This is simply the requisite post, because Dionne had hoped against hope that hip-hop culture had not made its way across the Atlantic, to inform you all once again that hip-hop culture is GLOBAL youth culture. The street kids at the soup kitchen where I have been volunteering all sag their pants and wear hoodies and knit caps. And they sing American rap songs. I grabbed one kid by his pants and said, "Do you even know where this fashion comes from? It's a prison fashion because prisoners aren't allowed to have belts. PULL UP YOUR PANTS!" And he's laughing and going "Miss, miss, it's in the videos!"
I keep forgetting that SA cars are like British ones in that the driver sits on the right, so hilariously as I went to get into the right side of the car the other day, my cabbie says, "Like Beyonce say, 'to the left, to the left.'" I about fell out. This man had to be 50 years old, but he was all over the latest Beyonce.
I went today to the home for AIDS orphans where I will be working! When I tell you it is in a slum, people, I mean a straight-up slum. As in, there are no street signs because they steal them for scrap metal. Father Terry (my previously alluded to beloved minister) got all turned around and he had grown up in the area, which was a colored neighborhood under the Group Areas Act. "I guess they don't care if you can get around inside the township, as long as there's one entrance and exit they can seal off," he said drily. I told him American projects were built the same way. We sat in silence for a moment, and I said, "I suppose evil looks pretty well the same anywhere you go," and he agreed.
And the young men stood around in their sagging pants and knock-off FUBU sweatshirts. Oh, fear not, Dionne, hip-hop culture blooms everywhere!
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5 comments:
ah yes, much like the pictures of tupac spray painted on the sides of houses in rural haiti. makes ya proud doesn't it?
Miss Shannon ...yelling at kids to pull up their dang pants all over the globe...from Houston to the Holy Land to South Africa. Glad to hear things are going well - counting the days till you get back to Boston!
You'll be happy to know that I am keeping a belt on your boy like a proper college bound lad should.
I tried to pull him out tell let him see your blog and write you today, but he was super busy.
We (the school) debriefed over the SA trip (where he was so busy that he didn't even SEE Ms. Baisy), and they watched "Cry, Freedom." They had to take notes, and give a 10 sentence answer for the 5 questions they were given. He misses you. You can tell because there is no "cheeky monkey"...just well behaved boy.
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone.............We'll try tomorrow during "Sarafina"
Well, that pants thing may have started in prison, but now it glorifies and imitates what a "brotha" would look like if he was carrying a heavy piece in his pocket. If they keep that crap up, their penguin walking is gonna make orthopedic surgeons a fortune in few more years. What can I say, Shannon? My 11 year old Julian could have a longer conversation with you than I could about all of those who struggled to elevate us to a higher standard behavior and expectation. BUT -- he'll do it while wrapping an old foil gum wrapper around his teeth to show you his fly, disposable grill. It's bigger than we are.
Oh, I forgot...That was from Marsha
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