Every once in a while I experience thoughts, feelings, notions or videos that make me demand myself to know why I'm not living in Africa and am instead wasting my life doing whatever it is I'm doing. It all started in college when I took an intro to anthropology class at the very last second. I honestly can't remember ten seconds of class discussion (maybe because i rarely went) but I loved the reading. One was of my teacher's experience living in Africa amongst a tribe whose name I can't recall and I basically fell in love. Lots of things to inspire those feelings pop up here and there and here's a video that did it again. But then, mom and baby elephants are one of my achilles heels so I was doomed from the start:
(you could watch from the beginning or start around 4:00. A baby elephant fell into a pit/well or something and these guys are trying to help it out)
4 comments:
Oh man, I watched this the other day and I missed the whole reunion because I was already bawling before it happened. And then I watched it again. And I missed it again. Because of the tears and all the feelings.
Great, thanks for making me cry before 10am. Sheesh.
Africa is awesome, although I certainly never did anything as cool as saving a baby elephant. I got to go twice (Namibia for 2 months, Tanzania for 4), but unlike some places, you can never check Africa off your bucket list of places to go. Because you always just want to go back again. (I would joke that it gets in your blood-- and I'm not just talking about the parasites! Rim shot.)
Some day when I actually meet you, we'll have to discuss anthropology teachers. I took a class that I also NEVER went to (9am, attendance not required. it was doomed). And the professor who ran the Namibia trip (Dr. Crandall) was an interesting guy-- studied the Himba people and kind of an expert on them. But also grew up in S. California, studied at Oxford and then somehow never lost his British accent... Hmmm...
Now I'm back to wondering how I can get my whole family to Africa...
Hahaha, oh Kim. :D
alanna-- That's him! man, you gave me all the details i'd forgotten--except that sketchy British accent. I could never forget that. I felt like it was always in and out and my main focus in class became trying to solve that mystery. Yes, the Himba people! I really enjoyed his book.
So jealous of your not one but TWO trips. Sigh.
Also: lol @ rim shot. I need to use that one more. Does rim shot mean it was a half-successful joke? Like, no slam dunk but at least i made it in? Doesn't matter, i'm using it. (but also, parasite jokes are always funny, so slam dunk)
I know what you mean. Pretty much any documentary on travel does it to me, and I'm like, "why, oh why am I fettered with so many worldly possessions? I have to throw them off and get a van and drive to Patagonia" (that one was "180 Degrees, which is great).
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