Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
I understood from the beginning that my international experience was not going to be like most. I was not traveling so far simply to take classes at another university, and yet I am learning so much. I was told that I would not be able to see Namibian culture because of how far in the Bush I am, but I see it. I am in Namibian culture, and at the same time, I am in a world where people (not only Namibians) are trying to discover another culture or run away from theirs. I read and made notes in the margin of what hand to shake with, which one to receive things with, whether or not I can point the sole of my foot or my finger at someone. These notes seem pointless now because we have somewhat forgotten our previous culture to create a new one.
We are joined together by our common passion: conservation. Of course there are moments where a Namibian or African tells me that "It is a cultural thing," but I have assumed way too much about their culture and almost forgot to keep my mind open. Things I was not expecting to hear was that watching soccer is a lifestyle here that everyone has, and they do not just follow one team; they follow ALL OF THEM! I thought I was a baseball lover, but you do not know love until you hear people screaming at the T.V. from four dorm rooms down every night soccer is playing. Noise is also very common in Namibia, which I was not told. They tend to be loud when they talk in person or even on the phone. The majority of their day (and night) is talking. Even when I was in the taxi on the drive from the airport to the facility, the driver took at least twenty calls that lasted less than a minute because you always find yourself talking to someone when you are in Namibia.
Now to my misconceptions, I thought that Namibians did not like change. That is what the books and papers told me, but the people I work with here are pushing past that cultural trait to make a new life for themselves. They travel away from friends and family to do what they are passionate about, which is more individualistic than family oriented (unlike their culture). People are not always their culture, and by understanding that, I have grown to understand myself. I declare myself as an American, but that does not mean that you can read a textbook about your average American and know exactly who I am (experiences, interests, etc.). They are just general words, and the only words that should matter are the words you hear when you talk to someone one-on-one.
Because we are all people who are escaping cultural norms, we are seekers of our passion, and that is what the Cheetah Conservation Fund is driven by: passion! Even though some of the daily activities and responsibilities seem boring and pointless, at the end of the day, you know that you have come so much closer to helping cheetahs that are unable to return to the wild, helping cheetahs return to the wild, helping farmers learn how to suitably farm, helping protect farmers livestock, help protect the ecosystem, help people learn, and help the Namibian economy. I was told over and over again that I would not be saving the world or making a difference, but I am. Understanding an organization's purpose, helping them, understanding a person's purpose, and helping them is making a difference. It could be the slightest difference, but at least I contributed.
I have been loving every second of my cultural experience here in Namibia. It is better than I could ever have imagined because I have learned how to talk to someone who grew up under different cultural standards, with different experiences, and in a different part of the world. I can do that because I now understand that a person is not every single aspect of their culture. My advice to future travelers is this: definitely do your research of the culture you will be observing on your travels, but do not assume you know someone based on only their culture. That is the top of the iceberg, you are forgetting about the ice hidden underneath. To find what is under the water, you must ask questions and explore. To know what questions to ask, research what your culture is and ask if you are that person they describe.
Sincerely,
Courtney Rae Gruesbeck
#IE3Global
- comments