So my previous blog post concentrated on the events of my road trip, and that was only half of the experience. One of the reasons it was the best week of my life was because of everything I learned.
Everything from the planning of the trip to the writing of the blog was a learning experience. One of the highlights is things about the people of South Africa, especially interactions between cultures.
I haven’t had too much of an opportunity to learn about the Afrikaans part of South Africa. I do have a few friends that are Afrikaans, but I haven’t spent a considerable amount of time with them, let alone spend time with the family. Christian is very Afrikaans, so much so that he speaks English to only us. The language is very Germanic and the culture seems somewhat traditional, yet closed. Although the people have been very nice, I have noticed they are more reserved when meeting other people.
I am not really a history buff (obviously) but I know that there was a huge clash between Afrikaans and blacks in the apartheid era. I know that racism still exists, and I have seen some of it, but I haven’t been exposed to the culture differences, which can be a clash in itself.
Disclosure: I’m not saying that any of the people who I will be quoting are racist, but they do have preconceived notions about people based on their culture. I’m not saying that this is their fault, they may have been raised this way, and I’m not saying it’s right. This is a tricky topic to write about. I’m merely stating what I see and hear and how I interpret it. Don’t hold any of this against me. I am not trying to start an argument or discussion (so please dont), I’m only blogging. Don’t like it? Don’t read it.
The farm in Cradock that we stayed at was a very Afrikaans family, and the farm had been in their family for 5 generations, Bredell taking over in just a few years. The family lived in a huge old farm house, but it wasn’t the only house on the property. There were atleast 3 others, which were for the farm workers and their families. They were considerably smaller, probably only 2-3 rooms in each, were behind the barn, and right next to each other. Also, within the house there was a kitchen, and then sort of like a kitchen off to the back, where the maids/housecleaners/help did the dishes and did all the cooking, even though there was a sink and stove in the real kitchen, it was more for decoration. They told me how well they treat their workers, who have stuck with them for almost 20 years. To me it was still a huge divide, and seemed so odd. The workers, who were Black, were very much below the Michau family as far as socio-economic status goes, however they seemed to do more work and be more in-tune with the farm than the family. It was somewhat eerie, although the house and farm and family were all lovely. I could not see how the workers were treated great, they lived on the farm, probably had very little freedom, and were totally bound to the property, how could they leave? It’s not like they could sell their house. It was almost like they were inherently forced to stay.
Another thing I noticed was some of the comments made-once again I’m not saying that any of these people are racist, I can’t make those assumptions or speak for them. These are merely observations and interesting things that were said to me by various people throughout the trip.
There seems to be a stereotype, which in the Transkei might not be too far from the truth, that the Xhosa and Zulu cuture is somewhat barbaric. I heard comments that they don’t understand what it’s like to be civilized, and their culture is so different that it’s impossible to truly integrate. There were stories told about how odd people felt when they first when into a black family’s home and it was actually nice;they weren’t sure what to do and actually just left. Coming from a white, usually Afrikaans background, where they probably grew up with parents with these views and it was transferred through generations; without the exposure to the diversity, how would they know any better? Things were said like “these people dont know any better,” which bothered me a little bit. It’s not my place to argue, but I felt uncomfortable. I have no problem with race, and yes, there are differences in culture, but its not right to assume that every person is dangerous, stupid, barbaric, and criminal. And yes, that did seem exactly how some people perceive it. For example, here’s a short story.
We were at a club in Claremont, which a few towns over, and is a very white area. The club got shut down because of some under-aged girl, and so we walked down the street to go to a place called Tin Roof, but the line was too long. Across the street was another bar, and it looked decent so we walked over with some of our South African friends, and one of them said, “There was a stabbing here last week, but don’t worry they’re only letting white people in tonight.” I stopped in my tracks, grabbed my friend, and got in a cab to go home. Sure there was a stabbing, could have happened anywhere, likely a gang thing. It doesn’t necessarily mean the club is dangerous, This Is Africa, not Cape Cod. Yes, it was unsettling, but I didn’t like the fact that it was so racially centered, like only blacks are criminals. It really irked me.
To be honest, I didn’t feel particularly safe if some areas, but because of the poverty, not the race, and I feel like that can be easily confused. As an American tourist, it is very obvious that I am better off than many people, and can be an easy target.
Well that quickly changed from culture to race, but was sort of a mix, and kind of a rant.
Other things I learned on my roadtrip:
I will never stop exploring the world. There is just so much to see!
You only live only, be spontaneous. The best things are always spontaneous. I’ll explain that one when I get home.
I think I’m actually growing up, and I can’t decide if I like it or not. It’s nice to be independent, productive, and look forward to the future, but part of me, a large part of me, wants to stay 20 forever. I don’t even need to turn 21, thats okay.
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