Masidza World (Nomad)

I passed the History class and I thought I was done learning about the cultures around me and that was not really true. Today I stay restless trying to figure and find out all perspectives of cultures, the perspective of truth not just one that suits my fancy. It started with self reflection and taking an inner look at my beliefs, questioning and asking myself are my beliefs a reflection of the reality Infront of me or are they just stale myths? Since then I've believed and find out that there has to be different perspectives to lifestyles and cultures; even just admitting that situations are not always the way we think they are. Diversity helps in making sure that our believes are a true reflection of the reality that we are living in. It's worth to switch up where we get our news, that's why we chose to travel to see and experience by our own selves and be more discerning with the news we absorb. The bird shouldn't stop with you, we shouldn't lead people astray. It's worthy to diversify, try lots of perspectives to people's stories before you create an opinion. That's the reason I started my Culture trip series across different African and world cultures, art and traditions. I physically visit and cover different places and by doing this am more confident that my believes are a reflection of the reality that I'm living and believing . It's not easy if it was everyone would do. But it's worth my work and it's with you and me, us. Join my world, Masidza's World and let's ride

[masidza]

The One who walk away from Omelas Inspiration

So it’s been long since I shared a story but today looks like a good day to.

So Have you ever read the short story, “The ones who walk away from Omelas” by one of the best writers Ursula Le Guin.?

Well Ursula talks about this imaginary town town Omelas where everybody is happy, not just happy, but ecstatic and delighted! In this town,  there are no kings, no soldiers, no priests, no inequality no slaves,  its a more of a utopia.

There's a catch though, in order for this utopia to exist an atrocity has to be commited .This is part of the deal which Some of the town's people go along with it but some don't. The thing they have to do to keep the city's constant serenity and splendor is to hurt a child(keep the child in a basement through misery and darkness). But once the citizens of Omelas grow older though initially acquainted to this idea of a single injustice so as to keep the rest of the city happy and in abundance, they silently walk away to a place they don't know which is possible it doesn't exist either but they seem to know where they're going....

So why am I sharing writing this story? Well the child in this story symbolizes the injustice and inhumanity that is present in our society. People in Omelas are able to live with the idea of the child in the basement because they are living a happy life and are not directly affected by the child. This represents todays society because people are content with living in harmony when they know people surronding them are suffering.

The child is the scapegoat that is present in the town Omelas. All of the burdens and negativity in the town are placed upon one child who must bare everything in order to let many people prosper. Even though the treatment of the child is cruel, the people within the town learn to accept it in order to protect themselves. However, there are some in Omelas who choose to walk away....

Has society twisted your mind to beliveing that happiness is a complex emotion that exists in constant relation to suffering? Well here’s rhetoric question for you :

ARE YOU CONTENTED OR WILL YOU WALK AWAY???

picture of Congo: one of the richest mineral country in the world (courtesy of cfr.org)

[masidza]

The world that we see around us is built on a story. Every culture has a different set of answers to these basic questions of who you are, what is it to be a human being. What's important, what's valuable, where do we come from, where we go, how does the world work. Every culture answers these questions. And science provides some answers too, it says basically that what you are is a strictly separate individual among other individuals in a universe that's a part of you. 

Every other theory has agreed with this characterisation of what it is to exist. In the bubble of psychology you are a mind infused with flesh, in physics you are a mass subject to your impersonal forces, Biology you are basically a flesh object programmed by your genes to maximise proper self interests, economics you are a rational actor into maximise your natural self interest. All of them agree on what it is to exist. 

Everything we are doing to this world we are therefore doing it somehow to ourselves. When we were young we had this knowledge that we are supposed to be much more beautiful than what has been offered to us as normal. We didn't understand that we are just how we are supposed to be. The expectations gets betrayed again and again and at times we develop an inferiority complex. As our ego system fall apart, the Biblical system, the education system,the health system falls apart and we find things are not working very well anymore. 

We are moving into a different story, a different story of self; a different story of the world; a different story of the people. The self of inner connection; the self of inner being. One thing it means is that this tiny actions may have a significance beyond that, that we understand. The knowledge that I know that is significant no longer contradicts the logic mind which has been on the logic of separation and what effects could you want tiny little hub of opportunities available to you when the power that we have so much more force

Every fact that comes from the understanding of the inner connection of the inner being is a spiritual act and also political act. By acting from a different story we disrupt the psychic substructure of our methodology and we offer an alternative. This is something that is eminently practical and anytime that we give somebody an experience that doesn't fit into the old story; the old story is weakened. It disrupts it. It could be an act of generosity, it could be an act of forgiveness, or anything that violates the understanding of we are separate and everyone for themselves. Being in service is something larger than ourselves.

[masidza]

Imigongo is an art form popular in Rwanda traditionally made by women using cow dung. After the genocide it was revolutionised hence used to empower the same women and now its a magnificent discovery with limitless boundaries. Often in the colors black, white and red, popular themes include spiral and geometric designs that are painted on walls. #art #culture #africanart #africanfabrics #africanstyles #africanature #africanprint #africandesign #africanartist #myafrica #visitrwanda https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqm5GDBhtUT/?igshid=xca1in2enqy4

[masidza]

A few months ago at the coast of kenya. It did start me on a journey which i never knew where it would lead. @val_silali thanks for helping capturing the shots #culture #culturevulture #culturepub #cultureappropriation #culture2 #culturetrip #street_art #africatwin #trip✈️ https://www.instagram.com/p/BqpR1pMBjSK/?igshid=tyzdnjz0go2u

[masidza]

Little trip culture trip through Mwatate, a town in Taita Taveta which sleeps at 8band wakes up at 7. Its dry and hot place but sorrounded by beautiful mountains and wild animals making it interesting and occupied by one tribe ,the kamba. https://youtu.be/I5E8uw3kbHQ #culturetrip #unknownplaces #naturetrip #kenyan #africannature #tembea #tembeakenya #culturas #wildlife_vision #sites #villagegreen #visual_heaven #phototrips #visitkenya https://www.instagram.com/p/BqrqImxh1lt/?igshid=9hfwjdkawfqu

[masidza]

Little walk in Voi at sunrise, the town on the hills, where you wake up to a hot weather but beautiful sunrays penetrating through the hills to give it a spectacular view. #tembeakenya #knowplaces #kenya #africannature #naturetrip https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqt9Y95h5YL/?igshid=14det227dlkgn

[masidza]

Kenyan public beach... Lighting up the shadows. There's a world out here full of beautiful things for you to learn and discover wirh awesome cultures. #letsconnect #mombasa #kenya🇰🇪 #naturetrip #lightful #naturephotography #beautifulplaces #sunrisephotography #mothernature #indianocean https://www.instagram.com/p/BqwxJmXB1RB/?igshid=1kkh0c2squp2l

[masidza]

Have you ever imagined of waking up in the wilderness? If yes then visit the most uniquely designed Bisate Lodge which is located just outside the Volcanoes National Park, the starting point of the gorilla tracks and enjoy a fusion of traditional and modern architecture a design by the renown Nick Plewman and have a value for your money. . . . . #naturetrip #uniquearchitecture #bisatelodge #gorilla #volcanoes #hospitality #travel #explore #culturalocal #culturetrip #greatestofalltime #foodstylist #tourism #excentric #eastafrica #bestdestiantions #nationalgeographic #priceless #mountaingorillas #epic #wildlife #wildernesssafari #safari https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq2TDbxB4bg/?igshid=12i780kq618f8

[masidza]

My first time to Kabale town in western Uganda, came as an unplanned stop after i missed my direct bus to Kampala last year. Only to come to a realization of what a rich cultural town being sorrounded by wonderful things. 1st you'll meet the Batwa tribe the last of the remaining pygmies and primitive people who live in the forest and You'll get to experience a culture trip if you take the Batwa trail, learn the Batwa ways, and with a dancing in the Garama cave by the Batwa women and not forgetting learning the hunting and gathering of the Batwa people. Also get to go to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and get to see the mountain gorillas and chimpanzee and lastly Lake Bunyonyi, a magnificent stop with traditional lodges which maintain the traditional architecture. A place of rich cultural heritage. . . . #kabale #Lakebunyonyi #westernuganda #theculturetrip #culturaldiversity #Mountaingorillas #naturetrip #Culturalheritage #culturaldances #archery #hunting #gathering #hunters #primitiveculture #culturalcentre #ugandanature #wanderlust #visituganda #globetrotting #doyoutravel #beautifuldestinations #passionpassport #travelphotography #adventure #travelbook #travelislife #traveloften #travelconnect #natgeotravel #discoverplaces https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq6iI_QhN01/?igshid=jako1yt02cqa

[masidza]

One of the cultures that make Kampala unique from the other East African cities, is the sell of street foods. Even though there is a question of the sanity of the foods, it still remains an accepted culture to the kampala city residents. . . #theculturetrip #kampala #streetfoods #foodmarket #visituganda #africanstreetstyle #travel #explore #travelbook #travelislife #discovernewplaces #cultures #streetlife #lifestyle #discoverworld https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq85WagBeK2/?igshid=goamh2neq9ly

[masidza]

Have you ever done art as an expression of love??? Thats why i was interested in Agaseke(a traditional basket) from my art empowerment days. This baskets were made by women traditionally to act as a symbol of love and peace. This small pointed baskets is majorly used in traditional weddings to carry foodstuffs to act as a symbol of love between the visitor and the host. It was also used a symbol of secrecy(as its covered on top), so only the person meant to receive actually gets to know the content therein: so traditionally when a girl got married, evidence about her virginity was hidden in the Agaseke. Now to the modern world, the Agaseke is widely viewed as a decoration tool and a source of income. Thats why we have modern wall hanging and decor made from the Agaseke technique. ~Courtesy of British Council . . . #artist #entrepreneur #funny #bestoftheday #Beautiful #lifestyle #training #picoftheday #art #holiday #instagram #green #like4like #follow #instalike #swag #foodporn #awesome #health #trip #architecture #rwandan #visitrwanda #theculturetrip #african https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq-bSLRhpZ0/?igshid=12srktkrimpcv

[masidza]

The uniqueness and beauty of human race lies in individuality and cultural diversity. . . . #wander #vacations #travellife #travelpics #lonelyplanet #travelphoto #adventuretime #getaway #travelstoke #exploreeverything #traveldeeper #discoverearth #exploremore #globetrotter #instatraveling #explorer #visiting #africanwedding #black #theculturetrip https://www.instagram.com/p/BrA9wlCBEkF/?igshid=152u797pq79qa

[masidza]

What do you do with your old car tyres? just as the famous quote says "we wear our hearts on our shoes". The story is not different from the Maasai people who are nomads and spend most of their lives walking through the scorching sun and hard ground in such of pastures. Shoes to them has a story to tell: a story of pain, hunger and hope which lead to the birth of Akala-The Ultimate African epic. If you owned this sandal as a maasai, it meant your feet were safe for a very long time. The shoe is made out of old tires and fixed with nails and sold on the streets for a very cheap price. And the culture of akala shoes has grown to be worn by a wider population not just the maasai. Through Akala we learn something about our culture, our history and ourselves, as every foot has a story, and every shoe tells a story as we spend most of our walking lives in shoes. . . . . #travelbook #travellingthroughtheworld #photographylovers #travelgram #artwork #artsandcultures #discoverplace #visuals #newartist #photochallenge #photooftheweek #beautiful #peoplescreatives #africanlifestyles #artgallery #justgoshoot #shoe #maasai #creative #inspiration #exploretocreate #artlovers #picoftheday #worldtravelbook #artphoto #digitalart #photos #photography #theculturetrip https://www.instagram.com/p/BrBM3rphPk5/?igshid=1ca5ysnitgki6

[masidza]

Kigali Memorial centre... After the genocide in Rwanda it is impossible to state the magnitude of challenges Rwanda confronted in the aftermath of the genocide as everything had collapsed. But as the quote says, "we blame society but we are the society. " the people of Rwanda came together to write a beautiful story and vowed to remember (kwibuka) what happened and never to forget And it became a modern act of rebirth-kind of a love story leading to a tremendous economic growth. And when i came here the first time for art empowerment, it also started a life new life story for me, as i met the most kind and wonderful people i had ever met. And it Rwanda became a family to me as it formed the greatest part of my heart and helped me see the world differently... . . . #wanderer #travelersnotebook #wandering #theglobewanderer #travelpic #travelphotographer #keepexploring #travellers #welivetoexplore #travelmore #wanderfolk #adventureculture #visitrwanda #adventurer #theculturetrip #travelmate #kigali #rwandan https://www.instagram.com/p/BrDXPSeh4pX/?igshid=2pbxdhkbhhow

[masidza]

Self expression is at the heart of every good potter's work. In pottery, one's work must come out through one's own fingertips, one's own hands and its about what a potter injects into a piece. A lot of today's boring, shallow, urban tablewares, usually use porcelain and with pale uninteresting glazes lack any sense of adventure. People dont need clay pots today because metal and plastic are cheaper wares and readily available. They only buy clay wares because they want to see an artistic expression, to feel a connection with the maker. A potter uses their own vocabulary of decorative marks, perhaps informed by traditional mark making techniques, but made personal through the use of handmade stamps and marking tools. Each step of the making process of a pot will reveal something of its creator, and when combined a pot will distill the maker's working life in a simple vessel. Potters also demonstrate character in their work through the repertoire of forms. The subtle differences in shape, weight, handle and tactility that mark their work apart from anothers. Thats why a potter will make a form their own, often to the detriment of traditional proportions or the strict demands of refraction. An artist always has an emotional attachment to their work. . . . . #art #minimalism #minimalist #minimal #envywear #minimalistic #minimalistics #minimalove #minimalobsession #photooftheday #minimalninja #instaminim #minimalisbd #simple #simplicity #keepitsimple #minimalplanet #love #instagood #minimalhunter #minimalista #minimalismo #beautiful #art #lessismore #simpleandpure #negativespace #artsandcultures https://www.instagram.com/p/BrFcQCBhomC/?igshid=1hujht9kmuj12

[masidza]

What makes culture beautiful is the creativity behind it. This traditional hutu huts are such a piece of art worth looking into and i can imagine how a city made from this architecture would look like. It goes farther to show how creative, rich and original different cultures are. Appreciating cultural diversity https://www.instagram.com/p/BrICfeSBEu9/?igshid=gsi49qrxy3s6

[masidza]

I was interested in consumer insights and i took a look into its evolution. I found out that consumerism must have cracked into our subconsious mind and affected the decisions we make. And its beeen like that now for years. We are based in a society that began with greed and we were brewed into it, and its a circle that we probably aren't even aware of but runs in big consumers. Today consumerism thrives bombarded with 1000s of advertisements a day consistently told that everythingthat we are and that we ownvis wrong but can be fixed if we go shopping. What consumerism really is at its worst getting people to buy things that don't actually improve their lives. It has reached deeper and even encouraging people to organize their lives on higher salaries and owning more stuff than they actually need. Unfortunately, this comes at a higher price for the well being of the people and the climate. Research consistently show that the more people value materialistic aspirations and goals, the lower the happiness and life satisfaction and fewer pleasant emotions they experience day to day. Depression, anxiety and substance abuse tend to be higher among people who value the things encouraged by consumer society. It has encouraged competition and comparisons of people whereas the progress humans have made over the millenia has been largely based on cooperation. Consumerism is now being driven by extraodinary social control nature that we want to have the stuff so that we look good in other peoples eyes and that's because most of us experience ourselves through other peoples eyes; the feeling of shame and embarassment of lack. But sadly its hardly an irreversible state https://www.instagram.com/p/Bro5J6bA9wv/?igshid=i5uznlrqhklu