot explain and even today I can't really tell you how I felt December 18, 2009, but it was truly something special knowing you were a part (even a very tiny part like myself) of something incredible. And every time I see the quarterback put on his championship hat and smile really big, I cannot help but to think of Chris Whitney and how much respect I have for that kid. He really is the absolute toughest man I have ever met and he is a winner. I never saw someone be a leader of his team until he took the reigns that season and led by example of what it takes to be a winner and doing everything in his power to help his team win. I don't think there are many people in the world who I have more respect for than Whit.
Back to the week that was. Last Monday I was thinking about my trip to Victoria Falls and I realized that it is without a doubt the most incredible thing I have ever seen in my entire life and how lucky I am to have been able to see it. I don't think I can even begin to explain how spectacular it was. I am even thinking that if I have another chance to see it this semester how I would love to go back for a weekend and just sit and stare at the falls. It is such a peaceful place and it is so easy to think and reflect when you're in the presence of something so incredible.
The week went by just as any other. A few cancelled classes, some basketball with UB. I am finally starting to cook for myself because it is so much cheaper than eating in the refectory every night. (However, I have only made it as far as pasta, but it is some good pasta).
Yesterday a few of us climbed Kgale Hill once again, but this time we left at 8am so that we would not burn near as badly as we did last time. We spent a little over an hour at the top but it was such a beautiful day and looking out over the country definitely provided some time to think.
I've told myself plenty of times before that the reason I came to Botswana was because I had to come back to Africa after having been in Rwanda last summer, but that I also wanted to experience a new part of Africa. It would be foolish to think that every part of Africa is exactly the same, even though we so often associate everything in Africa as being the same. Especially those people who think Africa is one big country. Idiots. Anyway. I realized that Botswana is completely different in almost every aspect of what different could encompass. With the exception that the overwhelming majority of people in both countries are black, there are few similarities between the two places. And I am not sure I am a huge fan of that. I am happy that I have found something different because that was one of my goals, but after spending a month in Botswana, I don't think I could spend a long time here whereas I still feel like I could be in Rwanda for a few years and be very happy. Everything from the people to the food to the city and the culture are entirely different. I think it makes a lot of sense that the city and culture are different because of the commercialization which has taken place in Botswana over the past decade. However, it is really hard for me to believe that the people would be so different only because of the greater development that has taken place here. But I started thinking about how people in the U.S., perhaps the most developed country in the world, are always so aggressive, independent, and self-reliant. And then when you compare the people of Botswana to those in Rwanda the same characteristics come through. I think it would be terrible if the only reason that people, in general, have moved towards individualism is because of Westernization. There are so many great things about being able to walk down the street and say hello to everyone you see. Even if that hello turns into a 5 minute conversation about how life is or how the day has been, it is nice to know that someone else cares enough to talk to you about you rather than being so consumed by their own lives. That is no to say that you don't find people like that here, or even in the U.S., but in my experience, the more Westernized a culture is, the less friendly and open people become.
I also began to think about where Africa went wrong in regards to corruption. Sitting at the top of Kgale Hill you would have no idea you were in the middle of Southern Africa. There are vast plains of green, a city of 300,000 people, a dam with clean drinking water, and small hills that rise out of the ground in every direction. The land in various parts of the world does not differ by much, but the people do. And it is insane to me that corruption on the entire continent has become so widespread. It's not like there are special environmental things which caused people to strive for ultimate dominance over an entire group of people. That happens everywhere. But why in Africa has it been able to succeed? The only possible explanation I can come up with is colonization in Africa, but even that doesn't seem to satisfy the fact that so many countries have experienced coups and military takeovers in such a short period of time. But, for me, even colonization comes back to the point that unless you were told you were in Africa, the land looks no different from so many places in the rest of the world - and what gave Europeans the right to take land from the people who have been here for millions of years (yes, they did do the same thing in North and South America, too)? And possibly the European development of expansion and world exploration paved the way for globalization and the future development of places like Botswana, which in turn makes people more individualistic, self-reliant, and goal-oriented - the same things which seem to turn us away from the side conversations we have with a stranger just because we are walking on the same street at them.
There are many things about Botswana which I like very much and I am happy that it is much different from home because I want that experience. But it seems like the people here are trying to move more to a society similar to that of the U.S. and losing the cultural values of past times. Maybe that is globalization at its core. It makes me really appreciate the fact that while Rwanda is in a developing stage, they have not lost sight of their past and it follows them wherever they go. I think the people in Rwanda have a deep appreciation for their past and they want to carry that with them for the rest of their lives whereas the youth in Botswana seem to be surrounding themselves with Western music, clothing, and values rather than holding their past close to them. I am already looking forward to Semester Break at the end of the month and the chance to see South Africa.
Tonight a group of us went to Linga Longo (a restaurant in town) to watch the Super Bowl - on Monday. I had to force myself to refrain from any contact with the Internet all day, which was definitely a tough task, as the Internet has become such a staple in my daily routine. Anyway, I was able to do it and it really made watching the game 16 hours later a great game. I was kind of torn between who to root for because I really enjoy watching the Steelers play football and love Mike Tomlin as a coach, but Ronnie is a huge Packers fan and it was awesome for him that his team was in the Super Bowl. And luckily we found a place that he could watch it.
Anyway, there were a few things that went through my mind from beginning to end of the game. Firstly, I was not impressed with Christina Aguilera's version of the National Anthem. Great pick on who to sing; however, she could have done a much better job. Secondly, when the clip of all the historical moments in American history were played - I have never felt more proud to be an American than I did at that point. Maybe it was because I was in a completely foreign land where I am a huge minority and seeing those things just makes me think of home, but I think it was more that it took me being in a foreign land to realize all the great things the United States has to offer and all of the great things that make up my history. From the great athletic moments of Vince Lombardi and Peyton Manning to the shots of Martin Luther King Jr. and President Kennedy, I think I may have finally realized what it is like to be an outsider looking at American history and then realizing that it is the history of my country. Anyway, it definitely increased my nationalism (if that is not a bad thing to say in the political realm still) for a bit.
The game in itself really was not too different from any other game. It was a close game for most of it and definitely kept my interest. But, as with every championship game which I watch nowadays, I could not help but to look back to winning the National Championship last December at the end of the game. And every time I think about that I get a weak stomach and really have no words. A few people even asked me 'what's wrong' after the game and all I could say was I was thinking. Every time I see a team celebrate it brings back the incredible memory of running onto the field in Chattanooga after accomplishing the goal which every team in the country has the eyes on when the season begins. And even after you win, it is still hard to believe that you accomplished something that you have watched in every sport for more than a decade and now you feel like you are invincible. It is definitely one of those feelings that you cannot explain and even today I can't really tell you how I felt December 18, 2009, but it was truly something special knowing you were a part (even a very tiny part like myself) of something incredible. And every time I see the quarterback put on his championship hat and smile really big, I cannot help but to think of Chris Whitney and how much respect I have for that kid. He really is the absolute toughest man I have ever met and he is a winner. I never saw someone be a leader of his team until he took the reigns that season and led by example of what it takes to be a winner and doing everything in his power to help his team win. I don't think there are many people in the world who I have more respect for than Whit.
Back to the week that was. Last Monday I was thinking about my trip to Victoria Falls and I realized that it is without a doubt the most incredible thing I have ever seen in my entire life and how lucky I am to have been able to see it. I don't think I can even begin to explain how spectacular it was. I am even thinking that if I have another chance to see it this semester how I would love to go back for a weekend and just sit and stare at the falls. It is such a peaceful place and it is so easy to think and reflect when you're in the presence of something so incredible.
The week went by just as any other. A few cancelled classes, some basketball with UB. I am finally starting to cook for myself because it is so much cheaper than eating in the refectory every night. (However, I have only made it as far as pasta, but it is some good pasta).
Yesterday a few of us climbed Kgale Hill once again, but this time we left at 8am so that we would not burn near as badly as we did last time. We spent a little over an hour at the top but it was such a beautiful day and looking out over the country definitely provided some time to think.
I've told myself plenty of times before that the reason I came to Botswana was because I had to come back to Africa after having been in Rwanda last summer, but that I also wanted to experience a new part of Africa. It would be foolish to think that every part of Africa is exactly the same, even though we so often associate everything in Africa as being the same. Especially those people who think Africa is one big country. Idiots. Anyway. I realized that Botswana is completely different in almost every aspect of what different could encompass. With the exception that the overwhelming majority of people in both countries are black, there are few similarities between the two places. And I am not sure I am a huge fan of that. I am happy that I have found something different because that was one of my goals, but after spending a month in Botswana, I don't think I could spend a long time here whereas I still feel like I could be in Rwanda for a few years and be very happy. Everything from the people to the food to the city and the culture are entirely different. I think it makes a lot of sense that the city and culture are different because of the commercialization which has taken place in Botswana over the past decade. However, it is really hard for me to believe that the people would be so different only because of the greater development that has taken place here. But I started thinking about how people in the U.S., perhaps the most developed country in the world, are always so aggressive, independent, and self-reliant. And then when you compare the people of Botswana to those in Rwanda the same characteristics come through. I think it would be terrible if the only reason that people, in general, have moved towards individualism is because of Westernization. There are so many great things about being able to walk down the street and say hello to everyone you see. Even if that hello turns into a 5 minute conversation about how life is or how the day has been, it is nice to know that someone else cares enough to talk to you about you rather than being so consumed by their own lives. That is no to say that you don't find people like that here, or even in the U.S., but in my experience, the more Westernized a culture is, the less friendly and open people become.
I also began to think about where Africa went wrong in regards to corruption. Sitting at the top of Kgale Hill you would have no idea you were in the middle of Southern Africa. There are vast plains of green, a city of 300,000 people, a dam with clean drinking water, and small hills that rise out of the ground in every direction. The land in various parts of the world does not differ by much, but the people do. And it is insane to me that corruption on the entire continent has become so widespread. It's not like there are special environmental things which caused people to strive for ultimate dominance over an entire group of people. That happens everywhere. But why in Africa has it been able to succeed? The only possible explanation I can come up with is colonization in Africa, but even that doesn't seem to satisfy the fact that so many countries have experienced coups and military takeovers in such a short period of time. But, for me, even colonization comes back to the point that unless you were told you were in Africa, the land looks no different from so many places in the rest of the world - and what gave Europeans the right to take land from the people who have been here for millions of years (yes, they did do the same thing in North and South America, too)? And possibly the European development of expansion and world exploration paved the way for globalization and the future development of places like Botswana, which in turn makes people more individualistic, self-reliant, and goal-oriented - the same things which seem to turn us away from the side conversations we have with a stranger just because we are walking on the same street at them.
There are many things about Botswana which I like very much and I am happy that it is much different from home because I want that experience. But it seems like the people here are trying to move more to a society similar to that of the U.S. and losing the cultural values of past times. Maybe that is globalization at its core. It makes me really appreciate the fact that while Rwanda is in a developing stage, they have not lost sight of their past and it follows them wherever they go. I think the people in Rwanda have a deep appreciation for their past and they want to carry that with them for the rest of their lives whereas the youth in Botswana seem to be surrounding themselves with Western music, clothing, and values rather than holding their past close to them. I am already looking forward to Semester Break at the end of the month and the chance to see South Africa.
I completely agree, Sean. It drives me insane that the people here are so American. All I can think of is how there are times when I feel like I am in the States and I don't like it. I didn't have the experience you had of Rwanda but even the day and a half we spent in Zimbabwe made me realize exactly what is it that bothers me about Bots. I wish they held on to their traditions more. It's disappointing to see what aspects of the US that people here hold on to but that just makes it that much more appealing to go to places which are not so concerned with being like the US.
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