A bittersweet parting: Goodbye Africa
In just a few short days, I’ll be leaving Africa to head to Central Asia. It’s hard for me to believe that I’ve spent a little over two months in Africa - some days it feels like I’ve been living here for six months and other days it feels like it was only yesterday that I arrived.
Africa has been on my bucket list for a long time, and I’m so grateful for the time I’ve spent exploring southern and eastern Africa, expanding my worldview and curbing my ignorance about this massive continent. I learned that while we in the West might delineate southern and eastern Africa by its international borders (Zimbabwe, Namibia, Zambia…), most Africans identify themselves by their tribes and the borders are merely just arbitrary lines. In fact, many people in southern and eastern Africa descend from the Bantu and thus share many similarities in their languages and customs. This is not to say that this region of Africa is solely comprised of Bantu-speaking people - there are thousands of tribes, all with unique cultures and histories, which is why I find this land to be a fascinating place to explore and learn.
I’ve learned so much from my time here - about the history, the people, the culture, and myself. I’ve seen the most beautiful landscapes that I’ve only dreamed (or Google-d) about, encountered majestic wild animals up close, and witnessed countless sunrises, sunsets, and glittering night skies. I’ve embraced African food and have had countless meals where I desperately wish I had a second stomach so I could eat more. I’ve absorbed so many facts about flora and fauna, learned about the many tribes and the impacts of colonization, and chatted with locals as they showed me around their villages. I’ve surprised myself by making genuine long-lasting friendships (I’ll be spending Christmas in Sydney!), being strangely flexible with unpredictable travel mishaps, and questioning some long-held beliefs about how the world works.
My time in Africa has been joyful, satisfying, incredible and yet sometimes frustrating. I’ve often been the only East Asian-presenting person wherever I’m traveling, which means I’m often at the receiving end of a random string of words that are supposed to “represent” what an Asian language sounds like. I’m often questioned about where I’m from, no - where I’m actually from, and if I’m sure I’m not from [insert some Asian country that’s not my own]. It’s mentally exhausting but I try to just smile and wade through it because it’s likely not coming from a place of malicious intent and for personal safety reasons. It’s been an interesting experience and one that contributes to my internal musings of what is identity.
It’s been a while since I’ve updated the blog thanks to a combination of poor (or lack of) internet, food poisoning, and minor travel snafus - so what have I been up to over the past month?
Some highlights - and memorable moments - include:
Summiting Kilimanjaro - just happened!
Marveling at the abundance of wildlife and sharing that joy with friends
Getting my shirt stolen by a monkey
The monkey also made off with a pair of boxer briefs that were also hanging on our laundry line, so somewhere in Zambia a monkey is looking quite dapper
Literally walking with rhinos - blog post in the works
Sleeping in a hotel after 40 days of living in a tent
Getting food poisoning but luckily camping near a very nice toilet
Dancing with the locals in the Usambara Mountains
Watching a lioness and her cubs feast on a wildebeest in the Serengeti - blog post in the works
Having our 4x4 vehicle break down in the middle of a safari game drive… at night - blog post in the works
Being invited to a local’s home for dinner in Malawi
Feeling exhilarated and terrified getting up close and personal with lions - blog post in the works
More to (slowly) come - I’ll update this page with links as more content gets published. As the locals would say in Swahili, “pole pole”, which means “slowly, slowly”. Jotting down my thoughts on this blog has been a helpful exercise in reflecting on my time in Africa, and I hope it’s inspired you to come visit.
