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Buddha Say No

by | Nov 16, 2019 | South Africa

If you have ever had the privilege of visiting a toilet with a freshly slaughtered goat head accessory then you may think you have seen it all. That’s what I thought until I visited a reputable sushi restaurant in one of Joburg‘s swankiest malls, Hyde Park Corner. I too was a bit snooty about going to a mall for serious dining but apparently, in South Africa, it is perfectly acceptable.

I nearly choked on my edamame as I clock a lady massaging an older gentleman. She seemed rather relaxed about it, almost as if it was the most natural thing you can do. It got even weirder as said gentleman was tucking into his sushi and carrying on with a conversation with his dining companion. Once in a while he would close his eyes and purse his mouth in a most disturbing fashion, in my opinion this was the height of uncouthness.

I know it’s rude to stare but I really could not help it. I had so many questions flying through my head. Why would you have a massage whilst eating, when did that even become a thing, who dreamt up this weirdness?

The clientele at the restaurant was typically well-heeled; so it got me back to my favourite question. How do you know when you have made it. If making it looks like this then I would rather be on the other side. Just because you can buy it don’t make it right. Making it must come with a little humility and eating sushi is a joyful experience on its own, no need to add extras. I politely refused the opportunity for a massage, how dare they even ask me, nearly ruined the evening.

Robots are dead to me

by | Nov 10, 2019 | South Africa

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Jozi is the city of gold, people come from all over to make and lose their fortunes. The city is built for prosperity, dog eat dog, the only way to make it is to move quicker and hit harder. It seems walking is frowned upon, you are best to operate from a 4 wheeled vehicle and the fancier the better.

I think it’s good to walk but the city’s big wigs are at odds with me on this. I didn’t quite have the conversation but it was implied. I am walking on a pavement that looks like an assault course; not great, but I can manage. I get to the robots and the fun really begins. There are no pedestrian controls, so I assume the robots are smart. They are smart alright, they play all sorts of mind games with me. I wait my turn and it dawns on me that my turn, ain’t gonna happen, actually, the lighting sequence does not even factor in those who dare to walk. 

I breathe in, spot my chance and go for it. As I start to feel confident, the cars start making at me. The rage of the drivers was palpable but the trick to breaking Africa is to hold your nerve, something gotta give, but it ain’t gonna be me. 

The people in the cars gotta go make a dollar, so quite frankly, a person stupid enough to walk is fair game. They keep at me and I keep walking, steady does it. Six lanes later, I made it to the other side in one piece, and onto the next robot and so it went.

Dreams are made in Jozi, but from up high. Walking it seems is not the done thing. These pins are made for walking and I am gonna walk till I drop, even if it kills me.  

The modern African

by | Nov 8, 2019 | Rwanda

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Rwanda is a place that forces you to look at yourself critically. What does it mean to be a modern African, how do you marry tradition with the here and now and what am I doing for my mother land. Rwanda made me want to be a better person, to be part of the change, to take pride in my heritage and make it my everyday. 

The vision for the country is an ambitious one, it is also a singular vision. All on board and please don’t ask too many questions. My rebellious nature instinctively tells me this approach is not ok. I want the subsistence farmer to have as much say as the high flying executive. I want a society that does not turn its nose at others because they have a different opinion or a different belief system.

I hope as Rwanda continues on her journey she softens a little and is more embracing of alternative voices. This is what the modern Africa looks like, fearless, kind and tolerant.

I too have some work to do. Where to begin?

What is culture exactly?

by | Nov 7, 2019 | Rwanda

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What is culture exactly?

Culture is deep, has long tendrils and it makes us who we are. African culture, is not about doing what we have always done because some long gone elders told you it is our culture.

Culture is not static, it is up to all of us to challenge it and reconfigure it when it marginalises others. It should never be used as an excuse for poor behaviour and we should not let others hide behind the very convenient culture catchall.

They weaponise it and wheel it out when they want to have their wicked way. Be  particularly careful of those who freely use ‘our culture’ in an argument. These types are particularly insidious and I would just steer clear!

Yep, you, I hope you can hear me!! 

Seeing clearly

by | Nov 2, 2019 | Rwanda

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Everyone has their own story; Rwanda has hers except it is a very complicated one. Looking in, it is easy to pass judgment. I am guilty of this; I had my preconceptions; this is a flaw of mine.

I stand corrected on several levels. Rwanda is not fine, it is a nation that is finding a way to carry on after an unimaginable genocide. The perpetrators, the bystanders, the victims and the confused all having to live cheek by jowl. This is a nightmare situation for many of us, yet the Rwandan people are doing it with great aplomb. 

Rwanda’s genocide was and is painful. Most of us think it just happened, well it didn’t. We all know that the method favoured by colonisers was to divide and rule. They did it in quite a spectacular fashion in Rwanda; elevating some sections of society, whilst leaving others behind. Ethnic groupings had never been a thing pre colonisation; but of course the need to control totally meant that new norms were established.

This fostered hate and resentment and the simmering pot that eventually led to the state endorsed genocide we all know about. We won’t talk about the many who had to seek refuge is neighbouring countries and the sporadic attacks that previously plagued this nation.

How do you lead a traumatised nation such as Rwanda. Do you allow people to continue to hold the same unfounded perceptions that they held against their neighbours or do you find new alternatives. 

Like it or not, no-one can take away what the Rwandan government has done in bringing people together and raising living standards in this country. Umuganda is the modus operandi here. Working together for the betterment of community and country.

Look it up!