Somewhere in Africa: Study Abroad Colum
Kalindi O'Brien and Steven Landgraf
Issue date: 5/6/09 Section: Features
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Kalindi:
How do you really begin to describe an experience? Do you attempt to explain the vibrancy of the colors, the textures of the food, the expressions on the faces of the people you encounter along the way, or do you simply accept that there is no explaining?
Still having until the middle of June I refuse to look at my time here as winding down, but alas the last three months have been truly remarkable enough. I have moved three times, been robbed twice and had to deal with a whole assortment of incidents that would make my poor mother shiver, but I am thankful for every moment. My longing for those I care about has been unbearable at times, but I have sought refuge in the knowledge that soon enough I will be reunited with them.
Life is full of hills and valleys, is it not? My time here has not been perfect but that is what makes it so perfect. It has been real. My eyes have been intoxicated with the lush scenery. The panoramic image Lion's Head offered of the sun being swallowed by the sea as the full moon rose simultaneously over the mountains was an image I quickly became infatuated with. I cannot make the hike up to campus, take the bus downtown, or do anything for that matter without the constant reminder of just how beautiful this place really is. The combination of the rolling waves, domineering mountains, green forests and vast vineyard estates make for a landscape of contradictions.
The sheer beauty is enough to bring anyone to Cape Town, but it is the people that will make you want to call it home. The insight and wisdom I have gained from those that have taken me under their care has been immense. I jokingly liken myself to a doll at times, with everyone I meet wanting to look out for me in one way or another. So many moments I wish, oh I wish I could remember forever. Just off hand comments and subtle gestures that have helped me understand them and the culture. I have nothing but respect for my friends, and they are no fools. They realize how lucky they have been comparatively, and they are apprehensive for what may come next.
Tonight on the eve of the third presidential election in the country's history we sat around at a braai (barbecue) discussing the future of South Africa. Some feel their country is the next Zimbabwe; others are relatively more optimistic. Either way you look at it, South Africa is the first African nation to have a peaceful transition into democracy and that leaves me feeling optimistic. If this country can be the first to do that I believe they can be the first to make a genuine success of their democracy. If you're thinking about Botswana, why is their vice president still related to the British royal family? South Africa is running their democracy differently than other African countries, which naturally means that anything is possible. One phrase used to describe this place that resonated with me and will stay with me long after I leave. I overheard and simultaneously felt one evening, "It's got the heartbeat."
Steven:
Most of how I've developed during this study abroad has stemmed from the fact that Cairo is a rough city to live in. At times it can be dirty, noisy, hectic, confusing and disorganized all at once. Hundreds of times I've had to force myself out of my little introverted comfort zone, whether it involved needing help when trying to buy something, haggling a price, or trying to find where I needed to go. I've had to stick my neck out, use my best, broken Arabic, and risk looking like a fool. I've had my mishaps in trying to find my way around this place, but to quote "Last Lecture" author Randy Pausch, "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted." Through experience, I've become more adept at striking up a conversation with strangers, so much so that my American friends here think I'm endowed with enough charisma to make friends wherever I travel. This is the same kid who-freshman year-thought he could only talk to new people if he had a red Solo cup in his hand.
I've realized time and time again here that I've taken so much of what I had in America for granted: clean....everything, a relatively efficient free-market economic system, relevant traffic laws, freedom of expression and movement, and most Americans don't smoke like a chimney. Oh, and cooking; good God do I miss being able to provide healthy food for myself! If I were living here another semester, I would rent an apartment for the sole reason of having access to a kitchen.
I used to think that people and my surroundings back home were getting tired and bland, but in reality, I was living too much in the future, wanting so badly for my study abroad to come and take me away to new and exciting places and people. I know that upon coming back to the States, I will have a newfound appreciation for all that life has given me. Sometimes it is not what you have or where you are, it's what you make of it and the people you surround yourself with. Anything is possible when you are with the people you love and when you use a little bit of imagination.
No matter how long I stay here, no matter how fluent in the Egyptian dialect I become, I will always stick out. Looking like a Westerner also makes me appear to have a lot more money than everyone else which attracts some not-so-pure hearts, especially in the tourist areas. This has led to difficulties in trusting people, and I've felt isolated at times. Now that I know what it's like to be the bewildered, innocently ignorant foreigner, I want to be more welcoming and hospitable to people who come to stay in my country. It's amazing how the phrase "If you need anything, let me know" has become music to my ears.
Despite all the stress and culture shock, I wouldn't trade it for all the camels in Egypt. It has been, without a doubt, the most mind-expanding experience in my entire life. The ability to see life and the world from a different economic, cultural and religious perspective, insight into learning a completely dissimilar language, profound hospitality from everyday people (my advice to anyone who travels internationally is that if you go off the beaten path away from the tourist sites, you will always find a completely different world), and an appreciation of delicious and exotic new foods are just a sampling of what I've been able to receive. It's amazing what has happened to me here, yet at the time of this writing, I still have five more weeks to go. I could take up pages of this newspaper telling stories, but the printed word is not how I would want to do it. Come find me. I'll brew us a pot of tea and talk your head off recounting all the memories I have.
My study abroad has not been about the monuments I've visited or the pictures I took. It's been about the mistakes I've made, the wisdom I've gained and the successes I've had. It's been about the people I've met and the "ah-ha!" moments as I learn more about my world and myself. It's been about adventuring from one side of a third-world country to the other all by myself, looking back and being able to say, "I did that." Everyone has their own definition of adulthood, but I like to think that I'm a far more mature and capable human being now than that inquisitive boy who stepped onto an airplane at O'Hare over three months ago.
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