The passengers around me were unimpressed and continued to be buried in their books, and shows, and meals, and sleeping. I always feel like a child in planes, mostly because it’s a bit of a lonely environment.
Getting off the plane in Johannesburg, I was struck by the sheer delight of A) Getting to stretch my legs and B) Absorbing the first few glimpses of a country I knew nothing of. World Cup fever was evident from the moment we disembarked the plane, and as we walked out of the airport our first taste of this inexplicable African friendliness was exemplified in an invitation from a security officer to take a few shots on a sample soccer goal set up as an ad for Kinder chocolate.
I was struck by my lack of recognition when scanning the arrivals board at baggage claim- I only recognized the names of a few cities on the list! It was very humbling to realize I was truly in a new environment, one which I had no idea was going to embrace me so quickly.
Meeting up with Alphonse and Issac, our driver, was nice- it was good to head back to the hostel. As we walked in the direction of the car, I asked Issac- “Are you from Soweto?” Issac, ever the accommodating and friendly guy I now (sort of!) know him to be, said with a smile, “Yes, born and raised.” I smiled and conveyed my interest, but was silent the rest of the walk- in this situation, with a man whose life had been so extremely different form anything I had ever known, I didn’t even know what to say or ask about on our two minute walk to the car. Again, a humbling experience.
I’m curious, excited, nervous, intrigued, anxious- so many things- to begin class and getting to know the people here. Everyone seems so friendly and welcoming, and the traces of Apartheid I expected to be evident instantly were not. Looking back, this probably should have been obvious- the signs, restricted areas, and lack of any meaningful inter-racial interaction have long since been taken down and overcome, at least in some respects. Similar to a path grown over with weeds, Modern South African society has begun to grow, heal and forgive for the horrendous situation of the Apartheid era, although its effects still show through when you least expect it.
I felt a similar humbling feeling arise when arriving in Johannesburg and when talking to the people from Soweto. To be quite honest, before I signed up for this trip, I couldn’t have named a single city in South Africa. As I mentioned in discussion yesterday, I didn’t even know what the shape of the country was. It seems that the history in South Africa is so important and so recent, I should have at least been aware of it. It still boggles my mind to think that the black people in this country gained freedom in my lifetime, when I was six years old. The struggle that these people have had to go through and the success they have had continues to amaze me. I remember being livid with my roommate for blasting music in the morning while I was sleeping; a conflict like that hardly seems worth it now. Learning about the types of events and ideologies that the South African people have had, not chosen but had, to overcome is not only inspiring but also gives my idealistic side hope.
ReplyDeleteI also felt the exact same way. I had absolutely no idea of what to expect. However, this new world fascinated me as we drove to Lebo's from the airport.
ReplyDeleteMy short time in South Africa has introduced me to so many ideas and realities I knew very little about previously to my arrival. My time at Lebo's and conversations I had there might have been the most eye opening experience of my life, of which I am very grateful for. However, even after these talks, I am still having a very hard time understanding how Africans are so forgiving concerning their past. It amazes me how these people can be so happy when, in many cases, they have so little. It fascinates me and is something I hope to bring back and share with people in the states.