-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