Encounters with God - the Colonial Imagination lives On
In cape town for a few days, I found myself puzzled by the way the city felt so European. History informs everything I suppose, but I've never been to a place where that seemed so very obvious. Staying at a central hostel for a week meant I made a few friends -- mostly Dutch, as it seems that South Africa is a popular destination for both Dutch and German tourists -- but I spent most of my time with a friendly Norwegian girl who had just finished an overland tour from Nairobi. The European imagination really seems to center on Africa as a place to unload anxieties and dreams - and extra cash. I also suffer from this peculiar malady - why I am here, I dont know. One French man arrived and immediately decided to spend a small fortune on material goods to distribute in a poor neighborhood. He was particularly insistent that he be the one handing out these groceries and household supplies - it wouldn't do to just deliver them to a local school. He needed to see the faces of ...