On route... belated

June 24th, 2009
Here I am… 23 hours since departing Milwaukee for South Africa, at 35,000 feet, flying over Angola. We have about 3 hours left to go before we are in Cape Town. I left Detroit at 5:40 pm local time. While in the air I flew into “night time” and then right into “morning” in Amsterdam. I didn’t sleep a wink, despite my efforts. So, I arrived in Amsterdam at 7:30 am (with my body feeling like it is 12:30 am) and proceeded to meet up with the 25 teachers that I will be spending the next 6 weeks with. There is a mixture of excitement and punchy energy due to lack of sleep. We had to go through security again at the gate before boarding the plane for the final leg of the trip. I have to say, I was not looking forward to another 11 hours on a plane. ;) After boarding I soon realized that no one else was coming into my row, and we all excitedly looked around when the flight attendant asked us not to move seats until after takeoff. No one ever did show up to my row, and I realized that I was looking at 3 open seats for the entire time! I used the blankets and pillows to make a cozy bed and curled up to get some sleep. I slept for 4 – 5 hours. I watched a film, ate some lunch, and read some of my first book, which inspired me to prepare my first post.
Chapter 1 of Africa and Africans discusses the mythology surrounding Africa. About how media, culture, and our western perceptions have shaped how we view Africa and its people. The stated goal of the book: “The task remains: to look at Africa whole, without the myths and without the images built on our own ethnocentrism.” It hit me that this isn’t just the goal of a book I am reading for a class, but actually what I am seeking to accomplish on this 6 week journey.
I am passing into “nighttime” for southern Africa, and soon I will be stepping off of this half empty plane into a country and a continent that I cannot yet fathom. I do not know what I will discover, or what I will think about any of it, but I will keep you all posted! :)