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Post Cards From The Tribe
In the journey of life, embrace unpredictability.
Dear: Tribe
Greetings from a kitchen in Kodera, Kenya. I’m taking a break from chopping veggies for a wedding tomorrow to write this.
I’m currently thinking about the approaching end of season 3 of The Popi Show and just how much growth has taken place since season 1.
I’d like to share with you some of the lessons I’ve learned over the past 2 years.
During season 3 of The Popi Show, I opened myself up to making friends on the road. I said yes to meeting people for drinks and to being hosted. And, in doing so, I was reminded of just how much I enjoy company. I enjoy being in a community with kind, like-minded people. I enjoy chatting late into the night, being taken care of, and sharing responsibility. I feel safe when I’m in the community and that, in turn, helps to regulate my nervous system and renders me less anxious. The road is unpredictable and can sometimes feel like there’s constantly something new jumping out at me. Spending time with friends helps to bring back a sense of “regular/routine” life which I appreciate now and again.
Something else I discovered in season 3 is just how much I enjoy politics. My route from South Africa to Kenya passed through DRC, where people in Eastern DRC are being exploited and violently displaced from their homes for rebel groups (backed by the West) to mine cobalt and coltan (essential minerals for the batteries of our electronic devices). While I was in the DRC, I got a better understanding of the politics behind The War on Congo’s Minerals and some of its key players. I spread awareness and raised funds to help feed and shelter displaced families. I enjoyed that work so much that I’d like to go back to DRC to continue the work that I’ve started.
One more thing that I realized is that creating the show and airing it at the same time is exhausting and unsustainable. I’m now finally ready to lease the rights to the show to streaming platforms. I’m ready to spend less time on the road so that I can lead a slower life in a forest cabin in Gabon, where elephants roam freely.
I look forward to spending the summer in Europe for season 4 of The Popi Show. Europe is not my usual vibe (I’ve kind of built my entire brand around toughing it out in Africa), but in this pivot towards a slower life, I’m prioritizing fun. The show CAN be easy and still entertaining. That’s what I hope to learn in season 4: how to entertain without suffering. I’ve done the hard stuff, and I’ve proven my bravery and resilience, now it’s time to take it easy so that I don’t burn out.
My favorite song at the moment: ‘Sandstorm’ by Mareba (an oldy but goody)
My favorite travel gem: is Kribi, Cameroon: a small, sleepy town with emerald green, warm pools of water and waterfalls. No one’s heard of it and that’s exactly why I enjoy it.
Catch me here: @popi_sibiya on Instagram/TikTok/Twitter
Wish you were here,
Love love Popi😍😍
I loved reading this Popi. I have enjoyed watching your bravery, doing things that people in higher positions fail to do and being a voice for Congo. I’m inspired and hope to see more. How can one pay for close friends if you don’t have PayPal or you aren’t in SA? I would really love to watch along the EU series.
Woow Popi, such profound words. I also like it that you are considering handing over to streaming platforms so that you can slow your pace a little. You have started a movement Sis and these journeys yiu ubdertook will forever be written in the books of history. You dared to go where only the brave daredevils would even contemplate undertaking such journeys.
We Love you. You have opened our eyes to the other beautiful Africa that we were never even aware of. The Xhosas of Zimbambwe were a first for me, old as I am (63 soon to 64 yrs old this December).
Its really true that its only the borders that divide us. We are One People, SINGABANTU and that realisation needs to known by all and sundry.
😍😍😍