Something that has jumped out to me this year while living in South Africa is that, unlike anywhere I have ever been in the world, South Africa is a country where the first-world and the third-world are coexisting side-by-side. It's a place where on one side of the street people live in sub-human standards in informal squatter camp settlements, while just across the street the elite live in fancy mansions in their gated communities. It really is mind-boggling to see such disparity of resources and living conditions within such a close proximity. Unfortunately, after living here for so long, it's a reality that has become easy to overlook. Tin shacks and million-dollar mansions side-by-side have simply become a part of the scenery here in South Africa, the backdrop of an incredibly unique and diverse country.
Another thing that has been easy to get used to is seeing beggars on nearly every street corner. As I drove around town this weekend, like usual there were people begging everywhere. However, one street corner stuck out to me as an incredible example of the two worlds that have collided here in South Africa. On the same street corner, there were ridiculously poor people begging for money to buy food and basic necessities for their families...and there were preppie high school jocks "begging" for money to send them on a sports tour to play cricket in Sri Lanka. As much as I've gotten used to seeing the two worlds coexist, this scene was too surreal and bitterly ironic not to have an impact on me. I guess the real thing I'm wrestling with is where I fit into all this mess...
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