Oh, the wonderful rainbow nation!

Phew! What a week it has been, but it is finally Friday afternoon and I have 25 minutes before I am going to leave.. so thought I'd share my thoughts I've been having this week about identity, culture and more specifically what it means to be South African. (please note-it is now Monday again and I am going to continue with this post as I was unable to finish it on Friday)

I decided on Monday (last week) I would do a culture class for my lesson, so I have been mellowing over it all week! And for some reason it has been a rather difficult task to accomplish! My one teacher suggested I do a presentation thing about South Africa and our "culture". I initially thought-great-I can talk about South Africa all day! I am such an ambassador here-I promote South Africa as if it is heaven on earth!

But when I actually sat down to think about it I encountered my first dilemma- what is our culture? What is my culture? I call myself South African and nothing else-yes I may have ancestors from Scotland, Ireland, England or somewhere in the northern hemisphere- but I am African and proudly so... But this question of culture and national identity really got me thinking.

Korea, unlike most societies of today is very homogeneous, there are only a couple thousand foreigners (wae guk-ins) here (mostly Chinese with a few thousand English teachers from far and wide). The way of life is built on a Confucian model with great respect for elders, saving face and hard-work. Everyone likes the same food (kimchi), people all speak the same language, and there is a strong sense of national unity. (okay-people are different in other ways, but the point of homogeneity is what I am trying to make).

And then you turn to South Africa-the rainbow nation- and I feel we have the complete opposite. Yes, it may seem blatantly obvious, but what really does make a South African identity? Not a BOER identity or ZULU identity which has been all the news in the press lately, but rather a South African identity? Or is there even such a thing as national identity to begin with?

As a privileged white South African, representing only 9% of our country's demographics, I wondered if I was even justified to speak for the disadvantaged majority of South Africans about "our culture". I think perhaps our patriotism as a nation is often compromised by this confusing lack of unity-or what it appears to be anyway.

But, then I think that is exactly the point that makes our country so special- amongst the confusion of the diversity, the differences in so many ways, there is something that unites us-we are human, AND we are South African-whatever that means for you!

{ASIDE: I think that is something that has struck me the most since I have been in Korea-the "shared humanity" of our species in general. People all over the world-female, male, black, white, yellow, coloured, white, rich, poor, fat, thin, African, or Asian are SO similar it is frightening! We share the same hopes and dreams,fear of pain and death,feelings of joy and sadness and the need to be loved and to love others.}

So, as I came to a resolution in my mind about our country's wonderfully diverse society, it became easy to conjure up a lesson plan, as I actively engaged in it- the diversity! I used afrikaans and xhosa words, showed different traditional dress and customs....And boy-did the kids LOVE IT!!! I got all my classes saying "howzit!", "lekker" and "YEBO GOGO!" I wish I had recorded it! Was just classic! Our very symbolic flag was discussed to great length and let me tell you explaining the bizarre game "cricket" was a bit beyond the boys-so will have to do an entire lesson on that! "Pap en vleis" didnt seem too intriguing to them, but then again they liked the look of a "braai"- similar to their barbecue. What I also did- was used comparisons of our country to their country on certain aspects-like traditonal dress, population, demographics, food, world events, etc... Was great! Definitely my best lesson yet-but then again think the content is something I am truly passionate about!

My best was showing them this video which was really great I think! They particularly liked the part where some beautiful gals in pink bikinis from cricket flashed over the screen. Teenage boys are the same all over the world!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW6leTnXvrY&feature=related


At the end, we ended up listening to Johnny Clegg, "Great Heart" -which was super!

It consolidated it for me...

"There's a highway of stars across the heavens
The whispering song of the wind in the grass
There's the rolling thunder across the savanna
A hope and dream at the edge of the sky
And your life is a story like the wind
Your life is a story like the wind

I'm searching for the spirit of the Great Heart
To hold and stand me by
I'm searching for the spirit of the Great Heart
Under African sky"


I am unbelieveably proud to be South African- an individual in a diverse society!

One must be careful not to romanticise "Diversity"- the beautiful "rainbow nation", as we call it with a "highway of stars across the heavens" and "the rolling thunder across the savanna". But flaws and conflicts, violence and discrimination are still present in our society and we need to acknowledge that... But what I do believe is important for our nation to come together as one, is not only seeing that beautiful rainbow nation, but actively embracing it. And maybe that way the "search for the spirit" of the South African identity will be realised!

Bisous
JO!