Tradition!

As I was working in my room this gloomy Wednesday morning trying to keep my mind off the rain outside (though we need it, I never welcome cold rain), I was listening to my iTunes. "Tradition" From Fiddler on the Roof came on, and I noticed a verse to which I had never really paid attention before. The lyrics say, "Here in Anatevka, you might say that all of us are like a fiddler on the roof, trying to scratch out a simple tune without breaking his neck. It isn't easy. You may ask, 'why do we stay up there if it's so dangerous?' We stay because Anatevka is our home. And how do we keep our balance? That, I can tell you in one word: tradition!"

How true that is of South Africa. If I haven't portrayed it accurately in my former blog posts, let me be blunt about the history and current affairs in SA: this country has been in the spasms of death and rebirth, almost simultaneously. After fifty years of harsh, state-mandated oppression, the nation finally emerged from this sad state of affairs in 1994 with the first fully democratic election in which Nelson Mandela was elected the President of the Republic of South Africa.

The storyline in Fiddler on the Roof is very similar. The little town of Anatevka is within the Russian empire during the 1910s and is being beseiged by the rule of the Czar. (Sideline--my favorite line in the entire play is the line where the rabbi is asked if there is a special blessing for the Czar. He responds, "May God bless and keep the Czar--far away from us!") The small Jewish community is fighting the rapid urbanisation and modernisation of the area and trying to keep their way of life as intact as is possible. As a result, as Tevyeh suggests within the opening tune, traditions gain importance within the society, often paramount to all reason, as the show goes on to examine.

Back to South Africa. This country has emerged from a period in which traditions were considered acceptable only if they were of "European" or Afrikaans background, and generally Christian within that framework. More traditional African traditions were considered to be heathen or superstitious. Now that all citizens of South Africa are free to practice their traditions as they like, the various cultural and religous groupings within South Africa are quick to flaunt the value of their traditions.

The sudden ability to practice tradition without repercussion has led to many freedoms within South Africa, but I would also posit that it has led to a trend which anthropologists call "retraditionalisation." Put simply, many South Africans have been forced into a "European" way of life for so long that they are now reaching back to their "roots" in order to regain their own identity. The Xhosa student travels to the Eastern Cape province every December in order to engage in the initiation rituals for young men in the family. The Indian man looks for another Indian within his same cultural group in order to be married. The Zulu man released from prison slaughters a cow in order to appease the ancestors. These practices are generally beautiful celebrations of community within individual cultural groups. They do, however, provide many difficulties within the "New South Africa."

Within South Africa today, most people live in plaster houses much like you'd find in California or New Mexico. They're exactly what you'd expect someone in the US to live in. There are huge cities full of a variety of people. It isn't unusual that within your office, you might have a Tswana, a Zulu, an Afrikaaner, an Indian, and an English person all working together. So, as in any society, complications arise when dealing with issues that are traditionally dictated by culture. For example, a Xhosa woman and a Sotho man who work together decide to marry. Will this be okay with families? Is each person somehow less Xhosa or Sotho by not abiding by tradition? Right now in South Africa, the most common answer is yes.

I don't believe that this is because South African families are somehow less accepting or enlightened than families anywhere else in the world. I think that it is due to a need for identity within South Africans. Because identity was, for so long, taken away and dictated anew, South Africans are now in a phase of asserting their identities, which are drawn from their cultural backgrounds. Often, deviation from these traditions is seen as a blow to the individual culture and to the identity of the cultural group. This mirrors Tevyeh's comments at the end of "Tradition"--"Without our tradition, our lives would be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof!"

One can assume simply because Fiddler on the Roof was written thirty years before the South African situation came to be the way it is today that this condition is a human condition and not unique to South Africa; however, I believe that it has special repercussions for South Africa. It seems that few realise that this same kind of search for identity and tradition led to one of the most difficult regimes in the history of South Africa, Afrikaner nationalism. And so, we are again where we started, historically and culturally speaking. As a result of Afrikaner nationalism, apartheid was begun by the South African government. Now, with a renewed search for identity, I am afraid that South Africa may face many of its old trials anew. Without an honest acknowledgement of the similarities of the situation, I fear that history may repeat itself.

Proudly South African

One of the major marketing campaigns in South Africa is the "Proudly South African" campaign. Like any newly democratic country (only a democracy since 1994), SA is in the process of major nationbuilding efforts. My toothpaste is stamped as "Proudly South African" as is my bank, etc., etc. So, in honour of this movement, I would like to share a few things which I feel are "Proudly South African" in my mind.

• Boys ages 5 and up playing soccer barefoot
• Pausing after each half to dance to the music on the radio (this is the grown boys, as well)
• Replying "sharp" or "sharp, sharp" (pronounced shop) after almost every conversation
• "YO, Yo, yo..." in response to anything surprising or concerning. For example, "And then he hit the car." "YO, Yo, yo..."
• Having someone assume, due to the way you look, that you not only are "one of the gang," but can speak their language fluently (there are 11 national languages in SA)
• Including emigration in family member losses
• When asked where you're going on holiday, replying that you're going to "Africa"
• A different sensational headline posted every 10 meters (that's 30 feet)
• Calling a buddy "bru"
• Referring to "sport," "the rugby," or "the cricket." I suppose it's a bit like saying "The WalMart" or adding an S to Kroger
• Not being able to sing at least 1/4 of the SA National Anthem
• Land Rovers and VW Golfs
• Minibus taxis
• Wearing sweaters until it's 30 degrees C (about 85 F)
• Answering the phone "Yebo" and hanging up by saying "Cheers, hey"
• Virgin anything--Richard Branson owns this place!
• Saying "sorry" instead of "oops"
• Referring to your teacher as "Miss" or "Ma'am" with no surname attached. That one gets me--because my teachers all yell "Miss!" in classic Mr. Cotter style
• Going to the "cinema"
• Driving down the "motorway"
• Durbs, CT, Jozi, PE, Alex, Bloem used as code for Durban, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Alexandria, and Bloemfontein
• KFC a.k.a. Kentucky
• Dancing and singing for every occasion
• A Toast to South Africa at every Rotary function
• Braaing boerwors rolls at every opportunity
• Colourful clothing and headwear
• Kwaito
• Referring to oneself as "European" after never having actually lived in Europe and distinguishing others as "African" after having lived in Africa one's whole life
• Lekker=cool
• 11 official ways to say "God Bless South Africa" included in the Constitution

Hope you've enjoyed!

du Printemps

Of Spring! In Jo'burg! For me!

I love the Spring, and I'm glad to share that Saturday was Spring Day in SA (much like our May Day). So, I have spent time this weekend reveling in the warm temperatures and the excitement of Spring. The campus where I take courses is covered in blooms, so here is your share! Enjoy!

Ok, sadly that's all for now. I have lots of pictures, but my computer is fighting with me. We'll try again...