Culture Shock

The feeling of disorientation experienced by someone who is suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes. This definition that I quickly found on Google is the perfect description of my feelings when leaving the Maasai boma we visited right outside of Ngorongoro crater. The visit started off with a traditional welcome song that was performed by the men and women of the boma. The performance consisted of the men grunting and jumping while the women sang. I really enjoyed this part of the visit because to me it seemed very genuine and traditional. Once the welcoming part of the visit was finished we were taken into the boma and to the kindergarten school where the boys and girls were separated down the middle. It was hilarious to see how clean the little girls were compared to the little boys. Once we all were in the "school" the children sang songs and counted to 50 in English for us. After that we were taken by pairs into different houses by a Maasai man. He quickly explained to Nick and me how the houses were made and the few functions the houses had. We were then quickly taken outside and strongly encouraged to buy beaded jewelry made by the Maasai women. Upon leaving the Maasai boma I began feeling more and more confused about what I had just experienced. I was very appreciative that the Maasai were willing to open their homes to us and to show us a small part of their lives, but it all seemed like a rehearsed show rather than their actual lives. I felt as if we were invading their privacy. I could only imagine how I would feel if people were paying money to come into my home just to take pictures while I danced and showed them around. After I talked to some of the other students I realized that most of us seemed to be feeling pretty confused. Later that night all of the students, our two professors, and one of the drivers, Julius (who is a Maasai warrior), sat around a fire to talk about what we had taken away from the Maasai boma visit. I came into the talk feeling very shocked with how and where the Maasai live, but Dr. Beymer-Farris made an excellent point that there are most likely many aspects of American culture that would probably be very shocking to the Maasai people. Honestly while I was in the boma I had never stopped to even think about how the Maasai would react if they came to America to see how I live. They probably wouldn't be able to comprehend our large (in comparison to their huts) houses and trivial accessories that we think of necessities. Neither way of living is better than the other; it's simply how we each grew up. Visiting the boma was difficult not only because of how different it initially seemed from the culture I'm used to, but also because the Maasai people seemed more like entertainers putting on a show for tourists so that we would buy their jewelry instead of people who wanted to teach us about their rich culture and history. I went into the visit very curious about their everyday practices and struggles, but I left instead with three bracelets and more confusion. Dr. Suresh pointed out that because the Maasai are no longer allowed to live in the Serengeti and their expenses are increasing dramatically, they must find new ways to survive and tourism is a very big part of the Tanzanian economy. The particular Maasai boma we visited had to pay $400 every two weeks to get the water they needed for the whole community. Although the visit seemed more like a rehearsed show than an educational opportunity, I now have a better understanding of why they must do that. In order to survive the Maasai must adapt to a changing environment. Just like some of us felt like intruders, some of the Maasai might not enjoy having foreigners constantly coming into their homes. This was the first time I have truly understood what culture shock feels like. From it I've learned that when going into any new culture it is imperative to keep an open mind and to also think critically about what is happening. While I learned many things during this May Experience, I know that going to the Maasai boma was the greatest learning experience I had. I know that the visit and what I took away from it will stay with me for a very long time.