world on fire

i decided to post some of my journal entries from class assignments.

i am semi-productive inbetween all of the kayaking with seals and free cell games. :)

Topic: What challenges have you faced through your internship?

Coming into my internship, I was very excited for the opportunity to meet and talk with real Namibians about the lives they lead here. I pictured myself visiting various settlements and low income housing projects around Windhoek, marching right up to some friendly strangers, and engaging in conversation about what they have overcome in their past, the challenges being faced in the present, and their hopes for the future. I was convinced that it was going to be the most enjoyable assignment of my life.
How silly I was to overlook potential obstacles, particularly concerning communication, (the part of the project I felt I had down pact before coming.) As if the general communication gap is not big enough, I am being exposed to people of impoverished histories, people whose right to attend school as children was not met. Their English skills are lacking if not non-existent, and I must use a translator in conversations.
I have only interviewed one group of people thus far, the Indeleni B Savings Scheme of Okahandja Park, and I have already learned so much about the beauty of interacting with humans face to face- the art of raw communication. In this day and age, I would be lying if I said I would love to chat with you in person, or even call you. Not hiding behind text messages, instant message, and e-mails? That idea sounds almost foreign to me. Everywhere I turn the internet is in my face. Online job applications are becoming even another avenue for the utilization of technology. Self check out at major superstores, online banking. The personal bubble of the average American is growing exponentially. It seems to increasingly be the norm to do things holed up in the privacy of your own home, and I have never really been one to notice or understand the detriments this lack of personal communication can have on a society. Then I come here, a place where community is prioritized and beautiful, where a bubble is practically fictional. Suddenly my individual comfort is confronted; I must break down these walls that our increasingly weighted online world has built.
As if improving my basic conversation skills is not enough, I am trying to do it with a culture where English is not the mother tongue. Recognizing the lack of familiar body language and expressions associated with casual conversation in the United States alone has made me fear for the worst- their dislike of me. I have oftentimes gotten a vibe of irritation from the people in regards to my presence; I pray that it is not because of my skin color, or my good intentions (is there such thing?). These people were forced to live in these awful slums because of white people like me, and their decision to promote their imposed superiority.
How wrong I was. The groups that I spoke to did not even want me to leave when I intended to- in fact, they offered for me to stay and share a cold traditional African drink with them. That is the funny thing about communication. It can be interpreted in infinite ways. These unfamiliar stepping grounds I am experiencing are not enough to make me think I am in over my head, but they are enough for me to accept the challenge, and to peruse forward with my head held high.