Perhaps I should take a step back. For those that may not know, I've been selected as a 2016-17 Princeton in Africa Fellow and will be working at a non-profit in Pretoria, South Africa for the next year. The non-profit focuses on health policy and coordinates with the South African Ministry of Health. After two years working on health and international development policy at a think tank in Washington, DC, I'm thrilled for this new experience and the chance to learn how policy affects people in the countries I've spent years researching at a distance. I've got a lot to learn.
The other 48 PiAf Fellows are quite an impressive group. I highly recommend you check out what they're all up to, too! http://www.princetoninafrica.org/fellows/current-fellows/.
During PiAf orientation, someone said our social media accounts and the stories we share will likely be the only lens through which many of our friends and family get the chance to view Africa. That's probably true. So while I'll be candid, always remember that my experiences are narrow. These are the ramblings of one young woman on her first trip to one section of one country on a huge and diverse continent.
Enough thought. Now the details.
I'd love to say Pretoria is "bustling," but that's not quite true. There are people and cars and restaurants (yes, McDonald's among them) making noises, but for the most part, it's quiet. Pretoria is a rather sedate city spaced out in suburbs. I'm in Hatfield. For someone who's never been to South Africa before, it's a good place to get settled and comfortable, but I look forward to exploring the other suburbs and a truly bustling Johannesburg in the weeks to come.
I landed in a rather empty airport in Johannesburg yesterday afternoon. The only delay was from my driver, who struggled to fit my bulging suitcases in a trunk already occupied by his hub caps. He has to take them off his wheels when he parks in Johannesburg to ensure they aren't stolen. (If you're wondering, this didn't finally kindle a desire in me to get a driver's license.)
I spent the first afternoon here fighting the urge to curl up on the bed and take a nap, instead forcing myself to unpack and settle in. I ate a solitary dinner of macaroni and cheese in the hotel cafe (keeping America proud on July 4th weekend), when a South African man started friendly conversation. Before I knew it, I was deep in a conversation about December's Paris Climate Summit, the viability of different international carbon pricing schemes, and the early British colonialism that brought his family here from India in the 1800s as slaves. It was great to have such a natural and genuine conversation, but the true lesson I learned is that my overt nerdy-ness is obvious even to passing strangers. Ah, well.
Today, I ventured out into the city to explore and run a few errands. It's mid-winter here, so my first task was to find snow boots. Just kidding. My driver told me it's only snowed here once in his entire life (I'm not sure of his age, but my impression is that he probably calls Twitter "Tweeter"). I enjoyed a beautiful 60 degree day and got a chuckle out of all the winter hats I saw people wearing. (Feel free to remind me of this when I'm dying of the summer heat.)
What's struck me most so far is a sense of "otherness" that's new to me. In the United States, a white young woman strolling around on her own is quite normal. Here, my skin color is the minority. My accent makes the receptionists and cashiers laugh. I get confused when cars drive on the wrong side of the road and the passenger has the steering wheel. I consult a map when someone brings up another of Pretoria's diverse suburbs. I'm sure this "otherness" will continue at work tomorrow, as I'll be the only one new to the country, the only one without a Master's degree, the only one without experience in a developing country, the only one who ...
But what I find to be more beautiful and important are the similarities among us. In my limited travels to Italy, Ireland, and now South Africa, the connective nature between human interests and behavior strikes me. The man from the hotel cafe is interested in the same policy conversations, the hotel receptionists enjoy the same Ed Sheeran music my family is obsessed with (red heads gotta stick together), and friends talk and laugh about the same things.
Though I don't find this surprising, I do find it encouraging. In the past 48 hours, I've experienced many emotions and internal dialogues, which not infrequently included "am I crazy?" Especially after the hotel receptionist looked at me in disbelief and said "You live in America. And your family is in America. But you choose to live thousands of miles away?" But the beautiful connective nature between my old neighbors at home and my new neighbors here provide enough similarity to help me truly appreciate the many differences. I look forward to many more instances.
Whew, that was a long one. If you've made it to the bottom of this post, you're probably related to me. Thanks for checking in, and I look forward to sharing more in the weeks to come!