Day 5: Do Just Animals Belong in the Zoo?


Day 5: The Zoological Gardens


Today we went to the Zoological gardens. It was really interesting to see all that goes into running a zoo. The staff was especially wonderful as they took their time to explain all parts of the different departments (genetics, cell and tissue storage, reproductive research, etc) to us as well as show us around the zoo and have us interact with the animals and explaining their complex relationships. (Most of todays visit will be better understood after I post the video and pictures when I get back into the states).



Personally, most of today was actually spent in self reflection. This trip to South Africa is actually my first time out of the US without a group of people in which I have previously established relationships. Though this trip is a lot about academic education, much of it also has to do with reconciling all of these new experiences with a very diverse group of people. After 5 days, my experience is now beginning to give rise to some common themes that require closer examination.




So, hence the title of the post for the day. As interesting, fun, and great that some people are, they (as well as your self) can make you want to leave them behind in a zoo for closer examination and study. But, after posing a hypothesis, conducting research, and running some tests, one comes to a conclusion on which attitudes, habits and relationships are sustainable and necessary and which are transient and must be cleaned out.


"The most important time in history is, NOW, the present. So count your blessings cause time can't define the essence...Things I say and do, may not come quite through, My words may not convey just what I'm feelin" ~Talib Kweli



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