This past Thursday, December 20, 2012, the South African police fired rubber bullets into a crowd of hundreds of gold mine workers. Harmony Gold, a company in Johannesburg, suspended over 600 gold mine workers only days prior to the shooting. The workers were on strike do to poor working conditions and extremely low wages.
The protest Thursday was triggered due to the fact that the African National Congress decided to agree with the windfall tax on the profits of the mining companies. The ANC also re elected Jacob Zuma as its leader in hopes of attracting strong and promising investors as well as reach out to unions that will increase the benefits of the mine workers.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Africa
It looks as though this class will be a great introduction to Africa and what it is all about. Africa is indeed a country that intrigues most of us. There are so many traditions, cultures and trends that differ greatly from Westerners. It is the uniqueness of Africa that made me decide that this would be the course for me.
Because I am an open minded person and I am an active listener, I believe that I will be a great addition to this class. I am not a judgemental person. I believe that even though we may have different values, morals, traditions and cultures, we are all still human and we are all created equally. I may sometime disagree with others but it is only right to have our own opinions. I feel that my character will bring a common ground to this course. I am open and free to learn about others who may be a bit different from me.
I am interested in learning more about Africa's economic status because that is something that I know nothing about. I actually know more about Italy and its debt crisis than I do about Africa's financial situation. This class will teach me about Africa and its economic and political stance.
I am familiar with some of the written works about Africa. I am especially enlightened by the different African dances and what they mean. I also like the face and body painting that has been passed down from generation to generation. There have been many literary works that have focused on Africa. I have not read them all but I have glanced at a few.
This class will be a wonderful way for me to broaden my knowledge on different places that I am planning on visiting one day. Maybe I will get the opportunity through this class to travel to other countries such as Africa. That would be an awesome adventure.
Because I am an open minded person and I am an active listener, I believe that I will be a great addition to this class. I am not a judgemental person. I believe that even though we may have different values, morals, traditions and cultures, we are all still human and we are all created equally. I may sometime disagree with others but it is only right to have our own opinions. I feel that my character will bring a common ground to this course. I am open and free to learn about others who may be a bit different from me.
I am interested in learning more about Africa's economic status because that is something that I know nothing about. I actually know more about Italy and its debt crisis than I do about Africa's financial situation. This class will teach me about Africa and its economic and political stance.
I am familiar with some of the written works about Africa. I am especially enlightened by the different African dances and what they mean. I also like the face and body painting that has been passed down from generation to generation. There have been many literary works that have focused on Africa. I have not read them all but I have glanced at a few.
This class will be a wonderful way for me to broaden my knowledge on different places that I am planning on visiting one day. Maybe I will get the opportunity through this class to travel to other countries such as Africa. That would be an awesome adventure.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Reflections
Looking back over the past 10 weeks, being a part of this class has been a phenomenal experience! The first couple of weeks I was terrified because I did not know what to expect even though I had read the syllabus over and over. I honestly thought that the course would see religion from one point of view. This was not the case. The course taught me that religion has so many different aspects and so many different qualities are displayed within each religion. It also taught me how "easy" we have it in America verses how some countries struggle with daily life because of the obstacles that they face. This was a valuable lesson to me.
I wish that I could have taken more time to learn each culture more in depth but time did not allow. The only surprise that I had was the ease at learning geography. It was a subject that I have strayed away from because I thought it was boring. The way our professor structured the class, it made learning fun and it kept my attention. Each week, I looked forward to completing assignments before they were due because I had a yearning to learn more and more. This was very unusual for me because normally I am so bored with class that I want to just scream!
This class also allowed me to learn how to blog. This was something I shied away from because I did not now how to even create a blog. Now that I know, I may just blog just for the fun of it!
I am so glad that I chose to take this class this summer. I have already recommended it to several friends.
I wish that I could have taken more time to learn each culture more in depth but time did not allow. The only surprise that I had was the ease at learning geography. It was a subject that I have strayed away from because I thought it was boring. The way our professor structured the class, it made learning fun and it kept my attention. Each week, I looked forward to completing assignments before they were due because I had a yearning to learn more and more. This was very unusual for me because normally I am so bored with class that I want to just scream!
This class also allowed me to learn how to blog. This was something I shied away from because I did not now how to even create a blog. Now that I know, I may just blog just for the fun of it!
I am so glad that I chose to take this class this summer. I have already recommended it to several friends.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
American Gypsies
I had the pleasure of watching a show by the name of American Gypsies. Because I have a love for learning about other cultures and religious beliefs etc..., I decided to tune in one night to this show. I found out some interesting facts about these particular gypsies. The family that the show focuses on is the John's family. Unlike our culture, they believe in marrying very young. They even discuss marriage with their children at a very young age. However, they does not mean that if you are a Gypsies that you can just marry anyone that you choose because you do not have that pleasure. You can only marry another Gypsies. If you are defiant and decide to marry someone who is not a Gypsies, you will be considered an outcast in the Gypsie community.
Another belief that gypsies have is that they believe that all of their women poses psychic abilities. They consider this a gift and they prepare their young girls at a really young age to be psychic readers.
Gypsies do not mix with those who are non gypsies. Or at least, this is what they prefer. It is considered shameful to do so (especially when marrying a non gypsy).
Gypsies are not Egyptian but what they call Romani aka Rom. They consider non gypsies to be Gaje (ga jay). This simply means that you are not a gypsy or Rom.
The last bit of information that I found out by watching this show is that in the Gypsy culture, the youngest has to listen to what the older sibling tells them to do. This is the only similarity that I found to be close to what we believe.
I really enjoyed the show and the interesting facts. I look forward to learning more and more about this culture.
Another belief that gypsies have is that they believe that all of their women poses psychic abilities. They consider this a gift and they prepare their young girls at a really young age to be psychic readers.
Gypsies do not mix with those who are non gypsies. Or at least, this is what they prefer. It is considered shameful to do so (especially when marrying a non gypsy).
Gypsies are not Egyptian but what they call Romani aka Rom. They consider non gypsies to be Gaje (ga jay). This simply means that you are not a gypsy or Rom.
The last bit of information that I found out by watching this show is that in the Gypsy culture, the youngest has to listen to what the older sibling tells them to do. This is the only similarity that I found to be close to what we believe.
I really enjoyed the show and the interesting facts. I look forward to learning more and more about this culture.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Is It All In The Name
From a youth, I have heard that your name will carry you places. Needless to say, I did not know that this covered a lot of ground.
I had the pleasure of reading an article by Lydia Minatoya titled Transformation. It was a short synopsis of how she got her American name even though she had Japanese in her blood. She told how she was treated as a little girl and how it changed when she began to grow and mature.
There are so many cultures that choose to adapt to the American way by having an American name. There are various reasons why people of different cultures choose to do this. Some do it because they want their child or even themselves to be recognized as an American. Some do it so that they will not be stereotyped. Some people do this because so many people pronounce their birth name incorrectly. The list goes on and on. The question is,'Is it all in the name?"
I have been mistaken for being a different race because of my name. Even when I put my ethnicity on a form, they will sometimes call me and ask did I check the wrong box! I think to myself, "Shouldn't I at least know my race?". But what about other cultures? For example, Chinese people that you meet named Amy. It does not seem typical but an American name seems to make life easier for a lot of people. Even me and I am born and bred American.
Some jobs even fill positions based upon quotas of different races/cultures that they need. They will not tell you but they sometimes look at your name to determine what nationality you are. I do not agree with this but I guess it is true....it is all in the name!
I had the pleasure of reading an article by Lydia Minatoya titled Transformation. It was a short synopsis of how she got her American name even though she had Japanese in her blood. She told how she was treated as a little girl and how it changed when she began to grow and mature.
There are so many cultures that choose to adapt to the American way by having an American name. There are various reasons why people of different cultures choose to do this. Some do it because they want their child or even themselves to be recognized as an American. Some do it so that they will not be stereotyped. Some people do this because so many people pronounce their birth name incorrectly. The list goes on and on. The question is,'Is it all in the name?"
I have been mistaken for being a different race because of my name. Even when I put my ethnicity on a form, they will sometimes call me and ask did I check the wrong box! I think to myself, "Shouldn't I at least know my race?". But what about other cultures? For example, Chinese people that you meet named Amy. It does not seem typical but an American name seems to make life easier for a lot of people. Even me and I am born and bred American.
Some jobs even fill positions based upon quotas of different races/cultures that they need. They will not tell you but they sometimes look at your name to determine what nationality you are. I do not agree with this but I guess it is true....it is all in the name!
Friday, June 29, 2012
One Haitian Family in Miami, Florida
I have the pleasure of knowing so many people from different walks of life. They range from upper class societies to lower class. I love everyone and I never shun from anyone no matter where they came from or what they have.
I love meeting people from different countries. Four years ago I met one distinct family from Haiti that now resides in Miami, Florida. It has been amazing to me how different our lifestyles are.
On the outside, this family seems to be very loving etc...However, once I got to know them, I found out that they see things a little differently than most of the people that I know. The mother of this family, who is in her early 60's feels as though she had seven children in order for them to take care of her. She said that she feels as though when they turned 13 years old that they should find a job and begin contributing to the house bills. She said that she does not put any thought into the kids obtaining a higher education. She feels that education comes from what she teaches them. She expects her kids, who now range from 28-42, to responsible for her bills, travel, clothing, pocket money, lottery money and food. I am wondering if this is a cultural way of thinking? It just does not seem like logical thinking to me. To top things off, she makes it a point to turn her kids against their father in order to get them to "not to" give him money just so that she can get it ALL! I really want to know if this is the way that most families from Haiti think and live or is it just an individual way of doing things?
Another thing that this mother does is that she expects her children to make her bills etc...a priority. She said her mortagage needs to be paid first and theirs need to be paid secondary. She said that way, if they lose their home, they will still have a place to reside at her place. If at any time, any of her children does not comply to her demands, she literally disowns them until they finally feel like there is no choice but to give her the money. Is this ethical? Is this the correct way to treat anyone especially those you love?
I would like to get to know more and more about Haitians. There is so much that I can tell about this family but time will not allow in this one blog. However, I will continue to learn more and more about this family as well as other Haitian families, so that I can learn and compare different cultural lifestyles.
I love meeting people from different countries. Four years ago I met one distinct family from Haiti that now resides in Miami, Florida. It has been amazing to me how different our lifestyles are.
On the outside, this family seems to be very loving etc...However, once I got to know them, I found out that they see things a little differently than most of the people that I know. The mother of this family, who is in her early 60's feels as though she had seven children in order for them to take care of her. She said that she feels as though when they turned 13 years old that they should find a job and begin contributing to the house bills. She said that she does not put any thought into the kids obtaining a higher education. She feels that education comes from what she teaches them. She expects her kids, who now range from 28-42, to responsible for her bills, travel, clothing, pocket money, lottery money and food. I am wondering if this is a cultural way of thinking? It just does not seem like logical thinking to me. To top things off, she makes it a point to turn her kids against their father in order to get them to "not to" give him money just so that she can get it ALL! I really want to know if this is the way that most families from Haiti think and live or is it just an individual way of doing things?
Another thing that this mother does is that she expects her children to make her bills etc...a priority. She said her mortagage needs to be paid first and theirs need to be paid secondary. She said that way, if they lose their home, they will still have a place to reside at her place. If at any time, any of her children does not comply to her demands, she literally disowns them until they finally feel like there is no choice but to give her the money. Is this ethical? Is this the correct way to treat anyone especially those you love?
I would like to get to know more and more about Haitians. There is so much that I can tell about this family but time will not allow in this one blog. However, I will continue to learn more and more about this family as well as other Haitian families, so that I can learn and compare different cultural lifestyles.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
From Russia to the Home of the Brave
The United States has been known as a melting pot for centuries. People from around the globe have migrated to the land of the free and the home of the brave in order to find opportunities for advancement.
After Hurricane Katrina, I had the pleasure of meeting many people that were from different cultures. When I was a toddler, my parents were friends with a chiropractor who was from Canada but his wife had migrated from Russia. She often tells her story to the local high school. She tells about her push factor was that the government was extremely stern. She could no longer stand it and she stated that when she was a little girl, she would always say that she would leave Russia. Before she was 18, she was able to leave with a friend and her family. She left her mother, father and two siblings for a better life. She did not know what she was going to have to face but she had a dream that it would be better than her living conditions that she lived in. Her friends father and mother painted a beautiful picture of America and she wanted it all.
Once she settled in, it did not take long to get use to the lifestyle of U. S. citizens. She loved it. She enrolled in school and from there, she lived as though she had won the lottery! Her parents never came to the states and neither did her siblings. They felt betrayed by her. However, she felt that this was a decision that was made that formed and shaped her life for the best.
After Hurricane Katrina, I had the pleasure of meeting many people that were from different cultures. When I was a toddler, my parents were friends with a chiropractor who was from Canada but his wife had migrated from Russia. She often tells her story to the local high school. She tells about her push factor was that the government was extremely stern. She could no longer stand it and she stated that when she was a little girl, she would always say that she would leave Russia. Before she was 18, she was able to leave with a friend and her family. She left her mother, father and two siblings for a better life. She did not know what she was going to have to face but she had a dream that it would be better than her living conditions that she lived in. Her friends father and mother painted a beautiful picture of America and she wanted it all.
Once she settled in, it did not take long to get use to the lifestyle of U. S. citizens. She loved it. She enrolled in school and from there, she lived as though she had won the lottery! Her parents never came to the states and neither did her siblings. They felt betrayed by her. However, she felt that this was a decision that was made that formed and shaped her life for the best.
One World Many People, I think this class is interesting it points on all topics culture, race, religion , geographics . Being that religion is a big part of my life and I am a preacher's kid. (lol) I find it amazing to learn about other culturs and other religions. Being raised a certin way had an effect on my thinking about other cultures and how their practice of religion differs from mine . I like to learn about different people and their cultures and how they live and how it effects them, and getting different views and conversations started is a good way to learn about others. Being raised as a preacher's kid has a lot of advantages and some disadvantages, because I was taught only one religion I didn't have any idea on other religion or how other cultures practice their own religion . This class will give me a better understanding on all the different religions that are being practiced. 
I am a diverse person and I like to engage in different things as well as have a good conversation on other peoples views on life. I like to have fun and learn new things about anybody.
I am a diverse person and I like to engage in different things as well as have a good conversation on other peoples views on life. I like to have fun and learn new things about anybody.
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