THE AFRO-DIASPORAN
German academia and everyday life through the eyes of a black African woman
German academia and everyday life through the eyes of a black African woman
coping with a GLOBAL PANDEMIC
abroad
... seeing the good in everything
April 2020
The outbreak and sporadic spread of COVID-19 has had most of us shell-shocked to this day. Or, perhaps let's just say that human arrogance in the era of the Anthropocene finally caught up with us. Let me break it down for you.
Never in my 30+ years had I ever imagined our humanist world, in an age of medical sophistication, coming close to a stand still. My parochial mind always thought that the Nobel Prize winners of science that are scattered allover Western Europe would come up with quick-fix solutions for a such pandemic such as this, especially one that is claiming lives in Europe! That even the West had no band-aid solution, other than imposing the now famous lockdowns, got most of us in a situation of Angst. The stock-piling and long queues at the supermarket reminded me of the stories that my parents told about the era of civil war(s) in Uganda.
While Angst and uncertainty are still prevalent not just in Europe but all over the world, I want to join in on the chorus of those routing for seeing the good and positive in every situation. In what will now go down in history as a deadly global pandemic that has claimed many lives, is it possible to see anything positive about these dire times? This is a rhetorical question.
Entschleunigung ... slowing down
I must confess that for me the world was moving at a fast pace, pre-Corona, especially if you are working as a full-time PhD student/lecturer/student mentor/choir-leader/ ... etc. Depending on your type of job and side-hustle, working from home can be a blessing in disguise. A win-win for me is being able to be in one place being able to attend meetings, talks, and conferences without the pressure of catching the next bus or cab to the next meeting. I conjure up the 'post-Corona' world as devoid of unnecessary face-to-face meetings
'Checking in' on loved ones more often
If there is anything that COVID-19 is making apparent, it is the need to return to one of the cores of humanity ... the need to nurture fulfilling relationships. This seems somewhat paradoxical given the social distancing regulations. But I guess these rigid regulations have only made us realise how relational we are. We cannot do without each other. We need each other - I am only referring to non-toxic relationships. I have never kept so regularly in touch with long-lost friends and family members as I have been doing since the semi-lockdown was announced in parts of Germany
Making the most of time
Those privileged enough to be working in jobs where home office is an option and being laid off is not a lingering fear have certainly realised what a luxury it can be to design your own work schedule. A dear friend of mine who is a high school teacher was ecstatic at not having to perpetually wake up at 6:00 a.m in order to be stand in front of a class of teenagers at 8:00 a.m every morning. For us working three jobs or more, it is certainly a plus to finally make time for those side-hustles such as blogging and vlogging ... (especially on the weekend) since you won't be missing out on rendezvous with friends anyway
Self-improvement
With less time spent hanging out, it is possible to not only find time for hobbies, but to also tap in on self-advancement. Join (free) online MasterClasses in photography, cooking, budgeting, name it. Google, YouTube and Spotify are certainly your friends.
Plus, take time to breathe. Make time for prayer and meditation ... quiet time to reflect on open-ended philosophical questions like; "Why am I here and what is my purpose in life?" "What makes me happy?"
Mariam (Germany)
My definition of diaspora
Living between cultures in Deutschland
On creating a social circle abroad
21. July 2016
Everyone that has taken that bold leap to the other side - living abroad - probably initially underestimates the process of coming to terms with a new culture.
At 22, I was certain I wanted to leave my comfort zone in exchange for the cool breezes overseas ... open end. "If not now, then when?" My initial plan sounded something like this - polish my rusted German for about a year, and then hope to have an urge to do a Masters' immediately after that or, better, find a well-paying job in good old Deutschland. I didn't know what to do with myself after three grueling years of earning an Education degree at Makerere and working at an NGO that was in its final year of existence. Neither career paths seemed my cup of tea, anyway. And how I hated confessing that to anyone I knew because where I am from, you had to know where you were going in life by the age of 22!
That was 10 years ago. Fast forward to today and I can compare my diasporic experience in Germany to a roller coaster ride with many highs and lows. The bends and turns are unpredictable, which can be quite scary, but at the end of the day it has been a ride worth taking.
One of the strangest things for me, though, has been how you suddenly start getting more aware and self-reflective about your culture when living abroad. The things you used to take for granted exaggeratedly become apparent, especially if they are out of place in your new home away from home; like saying a casual hello to your neighbour(s) on the bus, engaging in meaningless small talk while waiting in the queue, singing a favourite tune to yourself whilst walking down the street, the dominance of male chauvinism in your value system, avoiding eye contact with your conversation partner, not speaking a language native to your own, ... etcetera.
A barter trade of cultural values is usually the inevitable result of such an awareness. You find yourself consciously or unconsciously taking on values (from both cultures) that make sense to you and discarding those that don't ... living abroad and living in-between cultures - living in the diaspora.
Mariam (Germany)
