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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 4, 2004)
-University of Oregon 20Q4-2QQS The Bruce Files: Living with a Xhosa Lion ■HnwBMHi Rv- Oliver Hnnan 1H ruce Ntushansa stands no taller than five-foot sev en inches and has a creamy, peanut butter-brown complexion. Because his brown hair grows curly and his skin color is much lighter than that of men considered "black," Bruce could have passed for "Colored" during the Apartheid era—the race between white and black on the Afrikaner par adigm of racial order. Bruce is a student at the Uni versity of Cape Town and was my I thought Bruce avoided me because my skin is white. For several weeks, he made no effort to acknowl edge me in our apartment and would always speak Xhosa in my presence, unless addressing me out of neces sity. We would walk past each other without exchanging even a few quick words, completely avoiding the osten sibly casual, yet clearly forced conver sations that produce long awkward pauses, fidgeting and staring at shoes. The door to his room was al ways closed, and I made sure to close mine to muffle the continuous stream [Bruce was waiting for an audience to share his] f stories—all I had to do was start listening. ot qwaito (a blend of hip-hop and African roommate while I studied there. Over a four-month period, I found that the Xhosa lion actually has many ticklish spots. At first, our interactions were cautious and guarded. There was a period of feeling each other out, try ing to understand each other's habits and respect each other's needs. Sev eral months passed before we held a conversation that lasted longer than a few minutes. We had nothing in com mon. styles) that he was so fond of playing. I hated the driving sound of qwaito in those first few months, especially when the pulsating beats disrupted my reading, in particular about South African culture. It is ironic that I initially chose to avoid my South African room mate—the very personification of cul ture-opting instead to learn about culture from inanimate university texts. I was blind, ignorant and cau tious. I can not remem ber the exact moment we started enjoy ing each oth er's company; there was no specific event marking an improve ment in our relations, but rather a se ries of subtleties leading to a gradual relaxation of tensions. I would make a favorable comment about the aro mas produced from the kitchen area. He would compliment an article of my clothing or a culinary dish of my own. We were taking baby steps in a friendlier direction. I began to really like Bruce when I realized that, when he passed me a small compliment, he meant what he was saying. I felt com pelled to respond to his sincerity by improving my listening skills. During our discussions, Bruce would occasionally share his highly personal memories of Apartheid, like the time his mother, pregnant with his younger brother, was beaten by police when she tried to visit her husband at work in Stellenbosch, a town the Apartheid government ruled off lim its to non-white women. Bruce was waiting for an audience to share his stories—all I had to do was start listen ing. Language greatly strength ened our friendship. Xhosa is Bruce's first language, and for those who have never heard of it, the language incorporates three distinct clicks into its lexicon. Trying to mimic the vari ous clicks that are so foreign to an English speaker's palatal movements produces great frustration; I spent several hours attempting to master the 'Xh' click, a sound produced by continued on page three... No Usa Gringo Logic: Learning How to Survive In Mexico . . li-'. .i.iiie W-jn-i jffl_ y Mexican civiliza tions professor in Quer£taro used the expression, "No usa gringo logic" to our class of about 16 gringos from Oregon, Mississippi, Colorado and Arizona. Initially, she employed this expression to explain the tumultuous Mexican history of the last few centuries. However, this expression in "Spanglish" could also be applied to many frustrating, perplexing and downright unexplainable situations that we Americans encountered in our four months in Mexico. The message, of course, was to keep an open mind because there certainly existed the temptation to question what we saw and to pass judgment prematurely. "Choque cultural" (culture shock) was apparent in our first week te.-sTS | in Mexico. H When we were I required to nav igate the city of Quer£taro by public trans * portation, we discovered that there were no maps or sched ules for the bus lines. We quick ly learned to sig nal aggressively for the bus for fear that it would pass us up. Every one had at least one unintended after noon tour of the city—not the worst mm ruins, rich luscious scenery and beau tiful cool waterfalls? For anybody ap preciative of abundant green spaces, thing that can happen! Of course, | What I will remember most about Mexico is the kindness of the Mexican people the city of about 700,000 has its finer points. The historical downtown ("El Centro") is filled with lovely plazas and monuments erected for the many historical figures that played an im portant part in Mexican history. Some of our nights were spent at the discotheques—more nights for some than others! The clubs blast Mexican techno music and truly rival those that I have visited in Portland and even London. I was also lucky enough to find great travel-mates to share my adven tures. Who could forget our 15-hour overnight bus ride to Chiapas (the Mexican state bordering Guatemala), where we encountered ancient Mayan the state of Chiapas was absolute par adise. But what I will remember most about Mexico is the kindness of the Mexican people. On many occasions, a patient and kind stranger helped me on my way. Sometimes the smile I re ceived was just the push I needed to continue on my journey with the con fidence that I would succeed. I can honestly say, after living abroad for four months, that I am ready for what life will bring me in the future! Editor's Note: Jane Wong '04 majored in politi cal science and studied in the spring semester program in Quer^taro, Mexico, in 2004. INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS University of Oregon 330 OREGON HALL ■ http://studyabroad.uoregon.edu - - Hi . .WHlhi'lKUlHIi
