Mettle- (n) courage and fortitude
I subscribe to dictionary.com's word of the day, in which the website sends one interesting or seldom employed word to interested parties each day. Today's word was mettle, which I have recently become reacquainted with thanks to good ol' Will Shakespeare. I thought it was appropriate to share and think about. The definition of mettle could also read:
Mettle- (n) something of which I have naught
How am I leaving, in less than forty-eight hours, to travel halfway around the world, leaving what I know behind, without strong mettle? Is it normal to feel sheer terror at the idea of gaining a piece of the independence and self-reliance I yearn for?
I'm not sure exactly what I feel. Sheer terror, yes, but not in such an overwhelming sense that there isn't room for anxiety, eagerness, and curiosity as well. I have been vaguely planning this trip for nearly a year and a half and now it's year; I am approaching the culmination of a year and a half's worth of emotions.
I suppose what I feel most strongly is doubt, along with the terror, anxiety, eagerness, and curiosity. I doubt my ability to exist outside of the context I have known for my entire life. However I define myself, it includes at some level an existence within the sphere of the United States. I know that South African culture is not radically different from that of American [mainstream] culture, but it is the period and process of adapting that I see as both my biggest challenge and excitement. What gaffes will I make? Who might I offend? When will I act like a normal South African? Where will I get lost? What happens if I never find my way back?
At a deeper level, I know I'll be just fine. Realistically, what's the worst that could happen? Barring terrorist attacks and freak natural disasters, my potential damages consist of being mugged, being mauled, or accidentally offending a South African with my cultural ignorance.
What ignorance is that? I have read books, other travelers' blogs, travel advisories. I have attended orientations and listened to first-hand experience. I have made phone calls and e-mails and filled out an abundance of paperwork. I even learned how to make foreign wire-transfers and apply for a visa. What more could I do to prepare myself before I leave?
"Nothing," says the squeaky but wise little voice in my head. "Just Go."
What a foudroyant realization. Could this possibly be the mettle I need?
Maybe, maybe not. If not mettle, then certainly a reasonable helping of common sense. That, along with a few deep breathing exercises and plenty of flexibility, should be all I need.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Cadastre
Cadastre- (n) from the Italian line by line, an official register of property ownership used for taxation purposes
In a mostly unrelated note:
-The Golden Boy
-La familia
-the Humboldt crew
-the Humboldt air, the Humboldt beaches, the Humboldt rain
-the Humboldt crew
-the Humboldt air, the Humboldt beaches, the Humboldt rain
-good hugs, at least for a while
-Redwood trees, Sequoia sempervirens
-Two house-cats and a box turtle
-familiarity
-late night runs through sprinklers
-solace
-late night runs through sprinklers
-solace
-a disproportionate distribution of free time dominated by the internet
-complacency
-monotony
-social introversion
-my comfort zone
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Prolegomenon, Part 2
"Why South Africa?"
South Africa could justly be declared the land of diversity.
The Homo sapiens sapiens alone come from so many different historical, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds that other members of the species trek all the way to South Africa simply to observe the society. South Africa, since the 1994 election, has eleven national languages: Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, Tsonga, Afrikaans, English, Sotho, Pedi, Setswana, Siswati, and Venda. South Africa's Cape of Good Hope was a colony of Portugal, Holland, and the British Empire. Under British control, Indian and Malaysian people were brought to South Africa to work as slaves and indentured servants, including Mahatma Gandhi. The descendants of the Dutch colonists have developed a culture and language all their own. With so many sources of perspectives, South Africa has become entirely unique.
One thing I suffer from as an American is being surrounded with (or possibly surrounding myself with) people who embody the same ideals, with similar backgrounds and common challenges in life. What better way to learn more about other inhabitants of the world than to be immersed in a culture that has somewhat forcefully integrated people from so many different parts of the world? I'm interested in hearing what other people think: about environmental issues, about politics, about cloud classification, whatever.
Then, what most people think of when we hear 'Africa', the biological diversity is what I am eager to experience. To be living on a different continent, with different indigenous trees, grasses, myrmecos (ants, for anyone unaware), and other critters completely unbeknownst to me will be adventure enough to satiate an aspiring zoologist. I think one of my first outings will be to purchase a guide to the plants and animals of the Eastern Cape.
But, the responsibilities I am accepting in my future as a zoologist consist of more than looking at the diverse forms of wildlife. I shall endeavor to teach and encourage others to preserve the vast array of wild species that can be found on the planet. South Africa today is renowned for its national parks and wildlife preserves, but this has not always been the case. Colonizers eager to exploit the natural bounty of sub-Saharan Africa unfortunately obliterated two species from the South African landscape: the quagga and the blaubok (blue buck, in English)
Due to hunting fancies and desires for exotic souvenirs on the part of the settlers, neither of these ungulates remain today. The situation becomes even more tragic when we learn the blaubok was an animal of sacred significance to certain Bantu tribes, forbidden from being killed by spears or knives. Such lack of care furthered conflict between colonists and Africans and more importantly, removed animals undoubtedly valuable to their respective ecosystems.
Today though, much has changed. South Africa depends on the well-being of its wilder inhabitants to encourage tourists to flock to the country in search of adventure safaris. The South African government struggles with widespread poaching of extremely endangered black rhinoceroses, whose horns are believed to be a cure for cancer in Vietnamese traditional medicine. I am incredibly grateful for the chance to observe wildlife and also learn how to help conserve plants and animals for the future of our planet.
Each population and community plays a key role in the functioning of any biotic level. In a somewhat realistic teleological sense, perhaps I will be starting to fulfill my potential role as a caretaker of the biotic community by learning about biodiversity. However, it's even more realistic (and thoroughly disheartening) to point out how much carbon dioxide I will be contributing to the atmosphere by flying in a jumbo jet around the world to learn how to help the creatures suffering from our destructive actions. Not entirely sure how to reconcile that paradox.
South Africa could justly be declared the land of diversity.
The Homo sapiens sapiens alone come from so many different historical, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds that other members of the species trek all the way to South Africa simply to observe the society. South Africa, since the 1994 election, has eleven national languages: Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, Tsonga, Afrikaans, English, Sotho, Pedi, Setswana, Siswati, and Venda. South Africa's Cape of Good Hope was a colony of Portugal, Holland, and the British Empire. Under British control, Indian and Malaysian people were brought to South Africa to work as slaves and indentured servants, including Mahatma Gandhi. The descendants of the Dutch colonists have developed a culture and language all their own. With so many sources of perspectives, South Africa has become entirely unique.
One thing I suffer from as an American is being surrounded with (or possibly surrounding myself with) people who embody the same ideals, with similar backgrounds and common challenges in life. What better way to learn more about other inhabitants of the world than to be immersed in a culture that has somewhat forcefully integrated people from so many different parts of the world? I'm interested in hearing what other people think: about environmental issues, about politics, about cloud classification, whatever.
Then, what most people think of when we hear 'Africa', the biological diversity is what I am eager to experience. To be living on a different continent, with different indigenous trees, grasses, myrmecos (ants, for anyone unaware), and other critters completely unbeknownst to me will be adventure enough to satiate an aspiring zoologist. I think one of my first outings will be to purchase a guide to the plants and animals of the Eastern Cape.
But, the responsibilities I am accepting in my future as a zoologist consist of more than looking at the diverse forms of wildlife. I shall endeavor to teach and encourage others to preserve the vast array of wild species that can be found on the planet. South Africa today is renowned for its national parks and wildlife preserves, but this has not always been the case. Colonizers eager to exploit the natural bounty of sub-Saharan Africa unfortunately obliterated two species from the South African landscape: the quagga and the blaubok (blue buck, in English)
Today though, much has changed. South Africa depends on the well-being of its wilder inhabitants to encourage tourists to flock to the country in search of adventure safaris. The South African government struggles with widespread poaching of extremely endangered black rhinoceroses, whose horns are believed to be a cure for cancer in Vietnamese traditional medicine. I am incredibly grateful for the chance to observe wildlife and also learn how to help conserve plants and animals for the future of our planet.
Each population and community plays a key role in the functioning of any biotic level. In a somewhat realistic teleological sense, perhaps I will be starting to fulfill my potential role as a caretaker of the biotic community by learning about biodiversity. However, it's even more realistic (and thoroughly disheartening) to point out how much carbon dioxide I will be contributing to the atmosphere by flying in a jumbo jet around the world to learn how to help the creatures suffering from our destructive actions. Not entirely sure how to reconcile that paradox.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Prolegomenon, Part 1
Prolegomenon- (n) a preliminary discussion, introductory essay, as prefatory matter in a book
A word, meaning prologue. An introduction, an overture, and a background to the adventure.
First, an introduction: I'm Jacqueline, an age nineteen junior at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California, U. S. of A. I like reptiles, garbanzo beans, thunderstorms, fish with funny faces, Alice in Wonderland, dollhouses, Doctor Who, surrealism, and fireflies.
An overture: I am going to study in Port Elizabeth, the Friendly City, in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. I will study zoology at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University for two semesters as a part of the California State University International Programs, CSUIP.
A background: a longer explanation, starting from the beginning: I have always wanted to see the world, to travel and experience new places. Luckily for me, the CSUIP allows for students in the CSU system, not known for their pecuniary endowments, to live and study in another part of the world for a year, with academic credit transfers and about the same tuition as an in-state resident of California.
I applied, wrote an essay, was interviewed, and was accepted to the program. One of the requirements to being accepted was one course with an African focus. I took an amazing class called Race, Class, and Culture of South Africa, which used an anthropological approach to explore South Africa from its origins as a Portuguese trading post to modern day, post-apartheid society. I read Nelson Mandela's autobiography along with other books about South African society, talked about the social implications of the human immunodeficiency virus/ acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic in South Africa, and I even did a research project on how the colonization of South Africa led to the modern day game reserves and national parks that are scattered throughout the country. This class prepared me more for entering South Africa than any tour book or orientation because it combined history with the anecdotal evidence of individuals. Now, more than simply wanting to see the world, I want to see the amazing people of South Africa, who managed to transition from a life of segregation to one that makes a conscious effort to acknowledge the rights and freedoms of every individual. I want to see the land that made leaders like Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Archbishop Desmond Tutu. I have read a variety of accounts of life in South Africa, both during and after apartheid, and I am simply awed by the struggle each person has had to undergo to reconcile with such a past.
I am going now, to learn about a new place, a new people, and a different past than the one I have been granted. I want to see how people have become tolerant of human rights. I believe everyone has a story to tell and I want to hear as many as possible. How do we love one another as humans, unconditionally? How can we forgive past grievances? What will it be like to see a different treatment of women, especially as a girl traveling alone? What will it be like to be an American abroad, a teenager, a white girl, or a Jewish girl?
I am going now, to learn about science and how a different culture treats scientific methods and discoveries, how science is taught at a university level to prepare professionals for the world, how teachers operate both as scientists and ambassadors to the natural world. How does Africa plan to solve problems of conservation for wildlife? How does the tribal past of Africans exist with the science of a modern, developing society? What solutions does South Africa have for the future?
I am going now, to learn about myself. How will I reconcile with myself in such a place? How will I learn information, interact with people, and experience the human condition? How will I manage away from the people and places I know and love? How will I think about the world differently having been exposed to more than my suburban America? How will I feel about home, my friends, my family having seen more and done more regarding one nation of this wide planet? Will I change, will I grow closer to the visions I have of myself as a good and decent person? Will I finally begin to establish my place in the world?
Many questions, much hope for answers. From the future. From myself. All made possible by the opportunity to learn, to grow, and to push the boundaries of each sphere we inhabit. Growing spheres, pushed outwards from the inside, intersect and find common ground amongst the shared areas of ideas, causes, and understanding. It has to start somewhere, right?
A word, meaning prologue. An introduction, an overture, and a background to the adventure.
First, an introduction: I'm Jacqueline, an age nineteen junior at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California, U. S. of A. I like reptiles, garbanzo beans, thunderstorms, fish with funny faces, Alice in Wonderland, dollhouses, Doctor Who, surrealism, and fireflies.
An overture: I am going to study in Port Elizabeth, the Friendly City, in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. I will study zoology at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University for two semesters as a part of the California State University International Programs, CSUIP.
A background: a longer explanation, starting from the beginning: I have always wanted to see the world, to travel and experience new places. Luckily for me, the CSUIP allows for students in the CSU system, not known for their pecuniary endowments, to live and study in another part of the world for a year, with academic credit transfers and about the same tuition as an in-state resident of California.
I applied, wrote an essay, was interviewed, and was accepted to the program. One of the requirements to being accepted was one course with an African focus. I took an amazing class called Race, Class, and Culture of South Africa, which used an anthropological approach to explore South Africa from its origins as a Portuguese trading post to modern day, post-apartheid society. I read Nelson Mandela's autobiography along with other books about South African society, talked about the social implications of the human immunodeficiency virus/ acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic in South Africa, and I even did a research project on how the colonization of South Africa led to the modern day game reserves and national parks that are scattered throughout the country. This class prepared me more for entering South Africa than any tour book or orientation because it combined history with the anecdotal evidence of individuals. Now, more than simply wanting to see the world, I want to see the amazing people of South Africa, who managed to transition from a life of segregation to one that makes a conscious effort to acknowledge the rights and freedoms of every individual. I want to see the land that made leaders like Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Archbishop Desmond Tutu. I have read a variety of accounts of life in South Africa, both during and after apartheid, and I am simply awed by the struggle each person has had to undergo to reconcile with such a past.
A list of books I have read about South African culture
-The Making of South Africa
-Country of My Skull
-Long Walk to Freedom
-The Struggle is my Life
-Kaffir Boy
-Cry the Beloved Country
-Age of Iron
-Disgrace
-Skinner's Drift
I am going now, to learn about a new place, a new people, and a different past than the one I have been granted. I want to see how people have become tolerant of human rights. I believe everyone has a story to tell and I want to hear as many as possible. How do we love one another as humans, unconditionally? How can we forgive past grievances? What will it be like to see a different treatment of women, especially as a girl traveling alone? What will it be like to be an American abroad, a teenager, a white girl, or a Jewish girl?
I am going now, to learn about science and how a different culture treats scientific methods and discoveries, how science is taught at a university level to prepare professionals for the world, how teachers operate both as scientists and ambassadors to the natural world. How does Africa plan to solve problems of conservation for wildlife? How does the tribal past of Africans exist with the science of a modern, developing society? What solutions does South Africa have for the future?
I am going now, to learn about myself. How will I reconcile with myself in such a place? How will I learn information, interact with people, and experience the human condition? How will I manage away from the people and places I know and love? How will I think about the world differently having been exposed to more than my suburban America? How will I feel about home, my friends, my family having seen more and done more regarding one nation of this wide planet? Will I change, will I grow closer to the visions I have of myself as a good and decent person? Will I finally begin to establish my place in the world?
Many questions, much hope for answers. From the future. From myself. All made possible by the opportunity to learn, to grow, and to push the boundaries of each sphere we inhabit. Growing spheres, pushed outwards from the inside, intersect and find common ground amongst the shared areas of ideas, causes, and understanding. It has to start somewhere, right?
Incunabulum
Incunabulum- (n) the earliest stages or first traces of anything.
This is a page that uses words. Learning new words is fun, right?
This page will use words, sometimes accompanied by pictures, to chronicle a journey. In a few days, I will step onto an airplane and fly to the other side of the world, leaving family, friends, and the familiarity of American culture behind. I am going to the Republic of South Africa for one academic year and I hope my life will be turned inside-out by the time I return.
My hopes are to use this page as a communication interface with friends and family at home. I would like to check in with the Yanks now and again, to confirm I haven't been devoured by hippopotami and the like. I would also like to take the opportunity (that's not a new word to you, but it's a big one in my life) to keep a digital record of my adventure. Part travel-log, part journal, part sounding board for new ideas and experiences. It may arguably last longer than a carbon-based, thread-bound notebook full of doodles and half-finished thoughts. Well, no promises. Not yet. This is merely the beginning.
I am going for a multitude of reasons, which I'll probably entail later (Spoilers!), but the foremost in my reasoning mind is to further my education as a zoologist. The skull in the background is that of Toxodon platensis, a late Pleistocene era mammal that resembled a modern day rhinoceros. See? More new words. Although, those are in Latin and neither you nor I will be held responsible for them. The sketch is actually one from Darwin's own hand, from a procurement in Argentina while upon the H.M.S. Beagle.
I have a meeting with a flying metal machine in nine days and fourteen hours. Until then, I will probably put more words on this page. Mostly English, maybe some Latin, maybe some Xhosa or Afrikaans.
This is merely the start, but this is the end of the start. Come with me?
This is a page that uses words. Learning new words is fun, right?
This page will use words, sometimes accompanied by pictures, to chronicle a journey. In a few days, I will step onto an airplane and fly to the other side of the world, leaving family, friends, and the familiarity of American culture behind. I am going to the Republic of South Africa for one academic year and I hope my life will be turned inside-out by the time I return.
My hopes are to use this page as a communication interface with friends and family at home. I would like to check in with the Yanks now and again, to confirm I haven't been devoured by hippopotami and the like. I would also like to take the opportunity (that's not a new word to you, but it's a big one in my life) to keep a digital record of my adventure. Part travel-log, part journal, part sounding board for new ideas and experiences. It may arguably last longer than a carbon-based, thread-bound notebook full of doodles and half-finished thoughts. Well, no promises. Not yet. This is merely the beginning.
I am going for a multitude of reasons, which I'll probably entail later (Spoilers!), but the foremost in my reasoning mind is to further my education as a zoologist. The skull in the background is that of Toxodon platensis, a late Pleistocene era mammal that resembled a modern day rhinoceros. See? More new words. Although, those are in Latin and neither you nor I will be held responsible for them. The sketch is actually one from Darwin's own hand, from a procurement in Argentina while upon the H.M.S. Beagle.
I have a meeting with a flying metal machine in nine days and fourteen hours. Until then, I will probably put more words on this page. Mostly English, maybe some Latin, maybe some Xhosa or Afrikaans.
This is merely the start, but this is the end of the start. Come with me?
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