Passions

I have a confession to make. Before you assume that I’m over here in Africa “saving the world” and sacrificing my time for humanity’s sake, there’s something you should know about me—I watch Passions, a soap opera. I am not proud of this fact, but unexpectedly it has become a small pleasure in my life. Those of you that know me well can attest to my previous hatred of soap operas and daytime dramas, but living in Africa changes you. I’m pretty sure the episodes I see in Lesotho are a few years old, although I’m not sure because I’ve never watched it before. I’m even a “soapies” (as they are called in Lesotho) elitist—I only watch Passions. I refuse to watch The Young & the Restless after Passions. It’s just so unrealistic. But OMG, if Luis and Sheridan don’t get married soon I’m going to quit Peace Corps, and can you believe Kaye is pregnant with Miguel’s baby even though he’s in love with Charity and evil MADE him sleep with Kaye even though he thought it was Charity?! And poor Charity just had a heart transplant after her evil zombie twin almost killed her! Peace Corps Volunteers and bored housewives unite—I think I’m addicted.

But let me explain… Some of the wealthier people in my village (and by wealthy, I mean not dirt poor) enjoy the luxuries of electricity and television. Wealthy people in Lesotho are better educated which means they speak decent English which means they are automatically my friends. Thus some of my closest Basotho friends have TVs in their homes. Peace Corps Volunteers rarely get to watch television, so I watch it when I can, regardless of what is on. My best Mosotho friend, Nozipho, leads the youth group that we’re starting in our village and conveniently schedules the committee meetings at our friend’s house at 3pm so we finish just in time to watch Passions at 4:30pm. I blame her for getting me hooked. Although I’m unabashedly glued to the romance and drama and evil in Passions, perhaps my favorite part is that it’s set in Los Angeles, and, because I’m from Los Angeles, Basotho assume I lived like a steamy soap-star back home. Upon meeting me, some Basotho have even said, “Oh yes, Los Angeles, I know it. I have seen Passions.” Thank you, daytime television, for promoting wealthy American stereotypes across the globe. Still I don’t know which is worse—Basotho judging Americans based on soap operas or WWF Wrestling, another television favorite in Lesotho.