Developing Countries are Cool Too!

One of the first things I noticed upon my arrival was the very advanced architecture. It is beautiful. I must admit, I do miss the skyscrapers in downtown Chi, but I also appreciate the more modern buildings here. There are also older buildings with more of a European style. When I lived in Pretoria, I would go hang out with friends in an area called Church Square. Pretoria is the capitol of South Africa and has a lot of government buildings, including the well known Union Buildings. They are architecturally designed with European influence. In Johannesburg, buildings look very futuristic. I had never seen anything like them until I came here. In America, we have had skyscrapers since the 1880's (the first one being built in Chicago). With that being said, we don’t have the more modern architecture that I have come to admire. In the older parts of Joburg, like the CBD, the exterior of most of the buildings aren’t a pretty sight, but the inside of some of the buildings are beautiful and have a great view of the city. People move into those buildings for a great price and then renovate them.  

Cool Architecture in Jozi
(Apartments made of Ship Crates/Parts)

Church Square, Pretoria

Caught Birds in Action

This country is filled with possibility and opportunity. I feel like back home there is such a limited opportunity for growth because everyone is trying to get to live the American Dream. I was talking with a friend whose mother is from Mozambique and she said her family in Moz lives in a village and that when they come here, after two days they want to go back to their village. My friend said that she doesn’t understand why they don’t like the more developed world but that her brother told her that some like their simple lives and don’t need to live a life that the world expects them to. I feel like I had such an American mindset that bigger is better and I am grateful that my mindset has changed. I never would have thought that people that lived in villages could enjoy that lifestyle. I remember writing an assignment in school about the benefits of colonization (there are none, no matter what you may think). I wrote things like ‘countries developed faster’ and ‘it was safer’. As I reflect on my naive answers, I realize that a lot of my peers think that way, and I wonder how, if ever, their mindset will change. I had to leave ‘Merica to figure it out, but not all of my peers will have that opportunity or have an open mind about it. In SA, there’s so much room for growth, that this country will look like a different world once it is fully developed. I feel like because not everyone is trying to get to the "top", because some are content with their lives of simplicity, there is more room for those who want the more westernized lifestyle. I have met some South Africans,of  my age group, who highly value the traditions they were raised to know and want to live their lives as their parents did. I know some that value their traditions but want to take a different route than their parents. I feel like the mix of my peers will make this country even greater. The strain between keeping the traditions vs developing the country further, sometimes hinders the chance to take advantage of opportunities, though. 
My host dad works in the banking industry but is also establishing his own business. His current job knows that he wants to start his own business and they support him. I feel like with the support of new ideas SA will grow rapidly. I also feel like the colonization in this country causes a hindrance too. This country is RICH! It is FILLED with so many natural resources, but the native people here don’t even get to see that wealth because the owners of the mines (who happen to be descendants of the people who once colonized this country and nearly all countries in Africa), are a controlling minority. The majority of black people live in townships which have shanty sections, and they work their butts off just to live in a house with running water. I am not saying every black person in SA is poor, I have seen and met many successful black people here, but that doesn’t negate the facts/statistics. Shanty towns do not define Africa as a continent or South Africa as a country, but are a reality for some. 
I love South Africa so much. It has its fair share of social issues, but so does the US. I think there needs to be a greater motivation for education in this country. The current President of this country, Jacob Zuma, did not receive any formal schooling. To some, that is culturally acceptable, and to others it is not at all. Back home, it is rare to see a 20 year old in a high school freshman class. Here, you can have one graduating class of all ages. South Africa is filled with foreigners. A lot of the foreigners come for school or working opportunities. I have a friend from Tanzania who finished high school there at age 16 but had to come to SA to repeat high school so that it could be globally recognized. This country is on fire and not 
even water can burn it out.

Snapchat: Be_Wanderlust