The Betrayal of Tea
People at home have stopped asking if I would like a cup of tea, simply because they know my reply will be yes! All my family, friends and even most acquintances know how much I love my tea! Before I left for South Africa my mom asked if I was going to bring tea bags with me and when I replied no, she was shocked. I had decided the space in my rucksack was already limited and when it came down to it, I couldn't justify leaving some much needed clothes just for some teabags. Besides, I didn't want to be like one of those people off a BARRY's advert, how embarrassing!
However once I landed in South Africa, I came to learn that they do it fact have normal tea, just like home... I was saved! However, I do have a confession; I, Gillian Carter, Irish lover of plain old milky, one sugar tea has fallen in love with South African Rooibos tea. Normal tea, it's not you, it's me! I haven't had a cup of Plain English Tea in days now, I am officially a Rooibos convert!
This got me thinking, I have got so adjusted to drinking Rooibos tea now that it's normal, I don't consider it strange or weird any more like I did at the start. And is this how it goes for everything? Do we come to "underdeveloped" countries and start off by being horrified by what we see and then slowly get used to it and then kind of consider it normal? Can we become complacent, do we forget about what we were previosly shocked by and gradually just accept it? And if this is the case does our passion to help, our eagerness to change and contribute and our drive diminish also? I hope not, and I'm determined not to accept the mentality of 'that's life', things can change. Lets be optimistic no folks!
As a gentleman in the support group of my project said; "I'm HIV positive so I'll be positive in life as well".
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The joy of a cuppa
Hey Gill!
Dying to hear more of how you're getting on! Delighted that you're enjoying the tea:) Myself and Maeve got home from Nigeria at the start of the week. We're gutted to have left Nigeria. What an experience!
Hows the work going? Hope you're getting great photo's! Myself and Maeve proved fairly useless at capturing anything but a blur with our camera's! But with all my stories and rants involving plenty of hand-waving, the message of how amazing Nigeria is seems to be coming across.
Hope you enjoy the last few weeks! I'm sure it feels like they're going too quickly!
The joy of a cuppa
Hey Gill!
Dying to hear more of how you're getting on! Delighted that you're enjoying the tea:) Myself and Maeve got home from Nigeria at the start of the week. We're gutted to have left Nigeria. What an experience!
Hows the work going? Hope you're getting great photo's! Myself and Maeve proved fairly useless at capturing anything but a blur with our camera's! But with all my stories and rants involving plenty of hand-waving, the message of how amazing Nigeria is seems to be coming across.
Hope you enjoy the last few weeks! I'm sure it feels like they're going too quickly!
Lucky you Gillian!
Oh lucky you Gillian. I couldn't adapt to the South African tea at all and had to get supplies sent over! Will your host Mum be sending you Rooibos when you return to Ireland now?!!!
While you do adapt to the culture you're in at the time (which is very important to do) I think when you return home to our well developed country it will only emphasise once again the poor conditions some people have to live in. I don't think I will ever forget the initial shock of how poor the resources were in South Africa, particularly when we were working in the townships and visiting people in their shacks. I can understand what you're saying but I think that if anything when you return home and see how oblivious people here are to HIV/AIDS and developing countries your willingness and enthusiasm to help and contribute will only grow. I know mine certainly did.
Enjoy your last few weeks anyway.