Daddys Girl and the Avocado

Culture shocks are something that occur when you move to a new place. They are a discomfort that is produced when we witness the behaviors of a people with a drastically different way of living. Personally; I havent had many thus far as I try to keep an open mind, and many of my friends at home have lived in close to third world conditions (waters edge, cedar village, 532 come to mind).

The oddities that Ive experienced have typically been on the lighter side; Burkinabe fashion for example. While the country was colonized by the French; there is a lack of Haut Couture.

Popular T-shirts here include; GIANT middle finger hand with several flashy rings, (I saw this number being worn by a kid of about 8), A sleevless white T (manufactured sleeveless, not altered) reading First Lady Fanclub Hillary Rodham Clinton (I saw a grown man sporting this one), a Pulaski Family Reunion Peoria IL shirt, and last but not least, my personal favorite, the pink Tshirt with Daddys Girl written in pink sparkles (seen on a hip younger male on his way to the club). I dont know that I quite understand the process that went in to spotting, buying, and eventually wearing the shirt. Though to a young burkinabe guy trying very hard to look hip, something with a little bling goes a long way.

There is a contest going to see if people can find a tshirt from their university. A few people have been successful.

(((DISCLAIMER!!! Dont get me wrong though. Typically Burkabe dress to the nines. I am constantly surpised at how crisp and clean their clothes are despite the dirt and dust. Men usually wear collared button down shirts and dress slacks with nice shoes and women get clothes made from fabric available at the markets. )))

The fashion oddities that occur here raise an interesting point. They highlight the fact that there is a worldwide cycle of materials. The items that are most desirable are held onto for a longer period of time while those less desirable are given away (why throw out perfectly good clothes when someone else could use them!). However, there are certain items that nobody ever wanted...ever. They are either in very bad taste or totally missed their mark, the giant middle finger shirt for example. Perhaps one misled teenager somewhere in Iowa thought it to be cool for a summer until his mom made him stop wearing it and it ended up in a church donation bin. While these donation bins exist with the purpose of clothing the naked, they inundate the third world with the remnants of our fashion-forward throw-away culture. This doesnt mean I dont crack a smile or even laugh just a little bit when I see a grown man in a Hillary Clinton sleeveless T.

Moving on... Children here are very creative. At the risk of sounding like a curmudgeon, they have fun without fancy toys, video games, or expensive fads. They make most of the toys that they play with. The classic toy ¨a tire¨ is very popular, especially when propelled down the street with ¨a stick¨. My personal favorite though is the (blank) on a string, the item could be a rock, a bag, a box, a bit of plastic, another bit of string, or my personal favorite; the avocado. Another volunteer described a perpetually naked boy in his village that ran around for two days with a pet avocado on a string before eventually caving in and eating it. One volunteer sighted a group of 3 children with pet boxes followed by a child dragging a computer motherboard on a string. So they arent all completely low tech.

Villages usually have a few people with TVs. And some people even have a DVD player. The movie selection consists of bootleg kung-fu flicks. The young boys here LOVE Ong-Bak, The Thai Warrior (and lets be honest I do to). You cant take a picture of them without them striking a killer martial arts pose. However their love of Ong Bak has led to a bit of brand recognition and concurrent imitation. I saw a movie labeled Ong Bak 6 at the marché, and I know for a fact that there have not been 4 new Thai Warrior movies made since I left the U.S. (yes I know The Protector is not technically Ong Bak 2, but lets be honest...it is Ong Bak 2).

Well thats enough cultural oddities for the day. Ive experienced some others but I dont want to give away all of my good material at one time. Thanks for reading!