I hate goodbyes. I prefer the vague and open-ended "see you next time" (thus the final blog post title of "a la prochaine") to the aura of permanence that "goodbye" holds.
Obvious realization #1: I haven't seen my family, my city, or even my country for the past three months. I spent the past ten weeks studying French, Bambara, and Malian literature and cinema by day and the evenings and weekends living with my host family. No longer Zoe Schwartz, I was baptized with the fittingly Malian name of Mariam Keita. As Mariam, I was initiated into a culture and society of sharing - often literally sharing our meals out of a common bowl, sharing our time and backgrounds with each other, and sharing the experience of Mali as one of the world's poorest countries but also optimistic and hospitable.
Unfortunately it's hard to describe Bamako, the capital of Mali, without slipping into stereotypes and cliches - hot climate, friendly people, notable lack of infrastructure and development but peaceful peoples and stable government, poverty, rich cultural heritage. All of these attributes are true but incomplete, and further not uniquely Malian. For example, most Malians are extremely welcoming and friendly, but so are people in neighboring country Burkina Faso as well as halfway across the world in Minnesota and elswhere. Yet to be in Mali and Bamako specifically and to meet a Malian, you know you are somewhere different and special. Sometimes the difference is a negative one - why is there virtually no public trash collection other than the occasional donkey-led cart heaping trash into giant mounds on the side of the road? - and sometimes positive - I've spent many a day sitting in front of the house drinking tea with neighbors and strangers and having fascinating and fun discussions about everything from music to politics.
Since the program officially ended March 9th and Carleton has spring vacation until the 30th, I spent the break traveling with my college room mate and best friend Saeyoon, who participated in Carleton's new Middle East Mosaics program. March 10th being my birthday, my dad joined me and Saeyoon at our first destination: Dubai of the United Arab Emirates, to celebrate. After Dubai, Saeyoon and I went on independently to see Lisbon, Portugal, and Seville, Spain. All of the above were, in a word, wonderful.
Finally, I have been home since this past Sunday, happy to see my family and relish the creature comforts of hot showers. But where is the difficult transition back to my native family, city, and national identities? Where are the tears that past participants have shed when they first entered a USA supermarket and felt overwhelmed by the degree of choice and prosperity as compared to the omnipresent lack of choice and opportunity in Mali?
Perhaps the reverse culture shock will hit me later, or not at all. I am grateful that I recognize the strengths and weaknesses of both my Malian and American identities and can move fluidly (for now anyway) between them. They are both important. Further I plan to keep in close contact with my Malian family and friends. To that end, today I bought two phone cards - one called "African Dreams" and another called "My Africa". Both names resonate with me; they make Mali feel so close and so much a part of me.
A la prochaine! - Mariam Keita/Zoe Schwartz
Add a comment