gan 6 - return to human be-ing

[gan]

Thanks for checking in guys. Been super busy here.

Lisa - will get back to you about the R. My head isn't in that space right now (detachment?)

Zelda - nope, not an anthropologist though thoroughly fascinated by culture (see below).

So the luggage arrived on Wednesday, as did the warm showers. Didn't make it into the field today because the road was flooded and we couldn't cross. But I've spent the week up close and personal with Maasai and their cattle. It's been fascinating on multiple levels.

Got me thinking a lot about the role of Western culture in our current situations. We interpret our experiences through our thoughts, feelings and emotions. I guess I assume most of these to be "biologically programmed" - chemical changes causing me to feel a certain way to a certain stimulus (e.g. relationship breakdown). But...our culture plays a huge role here. In Western cultures, marriage is between two people. We speak of "love" and "soul mates." An OW/OM entering the picture makes most of us feel physically sick to the stomach.

...versus a different cultural model:

Most of the Maasai men have multiple wives, all living as "neighbours" in the same "housing complex." The men have children with these different wives, and all the wives and children interact on a daily basis. Do they feel jealous at each other? Sad that they can't spend enough alone time with their H? Is there such a thing as an OW? I have no idea. BTW I learned that the going rate for a "good wife" these days is 10 cows. I'm guessing a wife only a fool would leave would go for 11-12.

Heading home tomorrow...will check in on everyone's threads when I get back. Hoping for good things!