A Reflection on The Pre-Iowa Experience: Washington, D.C. #3

The 4th of July / Independence Day Fireworks display over the Reflecting Pool on the west end of the National Mall. (Image: Washington Post)

We're going to have to wrap this one up with a few words and a lot, okay, maybe a couple of, photos. It would be very difficult for me to fairly and accurately capture and represent my experience in DC and my, call it emotional attachment if you will, with the Capital of the United States. I loved, and still love, the city - it's history, layout, vibe and atmosphere and would at the drop of a hat return to it and even pursue a career there.

I particularly loved the National Mall and am happy to have met the people I did, and would hope to establish solid contact and build meaningful relationships that would cut across national, linguistic and religious (even party!) lines.

If there's anything I've, not learned as such, but rather been made acutely aware of, again, is that there is - despite US representation in the "popular" media abroad - a rich diversity in the country and at the same time, beyond South African borders and the African continent as a whole. I am, however, perhaps slightly appalled and slightly amazed by the extent to which diversity in terms of demographic characteristics is easily, readily and at times willingly assimilated into American society and that immigrants from the global South adopt a distinctly American way of life - or thinking - and in a sense become Americanised.

On the one hand I think it is good and contributes to social cohesion, but on the other hand I can't help but feel it is perhaps forced, superficial and a real pity. Although I think South Africans can learn from it - especially when considering the fact that we have a number of distinct ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious groups - I also feel that it undermines diversity (of course), inhibits experiences of true distinct national identities and as a result perpetuates misunderstanding, and does not increase tolerance levels.

What I did in fact appreciate was the level of independence we as university students, and particularly myself, were granted. It provided me with opportunities to independently explore a foreign large city and allowed for greater mobility and a more custom - or "tailor-made" - experience best suited for my personality, my expectations and my envisioned goals. Particularly as I had opportunities to interact with Americans from different states, racial groups and social classes. So I believe I have had a fairly balanced experience in terms of how people think and how they perceive the US Political System to work, or not work, for them. I also think that, despite its flaws, the US Political System works very well and is quite a worthy example of how government power should be constrained and limited.

I will definitely miss DC, but I am sure that as a "DC boy" at heart, I will and really hope to one day return to the Nation's capital.

For captions and descriptions of images, please visit my photo album at the link below:

M's -US- Blog

In conclusion, I would like to thank all the people involved in making my DC experience worthwhile, memorable and enriching - particularly the people from the US State Department, the South African Embassy, the people of IRIS and Hostelling International DC, as well as Liv who was not only a lot of fun, but also provided some interesting information and a staff-led tour of the Capitol building.