In my homestay, I certainly have had this experience. Certainly not myself. I still have my ATM card to fall back on. Yet, Langa -- one of the richest townships in South Africa -- is a very poor place. My family is very well off by Langa standards. We have a TV, stereo, dog, washing machine (no dryer though), an old Mercedes -- hell we even have a fishtank! Yet, money is not something that flows freely in the house.
Two examples come to mind. First, our mom has said she has a tough time sending her cute granddaughter, Sinu, to preschool because its experience. "How expensive is it?" I ask. Oh 80 Rand per month. For those not up on the daily Rand-$ exchange rate, that's about $12. It has been pretty depressing comparing that to my daily spending.
That's about a good sit-down lunch.
That's about four drinks at a pub in downtown Cape Town
That's about 1/2 and ounce of cocaine... just kidding -- but you get the point, it's peanuts in my books. In fact about 2 bags of them at a ballpark.
Example two is ice cream. Mama one day mentioned she liked Ice Cream. So, being a good guest I went out and bought her some. As the container was nearing its end, I asked Mama to remember me next time she eats ice cream. She didn't, however respond with the standard sarcastic OK. Instead she said "But what if I can't afford it?"
I had no answer.
Living a poor life makes you more creative. Once something is broken or you find you don't have something, you can't just by a new one. That is what we do in the States and I certainly have taken this freedom to buy more or less whatever I needed for granted. Yet, the tattered clothes, the poor dog's torn and broken dog house are testament to this lifestyle.
This weekend, I also was taught a lesson by a kid of about 10. Cooper and I were outside trying in vain to teach Sinu to kick a soccer ball. We soon realized that 3 years old might be a little early. But, some kids came along and wanted to play with us. They suggested we start a game. I thought this was a great idea. In my mind I wondered how far the nearest soccer field is or where I could get cones for goal posts. Little did I know the kids were already making the field. The sidelines were the sidewalks and the goals consisted of 4 well placed bricks. They didn't need a fancy field or even a wide open park to have a good time. They made do with what they had even far away from the grip of materialism.
I've been learning a lot in my homestay, perhaps the most valuable lesson is the value of experience. I have felt this before in my international travels and living. Yes, it is great to study something academically. Yet sometimes, you just need to live like someone to really understand their point of view. As one of my all time favorite books says:
"You never know someone until you step inside their skin and walk around a little."Yet, what I have learned as I take pictures of shacks with my $300 digital camera and listen to my $300 iPod in bed while Mama's surrogate son lives in a one-room shack with only a kerosene lantern is that I am far from stepping inside someone else's skin. Yes Langa is outside of my comfort zone and a foray into a community I would otherwise steer clear of. At the end, however, the comforts I have gotten accustom too and do not want to give up prevent me from really understanding what it is like to live a different kind of life.
I would love to hear comments and advice on how to balance trying to experience the lives of those who are disadvantaged while at the same time having many comforts to fall back on that these disadvantaged people just don't have access to. Can you really emphasize with people if you haven't really lived like them? If not, is sympathy enough?
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