thoughts and a story

I have been thinking a lot about racism since I have arrived here. How did it start? Why? When was the moment were it went from a concern to a problem? What can I do to end this? What can we do to end it? Can it be ended? Is there such a thing as a non-racist white, black, brown, green, blue, tan, gold, olive, yellowish person (I hope so!)? Is it right that I am pissed because whites in the past ruined or hurt me and potential friends, lovers, kids, because of the pigeon holes that they have put others in? How has it affected me, the person I am, and how I treat other people? Wow. colonization was A. Brutal. B. Just a bad idea for the most part.

Today a girl in class passed me a note it said, “Hi my name is Girlie! Would you like to be my friend?” In my opinion I don’t think that there is a better way to start ones day, a new friend and socialism. The two gifts that keep on giving. I told you I would love to be her friend, she was pretty and I am not in the position to pass up any friends let alone good looking ones (please note the sarcasm used as humor). I asked her in my note back what she liked doing for fun, she responded, “going clubbing and going on drinking sprees with my friends”. I don’t know if she did this to impress me because of the wonderful reputation that kids my age from the States have of “BLACKOUT or get out”. However I told her that I liked to chill with friends and going to movies, because my mom has always told me that friendships that are based around drinking are buddies, not friends, and I would love more Batswana friends. She is an English and Sociology major(s) too, so already we have so much in common, we said that we would go see a comedy at the cinema together. I hope it works our, because I was kind of prepped to have some concerns.

Again, at our orientation, I was warned about the motives people may have in befriending me, and I have taken these warnings to heart. Considering I have been approached to take and pay for at least 13 people to come back to the states with me and live at my home with me, buying meals for others, buying peoples grocery’s at the store, buying and covering people at clubs, and also to leave specific items that I have worn here when I leave for cretin people. Basically a big ol’ dollar bill sign flashes and screams from slightly above me head.

This is why I have started to tell people I meet who ask how I came over and if I am rich, that I am on scholarship and funded by my government. This is something nearly every student can relate too because the Botswana government pays these kids to go to school and gives them a stipend. I think that the States should look in to this, I am already freaking out on how I am going to send my kids to college and I don’t even have a boyfriend right now (not like I haven’t been asked and nearly stalked concerning the issue since I have been here). The fact that the government pays for most every student really does give a different feel to the education and the intent to learn, I have observed, but it’s still getting done.