Cultural Immersion

One thing that attracted me to the trip specifically was that Malawi isn’t a very tourist-y country, so I knew that we’d be getting a more authentic experience, and it did not disappoint. Outside of riding on a bus with a guide, we were fully immersed in the culture, and I loved that about the trip. We were forced to interact with local people and learn about their culture rather than just sightseeing and enjoying excursions.  

I think the biggest different between American culture and Malawian culture is how nice and joyous everyone is. The first day we were in the villages, me and two other people from our group were standing and watching the kids get up and dance Infront of everyone. Since we were just standing there, one of the ladies over the village got me to dance Infront of all of the kids and I don’t think I’ve ever danced worse in my entire life. Although my dance moves weren’t the best, I didn’t feel embarrassed because of how happy the kids were. Everyone was having such a great time and you don’t get to experience many things like that in the US.

Also, this was the first time I was in the racial majority, and I didn’t realize how much it changed my behavior until I was asked about it. When Professor Kornegay asked me about how it felt, I didn’t know how to respond at first because it was something that I never really considered. In America, I have always been in the minority at school and work to the point where I don’t pay much attention to the racial diversity of my environment. Outside of being a tourist, I found that I was more comfortable simply because everyone else around me looked like me. I don’t remember being self-conscious about my mannerisms or the way I spoke during my time in Malawi, which is something that is a regular experience in the US. I didn’t even realize how relaxed my speech was until the boys from the African Bible College (ABC) started asking me to repeat myself. I guess I was letting that Spartanburg, SC accent come out a little bit.

All in all, I had a great time in Malawi and loved how we got to experience African culture in such an authentic way. Being so intimate with their culture helped me learn countless things about myself and I wouldn’t trade these experiences for the world. Thank you, Malawi.