Goodbye For Now

Vitamin C's graduation song, anyone remember this one? (Sorry for the cliche).

Yeah so, this is it I guess. They say starting to write is the most difficult part - you just have start somewhere, but I think the end is just as hard. I guess this would be the time to pass on my 'learning experiences' from my stay in Uganda, maybe sum up the good things vs. the harder ones, or just write a hell of a thoughtful, provoking last post as food for thought. But honestly, I've got nothing for you...

Except for this, this is good!                                             

It's Really Cool That You Studied Abroad In Africa. But The Way You Talk About It? Not So Cool.

Franchesca Ramsey

I'll never forget the look of surprise and wonder on my sixth-grade geography teacher's face when looking at a photo of the Johannesburg cityscape. I can't remember the exact photo, but this one will do:

Beautiful right? I kid you not, she exclaimed: "WOW! I had no idea they had cities in Africa!"
Did I mention this was a private school? Talk about face palm central. The thing is, it's not uncommon for people, even EDUCATED people, to assume that Africa is just one big desolate country (ahem, it's a continent y'all) filled with starving kids, bare-breasted women, and wild animals. Spoiler alert: It's not.

Yeah okay so the video is a bit weird, but the author has some good points. I just read this 'article' on Instagram (you know those long captions that are more like paragraphs?) about an American Peace Corps Volunteer who was in Uganda working on a coffee farm close to the Rwenzori Moutains, and how she went on and on explaining how different it was, how life was much simpler without any cell phones, but also simultaneously harder with the 5-hour walk every day to get water. But you know, it was a great learning experience, seeing how these 'Africans' got on with their lives, struggling day by day.

The Rwenzori Mountains - are you surprised there's no cell phone reception up here?

I guess my point is that that is not the 'Africa' I know, at least not the Uganda I know. Kampala has a skyline just as impressive - if not more -  than Oslo, the capital of one of the richest countries in the world! There are more bars, clubs and cafes here than in my home city, and I live just a stone's throw away from a fancy Country Club with tennis courts, a huge pool, sauna, basketball court, a restuarant, etc. If I get on a boda or matatu, I'll be in one of the nicer suburbs in 10 minutes, with a huge mall with a cinema, spa, and an excellent French restuarant. 5 more minutes, past one of the nicest golf courses I've ever seen, I'm down town Kampala, which is actually quite an impressive, vibrant area, with even more independent shops, cafes, parks, and even casinos!

Part of Kampala's skyline

So what about the slums we hear so much about, the wars we see on the news, or the poor kids who desperately needs a sponsor? Well, they exist, but there's also so much more that you haven't heard about. Our picture of Africa seems to be like this is a continent in great despair, only waiting to be saved by the West, in the form of NGOs and benevolent volunteer workers. Well guess what, 'they' are getting by quite okay actually, without our help. I'm not saying we shouldn't reach out, but only that we shouldn't fool ourselves to think that 'we' are making a huge difference, or saving anyone for that matter. I would dare to argue that most people actually are better off than we'd like to think, at least if we buy into all the propaganda from the aid agencies.

Cause you know, all African kids are poor and in desperate need of YOUR help

So 'in conclusion', or as a parting thought (I've heard you should never conclude with the former, at least in academic papers), I would like to say this: Don't buy into everything you read in the news, see on TV, or hear from people. You will only get one side of the story, and that single story does not portray the whole picture. Africa is more than poor people living in beautiful, but rural areas. Kampala is one of the nicest cities I've ever been to, and for that I am truly grateful I got this opportunity. 

Thanks for bearing with me.

Now I'm off to New York!

XOXO

The Coast of Kenya

Fridtjof on Diani Beach, just south of Mombasa

Two weeks ago - in the middle of Kenya's bloodiest month in years with several blasts on buses and in markets - we decided to go to the coast of Kenya for a little "well-deserved" beach vacation (#yolo). No but we had already booked the tickets, and made sure we traveled by road as little as possible, and stayed away from big gatherings of people, places of worship, markets, etc. This meant that we didn't get to see any of the 'real' Mombasa, which is Kenya's second largest city with a huge port that has served as a historic trading centre. Instead, we got to spend some time on the beach, which really wasn't all that bad (it was just like being on any beach in "syden"!).

The Indian Ocean

 The first stop on our itinerary was Kilifi, a small city on the coast just a bit north of Mombasa. We had been recommended this place by some friends who had been there and loved it, because it is a bit more quiet and not as touristy as some of the other places, like Nyali and Malindi. We stayed at a very hippie eco-lodge there, with no flushing toilets, outdoor bamboo showers, various crops around on the compound, and very basic, but 'cozy' accomodation.

The dorms. We were always a bit afraid it would rain in, as the walls didn't seem too water-resistent.

The shower 'facilities'

But of course, they did have a pool AND wi-fi

After a few days in what seemed like an eternity in the wilderness (the lodge was located far away from everything, except the village we had to pass through to get there), we decided to continue down the coast to Diani, a typical tourist destination, with plenty of resorts and a several miles long white, beach. We checked in at Diani Backpackers, which was less remote and only a stone's throw from the ocean.

 

 

 

Found this guy chilling on the beach

Diani was really nice, but it was low season when we were there, so a lot of the shops were closed, and we basically had the whole beach to ourselves - which was nice, but also a bit creepy... On top of that the British had evacuated a couple of hundred tourists from the area the week before we arrived, and the Germans evacuated all their interns while we were there, so the streets seemed even more empty than a scene from the Walking Dead.

Enjoying the view from our very own 'Lion King' rocks

Sunset with Tanzania and Kilimanjaro in the distance

All in all it was a relaxing get-away from the bustling noise of the city, although we were all glad to get back in one piece. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend anyone to go to the coast of Kenya!
 

Central and East Africa – A Region in Decay?

No I know, South Sudan is missing from this map

I realized the other day that my blog has been more about quoting Mean Girls than stuff that is happening in Africa, so I figured it was about time to bring out the Political Scientist in me (that is right, I didn’t study chick flicks, though it might seem like it) and write a post about current events. So if you’re not that into war and peace and stuff, you can skip this one (don’t worry, I won’t tell). Here we go…

Full disclosure: I’m by no means any expert on African affairs, I’ve never studied it, and to be quite frank always been a little confused by all the different conflicts, so just bear with my while I assume the role of Miss Smarty Pants.

First of all - ahem – (*clearing throat*), a little clarification is perhaps needed. When I refer to Central and East Africa here, I am thinking of ‘middle Africa’ (why is that not a term?), that is, spanning from Nigeria in the West, to the Central African Republic in the middle, to Somalia in the East, also covering Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South-Sudan and Kenya (puh).

Now, where to begin? I mean, there is so much happening just in these two regions it could fill TIME’s issues for the next couple of years, probably. A chronological description of the events would probably be easiest to read, but time-consuming for me to write. A ranking of the different crisis might be the most interesting to read, but tempting as it is, seems a bit too grotesque (imagine a BuzzFeed article titled ‘A Definite Ranking of…’). So I’ll just try and keep it tidy instead, and avoid too many digressions or parenthesis (think I can do it?).

Nigeria

Malala, who was shot in the head by the Taliban for going to school, holding up a poster for the #BringBackOurGirls campaign

Why not start with the most recent one, which has gained considerable attention both on social media and in the media in general. While the world was still busy coming up with new conspiracy theories about what happened to the MH370, Boko Haram – an Islamic fundamentalist militant organization which has been terrorizing the Northern parts of Nigeria for more than a decade – broke in to a boarding school with AK47s, setting fire to it and kidnapping more than 200 girls. Why? Because the group, as their name suggests, believe ‘Western education’ (can someone please explain to me exactly what that is, gender-neutral education, secular education?) is a sin, and that girls shouldn’t go to school. Sounds like Pakistan and Afghanistan under the Taliban, except they simply blew up the schools, and didn’t bother kidnapping anyone. Since when did school girls become such a great threat to anyone?

CAR (as in the Central African Republic, not the mode of transport.)

How old do you think this kid can be...?

Last spring there was a coup in the Christian majority country, by an armed predominantly Muslim rebel group. The President fled the country, and fighting and chaos ensued, killing several hundreds and displacing hundreds of thousands. The fighting escalated around Christmas, and the collapsed state found itself on the verge of genocide, with an impending humanitarian crisis. Child soldiers have been used a lot by both sides. France and the AU already have troops deployed, and the UN has pledged to send 12,000 peacekeepers – but not provided a timeline.

The DRC (not to be confused with the Congo, which is a different country, with almost the same name. Just to mess with you.)

 

Anyone remember this campaign by Invisible Children?

Who even knows what’s going on in this conflict-ridden country. Apparently more than 5 million people have died in the war that started in 1998, and supposedly ended in 2007 with the signing of a peace agreement. After the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, Hutu militias fled across the border to the then called Zaire, only to launch an insurgency against the Tutsis residing there, setting up training camps and recruiting more people, with the agenda of at some point overthrow the Tutsi-led government of Rwanda. And ever since it’s been a battle between those two groups more or less, other rebel groups loyal to them, neighboring countries using the different groups as proxys to further their agenda, Kony doing his thing in the North, before it all culminated in the UN’s first offensive ‘peacekeeping’ mission last year, which defeated the M23 group, which was an armed group that broke loose from an opposition group (headache, yeah I know).

Burundi (Give you a dime if you’ve even heard of the capital…)

Race identity cards

I’m not going to say much about this one, except for that while all the African leaders were gathered in Kigali for the 20^th commemoration of the Genocide in Rwanda, busy pledging that they would never allow this to happen again, tensions across the border in Burundi between Hutus and Tutsis were increasing, with the upcoming election in 2015. While most people think the genocide ended in Rwanda in 1994, the killings between Hutus and Tutsis continued in Burundi up to a peace agreement was reached in 2000. Now tensions seem to have resurfaced again, with the Hutu-majority government cracking down on Tutsi-opposition groups. While world leaders were occupied repeating the already worn.out phrase ‘Never Again’, articles here read ‘Burundi, on the Brink of another Genocide?’.

South-Sudan

Salva Kiir (centre-right) and Riek Machar (to his left) during peace talks

Barely two years after it’s secession from Sudan – after decades of civil war – fighting erupted in this new country before Christmas. From what it looks like, the whole conflict seems to be about power politics, centered around two greedy men, the President Salva Kiir, and his former Vice-President Riek Machar (yes, they even come from the same party!). According to Kiir, Machar attempted a coup, and therefore he and the rebels must be stopped. Machar, on the other hand, claims that Kiir was fast becoming an authoritarian leader, especially after firing everyone that could be a potential threat in the 2015 elections (including Machar). So there you have it. 

Oh, and also of course they belong to two different ethnic groups, which only makes matters worse. Now the fighting is as much between the rebels and those loyal to the government, as it is between the Dinka and the Nuer people, with both sides committing equally horrible mass atrocities. The fighting has been centered around the capital Juba, and the oil rich states of Bor, Bentiu and Malakal (wonder why?). The rebels have been widely criticized for their massacres of hundreds of people in a mosque, and attacking UN bases (the latter goes for both of the warring parties). Kiir has fallen out with the UN after accusing them of harboring rebels in their camps, and calling for their departure. Uganda is supporting Kiir, with a few thousand troops deployed, despite calls from the international community to withdraw.  There have been two attempts at peace accords, but both failed.

Kenya/Somalia

A family hiding from al-shabaab during the attack on Westgate

Westgate, ring a bell anyone? While we were all busy either watching or making fun out of the contestants in Eurovision (or both), Al-Shabaab – an extremist group seeking to establish strict sharia law in Somalia and kicking out the AMISOM troops – intensified their terror campaign in Kenya, with several bombs going off in markets and buses injuring and killing dozens. The result has been travel warnings and evacuation of tourists by Western Embassies, who fear the group might strike again. Kenya has responded by launching an enormous deportation campaign of illegal Somali immigrants, while at the same time trying to reassure foreigners it’s safe to stay, in an act to save the tourism...

So, I think that's it for now. There’s no doubt this region has descended into chaos (or has it always been like this, perhaps?). But there is no reason to loose all hope just yet, as progress has been made in many areas. Just look at Uganda, home of Idi Amin and Joseph Kony’s LRA, they seem to fare pretty well in terms of peace and stability now. So it’s not all bad!

What Type of Traveler Are You Really?

Breaking Stereotypes - The Things I've Learned

 

Nothing says 'stereotypes' as much as high school...

"A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing" - definition by Google. 

Entering my next to last month in Uganda, I thought it was about time to break some stereotypes, cause if there is one thing everyone loves, it is to stereotype people. 

Who knows more about stereotyping than the Spice Girls?

Stereotyping often takes the form of generalizing, simplifying and attributing certain characteristics to people - people we usually don't know too well or actually have never even met. Stereotyping can be as innocent as simply labelling people as something particular, to belonging to some kind of group, or clique, usually with the aim of poking fun. 

Cabin in the Woods mocks stereotypical horror movies, and the role the characters usually play

Stereotypes can also be created by rumor spreading, and if it is one thing Mean Girls taught us, it is that rumors travel fast, and they can destroy a person.

The much-feared 'Burn Book'.

And before you know it, the rumors become accepted as the 'truth'. So careful what you say...

No one have more rumors surrounding them than 'the plastics'.

(Okay sorry, enough with the Mean Girls references).

Stereotyping can be fun, and also harmless, like in the YouTube phenomenon a couple of years ago with 'Shit Girls Say', 'Shit Gay Guys Say', etc. It can also, however, be hurtful and destructing - especially if it becomes too personal or derogatory.

Why do we love stereotyping so much?

Before coming to Uganda I had a lot of thoughts and expectations as to how it would be, how the people would be like, and if I would be able to adapt. Admittedly, I also had some 'stereotypes' about Africa and Africans in general, in the back of my head (as if it was one people and one country). Stereotyping is a direct result of ignorance, and ignorance is bliss. No, but ignorance is caused by the lack of knowledge and understanding of another person, country or culture. So how do you solve that? First of all, stop buying into all the socially constructed stereotypes presented by either the media, or even your friends. I would dare to say that Africa and Africans in general might be the most common victims of stereotyping, at least it seems so from movie references (yes, Mean Girls is guilty as charged), and just among Westerners in general (damn it, now I'm guilty for stereotyping people from the 'West').

What a great map... Missing some borders, though.

So I decided to make a list, because, lists are fun! And simple. So here we go:

SPOILER: I'm generalizing a bit here and using the terms 'Africans' and 'Africa' because a lot of the stereotypes aren't country specific. Also I'm only drawing on my limited experience from Uganda and Rwanda, so please feel free to disagree.

 

1) Africans are poor and uncivillized.

 

 

The malls in Africa

FALSE! This one shouldn't even need an explanation, but the truth is that Africa is probably a lot less poor than most people think. There was a survey that showed that people think poverty is a bigger problem in Africa than it really is. Of course I'm not saying poverty isn't a big problem, but just as in Europe and the US, income inequality is actually becoming an equally big problem (yes, there is a middle class!). And the Western media usually focuses on the humanitarian crisis in war-ridden countries such as CAR, DRC, South Sudan and Somalia, which are not representative of the whole continent, obvi.

 

2) Africa is ridden with tropical diseases, dangerous animals and dense forests/vast savannahs

FALSE! Okay for the tropical diseases, maybe not, but still, it seems to me that tourists are way more preoccupied with getting malaria or some kind of parasite that most Africans are. Also, apparently, more people who get the flue die of it than people who get malaria, so there you have it. Regarding the animals and the nature, sure if you go outside the cities you'll find that, as in every other European or American city, unless you live in a metropolis like NY. Unless you live in a village, you have to go to a national park or a zoo for that kind of stuff. And no, you won't find lions walking down the street, especially as they are endangered. 

 

3) Africa is scary! Rebel fighters, pirates, crime, you name it they've got it. 

Oh you can kidnap me alright, Captain Jack Sparrow

FALSE! As mentioned above, unless you live in a war-torn country or frequently travel along the borders of those countries, chances are you won't bump into Kony or the White Army. As for pirates, as long as you don't go cruising around the Horn of Africa, you should be fine. When it comes to crime, I must say I haven't experienced anything in Uganda so far, and feel as safe walking around here as I did when I lived in San Francisco. I've heard Nairobi and South Africa are both pretty bad though, so I guess it depends a bit on where you go.

 

4) Africans are loud, blunt and have an attitude (okay I don't know if this is actually a stereotype, but at least for me it was before coming here).

Everybody mamboo!

 FALSE! Did you mean Latin-Americans? (sorry!). On the contrary, Africans are very quiet I would say, and definitely not very outspoken or straightforward - beating around the bush seems to be the only game in town -, and with attitude I don't really now what I meant, maybe the stereotype of some African-American rappers, or how they're sometimes portrayed in movies (I hope I don't step on too many toes now, because that was definitely not my intention). But we've all heard just how much Africans love to dance, how even kids or grandma's can pull off moves you'd never even dreamed of, and shake their hips like Shakira. There might be some truth to that, they're definitely not as stiff as most Northern-Europeans, but it's not like high school musical, singing and dancing at every occasion or in the streets, even (shocker!).

 

5) Africans are slow and lazy.

ERR... Do I have to elaborate on this one? Well, first of all those two are not synonymous, so calm down. However, 'African time' is a term I've been introduced to after coming here (although people in South-Asia and South-America seem to be equally bad at keeping time). The term basically means that when people say any given point in time, you don't actually have to be there sharp, because then you'll find you are the only one there. To be a bit diplomatic: Things are more relaxed here. People are not rushing around, running to get somewhere in time, chasing the buss, or constantly stressing to get somewhere in time. Maybe we have something to learn from them here, hakuna matata, right? It's very nice not to be stressed for once. Do you want to finish your breakfast before you stumble out the door, that's fine. Is it pouring outside? Just wait a bit. Do you have a headache? Just relax a bit, it's not the end of the world, and if you get into work 5 or even 10 minutes to late, your boss probably has more important problems to focus on. So enjoy it while it lasts!

Side note: I think this is a pretty common stereotype on Westerners, that we are really rigid when it comes to keeping time. Almost too rigid, actually. Everyone knows the feeling of chasing after the bus, and that douchebag of a driver who never stops, right? Well guess what, here it is the other way around! The matatus (taxis) actually stop a couple hundred meters away if they see you walking up a hill and wait for you - now how about that?

 

6) Africans are warm and open people.

Okay this picture is a bit unrelated, but I just wanted to include the first African to win an Oscar and make People's Magazine 2014 most beautiful woman - not bad, Africa!

CORRECT! Well of course I have to end with something positive, but it's still true! At least all the Ugandans I've met have been very nice and outgoing, and they are always interested in meeting someone new or making a new friend, whether you want it or not (warning: for a bit cold and reserved Scandinavians, they can sometimes seem almost too persistent). Especially if you're a foreigner you'll be sure to have everyone's attention rather quickly, and before you know it being invited to stuff or home to people's families, often in a village far away, but hey, why not?

 

7) 'African' is a language, which everyone in Africa speaks.

 

FALSE! Maybe you're thinking of Afrikaans or Swahili, but it is far from spoken by everyone in Africa. More importantly, we all know that everyone in Africa speak Swedish, right?


So now that I've debunked some of the myths about Africa and Africans in general, why don't we stop stereotyping, and start educating ourselves instead?

A list made by a school class, not too many positive associations

Check out this great Tumblr campaign #itooamharvard for more food for thought, or this Thought Catalog piece on stereotypes about white girls (which almost all apply to me, ehe).

Aand lastly, if you haven't seen this yet, you're in for a treat! Good job, MSNBC. Good job. (Surprised they didn't call it 'drinko de mayo', actually).

Microaggressions - The New Every Day Discrimination

"My friend, I'll give you a hug!" - Creepy boda driver today, as I passed by gaze down, trying to ignore whatever his friends were calling after me.

The video that started it all...

When most people think of racism or sexism, they think of the conventional form of it, be it equal rights or derogatory statements regarding one's gender or skin color. But discrimination does not have to be all that explicit, as a matter of fact, discrimination (and now I'm speaking on my own behalf, so don't quote me on it) can be more subtle, and actually happens more often than you would like to think, probably even among your circle of friends.

This incredibly sexist vintage ad is a perfect example of a microaggression

Okay so let's back up a bit, if you haven't heard, 'microaggression' is the new word of the year, succeeding last year's 'selfie'. This the Times article sums it up pretty well: "Microaggressions... are quiet, often unintended slights — racist or sexist — that make a person feel underestimated on the basis of their color or gender". And the worst part of it is that most of us, both the aggressor and the victim, often are unaware of it and the destructive effects it has, as these microaggressions - as the name suggests - are often implicit, and find their way into every day conversation, making us more or less used to them.

 

Seriously, what is this??

So anyways, let me tell you a story, kids (imagine Ted's grown up voice saying this). First of all, re-wind 6 months, to October 2013, date unspecified...

"Okay, so, have you ever experienced anything racist?"

Truth be told, I was a bit taken aback by this question. Anything racist? Like what? I really didn't have any examples, so my reply was the following:  

"Um, no not really, I mean, luckily for me I'm Caucasian, so I've never been discriminated against based on my skin color..." 

There was silence on the other end, before the interviewer duly noted something and said:

"Hm, okay".

With the fear of making a 'bad first impression' as a priviliged, white person who's never faced any hurdles in her life, I rushed into telling stories about all the street harassment I had experienced during my stay in Bangladesh - which, as a Muslim country - you can only imagine how it was for a blonde, blue-eyed white girl roaming the streets without concealing every part of my body so guys didn't have to be tempted into raping me (yes, it was really, really bad).

Although this was all true, I still felt afterward that I had avoided the question a little bit, or at least taken it in a slightly different direction, in lack of experiences to draw from. Fast-forward 6 months till today, and oh my, I have some real good stories for you...

A typical Ugandan tabloid headline

First of all, what is up with headlines like this? Seriously, everything does not have to be reduced to race, and this does not even portray Ugandans themselves in a good light. 'New bad black', referring to yet another delinquent black person - because we all know black people are more prone to delinquent behavior than whites - conning a naive white person, or 'muzungu', as white people are often referred to as. Headlines like this only serve to amplify the stereotypes of white people and black people, and creates an artificial divide between people. After all, that's how wars and genocides get started, have we learned nothing?

Does this ring any bell, anyone?

To be honest, I had no idea how it felt to be discriminated against based on my skin color before moving to Uganda (sorry Ugandans, it doesn't go for all of you!). Obviously I wasn't completely unfamiliar with the subject, growing up I was told not to differentiate between people based on physical appearances and treat everyone equally, and in school we learned about both slavery and the Civil Rights Movement; and what all the messages had in common was how horribly 'the white man' had treated black people throughout history, and that it is something we must all carry with us and still today pay dues for - no matter if this was carried out by our ancestors, or your country didn't even have colonies in Africa - through e.g. affirmative action programs in colleges (which I by the way support, for other reasons). What I was never told, however, was how to react to racism towards myself. It was always 'us' mistreating 'them', never they other way around. I was never told the other side of the story.

The leading newspaper in Uganda

Imagine for a second the front page of any leading Western newspaper with this front page - SCANDALOUS, is what first comes to my mind. Not to mention extremely racist. Growing up in Norway and living in Berkeley, California, I've witnessed a fair share of 'racism debates' in the media, which, save for Fox News and some parts of the US, in Norway at least have centered around whether or not immigrants should be granted the same welfare priviliges as us, etc. While there are differing opinions on that matter - everyone cautious not to say anything that can be interpreted as even the tiniest bit racist - the rule in Uganda seems to be anything goes. I mean, come on, look at that newspaper, does it get any more xenophobic than that?

Baby Spice has a good point

Newspapers aside, the worst part is how 'muzungus' are being treated here. Firstly, just having a widely accepted and commonly used term like that really bothers me. Being constantly referred to and denominated by the color of your skin is something nobody deserves to experience, and ironically enough reminds me of a system on this continent that was abolished a while ago. Of course the kids running up to you calling: "Muzungu, how are you?"can't bear the blame for it all, but honestly, if I ran up to every black person I saw in my hometown calling: "Hey black person, how are you?", my parents would most definitely reconsider their parenting skills. Sure, the kids are cute enough, they are not the problem, but am I obligated to let them hold my hand, touch my hair and smile everytime they run up to me, even though I am not comfortable, and also a bit tired of doing that? The argument: "Oh, but they are just curious, they've never seen a white person before", is starting to feel alot like the: "You should take it as a compliment" argument, especially since it is not only kids who call you 'muzungu', it is literally EVERYONE - from the boda driver, to the shop keeper, to the creepy guy on the street, who occasionally whisper "Hey, girl..." instead.

Julia Stiles knows what it feels like

I guess I must have been living in quite the bubble back home, where both sexism and racism where terms I associated with the past. It's been quite the wake up call, living in Dhaka last fall and Kampala this spring, with street harrassment and racist remarks becoming 'the new normal'. A female colleague of mine, who's worked quite a bit abroad, compared the encounter with these new cultures as Alice in Wonderland's experience when she goes through the mirror and everything is backwards from what she is used to (yes, I realize that is a bit racist too).

A portion of Meg's attitude wouldn't hurt

After spending 3 months in Africa, I have become used to paying a different price than everyone else because of my skin color (all 'muzungus' are rich, you see), I've sat through comments like: "Oh but you see this is Africa, in Africa we do it like this. You wouldn't possibly understand", and "Yeah this is a typical 'muzungu' place" (referring to a nice restaurant or coffee shop), "I have a muzungu friend, you guys should meet!", "This place is owned by a muzungu, don't know where he is from though", and maybe worst of all, coming from one of our colleagues "Yes, I used to hate white people when I grew up. I didn't know anything about them". And don't even get me started on our aid policies, 'permissive/promiscous' and atheist cultures...

Maybe not giving a damn would be easier sometimes

Moreover, this disguised hatred or microaggressions towards white people seem to be something inherent in the African culture too. I never experienced anything like it in Asia, or Latin-America for that sake. In Bangladesh they would sometimes call us 'foreigner', but never by our skin color. And the kids would not dare running up to us and touch us, as that would be considered very rude. Suffice it to say, after now almost a year living in two different developing countries, it will be nice to come back home, and be recognized for who I am, called by my name - not my gender or skin color, and most of all, not be called out at all, but simply be treated equal, and mend in with everyone else. Is that too much to ask?

After growing up I finally understood what Mel C's character was all about

Check out this BuzzFeed article for more stories about every day microaggressions.

The Impenetrable Forest & the City of a Thousand Hills

 

'Top of Heaven', overlooking the volcanos in Rwanda and the DRC

This year’s Easter/spring break (whatever you want to call it) was a bit different than usual. For the first half of the break, we went to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, which is a national park in the South-West of Uganda, bordering to Rwanda and the Congo. There we stayed in a typical safari lodge on top of a hill, with a view of the forest and the surrounding communities. Because it is rainy season, it is also low season for tourism, so the first night we were actually the only guests in the lodge. There was also no power since the generator was out of gas, so it was pitch black when we arrived, save for the fire they made and the oil lamps we were given (perfect horror movie plot, right?). To add on to that we also had no cell phone reception – dun, dun, dun…

The park is known for being the home of the mountain gorillas, which you can only see in that area. The permits to trek them is a couple of hundred dollars though, so we decided to just hike in the area, which was really beautiful in itself!

The community people burning the grass to clear the space for their crops

The Batwa pygmies

After a few days in the wild with cold showers and rice and beans for almost every meal, we headed for Kigali, the capitol of neighboring Rwanda. Coming from the chilled, misty mountains of Bwindi to Kigali was really the best 'Easter egg' I could wish for. We stayed at a typical backpackers hostel (with wi-fi!) in the Embassy area of the city, where we also met up with some of our friends who had travelled directly there. 

Kigali - 'the City of a Thousand Hills'

From what we observed in our short stay, Rwanda seems to be worlds apart from its neighboring countries. It is a bit unfair that what people associate with Rwanda is the 1994 genocide, when the country is so much more than that (obviously). Kigali, with its nicely paved roads, clean sidewalks, and lush green areas resembles a Western city almost more than an African. It is said that after the genocide the government practically rebuilt the whole city, resulting in it looking more developed than its African counterparts. Not that Kampala is bad, it is actually a very nice (or at least, some parts of it), with the green hills surrounding the city. But after being to Kigali it is obvious that the government put more money into city planning than Museveni has done. 

On the open road

On the bus, for the first time in 3 months!

Apart from enjoying strolling down the streets and taking actual busses (omg!), we visited the Genocide Memorial Centre, two of the churches where Tutsis seeking refugee were slaughtered, the Belgian Monument, where the ten Belgian peacekeepers were assasinated, and the Hotel Des Milles Collines, the hotel from the movie Hotel Rwanda. It was very interesting to see all the historical sites, but also very emotional. Suffice it to say, we were pretty tired when we arrived back in Kampala after a 12 hour bumpy ride. 

Flowers on the tombs in the Nyamata Church

The Belgian Monument - 10 pillars to represent the ten pecekeepers

 

The real 'Hotel Rwanda'