What culture shock

This post is for those that think Africa is all jungle huts and natives with loin cloths. We were running errands in Windhoek (the capital city) yesterday and while Richard was buying his plane ticket I got a chance to meander around the mall. I walked into a store called Hi-Fi that has all sorts of electronics from plasma TVs to car stereos to housing appliances. I watched an employee play a demo on the Nintendo Wii, then caught Steven Segal on the projector screen in their home theatre section. The guy that drove us back from the coast on Monday had a Toyota Forerunner with leather seats, multi disc changer, and even had a radar detector in his cell phone. So there is wealth here, and luxury, and convenience, just not in the abundance you find the States.

But if their modern technology doesn’t take you by surprise, here are a few things that might. When you order a bacon cheeseburger you ask for ‘chips’ instead of fries. Rather than dipping your chips in ketchup, they have bottles of tomato sauce. And if you bite into your burger expecting the small, crunchy strips of bacon you’re used to then you’re in for a shocker. Their bacon is basically slices of ham. They call stoplights ‘robots’, flashlights are ‘torches’, and ATMs are BOBs. We had ‘pancakes’ for dinner one night, but really they were crepes. What we call pancakes, they call crumpets. So if you thought your English would get by just fine then you may still have some learning to do.

Then there’s those things you might expect to adjust to. Instead of looking out for deer on the road, you watch out for warthogs and baboons. Speaking of driving, “Keep Left, Pass Right” is a popular road sign with the tourists. When I first arrived I was quickly warned about the zebra snake and the puff adder, how they look and act, and what to do if I came across one. In the dark I’ve almost stepped on a scorpion and a toad/frog bigger than my foot. There are bugs everywhere. I have a walking stick (of the bug variety) living in my kitchen sink. And this is my roommate, Linus, a common African gecko. I think I’m the one that invaded his space, but once he realized I was just trying to take his picture he stood still for me. He lives over my closet and comes and goes as he pleases. He likes it because it’s cool inside during the day and warm at night. I like him because he eats the mosquitoes.

So Africa’s not such a world apart after all, it’s just different. And just because something’s different doesn’t mean it’s wrong. It may take a little getting use to, but people have been living here for centuries. I can’t come as the typical arrogant American thinking I have all the answers to fix Africa. It’s about understanding a different culture, experiencing life from a different perspective and in the long run, hoping that it will broaden my own.