Friday, October 13, 2006

Moms on the Road - Africa

I saw the casting call for this show on the Travel Channel - looking for moms for a reality show, to travel to Africa. sounded great - but it was a long commitment (I think 6 weeks?) and I couldn't bear to leave my folks for that long. So I finally saw an episode tonight. At first, they looked like they were having a really good time - well, unique time. They were waking up at about 4 a.m. to climb this 500 ft. sand dune to watch the sunrise. Then they road some ATVs threw the desert, then slid down the dunes on cardboard (like sledding). Fun stuff. Later in the episode, they are at this African village. They have to paint themselves with this orange paint, and while playing with the kids, they noticed this slaughtered goat hanging from a tree - obviously skinned, meat cut off. And a pot bubbling nearby. Most of the moms said that they were not going to eat it - I don't like goat, it looks unsanitary, its not my culture - why should I? there was only 1 who said she'd try it - and she was a vegetarian! But she realized how disrespectful it would be to turn down food that was killed for you! One mom was like "why should their culture be forced on me?" You are in AFRICA! You traveled there! Enjoy the culture! Don't waste their goat! One even suggested that they should go late so that dinner would be over. After awhile, they went back to their campground - for a break I guess - and were told do not wash the paint off if they intended to return to the village, it would be disrespectful. One lady took a shower and washed it off anyway - she said she was hot and the village chief shouldn't be offended b/c wearing orange paint wasn't her culture anyway. You are in AFRICA! It's hot, in the middle of the day, you are outside - what was the point of taking a shower? Oh they were really getting on my nerves. In the end, they got off easy b/c after they went back to the village, a rainstorm came in and they returned to their campgrounds and didn't have to eat. I don't understand why people travel if they aren't going to allow themselves to fully enjoy the culture. I'm going to try to catch it again next week - I think they have to eat a caterpillar!

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