Apartheid is offically past, but there’s still something really wrong with this country. Just take a look at the series of photos I took on my way into the campus this morning. Yes, that’s a fingerprint reader at the campus gate. Note also the fancy electronic fence that surrounds Unilofts, the student apartment building we all live in. Encountering a guard armed with an assault rifle is also not an uncommon sight inside the campus area. They never really told us what are the possible threats we’d be facing. Just don’t go alone in the dark... Well, I’ve been to the local supermarket (it’s a Spar!) for a couple of times alone already. In the afternoon. Didn’t really felt my self really threatened.
Another thing that keeps suprising me is the abundant hospitality and joy that most people here get from just meeting other people. I wouldn’t have said ‘Merry Christmas’ to a sport office secretary lady after asking about the pool on Monday 2nd December. Not just yet. Maybe week before the C-day. Maybe. Nevertheless, after thanking the secretary exuberantly, my Kenyan colleague wished all the best for the rest of the year and Merry Christmas. But of course!Over a cup of coffee, my colleague gave me a reasonable if somewhat harsh theory for this tradition of ample greetings: it is just so highly likely that those people might not ever meet again in areound here. ‘In Kenya, if you’re not hit by a truck, you’re hit by AIDS.’ I’ve never thought of that.
On Tuesday afternoon I was going to drop some prints to my Student Representative Council colleagues. Well, try to survive a visit to a Kenyan or Simbawean in less than 5 minutes. No way. Coffee is a necessity. Grapes? Why not? Sit down a talk for a half an hour? Okay, making dinner can wait.I’m starting to like this. ‘Hello, how are you today?’ Yes, it’s almost natural already. Tomorrow I’ll sit quietly in my room and celebrate Finnish indepence. Just kidding, luckily I have some black and tasty treats with me as well as a nice bottle of organic clear drink. Time for ubuntu on 6th Dec!
Did you watch the presidential reception of the Finnish Indepence in Tampere house? With Noora, Veera, Veera's mother Jaana, Risto and Nappe we shared the enjoyable and touching musical rhapsody with the finest texts of the Finnish literature. Of course we enjoyded to see Antti and Paukku shaking hands with the presidental couple. During that unique event Tampere also experienced a worthless gang of robbers (as the police named them) trying to force their way to Tampere house and crushing with ice hockey rackets everything on the way like windows, including the Old Church windows and hitting police horses causing gashes. This was not a demostration, which could be justified, unfortunately, this violent group of 200-300 people had equiped with bangs and rackets. And what to demonstrate, this year a grater part of guests represented ordinary people. With love, Mum
ReplyDeleteThe death of Nelson Mandela touches the whole world. Ellu described me what an experience it was to meet Mandela personally in a meeting in 1995 where Mandela gave his thanks to Northern leaders for the support in his freedom fight. Mandela had a special surrounding aura Ellu described. The idea (perspective) of man and justice are the heritage of his life and basicly fatefully for the future world as well. Sauli Niinistö will attend Nelson Mandela' funeral ceremony. With love, Mum
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