No, I’m not referring to a showdown between Pixar’s precious poisson and America’s alluring actress, but rather another aspect of being a foreigner in a homogenous society. Many people in Botswana have never seen a Caucasian person other than on television, which leads to constant surveillance. Even in my village, which has had three previous Peace Corps volunteers, stares follow me around from the moment I leave my family compound. People who see me every day (albeit mostly children and teens) can’t seem to resist the urge. During my Peace Corps interview, my recruiter Maya referred to it as “the fishbowl effect.” Fellow volunteers comment on it as a “celebrity complex.”
The Fishbowl Effect. A volunteer is placed (usually) into a small community, likely to be rural, without many resources or exposure to diversity in any sense. Upon arrival, community members flock to the person out of sheer, uncontrollable curiosity. Maya described moments of her service in Turkmenistan when children would be peeking into her house from every window. Imagine literally being in a fishbowl: diminutive, different, and displayed.
The Celebrity Complex. It derives from the same situation – a completely new type of human being in a non-diverse community. However, from this perspective, people want to know every last detail. What does her hair feel like? Where does she come from? What’s her name? Where does she live? How does she like the village? Does she have a camera? Is she married? Can I be her friend? Can I check* her?
Personally, I have experienced aspects of both “phenomenon,” and before you worry about the state of my mental health, rest assured I am learning each day how to deal with the extra attention. But I wonder – which perception is the more accurate description? Am I a specimen or an idol? Am I scrutinized or admired? Do I live in a clear glass bowl or the lens of the paparazzi? Nemo the clownfish or Angelina Jolie? And who wants to be a fish or a celebrity, anyway?
There are certain shades of limelight that can wreck a girl’s complexion. –Audrey Hepburn, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”
*In Botswana-English (Bonglish?), the verb “to check” means “to visit.”
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