Cape Town: tough questions

In the past, some of my favorite cities, or at least those that I have the most vivid memories at, are the ones that I met people who felt like friends by the time that I left. The art, the food, the views, and the nightlife all shape the character of the city, but the people make cities come alive. They're often what makes you so attached to certain places and memories.

It has blown me away how friendly and welcoming the locals are here. Sure, there are people who hassle you and that don't have the best intentions about your safety, but the people we've met through our hostel and out in the city have made a pretty big impact on me in just a few short days.

I'm working on featuring the stories of some of the people that I have met (stay tuned), but for now I'm trying to digest some of the common themes from conversations that I have been having.

First and foremost is how much of a privilege it is to travel. Many people that I have met have not had the opportunity to leave the country, or even their hometown. The South African Rhand has lost its value over the years making it difficult for people to afford both time off of work and a disposable income for travel expenses. It is clear that we are from America from the moment that we open our mouths, and many people explicitly remind us how lucky and privileged we are. To be honest, I did not know how to respond rightfully at first. I felt a guilty discomfort that eventually turned into a more reflective self-awareness. I learned to respond with, "you are right, I am very very lucky." Not feel uncomfortable. Not feel guilty. Not be defensive. Rather, I learned to recognize and accept that I am pretty damn lucky to be here.

With the privilege to travel comes the responsibility to be culturally conscious. I'm starting to see how pre-travel research and having an open/learning mindset can only go so far; analyzing and exposing yourself to the complex (apartheid) history of an area, as well as learning that some questions are not culturally appropriate to ask make you realize how careful and conscious you need to be when exploring a home that is not your own. Really it comes down to constantly asking yourself the question of: "Am I overstepping my boundaries?" For example, when I pull out my iPhone camera, I have to think through the difference between capturing beauty // something of interest versus commercializing, "other-ising," or make a spectacle of someone else's culture/community. Even if someone's intention is not to harm, there can still be negative externalities -- I'll try to go into this more in my post about Bo Kaap in particular and probably other posts because this is something that I continue to struggle with and think through for hours on end.

My mind has been running through the thought-provoking questions and general realizations that have sparked from the humans that I've met here. Questions // topics like:

-What makes someone want to invest in developing the community that they were raised versus leaving home to support a different community instead? Really, what makes something a community that you want to be a part of and support?

-How do you learn about impoverished areas without contributing to poverty tourism? How do you find the line between educating yourself and adding to the problem?

-How powerful sports and music are in connecting people from radically different backgrounds; how these give people a common ground to relate unlike most interests.

-The influence of modern song lyrics on societal norms, namely why it may be cool to not care (or to not "give a fuck")

-If our millennial generation's social consciousness behaviors (i.e. a desire to "give back" and invest in brands that "do good") is a phase like many older generations state, or if it is a part of us. Also, what factors make it a fairly global trait currently?

And many, many more... I am excited to start fleshing these out more as I find ways to paint the stories of the colorful communities and people that I am meeting (and falling in love with) here.