Beauty In Diversity

HALD Internationl Centre students from across the globe.

It is difficult to ignore the beauty of cultural diversity across the globe. Hald International Center (where I am schooling) it is not an exception at all. Apart from the interaction that we have during our class and outdoor activities, there is room for birthday parties. We have celebrated quite a number here. It was always amazing to see the unique ways of celebrating the birthday boys and girls. Africans had there way of pouring buckets of water on the birthday boys and girls, as the Norwegians pumpered them with candy and cakes.

At the same breath of celebrating diversity, I had an opportunity of participating in my first ever fashion show.He he... Believe it or not this happened during one of the African student's birthday party. Her name is Flavy from Cameroon. I dressed up as a Maasai man, a popular tribe in Kenya. I thought most of the other international students would identify with that. They did. On the platform were also students who dressed other culture's traditional regalia. This event depicted significantly a way of setting aside our differences to celebrate life. All along the birthday party my eyes moved across the lecture theatre in stare of the beautiful faces that represented a diversity of 18 nations from the North and South of the earth. On one table was a Chinese, Norwegian, Thai, Ugandan, and a Serbian, chatting through while biting banana fritters from Cameroon, and one the other side of the tables a Kenyan, Lao, Brazilian, and a Tanzanian laughing at the Madagasscar guy who seems to struggle to dance capuera dance (which is originaly from Angola but now in Brazil).  What a diversity!

This world would be a better place if the scenario painted in this birthday party was a reality amongst us everyday. I am not speaking about having birthdays everyday he...he. This is it...!I agree we have different backgrounds here (and I know you also do), but I would like to agree that we have as much similarities as are the differences, especially if we view ourselves as  God views us. I come from a country where ethnicity or tribalism could be considered a society norm. We have lived it and in 2008 we were never spared the postelection violence in the name of this tribe and not the other eating the largest piece of the 'national cake'. What a pity!

My experience here is opening my eyes to love without limitations. Love the Chinese, Serbian, Monterego, Ugandan, Lao, Thai, Brazilian, withstanding their skin colour, race, status, ideology, philosophy, religion, or education. To make them feel they matter though they are atheist, homosexuals, pagans, idol worshipers, refugees, poor, or homeless.

I choose to see and think of them as Christ would.

 

 

Village Boy Aboard

After an 8 hr flight to Amsterdam and 1 1\2 hrs from Amsterdam to Kristiansand, Norway, and 1 hr on road, Eva (my teammate) and I where warmly welcomed at HALD International Centre in Mandal, Norway. This is the school that will be training us for the next 5 weeks in readiness for the upcoming mission internship. This was my fist time to ever fly in a plane. And I have taken time to briefly share with you the journey of  the village boy from Kenya to a land only heard on peoples' lips as they said the stories.

AT SHIPHOL AIRPORT
We had a 5 hr wait at SHIPHOL Airport for our KLM flight to Norway. We did plenty of window shopping and walking up and about. We at least had Dutch fish n Chips for lunch for 6,25 € each.We also met a US Citizen but Kenyan born lady by the name Lucy, who apparently could tell, just by looking at us, that we were Kenyan (that's what she said). She was on transit to Kenyan and had missed her flight. After sharing with her we realised that she was a strong Christian. She actually prayed for us after we told her what we were now engaged in. God was indeed with us.

IN THE PLANE
During our flight from Kenya I was disappointed that my seat's TV screen couldn't work. However, I opted to read a book titled Courage & Calling that indeed gave me deeper insights about my calling. In between,I ate, slept, and paved up and about the KQ 116 Boeng plane, once in a while peeping through the window for beautiful bird's eye view. I was puzzled by the beautiful scenarios of the Sahara desert and Mediterranean Sea.
 At 8:45 pm we were aboard KLM 1112 to Kristiansand, where we were conspicuously the only dark-skinned passengers. At some point I couldn't believe that was real. 

MANDAL
On arrival at our new home we were met by a few of the other students and 1 staff member. My very first culture shock was the meal that we were about to take.I couldn't tell where to begin from though I was desperately hungry. I ate any way wishing something like Ugali-sukuma wiki was close by.

That's just a summary of my first day at the North Pole, where the Sun is setting between 9-10 pm,the dark skinned a minority,dust is a word hardly mentioned, and where we are only getting a hot meal during Lunch hour.