Blog Post #1: AH

       There were two experiences that really stood out to me during my time in Lusaka these past two weeks. The first was at the Sunday market when I saw someone who was clearly a foreigner like myself (called mizungu by the local people) who was wearing a shirt that exemplified savior mentality in a way that took me aback. His shirt had a picture of the African continent in the background and read “We won’t leave until you aren’t orphans anymore.” While there may be sincerity behind the message and the original idea may have been meant in a positive way, the message itself really displayed what we discussed in the pre-departure seminar regarding savior mentality and the “white-man’s burden.” At Cornell and in our group in particular, I haven’t seen instances of such mentality and that is why it took me aback after seeing that shirt. Savior mentality is not something I have seen around a lot and in my mind was something more associated with the past with Rudyard Kipling and early conquistadors and the like. Yet this experience just reminded me that it is still a very present sentiment in today’s world and concepts such as ethical photography and displaying the right message are all the more important. It made me rethink our previous discussions of respect for local culture and customs and how even what seems to be the most genuine actions aren’t always well-intended. This reminded me how lucky I am for the people in our group and how everyone is very genuine and passionate about their research. Moving forward, I need to be all the more aware of how my actions are perceived and hyperaware of how my research is framed. 

      The second occurrence related to respect of local culture and perception of foreigners was during our trip to the elephant orphanage when we were watching a giraffe and zebras from afar. We tried our best to maintain a respectful distance from the animals and talk in whispers in order to not disturb or frighten them. Yet, another group of tourists walked up yelling and talking loudly and continued to go right up to the animals. In the moment, it made me upset that people could have so little respect for these animals and reminded me that in many instances, tourists and visitors don’t understand local culture and practices and fail to show them the respect they deserve. I was surprised about how angry I felt about it in the moment and it made me realize that a big part of why I like traveling is to learn about various cultures and ways of life and that is not remotely the case for many people. My favorite part of meeting people and going to new places is hearing stories and getting a better understanding of what is important to the people I interact with. Yet, for the rowdy tourists we saw out on the pseudo-safari, the experience of seeing those animals and even being in Zambia is probably something they enjoy and will talk about for a while but something they don’t engage in on a deeper level. I just feel sad that more people don’t share this sentiment because little things like that are what makes life all the more enjoyable for me personally. Looking back, I wish in the moment I didn’t just stand there and watch them disturb the animals and clearly not respect the beauty of the park but rather spoke up and say something to them about not going any closer or being quiet and respectful. In many cases it can be hard to respect what you don’t understand but that may just mean you have to work all the more to understand it better. I hope to stick by that maxim during my time in Zambia as we continue to explore and learn more about culture and everyday life!