Day 14: Half Way Across the World, and We're Still the Same

Today was a busy but very good day. We spent the afternoon and evening at the Arundel Jesuit secondary school for girls. We shared a very formal meal with the students and staff, answered questions about Gonzaga in a career discussion, met with the choir and exchanged songs and vocal techniques, and performed in an evening concert for the students, teachers, families, and community members. The performance was a special one for all of us for a couple of reasons. For one, Celeste was able to play on a full piano, so some of our most powerful pieces such as "Afternoon on a Hill" and "Invictus" were able to greatly enhance our set and overall performance. I think the main reason this performance was so powerful and fulfilling for many people was because of the time we spent this evening reflecting on some of the deeper meanings in our songs and how they relate to the experiences we've had in the past two weeks in Zambia and Zimbabwe. Many of our songs convey a sense of sorrow and pain, but these feelings are consistently juxtaposed with hope and optimism. Even though we have been challenged by observations of injustice and inequality here, the genuine friendships we are forming and the sharing of cultures through music has allowed us and our new friends to develop a more complete understanding of each other. Peace, joy, and hope often emerge in the celebrations of both our similarities and our differences.

In my own experiences, I have found that the differences in cultures are what are most obvious, but often lack depth of understanding. The similarities I discovered though, especially the ones that I didn't expect to find, have contributed to some of the most impactful moments on this trip. For example, some of the most meaningful friendships I have developed are with medical students and doctors from the various local choirs. (For those that don't know me, I just graduated with a degree in biology and will be attending medical school starting this August.) I am not sure what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that people in medicine here are just as ambitious and serious about making a difference in the world as in the United States. I regret to say that I think I had an implicit expectation that people in Africa rely on outside assistance for dealing with social issues such as health and poverty. My new friends quickly helped shatter this assumption and many others by explaining the high quality medical education in both Zambia and Zimbabwe, demonstrating a sense of extreme loyalty to serving the people in their country, and informing me of the great improvements in public health issues (such as HIV/AIDS) led by efforts from local initiatives. In conversations with my new friends, especially with Jean-Baptiste and Adore, I found that we were able to discuss common issues in science and medicine despite living on the other side of the world from each other and growing up in very different cultures and speaking different languages. For me, my perception of the people living in Zambia and Zimbabwe has been radically changed. I challenge everyone, especially those who have never been to Africa, to critically evaluate what your expectations are for what the people here are like, and where those ideas came from. The people here are more similar to myself and everyone I know than I would have guessed. For me, it was hard to understand this until I met real people here and talked with them and discovered more similarities than differences. My friend Adore made a very good point last night when he told me that people assume they understand a culture because they have seen it in the media, but this gives a very incomplete view of the entire picture. Adore explained to me that many people in Zimbabwe think that America is the greatest place in the world because they think all of America is like Hollywood. Adore has been to the United States and understands that this is false. As I was thinking about the media that may have led to some of my assumptions about African people and culture, I realized I was coming up with examples such as commercials on TV for a charity that helps extremely poor children in Africa, or the movie "The Gods Must Be Crazy". Just like Hollywood does exist in America, these portrayals may be accurate in some places, but these specific examples certainly may not define our perception of the entire whole of Africa. We have visited urban capital cities on this trip such as Lusaka and Harare, as well as more rural areas, such as the Chicuni Mission. Nothing I have experienced is anything like what I have seen on TV. Yes there is quite a bit of poverty, but the majority of the people are not helpless, have access to technology, and are often quite content in their own circumstances. This has really challenged my perception of the world. It has fostered a growth in my understanding of other cultures as well as my own.

On a musical note (pun intended), while some of the cultural musical styles are very different from ours, some of the most special experiences have resulted from the parts that are the same. For example, yesterday we were learning a traditional song and dance from the Chitungwize Harmony Singers and I noticed that there was a group of Zimbabwean guys trying to figure out a rhythm using drums and wood blocks. They were speaking a different language and I couldn't understand what they were saying, but I stepped in and started clapping the rhythm with them. They seemed to get excited that I was able to figure out the rhythm and invited me and a couple other GU students to clack the wood blocks with them during the dance. Even though we didn't say anything in English to each other, we were all in sync and were dancing and enjoying being with each other. This is one example that demonstrates to me the power of the universality of rhythm and music. Music transcends cultural barriers and brings people together from diverse backgrounds to produce something beautiful with each other.

As biology student, I don't think my post would be complete without an account of the wildlife we have encountered on this trip. I want my family to know that in this regard, this trip has fulfilled many of my childhood dreams. :) We've seen many geckos, skinks, a chameleon, mongooses (mongeese?), frogs, toads, birds, goats, many large and colorful insects, baboons, zebra, warthogs, and a tortoise! I was lucky enough to go on a safari in Victoria Falls where I saw wild elephants, giraffes, kudu, impala, and black rhinos as well. Sean, Ian, and I also went to a place called the "Snake Pit" where we got a personal tour from an expert herpetologist (reptile scientist) through his collection of around 60 different snakes from around the world. He even let us hold a few of the nonvenomous ones! While I am here in Zambia and Zimbabwe primarily to engage in cultural exchanges with the people here, I am very glad that I have also been able to experience my own "cultural exchanges" with the animals of Africa as well. 

Thanks to all of you reading about our Gonzaga choir adventures in Africa. Your support and well-wishes mean everything to us!

To my family- Miss you and see you soon!

Nick Braukmann

B.S. Biology 2017