Through the influence of films and stereotypes, I have always had the romantic notion that all of Africa is wild and free. A land full of exotic wildlife and wondrous striking desserts. When this thought comes to mind, I usually picture a camel walking on a sand dune under a full moon. The reality of it though, globalization has changed Africa into a familiar land. Now it has skyscrapers and motorcars. Not all the people living in the cities have even seen a lion or a hyena.
Though even with globalization, Africa still holds some of those magnificent wonders. Different tribes and safari wildlife, for example. I noticed that Nigeria had a lot of outside influence in their city structure. Transportation and offices are very similar to those in the United States.
Funeral ceremonials in Nigeria surprised and intrigued me. It makes more sense to celebrate the person’s accomplishments and their life. They also seem to give the people more of a sense of closure. Our way of saying goodbye to the departed leaves a feel of dark, gloomy depression. Neither is better then the other, but the differences are awe inspiring.
The fact that they have Christianity as a major religion also proves they have a lot of outside influence in their culture. Before, there were a multiple amount of different religions. When the missionaries came and converted so many globalization set in. It seems a terrible waste to have so many different religions, and cultures to become extinct. It is good that cultures can adapt, but they should not be all together destroyed. I knew that colonization happened throughout all of Africa, but I did not realize how much was effected.
Africa, though full of similarities to my own, is a completely different world. The part I have a hard time understanding is the different tribes. How could so many different societies communicate and survive among one another? I find that part of the world intriguing and exotic.
