True Colors
President Bingu wa Mutharika came to Zomba two weeks ago, and all of his supporters were out on the streets, in their blue zitenje and their shirts and trousers and skirts and dresses and headdresses made from the blue zitenje. When David and I went to the airport to go to South Africa, ex-president Muluzi (whose eligibility for the elections later this year is still being determined) was flying in on the plane we were flying out on. And so, as we grabbed a snack and a drink we were surrounded by his supporters hanging off the balcony in their yellow zitenje and their shirts and trousers and skirts and dresses and headdresses made from the yellow zitenje. Any time there’s a political event, people dress up in their appropriate chitenje to show their support in a sea of the same fabric.
Of course, zitenje don’t just celebrate Malawian political parties (and the Catholic Church, and the Nurses and Midwives Council, and the CCAP, and the Prisons, and, and, and . . .) Now you can get zitenje with two maps of Africa and Barack Obama’s poorly reproduced and therefore oddly-smiled face in the middle. Honera Barack Obama, which we know is in Swahili and think means “President,” inscribed above his dot-matrix-y face. I, of course, own one, which I paid too much for in one of the times when Zomba was nearly out of them, and before I knew they were going to be coming out in better colors. Soon, we’ll be able to have a rainbow of Barack Obamas on our butts.
I am always kind of impressed when I see a massive, joyful group of bright blue walking down the street, singing and swinging umbrellas over their heads to shield themselves from the blazing sun. But I’m also kind of glad that we don’t have that. As jingoistic and therefore irritating as I often find ostentatious displays of red, white, and blue to be, I think there’s something to be said for having colors that represent the country rather than colors that represent a particular party. It’s somehow less divisive, on an admittedly superficial level. But that’s what semiotics is all about, right? The role that symbols and symbolism play in our lives? Wearing the same colors may not be much of a symbol, but it’s better than nothing.
It isn’t nearly as entertaining, though.
Maybe we should change our colors to yellow.
Of course, zitenje don’t just celebrate Malawian political parties (and the Catholic Church, and the Nurses and Midwives Council, and the CCAP, and the Prisons, and, and, and . . .) Now you can get zitenje with two maps of Africa and Barack Obama’s poorly reproduced and therefore oddly-smiled face in the middle. Honera Barack Obama, which we know is in Swahili and think means “President,” inscribed above his dot-matrix-y face. I, of course, own one, which I paid too much for in one of the times when Zomba was nearly out of them, and before I knew they were going to be coming out in better colors. Soon, we’ll be able to have a rainbow of Barack Obamas on our butts.
I am always kind of impressed when I see a massive, joyful group of bright blue walking down the street, singing and swinging umbrellas over their heads to shield themselves from the blazing sun. But I’m also kind of glad that we don’t have that. As jingoistic and therefore irritating as I often find ostentatious displays of red, white, and blue to be, I think there’s something to be said for having colors that represent the country rather than colors that represent a particular party. It’s somehow less divisive, on an admittedly superficial level. But that’s what semiotics is all about, right? The role that symbols and symbolism play in our lives? Wearing the same colors may not be much of a symbol, but it’s better than nothing.
It isn’t nearly as entertaining, though.
Maybe we should change our colors to yellow.