Has anyone been watching Tribal Wives on BBC 2? Just watched the latest one, with Dionne, a 33 year old Londoner, heartbroken after her last relationship ended and wondering if she'd ever meet the right guy and have kids. What a wonderful woman, she was beautiful and smiled and laughed her whole way through her month with the Maasai. I felt she truly embraced the experience and I found her ability not to judge their ways quite inspiring. This Times reviewer disagrees. He's interpreted her acceptance of polygamy and female circumcision as being agreement with it which I don't think was the case. He also believes this whole series is set up to promote the idea that the tribes have a more real way of living than "us westernised wage drones".
Whether it is more "real" or not, what they do have is a sense of community. I'm not necessarily a believer that we should all go back to our hunter gatherer roots, but I do keep coming back to this thought of community over and over again as I readjust to what UK society expects of me in my mid thirties. i.e. to own a flat, to have reached a certain level in my career, have a husband or partner, be planning or having my first kid and be in a comfortable financial position. (It's not looking too great on any of these things, but I wouldn't say I was unsuccessful as a person.)
More than anything, this series has shown the love and support and joy these people experience in their daily lives. I know it is not all a bed of roses by any means, but this truly was my experience in Borneo too. Their community gets them through the hard work and inequality and hunger and whatever other trials they may face.
I helped out at this mad Rat Race at the weekend. Coerced a little by Pippa but it of course I loved it. Lots of (mostly) over-achieving types putting themselves through physical hell. (Most of whom too conformist and over-achieving to be truly sexy. It did have the potential to be one great perv fest, but sadly didn't quite deliver; lycra is never a good look.) It was great fun. I chatted to new people all day long whilst playing my small part in a bigger whole and didn't think about myself once. A little community just for one day. We need more of this feeling in our world. 
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4 comments:
Completely agree Han, and whilst I didn't see the TV show, I can completely understand + believe the degree to which the masai people will support each other - that is if my time in Africa has any bearing on things.
Amazing how so many people in 3rd world and developing countries can find a sense of calm and smile through times which we would just break down - and whilst some of it may be not having experienced the western level of comfort, I would attribute it to not wanting after much more + being content with what they have... their families who love & support, and their friends - connections with people and support of their community.
I also agree that we wont ever return the so-called civilised world to a farming community, but encouraging some sense of community will definitely benefit society.
Interesting our blogs tend to both have wonderings about life - yours seem to focus around 'society' issues, and mine around 'enviro'... bloody time in the jungle to let you think about things...
I laughed at your last sentence - bloody time in the jungle to let you think about these things. It's true. It's been the whole year for me, not just the jungle. And now you can't look at things in the same light.
Are you getting married? Or maybe you could commission someone to steal papers for you? (-;
I am sure any 14 year old Maasai tribeswoman feels overjoyed that she is part of a real community as she is pinned to the ground by her fellow tribeswomen so a Maasai tribesman can circumcise her.
More info below...
http://www.orato.com/node/680
Hello anonymous, thanks for your comment. I read the whole article on orato. As I said in my post, I know full well it is not a bed of roses and in no way do I condone female circumcision - my point here is that neither did the woman on this series but she was able to observe rather than judge. I feel that's important and all too rare amongst westerners who spend time in other cultures. That was my point, along with my view that they do experience a stronger sense of community than we do in the west. I was particularly interested in the campaigner's work to change views on the importance of education for women. As it is being done by a Maasai woman, I hope and believe it will have some impact. I'm not a fan of westerners on a crusade without a true understanding and knowledge of the mechanics of these communities and what it means if you do buck against the trend. Indeed, the campaigner mentions the impact this had on her. Again, I am not condoning it, I just think it is a complex issue and it will be education over time and from within that shifts traditions. Hope that makes sense.
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