“GO BACK HOME AND TELL THEM OF THE BEAUTY OF AFRICA”

In my final wrap up of our Cape Town experience I want to share one of my most cherished memories of Cape Town- a conversation with a waiter at a local coffee shop in Sea Point. His name is Blaze and he comes from the Congo. A fascinating character who earned a scholarship to study Middle Eastern conflict in Switzerland while learning English, French, Italian and German. Ultimately he dreams of getting into politics and in between he is working in the tourist industry now. That’s what brought him to Cape Town actually, the lure of the great 2010 World Cup- the promise of clients, adventure and money. He was an absolutely brilliant, funny and humble man.

We got to talk about culture differences. He asked what it was like to grow up in the “world’s super power” (arms outstretching high in exaggeration as he said it). The question made me pause, I had never actually thought of it in that way before. It seems that I wouldn’t entirely be able to understand and answer that question without traveling outside of the States. How do I know the great things I have without the contrast of what a life without is like? Go beyond even the well-known super power benefits of freedom, politics and money that we have. Think about the simple things. Do we understand the comfort it is to have reliable water, electricity and toilets on hand? Are we conscious of the education available to us without censorship? The mere prospect of having career paths based on an individual desires and goals and not set tracks? It’s a beautiful and opportunistic, comforting blessing to be from the world’s super power. But I wouldn’t understand that as deeply as I do without experiencing what it would be like elsewhere.

Blaze later laughed because of the ‘silliness’ of American culture. Smiling and laughing with us he said, “Africans love to dance and sing and drink our tea. We are content with that- it makes us happy. I watched CNN last night. What are you concerned about? Jacko’s (Michael Jackson’s) doctor! You are so silly. I don’t understand the priorities of your culture!” We laughed with him realizing how silly we do look with our CNN headlines, People magazine attraction, and Bruno type movies.

We know the USA as much more than what the media portrays of us. We have our own rich culture and history. A myriad of people and experiences that are deeply meaningful but that are lost to outsiders who equate the USA with Hollywood. In the same regard how often do we generalize other cultures based on their media portrayal?

Africa is infinitely more than an area of poverty, hunger and safaris. It is a continent brimming with hope and the most genuine happiness I have experienced. A happiness that transcends circumstances and flows right from the core soul. It is a people alive with song, music, art and dance. Blaze told us to, “go home and tell others of the beauty of Africa!” I was told the same thing last year while in Tanzania. All over the continent, people are spilling over with happiness and a desire for the goodness of Africa to be known.

So I hope that through our experience you may see Africa as more than a place of poverty and need. Begin to see the people who have expressions of joy and an illustrious sense of hope in the greatness of humanity. Go and visit Africa and see it for yourself...