Blog 2

 The ideas presented in this TED talk, in my opinion, apply to all citizens of third-world nations, not only Nigerians. Of course, Egypt is one of the primary nations I am referring to. I find it terrifying how frequently people ask me, "So you live in the pyramids," Americans typically ask this question. However, like the speaker in the video did, I will place the responsibility on the American narrative rather than the individuals themselves.  Americans are led to assume that because Egyptians lived in the desert and built the pyramids, they must be illiterate and poor. Another inquiry I frequently get is about a camel journey to school? I have to give them credit for assuming that we have schools, though. The speaker in the video talks about having a friend named Fide. The houseboy that worked for her household was named Fide. The speaker was told that Fide was impoverished, therefore she made the assumption that, because of his poverty, he might not be a normal person with interests and hobbies.  She finds out that Fide's brother is talented and constructs a basket from scratch when she visits his home. At this point, the speaker understands that she has only heard a portion of Fide's life narrative and not the entirety of it. She had nothing else. She had no other thoughts in her head other than the fact that he was poor; that was all she had known. Another illustration of this was the college flatmate of the speaker. The flatmate was an American girl, and all she knew about Nigerians was that they were from Africa and that they were tribal people. She even requested that the speaker play some of her tribal music, so she was taken aback when the speaker instead turned on her Mariah Carey record. The same issue that the speaker's former flatmate experienced still exists. She continued to only be told one narrative. Her entire life, she had been convinced that Nigerians lived in forest tribes. She had no idea. She had no other thoughts in her head other than the fact that he was poor; that was all she had known. Another illustration of this was the college flatmate of the speaker. The flatmate was an American girl, and all she knew about Nigerians was that they were from Africa and that they were tribal people. She even requested that the speaker play some of her tribal music, so she was taken aback when the speaker instead turned on her Mariah Carey record. The same issue that the speaker's former flatmate experienced still exists. She continued to only be told one narrative. Her entire life, she had been convinced that Nigerians lived in forest tribes. She had no idea. There are always two sides to a story. Every narrative has two sides, thus there are numerous interpretations that can be made of it.