Esther Baseme - the places that shaped me
Esther Baseme is a graphic designer in the Atlanta area. Originally from the Congo, Esther has lived and traveled all over the world. Explore her origin story below.
equilibreyaum: You were born in the Congo, but soon moved to other countries in Africa. Do you remember anything about the Congo?
Esther Baseme: I don't remember much because I left when I was really young. However, I still have this memory of when there was war in the Congo and some soldiers came into my house. I remember my parents telling us to hide under the couch. And I always have this view of me being under the couch and seeing my parents talking to the soldiers. We ended up giving them money after they asked to check my parents ID's. Although nothing crazy happened to us, sometimes I think that anything could have happened that day..
e: Which countries did you move to after the Congo? Why did you move there? How long were you in each country in Africa?
EB: After the Congo, my family moved to Ghana for about a year, then we came back in the Congo but lived in a different city for about a year as well. Then, we moved to Ivory Coast and we stayed there for a year. After that, my family moved to Guinea (Conakry) for 2 years. We lived in so many countries because of my dad's job. His position/role and the organization he works for require him to move quite a bit.
e: Did you have any pets growing up? Play any sports? What did you do for fun?
EB: No I did not have any pet growing up. I played Handball for a few years in middle school and then in high school as well. Me and some of my closest friends played all together in the same team so it was a lot of fun. I learned a lot of life lessons while playing Handball and being part of a team was the best part of it. For fun, I loved doing art related things - taking pictures, painting, making collages and also, reading and listening to music.
“Africa is such a diverse continent that you will never have the same experience in multiple countries. Each country is unique and has its own culture.”
e: You're fluent in French and English, but do you speak any other languages? If so, how easy/difficult is it for you to read, write and speak these languages?
EB: I do speak a little bit of Swahili. Swahili is one of the many dialects of the Congo. Funny thing is that I learned Swahili by listening some of my relatives speak it around me while growing up. So I never really spoke it when I was younger but I do understand most of it. However, it is harder for me to speak it fluently, I need to practice more haha! It's pretty easy to write Swahili because you basically write what you hear.
e: In your opinion, what's the biggest misconception that people have about living in Africa? Explain what it's really like and why people are incorrect.
EB: Oh, I could write about this forever lol! More seriously though, I think a lot of people see Africa the way it is portray on TV: a dirty continent, everyone living in the jungle or huts, people being sad and poor... The majority of people ignore that Africa is a beautiful continent with so much natural resources and beauty. Yes, there are some poor areas but the beautiful and luxurious part of Africa is usually never shown. I absolutely loved living in Africa and I miss it a lot. The community my family had there was incredible. People will always be there for you and they will take time to visit you which I found to be quite different in Western countries. Africa is such a diverse continent that you will never have the same experience in multiple countries. Each country is unique and has its own culture. Overall, I would say that Africa is not the Africa you see in the media. It is a vibrant continent, with wonderful and joyful people. If you have the opportunity to go and visit, do it! You won't regret it, pinky promise!
e: After Africa, you moved to France. What was that like? Which city did you live in and why did you move there?
EB: I moved to France because of my dad's job as well. We settled in a little town called Cessy which is not far from the border with Geneva, Switzerland. Although, I grew up moving in different countries moving to France was quite different from the life in Africa. It wasn't a hard adjustment but it still took me few months to get used to a new culture.
e: You have a background in art and design. Did living in France and being exposed to classical art there inspire you to start drawing/painting?
EB: I actually started being interested in art way before living in France. I remember taking after school art classes when I lived in Guinea. But living in multiple countries has definitely inspired me!
e: You've told me that most Americans struggle with saying 'clock' in French, is there another word/phrase that is commonly mispronounced?
EB: Haha yes! I think in general a lot of words/phrase in French are hard to pronounce for Americans because of how French accentuates few syllables or letters like R's, J's, G's as well.
e: After France, you moved to America. What was your reasoning behind that? How did you select which state you would move to?
EB: I moved here to go to college. Funny story, I actually never wanted to come in America lol! My dad made me come here! (I wanted to go study either in The Netherlands, Belgium or in Vancouver, Canada). But my dad found a Christian college in Virginia and he loved it. He sent two of my siblings before me, then I came when I finish high school. I grew up in a Christian home, a faith is really important to me so at the end I was so happy to go to that school. I met wonderful people and I grew so much in my faith and personal relationship with God.
e: When you first moved to America, did you have a community/family that was here already to support you?
EB: My older brother and older sister came here when they finished high school in France. We all went to the same university in Virginia, so it was great to have them there with me. It was such a blessing to be in a new place with them and share many first experiences together as a family.
“All I wanted was to live in one place, same house and grow up with the same friends. But a couple years ago, I realized how lucky I was to be able to see so many places, live in different countries and continents”
e: What took you the longest to get accustomed to when you moved to America?
EB: Although I am social person, I think developing strong and genuine friendships with Americans took a bit longer for me.
e: I always joke that I would struggle living in another country because I'm such a picky eater. What are some foods that you miss from Africa or France that just aren't the same here?
EB: Luckily, there are some shops that sell International food, so it is not hard to find food from Africa for instance. But what I miss the most is the "normal", "natural" taste of food. American food is not the healthiest and can be pretty artificial.
e: You recently moved to Atlanta but is there anywhere that you really want to visit or live next? If so, where is it and why?
EB: I want to live/visit Chicago, Charleston (South Carolina), Savannah, Austin, Minneapolis,.. I have heard wonderful things about those places and I think I would love them all!
e: Some of your family still lives in Africa, how often do you go back to visit them? Do you ever get homesick?
EB: All of my relatives (grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins...) still live there. I havent't seen most of them since 2009 if I remember well. I miss them a lot and I wish we could live close to each other. I breaks my heart when I think about the time we have spent apart and how we are all missing so many big events in each other's life... But this is life, it is not perfect. They are still my family and I will always hold them close to my heart.
e: This has been great, Esther! Anything else that you'd like to share?
EB: I am just grateful for all the places I got the opportunity to live in. I remember when I was younger, I used to be mad at my parents because we kept moving so much. All I wanted was to live in one place, same house and grow up with the same friends. But a couple years ago, I realized how lucky I was to be able to see so many places, live in different countries and continents, etc. Those places shaped me into who I am today and I learned a lot a long the way. Today, I love being in new places and traveling. It can be scary or quite uncomfortable but that's exactly where you learn and grow.
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