Well my 21st birthday has now passed and I must admit it was strange not having a birthday at home and especially one with a significant cultural impact such as one's 21st. Nevertheless it was a great day and my first surprise party as well.
Speaking of significant cultural patterns, there is something I've noticed about people's relations and the construction of stereotypical identities. That is that there seems to be a lack of relation with a label of a person to that of another or any label at all to be exact. We all know of the high school scene where you separate into groups such as jocks, nerds, preps etc and in turn judge the other groups. I've even tried to explain the concept of what a nerd is and it doesn't register. Call it crazy but people like each other because people are nice and can easily communicate. This even extends to tribalism which is so often heard about in Africa. In the case of Tanzania however this also isn't an issue thanks to the national building project by the first president.
Also the construction of masculinity and femininity have developed differently here. One one hand you have the traditional male figure who is strong, assertive and blah and the women who are supposed to cook, clean and have babies and then on the other hand men often embrace each other and hold hands while walking. Keep in mind this is not homosexual which is illegal and punishable by law but just a different way of expressing to friends that they are in fact friends. Also the wardrobe of a men can be a lot more girly with bright colors including pink and floral patterns which also extends to accessories including umbrellas, notebooks or whatever else someone might carry. I think here it is about the function and necessity of the object over ascetic value.
Otherwise it's now extremely cold here, in Kim terms not normal people terms. Today it's around 78-80 degrees and I'm freezing thanks to rainy season. I'm also still pretty busy school wise with exams in four weeks it's crunch time to finish everything. With the school year coming to an end and my return home within reach it seems weird to be counting down. Six weeks seems so short now that I've been here for so long and yet in the beginning I was marking an accomplishment of 6 weeks. Also I'd like to extend my congrats to all the graduates next year I'll be in your shoes!
Hakuna Matata,
Kimberly
As always, loved your post! I completely agree with your observations about stereotypes and the concepts of masculinity/femininity, which completely apply to the MENA region as well. So curious that in cultures where homosexuality is completely forbidden that platonic public displays of affections are the norm.
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