*The last post was full of pictures so please check them out as well.
In our lesson today I asked Moreto why people said I had a nice face (uso mzuri). He told me that some said I had the face of a child that was just born. I asked why they say that and he gave a very lengthy response.
1) When children are only a day or two old, they have white skin, so people say wazungu (white people) look like newborns.
2) I have soft skin and hair like a newborn baby.
3) I apparently have the chin of a child - I'm not sure how, so I'm willing to accept any explanations of this.
4) Babies are always smiling and laughing (not that other people are angry) and I have a tendency to do just that while we are at the villages.
Guess that gives me a 'baby face' - but hey, not bad things so I'll take it as a nice compliment.
Peace.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Some Photos From the Past Two Villages.
About one quarter of who would end up coming to church on Wednesday.
Hanging around on Wednesday waiting for church to start.
Waiting for church on Wednesday.
Mother who gave me her child for awhile during church Tuesday.
Tim taking a cat nap in the car on the drive to church on Tuesday.
Children at church on Tuesday.
Jimmy and Katuuk (sp?) - the Hindu couple's driver and their son (respectively)
PH and some Massai men on Tuesday.
I was decorated with all this jewelry but didn't know what to do next.
With the Massai men on Tuesday donning some typical Massai jewelry.
The boys and Moreto and the Massai men on Tuesday posing for the camera.
Photos with the Women from Wednesday
Outside the church on Tuesday.
Outside the church on Tuesday with the Massai men and Moreto
Even the men like to touch my hair.Peace.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
I Like Your Face.
The past two days we have been going out on village visits and these two have led me to a long-awaited realization. Lately I have been feeling out of place when we visit the villages and it was the result of usually being the only woman in gatherings of men. I felt at times like I was breaking cultural norms and being almost offensive. I don’t want to send the wrong image of Massai culture though – from what I have experienced, women are just as important as men, they just tend to stay separated. Yesterday I spent time observing and making some observations on it all and then today I decided to try something new.
Starting with yesterday’s visit I tried to focus on where the women were in relation to the men and how the kids interacted as well. Grown women seemed to stay separated while the children seemed to gravitate towards the same gender but were not exclusive by ay means (not to say that the adults avoid the opposite gender in public). It furthered something I had noticed about Tanzanian gender dynamics – women tend to gravitate towards women and men to men (again, I do not mean to say that this is exclusively a Tanzanian thing – it just feels like it sticks out more here since I am not native to this culture). Even here at the language school, the boys seem to be able to get much closer to the majority of the men here. I think that since there are boys on this trip, it makes it easier for them to gravitate towards one another. It seems to have taken me longer to develop relationships with the male teachers here than the relationship that is almost assumed between the females here and myself. But back to the village visit yesterday. I noticed a greater ease of relating to the children than the boys did. During a great deal of the service I would make faces and smile at the kids, each one warmed up to me quickly. At one point in the service, one of the young women in the choir noticed me making faces and smiling at her infant daughter (which Tim had been doing as well) and this woman came over and handed me her daughter. By the end of the service, one of the little girls that I had been making faces at came over and grabbed my hand to walk out of the church together. Then after the service, I had several girls around me and some of the women came over as well. I should add that in addition to the pictures of me and Massai men/young boys that now are almost protocol after service, the older women asked for pictures with me as well. This ease of connection with women and their children seemed to be a theme that carried over from previous visits. If I had to guess, I would probably say that it hints at the women’s role in Massai villages in comparison to men’s roles. Women tend to be the ones we see caring for the children while men are the ‘bread-winners.’ The men appear to be great and loving fathers but the women seem to be the primary caregivers.
Then today I decided to try a little experiment. While we were sitting in the church waiting for the service to start I sat on the other side of the church from my male travel companions and Moreto (who came with us once again). Moreto asked me why I was sitting by myself and after guessing that I was tired he asked if it was because I was a girl. Once the women and girls started to trickle into the church they came and sat by me. Experiment successful! The women and girls started trying to talk to me almost immediately. One girl asked if I put special medicine on my hair to make it so soft. Then she brought a book over (it was a book to teach people to read and write in Kiswahili so they cold read the Bible) and she read it with me. One woman talked to me for a little while and asked where I was staying and showed me who (of the people we were sitting by) her daughters were. Another girl asked me if I had any children. When the service started, I sat with the boys and Moreto. About halfway through the service, Moreto leaned over and told me that the girls sitting by us had been talking about how I ‘have a nice face.’ Throughout the service, I would feel someone touching my hair and by the end of the service, she was sitting next to me. We walked outside after service and all the young women (most of whom were mothers) had gathered around me and were touching my hair, feeling my skin, and asking if they could trade bracelets with me. The bracelet trade never went through but the girl who had been touching my hair through the service gave me one of her necklaces.
So I guess the lesson of my little social experiment has no conclusive results other than my assumptions – women can relate easier to the kids (it takes a lot less work for me to connect with the kids than it seems to for the boys) because they are usually the caregivers; women separate themselves from the men, and vice versa, because they relate easier to one another than to the men; women appear to be just as highly valued (if not more) as men they just perform different roles. Oh, and apparently, I ‘have a nice face.’
Peace.
P.S. Stay tuned - Pictures will be coming soon.
Starting with yesterday’s visit I tried to focus on where the women were in relation to the men and how the kids interacted as well. Grown women seemed to stay separated while the children seemed to gravitate towards the same gender but were not exclusive by ay means (not to say that the adults avoid the opposite gender in public). It furthered something I had noticed about Tanzanian gender dynamics – women tend to gravitate towards women and men to men (again, I do not mean to say that this is exclusively a Tanzanian thing – it just feels like it sticks out more here since I am not native to this culture). Even here at the language school, the boys seem to be able to get much closer to the majority of the men here. I think that since there are boys on this trip, it makes it easier for them to gravitate towards one another. It seems to have taken me longer to develop relationships with the male teachers here than the relationship that is almost assumed between the females here and myself. But back to the village visit yesterday. I noticed a greater ease of relating to the children than the boys did. During a great deal of the service I would make faces and smile at the kids, each one warmed up to me quickly. At one point in the service, one of the young women in the choir noticed me making faces and smiling at her infant daughter (which Tim had been doing as well) and this woman came over and handed me her daughter. By the end of the service, one of the little girls that I had been making faces at came over and grabbed my hand to walk out of the church together. Then after the service, I had several girls around me and some of the women came over as well. I should add that in addition to the pictures of me and Massai men/young boys that now are almost protocol after service, the older women asked for pictures with me as well. This ease of connection with women and their children seemed to be a theme that carried over from previous visits. If I had to guess, I would probably say that it hints at the women’s role in Massai villages in comparison to men’s roles. Women tend to be the ones we see caring for the children while men are the ‘bread-winners.’ The men appear to be great and loving fathers but the women seem to be the primary caregivers.
Then today I decided to try a little experiment. While we were sitting in the church waiting for the service to start I sat on the other side of the church from my male travel companions and Moreto (who came with us once again). Moreto asked me why I was sitting by myself and after guessing that I was tired he asked if it was because I was a girl. Once the women and girls started to trickle into the church they came and sat by me. Experiment successful! The women and girls started trying to talk to me almost immediately. One girl asked if I put special medicine on my hair to make it so soft. Then she brought a book over (it was a book to teach people to read and write in Kiswahili so they cold read the Bible) and she read it with me. One woman talked to me for a little while and asked where I was staying and showed me who (of the people we were sitting by) her daughters were. Another girl asked me if I had any children. When the service started, I sat with the boys and Moreto. About halfway through the service, Moreto leaned over and told me that the girls sitting by us had been talking about how I ‘have a nice face.’ Throughout the service, I would feel someone touching my hair and by the end of the service, she was sitting next to me. We walked outside after service and all the young women (most of whom were mothers) had gathered around me and were touching my hair, feeling my skin, and asking if they could trade bracelets with me. The bracelet trade never went through but the girl who had been touching my hair through the service gave me one of her necklaces.
So I guess the lesson of my little social experiment has no conclusive results other than my assumptions – women can relate easier to the kids (it takes a lot less work for me to connect with the kids than it seems to for the boys) because they are usually the caregivers; women separate themselves from the men, and vice versa, because they relate easier to one another than to the men; women appear to be just as highly valued (if not more) as men they just perform different roles. Oh, and apparently, I ‘have a nice face.’
Peace.
P.S. Stay tuned - Pictures will be coming soon.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Sometimes God Just Knows.
We have reached the half way point in our trip – 7 weeks down (already!) and 7 left. It is a blessing as much as it is a curse. I feel like we have just gotten here but that is now how much time we have left to enjoy this beautiful place. On the other hand, it means that there is only 7 weeks until I get to see my family and friends again. I suppose this has been one of my biggest challenges here – I miss my friends and family. I have come to realize (mostly in the past couple days) that it is largely brought on by who my traveling companions are. I applied to this study broad knowing that I would be away from family and friends and I was okay with that, but I also didn’t plan on having three guys who were already best friends as my traveling companions. Don’t misunderstand me, the boys are fun and I enjoy their company. My struggle lies in the constant reminder that they are here with their best friends and they know and understand each other and each other’s pasts. It makes the trip difficult for me because I often find myself feeling like a fourth wheel (even though they sometimes try to make it not so) and then I am reminded that my friends, who know me and my past, are thousands of miles away.
I was talking to Anne (pronounced a-nn-ae), one of the Danish students here, about this feeling on our walk over to the seamstress and she echoed my feelings (she came with a newlywed Danish couple). Well, we went to the seamstress and, through broken Swahili, explained what she wanted to have made (some shirts for her niece and nephew). Then we walked back and headed to lunch, where almost everyone had already finished eating. Anne and I got to talk for quite awhile about some of the things that have been obstacles for me and my dreams. I should explain, Anne is an anthropologist who enjoys working for development (the same general thing I want to do). She spent some time in Ghana several years ago and at that point realized that she wanted to live and work abroad. We got to talking about life and dreams and love (like I said, a lot of things that have been obstacles for me). It was nice to be able to talk to someone who is farther in life than me (she is about 34), who shares my hopes and dreams, and who has experienced similar struggles. We talked for awhile about how, if at all, it is possible to have both love and still work to actualize dreams of peace, development, and justice. I suppose you could say that I found another hippie. We talked about past and present relationships. We talked about the human need to find love and companionship and how that balances (or possibly doesn’t) with doing development work. We talked about how it is so very easy to plan out the distant future and forget about the present or near future but how we need to remember to live and plan in the present and near future since you never know what the distant future will bring. We talked about how striving for development and peace is very much a counter-culture and how it is easy to lose that drive and passion by following popular culture but how it is so very important to maintain that drive and passion no matter what. We talked for almost an hour and a half and reached almost no conclusions but we found solace in our common struggles and in the fact that we are not alone in them.
I have been reminded more and more lately that a big part of living (or studying) abroad is that it teaches you more about yourself – it gives you and opportunity to step back and examine your life, actions, and inactions. I feel so very blessed for my conversation with Anne today – it reminded me that I am not alone and reminded me to reach deep within myself and work for what I want. Anne and my conversation was just another very-much needed reminder that God knows each of us and our needs and he has an amazing way of showing us his presence at the most needed times.
Peace.
I was talking to Anne (pronounced a-nn-ae), one of the Danish students here, about this feeling on our walk over to the seamstress and she echoed my feelings (she came with a newlywed Danish couple). Well, we went to the seamstress and, through broken Swahili, explained what she wanted to have made (some shirts for her niece and nephew). Then we walked back and headed to lunch, where almost everyone had already finished eating. Anne and I got to talk for quite awhile about some of the things that have been obstacles for me and my dreams. I should explain, Anne is an anthropologist who enjoys working for development (the same general thing I want to do). She spent some time in Ghana several years ago and at that point realized that she wanted to live and work abroad. We got to talking about life and dreams and love (like I said, a lot of things that have been obstacles for me). It was nice to be able to talk to someone who is farther in life than me (she is about 34), who shares my hopes and dreams, and who has experienced similar struggles. We talked for awhile about how, if at all, it is possible to have both love and still work to actualize dreams of peace, development, and justice. I suppose you could say that I found another hippie. We talked about past and present relationships. We talked about the human need to find love and companionship and how that balances (or possibly doesn’t) with doing development work. We talked about how it is so very easy to plan out the distant future and forget about the present or near future but how we need to remember to live and plan in the present and near future since you never know what the distant future will bring. We talked about how striving for development and peace is very much a counter-culture and how it is easy to lose that drive and passion by following popular culture but how it is so very important to maintain that drive and passion no matter what. We talked for almost an hour and a half and reached almost no conclusions but we found solace in our common struggles and in the fact that we are not alone in them.
I have been reminded more and more lately that a big part of living (or studying) abroad is that it teaches you more about yourself – it gives you and opportunity to step back and examine your life, actions, and inactions. I feel so very blessed for my conversation with Anne today – it reminded me that I am not alone and reminded me to reach deep within myself and work for what I want. Anne and my conversation was just another very-much needed reminder that God knows each of us and our needs and he has an amazing way of showing us his presence at the most needed times.
Peace.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Wow, That Was Random.
Let’s see, over the past two days quite a bit has happened. Let me fill you in…
Friday two new students came to LJS. They are a young Swiss man and woman (both in their mid-20s). I have spent the past few nights talking to them about all sorts of things. We have talked about the lack of international knowledge on the part of most Americans quite a bit. Both have been very good about not just talking negatively about Americans, but being constructively critical and at the same time realizing that Americans aren’t the only ones who can be like that.
Yesterday we went to the Cattle Market again. I’ll just say that it is a lot more fun when you actually know some Massai. We kept having people come up to us that we had met on visits and they would ask us if we remembered them and then ask us the name of the village we met them in (quite a challenge when we barely find out the names of the villages). But it was really quite fun. We wandered around for a bit with Mchungaji and then we ate goat and while Mchungaji met with some men, we wandered around a bit more. The whole dead animal thing still is leading me towards being vegetarian… this time we got to the market earlier and saw the goats with their skin cut off and hanging (like last time) but many still had their heads and legs attached… not the most appetizing sight.
We got back from the Cattle Market around 4 yesterday and I went on a walk. I walked down the Old Morogoro Road, a minor ‘neighborhood’ right next to the school. It was really nice, I got the chance to talk to and greet people as I walked. One woman I walked with for a little ways was asking me about myself – in addition to making this place feel more like home, it boosted my confidence in my Swahili skills. But when I reached my turning point I saw a fruit/vegetable stand that had sugar cane. Since the boys really enjoy sugar cane I decided I would get a piece for them to share. Turns out the man who works there had worked here at LJS for two years. He was asking me about what I was doing in Tanzania and if I knew some of his friends who still work here. Then on my walk back, I heard a car honk behind me and all of a sudden Delta, Kidege, and Jimmy pulled over on the side of the road. They gave me a ride the rest of the way back to the seminary.
Then today we went to a harvest festival at a Waswahili (non-massai) village. First, the road (once we got off of the main road) was filled with little (but deep) dry water ravines so it was a good thing Luka drove us. The service was a Reformation Sunday service and we had guests from various Christian denominations (including several Catholics) and they all came up and shared in communion together… talk about not allowing boundaries get in the way of Christian fellowship! The service wasn’t too long but the auction afterwards lasted longer than the service did! It was the celebration of the harvest so people brought all sorts of different crops as offerings. There were also several chickens/roosters and a goat – which proved interesting when people take their offering up during the service. It definitely puts a new spin on the typical church send-off when the goat is trying to eat the string tying together the sugar cane and pooping in the middle of the church. The auction was fun since we now have enough Swahili to bid and have fun with it. There was a great deal of bidding between people and gift giving. I was given an orange and black kanga by one of the Catholic men. All I heard was ‘kwa Sara’ (for Sara) and then the auctioneer came over and gave me the kanga and then two women wrapped it around me! And then Luka and PH bought all four of us baby coconuts. I in turn, gave a large majority of my coconut to some of the kids who were standing by me – don’t get me wrong, I love them. I just wanted to share the wealth. We ate as a community to celebrate the harvest and then we left.
Finally, tonight we went out to supper to celebrate Steve’s birthday (two weeks late – oops!). We went to a hotel restaurant that we had eaten at earlier for Kirsten’s birthday. As much as I enjoy the ooking at LJS, it was nice to be able to pick what I wanted to eat.
I almost forgot, I had two more shirts made – from a brown fabric with green butterflies and small flowers. I love them. And I bought some more fabric at the Cattle Market to have some more things made. I just can’t get over the fact that I pay about $7.50 USD to have a hand-made one-of-a-kind shirt made – and it supports the local economy! Life doesn’t get much better than that!
Peace.
Tim definitely loves when we have chickens in the car with us.
Goat in church.
The road... aka the real reason for having 4-wheel drive
Drawing in the dirt... it really is a universal activity.
Finally getting into the bubbles.
The stare down.
This little guy was so patient... he just waited until it was his turn... he also was crawling and 'posing' on the floor in the house for us during tea.
Took them awhile to open up to the idea of playing with the bubbles.
Tim modeling some massai beaded jewelry at the cattle market.
From the last Massai village... I was caught off guard when Moreto just handed me the spear for a picture.
Beautiful flowers all around... one of my favorites outside my room.
This tree is just outside LJS and looks like it is tying itself in knots.
Solomon's grave. RIP.
Friday two new students came to LJS. They are a young Swiss man and woman (both in their mid-20s). I have spent the past few nights talking to them about all sorts of things. We have talked about the lack of international knowledge on the part of most Americans quite a bit. Both have been very good about not just talking negatively about Americans, but being constructively critical and at the same time realizing that Americans aren’t the only ones who can be like that.
Yesterday we went to the Cattle Market again. I’ll just say that it is a lot more fun when you actually know some Massai. We kept having people come up to us that we had met on visits and they would ask us if we remembered them and then ask us the name of the village we met them in (quite a challenge when we barely find out the names of the villages). But it was really quite fun. We wandered around for a bit with Mchungaji and then we ate goat and while Mchungaji met with some men, we wandered around a bit more. The whole dead animal thing still is leading me towards being vegetarian… this time we got to the market earlier and saw the goats with their skin cut off and hanging (like last time) but many still had their heads and legs attached… not the most appetizing sight.
We got back from the Cattle Market around 4 yesterday and I went on a walk. I walked down the Old Morogoro Road, a minor ‘neighborhood’ right next to the school. It was really nice, I got the chance to talk to and greet people as I walked. One woman I walked with for a little ways was asking me about myself – in addition to making this place feel more like home, it boosted my confidence in my Swahili skills. But when I reached my turning point I saw a fruit/vegetable stand that had sugar cane. Since the boys really enjoy sugar cane I decided I would get a piece for them to share. Turns out the man who works there had worked here at LJS for two years. He was asking me about what I was doing in Tanzania and if I knew some of his friends who still work here. Then on my walk back, I heard a car honk behind me and all of a sudden Delta, Kidege, and Jimmy pulled over on the side of the road. They gave me a ride the rest of the way back to the seminary.
Then today we went to a harvest festival at a Waswahili (non-massai) village. First, the road (once we got off of the main road) was filled with little (but deep) dry water ravines so it was a good thing Luka drove us. The service was a Reformation Sunday service and we had guests from various Christian denominations (including several Catholics) and they all came up and shared in communion together… talk about not allowing boundaries get in the way of Christian fellowship! The service wasn’t too long but the auction afterwards lasted longer than the service did! It was the celebration of the harvest so people brought all sorts of different crops as offerings. There were also several chickens/roosters and a goat – which proved interesting when people take their offering up during the service. It definitely puts a new spin on the typical church send-off when the goat is trying to eat the string tying together the sugar cane and pooping in the middle of the church. The auction was fun since we now have enough Swahili to bid and have fun with it. There was a great deal of bidding between people and gift giving. I was given an orange and black kanga by one of the Catholic men. All I heard was ‘kwa Sara’ (for Sara) and then the auctioneer came over and gave me the kanga and then two women wrapped it around me! And then Luka and PH bought all four of us baby coconuts. I in turn, gave a large majority of my coconut to some of the kids who were standing by me – don’t get me wrong, I love them. I just wanted to share the wealth. We ate as a community to celebrate the harvest and then we left.
Finally, tonight we went out to supper to celebrate Steve’s birthday (two weeks late – oops!). We went to a hotel restaurant that we had eaten at earlier for Kirsten’s birthday. As much as I enjoy the ooking at LJS, it was nice to be able to pick what I wanted to eat.
I almost forgot, I had two more shirts made – from a brown fabric with green butterflies and small flowers. I love them. And I bought some more fabric at the Cattle Market to have some more things made. I just can’t get over the fact that I pay about $7.50 USD to have a hand-made one-of-a-kind shirt made – and it supports the local economy! Life doesn’t get much better than that!
Peace.
Tim definitely loves when we have chickens in the car with us.
Goat in church.
The road... aka the real reason for having 4-wheel drive
Drawing in the dirt... it really is a universal activity.
Finally getting into the bubbles.
The stare down.
This little guy was so patient... he just waited until it was his turn... he also was crawling and 'posing' on the floor in the house for us during tea.
Took them awhile to open up to the idea of playing with the bubbles.
Tim modeling some massai beaded jewelry at the cattle market.
From the last Massai village... I was caught off guard when Moreto just handed me the spear for a picture.
Beautiful flowers all around... one of my favorites outside my room.
This tree is just outside LJS and looks like it is tying itself in knots.
Solomon's grave. RIP.Saturday, October 25, 2008
Tumemaliza Kitabu Cha Kwanza!
As the title, suggests, we have finished the first book for our Swahili lessons already. There are two books, each with thirty lessons in them. It is exciting, in a geeky way. Since we are already half done with our lessons and we still have a little under two months left here, we decided to spend more time of our lessons each day just talking in Swahili with each other and our teacher. Today’s topic was largely political. We started the conversation by asking Moreto about what he will do after working at the Language School. He told us that he will go to university to study Community Organizing/Social Development and Politics (needless to say, I perked up… the conversation had just become one that was perfectly suited to my interests). He wants to eventually study law. We spent quite some time talking about politics here in Tanzania. Moreto explained the major political parties and explained to us why he likes CCM (Chama Cha Mapinduzi – Party of the Revolution). Towards the end the conversation turned to problems facing Tanzania and he said that the biggest problem is corruption.
With all that said, here is a little insight into the political system and its history in Tanzania:
Shortly after Tanzania gained it’s independence from the UN mandated trusteeship to Britain, the new president, Nyerere, combined TANU (the ruling party on the mainland) with Zanzibar’s ruling party, ASP (Afro-Shirazi Party) – the result was called CCM. From that point, CCM was the sole political party in Tanzania as ratified in the country’s constitution. After his termed concluded in 1985, Nyerere remained the chairman for CCM for the next 5 years.
Though Zanzibar and Tanzania are legally united, Zanzibar remains fairly autonomous – especially on matters that only affect the island.
Tanzania is divided into 26 administrative regions (21 on the mainland, 3 on Zanzibar, and 2 on Pemba).
The president and National Assembly members are elected to five year terms, renewable once. Tanzania’s current President is Jakaya Kikwete and Zanzibar’s President, Amani Abeid Karume (who is actually the son of Zanzibar’s first president) were both elected in 2005. The President appoints a prime minister and his cabinet members from the National Assembly Members.
The National Assembly is comprised of at most 325 members – 5 from Zanzibar’s House of Representatives, and Attorney General, the Speaker, 75 women’s seats, 233 constituent seats and up to 10 members nominated by the president. Currently, CCM (the ruling party) has about 82% of the seats in the Assembly.
In 1992, the country underwent changes that would allow for a multiparty system. The 1995 elections became the country’s first multiparty elections. However, CCM has remained in power.
In 2001 CCM and CUF (Civic United Front) signed a reconciliation agreement to begin electoral reforms and look into deaths that had occurred on Pemba earlier in the year. In October 2005, an opposition vice presidential candidate died and the mainland’s elections were postponed. That year, Zanzibar’s elections were viewed as irregular and possibly fraudulent – elections on the mainland, however, were deemed fair and Kikwete won with over 80% of the vote.
Early this year (February) Kikwete dissolved his cabinet after two ministers and the then-Prime Minister resigned following allegations of corruption.
The main political parties here are CCM (Chama cha Mapinduzi), CUF (the Civic United Front), and CHADEMA (Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo) – among over 14 others.
Peace.
With all that said, here is a little insight into the political system and its history in Tanzania:
Shortly after Tanzania gained it’s independence from the UN mandated trusteeship to Britain, the new president, Nyerere, combined TANU (the ruling party on the mainland) with Zanzibar’s ruling party, ASP (Afro-Shirazi Party) – the result was called CCM. From that point, CCM was the sole political party in Tanzania as ratified in the country’s constitution. After his termed concluded in 1985, Nyerere remained the chairman for CCM for the next 5 years.
Though Zanzibar and Tanzania are legally united, Zanzibar remains fairly autonomous – especially on matters that only affect the island.
Tanzania is divided into 26 administrative regions (21 on the mainland, 3 on Zanzibar, and 2 on Pemba).
The president and National Assembly members are elected to five year terms, renewable once. Tanzania’s current President is Jakaya Kikwete and Zanzibar’s President, Amani Abeid Karume (who is actually the son of Zanzibar’s first president) were both elected in 2005. The President appoints a prime minister and his cabinet members from the National Assembly Members.
The National Assembly is comprised of at most 325 members – 5 from Zanzibar’s House of Representatives, and Attorney General, the Speaker, 75 women’s seats, 233 constituent seats and up to 10 members nominated by the president. Currently, CCM (the ruling party) has about 82% of the seats in the Assembly.
In 1992, the country underwent changes that would allow for a multiparty system. The 1995 elections became the country’s first multiparty elections. However, CCM has remained in power.
In 2001 CCM and CUF (Civic United Front) signed a reconciliation agreement to begin electoral reforms and look into deaths that had occurred on Pemba earlier in the year. In October 2005, an opposition vice presidential candidate died and the mainland’s elections were postponed. That year, Zanzibar’s elections were viewed as irregular and possibly fraudulent – elections on the mainland, however, were deemed fair and Kikwete won with over 80% of the vote.
Early this year (February) Kikwete dissolved his cabinet after two ministers and the then-Prime Minister resigned following allegations of corruption.
The main political parties here are CCM (Chama cha Mapinduzi), CUF (the Civic United Front), and CHADEMA (Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo) – among over 14 others.
Peace.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
“Speak but a whisper, I’ll hear a sermon.” -Copeland
I think that one of the most beautiful things about long-term immersion trips like this is the ability to learn more about yourself and how you view and experience the world around you. Over the past couple weeks, I have come to realize and love this.
One thing that I have realized recently (just from looking back, which has almost no connection to the rest of this post) is that when people who know me found out I was going to study abroad in Tanzania, East Africa no one really seemed surprised by it. It seemed like it was just a natural next step for me.
I have been told several times that I am an observer but I never really understood what that meant until I got here and started to live less like a tourist and more like a newcomer to the culture (which has been the transition over the past couple weeks). I was once told, “I love how much [you] watch people. [You] are extremely observant of this world and its inhabitants.” Even looking back at my previous blog posts, I can tell that I observe things and reflect on them. For example, rather than writing about the events of the day I tend to write a quick overview of the day and then I reflect and process them. I think it is a way of viewing the world that tends to be lost on familiarity – not in a bad way, but it can be difficult to observe the world when one is constantly surrounded by things they already know well.
I have also come to notice and embrace a person’s ability to break down barriers and find solace in uncomfortable situations through the use of a simple, genuine smile. It continues to astonish me how far a smile and gleaming eye can go in building the foundation of a relationship. I have recently befriended one of the Korean men who is a long course (4 months) students here. Shortly after I arrived here, I would smile and greet him anytime I saw him and by now Cho (spelling?) and I will talk anytime we see each other. I truly think that a relationship like this (and the ones we build at the villages we visit) are blessing that we both give and receive. Cho doesn’t speak much English (or so he claims, he actually speaks and understands quite well but doesn’t have confidence in his ability) so whenever we speak it is in simple Swahili and takes a fair amount effort on both ends but I notice a light in his eyes when he sees me and we talk. I am sure that glimmer in his eyes comes from the joy of seeing a ‘friend’ but at the same time he brightens my day and he reminds me of the power of genuine kindness.
I have learned how I learn. I definitely learn by understanding the premise of things – I need to understand why things are the way they are and then I can commit them to memory. My Swahili lessons have been instrumental in teaching me this. I can grasp the semantics of the language quite quickly and, as a result, I have almost no problem understanding and remembering verb conjugations and sentence structure. Conversely, I have a hard time memorizing vocabulary. I have also learned that I am horrible at making up sentences out of thin air – one of our exercises is to make up sentences using our vocabulary words… needless to say, I am horrible (not so much because of the language aspect, but because I have a hard time creating sentences off the top of my head using one common word such as ‘meaning’).
If for some reason I didn’t notice it before, I am definitely a free spirit who will just go with the flow. While the structure (or lack thereof) of a trip like this would drive many type-A personalities up a wall, I just do my own thing until I am told to be somewhere. And when timing is not quite as punctual as it might be back in the States, while others would get frustrated and impatient, I just take it as more time to relax. When we first got here, one American woman, Jody, who was a student here would always ask me what we were going to do the next day. My response was almost always, ‘I have no idea.’ It became our joke… that I was never the person to ask about our plans. But I guess that is just who I am, I don’t need to know where we are going or when – I trust that we will get wherever we are going at some point. But at the same time, when it comes to things like my schoolwork and important events (ie Luka’s wedding) I tend to get more conscious of the timing and I sit up and pay attention to the details.
But my free spirit carries over into how I express myself and I suppose that has been a difficult transition for me to make. It sounds terribly cliché but I like to express my personality through how I look. Back in the States, if it gets warm out (like it is everyday here) I usually can be found wearing some flowing tank top with my shoulders exposed and a jean skirt or a t-shirt and gym shorts (it is a bit of a dichotomy of dress styles, I know). But here I need to be more culturally sensitive and wear shirts that aren’t too low cut and cover my shoulders and anything I wear (skirts, pants, capris, etc) need to fall below the knee. In addition to the excessive heat in the afternoons, I find myself just wanting to ‘look like I usually do.’ I have also found that my tattoos are surprising to people here – which makes sense in a more conservative culture. I have always seen my tattoos (the heart with the word ‘peace’ written in it that is on my foot and the cross with my confirmation verse that is on my shoulder blade) as physical expressions of my values (love, faith, hope, and peace – yes, I am frequently called a hippie). And I don’t think people look down on my tattoos too much, I think it is just something different.
Finally, and probably the thing I am most grateful for, I have come to realize what and who is most important to me. I have found a renewed love and passion for the implementation of social change through faith and the church. I have been reminded why I could never work behind a desk… I am too much of a people-person. I have learned who is important to me and who isn’t quite as important. I remember what it means to have a passion to make a difference and to act on that passion. I know how to identify people/things who are getting in the way of my hopes and dreams (and I know that I am slowly learning how to not let them stop me).
I guess that most people (whether they acknowledge it or not) will learn and recognize a lot of these things through experiencing life and learn them over time. I can only thank God for this trip and the fact that I have been blessed enough to learn about myself at only 20 years old. It excites me to think that there is only more to learn as I grow and continue to experience more (both here and back home).
Peace.
One thing that I have realized recently (just from looking back, which has almost no connection to the rest of this post) is that when people who know me found out I was going to study abroad in Tanzania, East Africa no one really seemed surprised by it. It seemed like it was just a natural next step for me.
I have been told several times that I am an observer but I never really understood what that meant until I got here and started to live less like a tourist and more like a newcomer to the culture (which has been the transition over the past couple weeks). I was once told, “I love how much [you] watch people. [You] are extremely observant of this world and its inhabitants.” Even looking back at my previous blog posts, I can tell that I observe things and reflect on them. For example, rather than writing about the events of the day I tend to write a quick overview of the day and then I reflect and process them. I think it is a way of viewing the world that tends to be lost on familiarity – not in a bad way, but it can be difficult to observe the world when one is constantly surrounded by things they already know well.
I have also come to notice and embrace a person’s ability to break down barriers and find solace in uncomfortable situations through the use of a simple, genuine smile. It continues to astonish me how far a smile and gleaming eye can go in building the foundation of a relationship. I have recently befriended one of the Korean men who is a long course (4 months) students here. Shortly after I arrived here, I would smile and greet him anytime I saw him and by now Cho (spelling?) and I will talk anytime we see each other. I truly think that a relationship like this (and the ones we build at the villages we visit) are blessing that we both give and receive. Cho doesn’t speak much English (or so he claims, he actually speaks and understands quite well but doesn’t have confidence in his ability) so whenever we speak it is in simple Swahili and takes a fair amount effort on both ends but I notice a light in his eyes when he sees me and we talk. I am sure that glimmer in his eyes comes from the joy of seeing a ‘friend’ but at the same time he brightens my day and he reminds me of the power of genuine kindness.
I have learned how I learn. I definitely learn by understanding the premise of things – I need to understand why things are the way they are and then I can commit them to memory. My Swahili lessons have been instrumental in teaching me this. I can grasp the semantics of the language quite quickly and, as a result, I have almost no problem understanding and remembering verb conjugations and sentence structure. Conversely, I have a hard time memorizing vocabulary. I have also learned that I am horrible at making up sentences out of thin air – one of our exercises is to make up sentences using our vocabulary words… needless to say, I am horrible (not so much because of the language aspect, but because I have a hard time creating sentences off the top of my head using one common word such as ‘meaning’).
If for some reason I didn’t notice it before, I am definitely a free spirit who will just go with the flow. While the structure (or lack thereof) of a trip like this would drive many type-A personalities up a wall, I just do my own thing until I am told to be somewhere. And when timing is not quite as punctual as it might be back in the States, while others would get frustrated and impatient, I just take it as more time to relax. When we first got here, one American woman, Jody, who was a student here would always ask me what we were going to do the next day. My response was almost always, ‘I have no idea.’ It became our joke… that I was never the person to ask about our plans. But I guess that is just who I am, I don’t need to know where we are going or when – I trust that we will get wherever we are going at some point. But at the same time, when it comes to things like my schoolwork and important events (ie Luka’s wedding) I tend to get more conscious of the timing and I sit up and pay attention to the details.
But my free spirit carries over into how I express myself and I suppose that has been a difficult transition for me to make. It sounds terribly cliché but I like to express my personality through how I look. Back in the States, if it gets warm out (like it is everyday here) I usually can be found wearing some flowing tank top with my shoulders exposed and a jean skirt or a t-shirt and gym shorts (it is a bit of a dichotomy of dress styles, I know). But here I need to be more culturally sensitive and wear shirts that aren’t too low cut and cover my shoulders and anything I wear (skirts, pants, capris, etc) need to fall below the knee. In addition to the excessive heat in the afternoons, I find myself just wanting to ‘look like I usually do.’ I have also found that my tattoos are surprising to people here – which makes sense in a more conservative culture. I have always seen my tattoos (the heart with the word ‘peace’ written in it that is on my foot and the cross with my confirmation verse that is on my shoulder blade) as physical expressions of my values (love, faith, hope, and peace – yes, I am frequently called a hippie). And I don’t think people look down on my tattoos too much, I think it is just something different.
Finally, and probably the thing I am most grateful for, I have come to realize what and who is most important to me. I have found a renewed love and passion for the implementation of social change through faith and the church. I have been reminded why I could never work behind a desk… I am too much of a people-person. I have learned who is important to me and who isn’t quite as important. I remember what it means to have a passion to make a difference and to act on that passion. I know how to identify people/things who are getting in the way of my hopes and dreams (and I know that I am slowly learning how to not let them stop me).
I guess that most people (whether they acknowledge it or not) will learn and recognize a lot of these things through experiencing life and learn them over time. I can only thank God for this trip and the fact that I have been blessed enough to learn about myself at only 20 years old. It excites me to think that there is only more to learn as I grow and continue to experience more (both here and back home).
Peace.
Monday, October 20, 2008
'Proposals,’ Widows And A Reminder That Blonde is Beautiful
I should preface this post by saying that I have now received a nickname from Omega – I am now Miss America (Tim is Obama and Steve is Mr. Mountain). Also, I never thought about how much my long blonde hair would be a hit here. It seems like everywhere we go, people want to touch it and just stare at it, even here at LJS Moreto commented on how he likes my hair. But that is all beside the point.
Yesterday we visited another Massai village - Moreto came with us on the visit since he is Massai and his uncle is the evangelist for that village. The visit started with a walk to the grave of the village elder who had died a little while ago from liver cancer. This particular village has had a rough patch with the church since their evangelist had left them and didn’t return after the elder’s passing. And in my opinion, Mchungaji did a great job at working to reestablish and strengthen the relationship once again. After our visit to the man’s grave, we had chai and maandazi (tea and half-cake) with some of the men in the village. Then Mchungaji had a meeting with some of the elders and Moreto took us on a tour around the village. It was really nice – we got a chance to see the inside of a house and a kitchen. After we had seen typical buildings and walked around for awhile, we sat down with some men and just hung out with them. Steve had brought some Barack Obama stickers so he gave them to a couple of the men, who in turn placed them on the two motorcycles. Then we had a church service with 16 baptisms. Finally, we ate some rice with more chai and we headed home – on the ride home, Moreto told me that some of the men had asked about marrying me.
For me this visit was a little different than others. I felt a little bit off – don’t get me wrong, physically I felt fine. I felt out of place. I realized that I am always the only woman when we are on the village visits. The elder at our previous village had even told me something along the lines of how I came and I sat and talked with the men. I don’t think it is seen as a bad thing necessarily but I still feel a bit out of place at times.
But on yet another unrelated note, there were two widows and their children who got baptized at the village. Mchungaji explained that they were so thin and that shows him that they are not being taken care of by anyone. He said that the elder who had recently passed, used to take care of them and make sure they had what they needed (usually the job for a woman’s husband) but since he was gone, no one was doing that now. They were the low level of society. I instantly thought of the Bible story of the widow who gave two coins for offering and Jesus said gave more than those who gave a great deal – because this was all the money she could spare. These women wanted to be taken care of by Christ and wanted their children to be protected as well so they chose to be baptized, then they gave offering, which I am certain is money they could very well use to purchase one necessity or another but instead they wanted to offer it to the church.
I guess all in all, this village visit opened my eyes to a lot. I saw the real life portrayal of Luke’s widows giving offering, I was asked to be someone’s wife, and I learned a bit more about the life of a Massai. Suffice to say, that this was a productive village visit.
Go Barack! They love you here in Tz!
Massai men and me... the one on the left is one of the men who asked Moreto about marrying me.
Widow being baptized.
This Massai and Moreto wanted a photo of my in the jewelry and Moreto with the spear.
(Reminds me of the photo of the farmer couple)
Massai modeling some beaded jewelry worn for special occasions.
Making some beaded jewelry... Moreto said it can take up to several months to make these.
Some animals relaxing beneath the motorcycle... they were under the car as well.
Peace.
Yesterday we visited another Massai village - Moreto came with us on the visit since he is Massai and his uncle is the evangelist for that village. The visit started with a walk to the grave of the village elder who had died a little while ago from liver cancer. This particular village has had a rough patch with the church since their evangelist had left them and didn’t return after the elder’s passing. And in my opinion, Mchungaji did a great job at working to reestablish and strengthen the relationship once again. After our visit to the man’s grave, we had chai and maandazi (tea and half-cake) with some of the men in the village. Then Mchungaji had a meeting with some of the elders and Moreto took us on a tour around the village. It was really nice – we got a chance to see the inside of a house and a kitchen. After we had seen typical buildings and walked around for awhile, we sat down with some men and just hung out with them. Steve had brought some Barack Obama stickers so he gave them to a couple of the men, who in turn placed them on the two motorcycles. Then we had a church service with 16 baptisms. Finally, we ate some rice with more chai and we headed home – on the ride home, Moreto told me that some of the men had asked about marrying me.
For me this visit was a little different than others. I felt a little bit off – don’t get me wrong, physically I felt fine. I felt out of place. I realized that I am always the only woman when we are on the village visits. The elder at our previous village had even told me something along the lines of how I came and I sat and talked with the men. I don’t think it is seen as a bad thing necessarily but I still feel a bit out of place at times.
But on yet another unrelated note, there were two widows and their children who got baptized at the village. Mchungaji explained that they were so thin and that shows him that they are not being taken care of by anyone. He said that the elder who had recently passed, used to take care of them and make sure they had what they needed (usually the job for a woman’s husband) but since he was gone, no one was doing that now. They were the low level of society. I instantly thought of the Bible story of the widow who gave two coins for offering and Jesus said gave more than those who gave a great deal – because this was all the money she could spare. These women wanted to be taken care of by Christ and wanted their children to be protected as well so they chose to be baptized, then they gave offering, which I am certain is money they could very well use to purchase one necessity or another but instead they wanted to offer it to the church.
I guess all in all, this village visit opened my eyes to a lot. I saw the real life portrayal of Luke’s widows giving offering, I was asked to be someone’s wife, and I learned a bit more about the life of a Massai. Suffice to say, that this was a productive village visit.
Go Barack! They love you here in Tz!
Massai men and me... the one on the left is one of the men who asked Moreto about marrying me.
Widow being baptized.
This Massai and Moreto wanted a photo of my in the jewelry and Moreto with the spear.(Reminds me of the photo of the farmer couple)
Massai modeling some beaded jewelry worn for special occasions.
Making some beaded jewelry... Moreto said it can take up to several months to make these.
Some animals relaxing beneath the motorcycle... they were under the car as well.Peace.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
I Feel Like I Can Almost Touch The Sky
It has been raining a bit more over the past couple weeks (usually it downpours, out of seemingly nowhere, for awhile and then it clears up) – lately it has rained at some point on 3-4 days out of the week. With the increased rain, things have come to life and more flowers (which I didn’t think could even exist) have blossomed and things are getting a little bit greener. It makes it quite clear that water brings new life to everything.
I was once told by some very intelligent people (aka my pastors and church’s director of education) that whenever you are in the shower or it rains, it is an opportunity to remember your baptism. So I found out my baptismal verse, and it turned out to be quite appropriate for our adventure on Saturday.
My baptismal verse was Isaiah 26:4 – it reads, “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is a rock of ages.”
I will start at the beginning, Saturday we woke up and, around 8:30, eight of us pilled into a truck and headed off to the village (kijiji) where we would start our mountain hike up the mountain range in our backyard. The group consisted of the four American students, the Danish couple, and three language school teachers (Omega, Delta, and Kidege). In total, the climb lasted about 5 hours up and then about 4.5 hours down. I had woken up with tight hamstrings so I had a feeling that the climb up would be rough – and I was right. I tended to trail towards the back (until Peter got sick and had to hold back too for awhile) and was keeping a fairly good pace for myself. But about 2 hours in my legs were sore and I started to get the feeling that a panic attack might be coming quite soon. (For those of you who don’t already know, I had what you might call a close call with a rip tide off the shore of El Salvador about five years ago, and sometimes I will experience something that incites flashbacks.) I had to stop quite a bit to allow my body to rest and remind myself that I was landlocked. But Omega, bless his heart, was a saint and he held back with me throughout the hike. We reached the pass that we were going to take after about 4 hours of climbing. Throughout the hike, we passed through a forest of banana trees and Omega was even given some bananas by a man whose house we passed. It was beautiful and truly breathtaking. We continued to hike for another hour on the inner side of the mountain range. Around one, we stopped to eat the sack lunch that the kitchen had given us (oranges, bread, peanut butter, jam, boiled eggs, and banana chips). After lunch we decided to head back down so we could get to the village at the bottom before nightfall. In order to hike back, we had to climb back up a little bit to get to the peak we had passed through. But my body had rested too much and climbing up was wearing on my body and mind. Once again, Omega (who was now quite tired as well) and I fell to the back. About a 5 min walk from the pass we were taking, I started to feel a panic attack again – I stopped walking, started to shake, and started to gasp for breath a little bit. My body was tired like I had been in the water and it was hot outside. Omega asked me a couple times if I was okay – pretty sure that I freaked him out a little bit. But after a couple minutes I pushed myself to start hiking again – I knew that we were close to the pass and then it would be all downhill from there (literally and figuratively). At the pass we met up with the group, who had waited for Omega and I – I am fairly certain that they all thought I was just tired from climbing all day (which is a lot easier for them to assume than have to explain the whole background of what was going on). I sat there for awhile and looked around at the beautiful peaks and earth that surrounded us.
It made me realize, once again, that God is an amazing God. He has created all of this beauty and he has created each one of us – and most amazing to me, is that he is there to protect and support each and every single one of us whenever we may need him. He created us and loves each and every one of us. He will be our strength when we cannot find it within ourselves. And that is exactly what happened for me… I found something to lean on and help support me through my mind attempting to control my body. And I think that is what allows faith to be such a source of hope for people who have difficult lives. I don’t think that it is so much the fact that ‘religion is the opiate of the masses,’ rather I feel like religion and faith give people a sense of support and hope when they need it most - it is something that is always there and can be seen in every living thing that comes to life after the rains.
Now I don’t want this to be a pity post – I actually spent quite some time debating whether or not to publish this post. But I feel like it is the easiest way for me to explain things. The hike was beautiful and I really did enjoy it – not only did it remind me of God’s amazing power, it was also a great relationship-builder between us and the teachers here.
The hike down took about four and a half hours. We kept a really brisk pace but were still passed quite a few times by running men who had harvested bananas and were carrying baskets full of them – each time they passed us, I was amazed at their ability to run downhill with pounds of bananas on top of their heads and either barefoot of in flip flops. It was a beautiful climb and descent and it was done in the company of some amazing people.
I was once told by some very intelligent people (aka my pastors and church’s director of education) that whenever you are in the shower or it rains, it is an opportunity to remember your baptism. So I found out my baptismal verse, and it turned out to be quite appropriate for our adventure on Saturday.
My baptismal verse was Isaiah 26:4 – it reads, “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is a rock of ages.”
I will start at the beginning, Saturday we woke up and, around 8:30, eight of us pilled into a truck and headed off to the village (kijiji) where we would start our mountain hike up the mountain range in our backyard. The group consisted of the four American students, the Danish couple, and three language school teachers (Omega, Delta, and Kidege). In total, the climb lasted about 5 hours up and then about 4.5 hours down. I had woken up with tight hamstrings so I had a feeling that the climb up would be rough – and I was right. I tended to trail towards the back (until Peter got sick and had to hold back too for awhile) and was keeping a fairly good pace for myself. But about 2 hours in my legs were sore and I started to get the feeling that a panic attack might be coming quite soon. (For those of you who don’t already know, I had what you might call a close call with a rip tide off the shore of El Salvador about five years ago, and sometimes I will experience something that incites flashbacks.) I had to stop quite a bit to allow my body to rest and remind myself that I was landlocked. But Omega, bless his heart, was a saint and he held back with me throughout the hike. We reached the pass that we were going to take after about 4 hours of climbing. Throughout the hike, we passed through a forest of banana trees and Omega was even given some bananas by a man whose house we passed. It was beautiful and truly breathtaking. We continued to hike for another hour on the inner side of the mountain range. Around one, we stopped to eat the sack lunch that the kitchen had given us (oranges, bread, peanut butter, jam, boiled eggs, and banana chips). After lunch we decided to head back down so we could get to the village at the bottom before nightfall. In order to hike back, we had to climb back up a little bit to get to the peak we had passed through. But my body had rested too much and climbing up was wearing on my body and mind. Once again, Omega (who was now quite tired as well) and I fell to the back. About a 5 min walk from the pass we were taking, I started to feel a panic attack again – I stopped walking, started to shake, and started to gasp for breath a little bit. My body was tired like I had been in the water and it was hot outside. Omega asked me a couple times if I was okay – pretty sure that I freaked him out a little bit. But after a couple minutes I pushed myself to start hiking again – I knew that we were close to the pass and then it would be all downhill from there (literally and figuratively). At the pass we met up with the group, who had waited for Omega and I – I am fairly certain that they all thought I was just tired from climbing all day (which is a lot easier for them to assume than have to explain the whole background of what was going on). I sat there for awhile and looked around at the beautiful peaks and earth that surrounded us.
It made me realize, once again, that God is an amazing God. He has created all of this beauty and he has created each one of us – and most amazing to me, is that he is there to protect and support each and every single one of us whenever we may need him. He created us and loves each and every one of us. He will be our strength when we cannot find it within ourselves. And that is exactly what happened for me… I found something to lean on and help support me through my mind attempting to control my body. And I think that is what allows faith to be such a source of hope for people who have difficult lives. I don’t think that it is so much the fact that ‘religion is the opiate of the masses,’ rather I feel like religion and faith give people a sense of support and hope when they need it most - it is something that is always there and can be seen in every living thing that comes to life after the rains.
Now I don’t want this to be a pity post – I actually spent quite some time debating whether or not to publish this post. But I feel like it is the easiest way for me to explain things. The hike was beautiful and I really did enjoy it – not only did it remind me of God’s amazing power, it was also a great relationship-builder between us and the teachers here.
The hike down took about four and a half hours. We kept a really brisk pace but were still passed quite a few times by running men who had harvested bananas and were carrying baskets full of them – each time they passed us, I was amazed at their ability to run downhill with pounds of bananas on top of their heads and either barefoot of in flip flops. It was a beautiful climb and descent and it was done in the company of some amazing people.
The group on the pass/peak - my theory on photos... if you're going to look bad in a picture... why not at least have fun with it?
The view from above.
Stopped for a minute or two to watch a soccer game on our hike back down.
Omega (and Delta laying down taking a nap atop the rock)
The group (plus our drivers) ready to go.
Still climbing...
Banana break.
The rest of the group stopping for a banana.
Still on the the way up...
Where do we go next? Aka which banana running path should we follow?
Taking a break atop a rock.Peace.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Mid-terms and food for thought - be sure to check the previous blog for a video!
*** please check the last post to see a video of photos, some audion clips, and videos from the first month here.
ID 373 mid-term
It amazes me to think that a new environment can feel like home after only a month or so, but that is exactly the case here in Tanzania. I feel like people here have been remarkably accepting of us and willing to work through the (slowly diminishing) language barrier. On each and every village visit so far, the people have been nothing short of welcoming and warm-hearted. But I have come to assume that the welcoming nature of this culture comes out of a much deeper sense of community and a connection between all aspects of live. Here it is not uncommon for neighbors to know a great deal about the people in their community. People rely on one another and everyone relies on the environment in one way or another. This idea of coexistence is reflected in countless ways.
Folk tales tend to be about animals that have human characteristics and they teach about the need for cooperation and fair treatment of others. Linguistically, any man or woman you meet on the street could be referred to in terms that in the States we reserve for blood relatives and they could be called ‘mamma’ (mother, any woman of child bearing age), ‘baba’ (father, any man old enough to have children), ‘kaka’ (brother), ‘dada’ (sister). Even the front page of our Swahili book quotes a famous Swahili proverb, “Mtu ni Watu” (Person is people). It appears as though the entire traditional culture almost revolves around this notion of community.
People realize that their survival depends on the survival of their neighbor and the health of their environment. Yes, part of the eco-friendly behavior has come out of financial necessity. But the overwhelming theme is a move for helping their neighbor or family member because, as the title page of our book explains, a person is not complete without the community around them. No one can be truly whole without people around them – no one can live a life of complete solitude.
It reminds me of the notion of passing good deeds and compassionate treatment forward to the next person you meet who needs it. Debt to a neighbor is not an issue, it is expected that it will be ‘paid forward.’ People typically do not try to overextend their reach and help those people they cannot reach – they keep aid within their communities, but as a result they are able to ensure that the aid is sent where it is most needed.
Another major difference that I have come to notice is that people are very conscious (partly out of necessity) of how money and resources are spent. And as a result, they are not very wasteful. Only necessities are purchased and used.
It is certainly a combination of realizations that has made me reevaluate the extremely consumer-driven culture that we subscribe to in the U.S. I have enjoyed life thus far in Tanzania. The hospitality that has been shown to us coupled with the apparent lack of extreme material greed would be a much needed lesson for many Americans. This is made so much more apparent to me with the focus on the upcoming election. In the States, we are so very focused on the economic policies of each of the candidates – because their economic policy will either help or hurt our pocketbooks - when in the States our percentage of people living below is 12% (according to the CIA World Fact Book) in comparison to half the world’s population (about 50% or 3 billion people) that lives on under $2.50 USD per day. Here in Tanzania, people are focused so much more on the importance of a candidate’s foreign policy than how he will enact economic change within the U.S. I think Tanzania could teach Americans and the international community a valuable lesson in priorities – people need to come first and communal living cannot be seen as a bad (‘communist’) concept that is to be feared. I think it is best summed up by the fact that Tanzania’s first president, Kikwete, had a very socialist, community-based image for Tanzania. And while he was criticized and seen as leaning too far towards Communism by Western critics, he was praised here and seen as ‘the great teacher’ – because in Tanzania, community, people, and relationships are put before financial gain.
RE 373 mid-term
In just a month here in Tanzania we have been blessed to experience a full life-cycle’s worth of religious experiences – we have been to three baptismal services (two of which were Massai services), two Swahili weddings, one cross raising, and countless ‘typical’ services. The thing that strikes me at each service is how important religion appears to be to each person. Life doesn’t seem to be compartmentalized like it is in the States, where faith is only a small very secluded portion of life. Here, faith carries over into everyday living. I suppose a great deal of the difference may lay in the fact that here most people have made a conscious decision to become a part of religious life – they typically have not formally enter a faith community until they are older - whereas, in the States, many people are baptized and enter the Christian community as infants. For whatever the reason, faith appears to be such a big deal here.
Unfortunately, we primarily see people outside of the LJS community on days when we are holding a service, so it is difficult to judge exactly how these same people carry their faith with them on ‘regular’ days. But from the services we have experienced, I can safely say that religion doesn’t appear to be constricted. Concerning Smart’s six dimensions, there is a much wider variety that can be seen and experienced here than can be seen or experienced at home. Services are days of celebration and rarely are constricted – life appears to often be put on hold for a church service. The physical structure is not always necessary; here the shade of a tree works just fine, as long as the people can gather and worship. The Bible, though it doesn’t appear to be very prevalent in print within the villages, is considered a holy book and people seem to know the stories quite well. The ideals set forth by the Bible are lived out in their fullest – community is seen as more important than individuals and people treat others with respect and compassion. Finally, religious ceremonies are important rites of passage for all occasions in life.
But the thing that I have found as most amazing (and often perplexing) is the ability of a variety of religions to coexist. At both Luka’s wedding and Solomon’s cross raising, the ceremony included Muslims and Christians. Neither faith appeared to carry the sentiment that they were any better than the other and they both respected each other’s faith. With the great deal of sectarian and religious violence that exists in today’s world, it would be interesting to find out more about how the various faiths in Tanzanian have managed to get along so well.
Peace.
ID 373 mid-term
It amazes me to think that a new environment can feel like home after only a month or so, but that is exactly the case here in Tanzania. I feel like people here have been remarkably accepting of us and willing to work through the (slowly diminishing) language barrier. On each and every village visit so far, the people have been nothing short of welcoming and warm-hearted. But I have come to assume that the welcoming nature of this culture comes out of a much deeper sense of community and a connection between all aspects of live. Here it is not uncommon for neighbors to know a great deal about the people in their community. People rely on one another and everyone relies on the environment in one way or another. This idea of coexistence is reflected in countless ways.
Folk tales tend to be about animals that have human characteristics and they teach about the need for cooperation and fair treatment of others. Linguistically, any man or woman you meet on the street could be referred to in terms that in the States we reserve for blood relatives and they could be called ‘mamma’ (mother, any woman of child bearing age), ‘baba’ (father, any man old enough to have children), ‘kaka’ (brother), ‘dada’ (sister). Even the front page of our Swahili book quotes a famous Swahili proverb, “Mtu ni Watu” (Person is people). It appears as though the entire traditional culture almost revolves around this notion of community.
People realize that their survival depends on the survival of their neighbor and the health of their environment. Yes, part of the eco-friendly behavior has come out of financial necessity. But the overwhelming theme is a move for helping their neighbor or family member because, as the title page of our book explains, a person is not complete without the community around them. No one can be truly whole without people around them – no one can live a life of complete solitude.
It reminds me of the notion of passing good deeds and compassionate treatment forward to the next person you meet who needs it. Debt to a neighbor is not an issue, it is expected that it will be ‘paid forward.’ People typically do not try to overextend their reach and help those people they cannot reach – they keep aid within their communities, but as a result they are able to ensure that the aid is sent where it is most needed.
Another major difference that I have come to notice is that people are very conscious (partly out of necessity) of how money and resources are spent. And as a result, they are not very wasteful. Only necessities are purchased and used.
It is certainly a combination of realizations that has made me reevaluate the extremely consumer-driven culture that we subscribe to in the U.S. I have enjoyed life thus far in Tanzania. The hospitality that has been shown to us coupled with the apparent lack of extreme material greed would be a much needed lesson for many Americans. This is made so much more apparent to me with the focus on the upcoming election. In the States, we are so very focused on the economic policies of each of the candidates – because their economic policy will either help or hurt our pocketbooks - when in the States our percentage of people living below is 12% (according to the CIA World Fact Book) in comparison to half the world’s population (about 50% or 3 billion people) that lives on under $2.50 USD per day. Here in Tanzania, people are focused so much more on the importance of a candidate’s foreign policy than how he will enact economic change within the U.S. I think Tanzania could teach Americans and the international community a valuable lesson in priorities – people need to come first and communal living cannot be seen as a bad (‘communist’) concept that is to be feared. I think it is best summed up by the fact that Tanzania’s first president, Kikwete, had a very socialist, community-based image for Tanzania. And while he was criticized and seen as leaning too far towards Communism by Western critics, he was praised here and seen as ‘the great teacher’ – because in Tanzania, community, people, and relationships are put before financial gain.
RE 373 mid-term
In just a month here in Tanzania we have been blessed to experience a full life-cycle’s worth of religious experiences – we have been to three baptismal services (two of which were Massai services), two Swahili weddings, one cross raising, and countless ‘typical’ services. The thing that strikes me at each service is how important religion appears to be to each person. Life doesn’t seem to be compartmentalized like it is in the States, where faith is only a small very secluded portion of life. Here, faith carries over into everyday living. I suppose a great deal of the difference may lay in the fact that here most people have made a conscious decision to become a part of religious life – they typically have not formally enter a faith community until they are older - whereas, in the States, many people are baptized and enter the Christian community as infants. For whatever the reason, faith appears to be such a big deal here.
Unfortunately, we primarily see people outside of the LJS community on days when we are holding a service, so it is difficult to judge exactly how these same people carry their faith with them on ‘regular’ days. But from the services we have experienced, I can safely say that religion doesn’t appear to be constricted. Concerning Smart’s six dimensions, there is a much wider variety that can be seen and experienced here than can be seen or experienced at home. Services are days of celebration and rarely are constricted – life appears to often be put on hold for a church service. The physical structure is not always necessary; here the shade of a tree works just fine, as long as the people can gather and worship. The Bible, though it doesn’t appear to be very prevalent in print within the villages, is considered a holy book and people seem to know the stories quite well. The ideals set forth by the Bible are lived out in their fullest – community is seen as more important than individuals and people treat others with respect and compassion. Finally, religious ceremonies are important rites of passage for all occasions in life.
But the thing that I have found as most amazing (and often perplexing) is the ability of a variety of religions to coexist. At both Luka’s wedding and Solomon’s cross raising, the ceremony included Muslims and Christians. Neither faith appeared to carry the sentiment that they were any better than the other and they both respected each other’s faith. With the great deal of sectarian and religious violence that exists in today’s world, it would be interesting to find out more about how the various faiths in Tanzanian have managed to get along so well.
Peace.
Check it all out.
A slide show of photos from the trip so far, complete with audio clips from village visits - the editing isn't the best but it gets the idea across.
Enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytaxmDvhB1g
Peace.
Enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytaxmDvhB1g
Peace.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Simple Things Taken For Granted
Today was a special day for a couple of different reasons. First, today was a Tanzanian sikukuu (holiday). It was a day to remember Julius Nyere, the first president of Tanzania. Juluis (his baptismal name) Kambarage Nyere became the President of Tanzania in 1962 (following the country’s independence from Britain) until 1985. Not only was he the first president, Nyere had been the head of the Tanganyika African National Union in 1954 and through his leadership, he helped Tanzania gain their independence from the League of Nations mandate administered by Britain, through peaceful means (fairly uncommon in colonized nations). He grew up in a rural setting and through a devotion to continuing education and a love of politics he eventually became the first President of Tanzania. He is remembered as a great teacher (mwalimu) and leader. He believed in a form of ‘African socialism’ and one website (see below for the link) explains his socialism: “All rural development would be centered on villages. Private banks and many industries also were nationalized. He realised in the course of time that his policies of resettling millions of peasant farmers and of a one-party state had not worked as well as he had hoped, and had become more pragmatic.”
Although he was never jailed or persecuted (like countless other revolutionary leaders) Nyere had his share of critics. One of my favorite statements of his that I have found is this… ‘"I am a troublemaker, because I believe in human rights strongly enough to be one," Nyerere told a correspondent for the New York Times (March 31, 1957). He said that his movement would resort to civil disobedience if necessary to attain its goals.’
If you want to read more about Nyere and Tanzania’s independence here is one website that is pretty short and simple: http://www.nathanielturner.com/juliuskambaragenyerere.htm
But today was also special because we got to visit another Massai village. This particular village was where Luka’s most recent church had been built so we held its first worship service (which the people seemed very excited about). Before the church was built, worship was held under a straw-thatched roof and a wood stick-sided hut. It was an eye opening experience for me in a couple ways. I’ll explain…
Shortly after we arrived and exchanged the standard handshakes and greetings, a small boy started to follow us around. He was still quite young so he didn’t speak Swahili yet - many Massai speak only Kimassai until they go to school where they learn Kiswahili. But when we sat down in the church, to wait and find out what was next, the little boy came and sat next to me. He didn’t say a word, but he smiled at me and would touch my skin and just look at me and eventually he grabbed my hand. The elder in the village came up to me and told me that I had a child now. Little did I know that this apparent fascination with my skin would just be the surface of a theme for the day.
A little while later, a young woman came over and started talking to PH. We soon learned that her name was also Sara – PH told her that we shared the name. He then explained that she was married Sara and I was Sara ‘not-yet-married,’ – to which she responded with slight surprise and a quick addition of ‘I will find you a Massai.’ We later found out that one of the men in the village who had tea with us, was Sara’s husband (mume). If I had to guess there was an age difference of about 10-15 years. It took me by surprise when she was surprised that I wasn’t married yet and again that her husband appeared so much older. I knew coming into this trip that many women marry younger than we do in the States and that often times their husbands are older but for some reason this first-hand encounter with it still took me by surprise.
While we were having tea, some of the kids came over by the old church hut (where we were having tea) and they would watch us. One little girl started making funny faces and even flipped her eyelid inside out trying to creep us out – just goes to show that kids will be kids no matter what corner of the world you are in.
During the church service I saw the power and universal appreciation of a simple smile. Every once in awhile I would look around the church and catch someone’s eye. Often times they were looking at me in a very perplexed way. I would smile and almost instantly, they would return one of the biggest and most genuine smiles I have ever seen. It served to make my own smile grow.
Finally, after tea at noon, a baptism church service, and right before lunch/dinner around 5, we were leaving the church and a bunch of the girls in the choir came up to me and swarmed around me. I took out my camera to show them the videos I had taken of them singing. They all loved it! Then, as they were watching the videos, I started to feel people touching my arms and almost petting my hair. I glanced over to see who it was and I found the kids touching my skin and hair in amazement. I guess it is one of those things we take for granted. Massai (both men and women) shave their heads so long blonde hair was definitely a foreign concept to them. And then my skin was white and soft… probably something they don’t get to see up close all too often. As they were playing with my hair, they found my cartilage piercing (a common practice for married women in Massai culture) and immediately checked for one in my other ear. They also found the tattoo on my shoulder and thought that was pretty interesting as well.
Today really made me realize the simple differences that we often take for granted and don’t notice until they are pointed out to us – things like our white skin, hair, piercings/tattoos, and even how we view marriage. It also showed me the true power of a smile – even when you can’t speak very much with the people around you, remember that a genuine smile is universal and it might just brighten someone’s day… I know that their smiles today brightened mine.
Peace. (and smiles)
Waving goodbye.
Sara(h) saying goodbye.
Loving seeing themselves on my camera.
The choir singing in church.
The little boy that followed us around in the beginning of the day.
The village elder and Sara(h)'s husband.
The little girl who liked making faces and flipping her eyelid inside out.
Sara(h) sitting with the choir - in the blue.
Luka and PH during the Service.
The view from the village... simply breath taking.
The village.
Structure of a (more permanent) Massai building... how's that look, Lisa?
This is one from Luka and Emily's Wedding that somehow didn't post earlier, but I really like.
Although he was never jailed or persecuted (like countless other revolutionary leaders) Nyere had his share of critics. One of my favorite statements of his that I have found is this… ‘"I am a troublemaker, because I believe in human rights strongly enough to be one," Nyerere told a correspondent for the New York Times (March 31, 1957). He said that his movement would resort to civil disobedience if necessary to attain its goals.’
If you want to read more about Nyere and Tanzania’s independence here is one website that is pretty short and simple: http://www.nathanielturner.com/juliuskambaragenyerere.htm
But today was also special because we got to visit another Massai village. This particular village was where Luka’s most recent church had been built so we held its first worship service (which the people seemed very excited about). Before the church was built, worship was held under a straw-thatched roof and a wood stick-sided hut. It was an eye opening experience for me in a couple ways. I’ll explain…
Shortly after we arrived and exchanged the standard handshakes and greetings, a small boy started to follow us around. He was still quite young so he didn’t speak Swahili yet - many Massai speak only Kimassai until they go to school where they learn Kiswahili. But when we sat down in the church, to wait and find out what was next, the little boy came and sat next to me. He didn’t say a word, but he smiled at me and would touch my skin and just look at me and eventually he grabbed my hand. The elder in the village came up to me and told me that I had a child now. Little did I know that this apparent fascination with my skin would just be the surface of a theme for the day.
A little while later, a young woman came over and started talking to PH. We soon learned that her name was also Sara – PH told her that we shared the name. He then explained that she was married Sara and I was Sara ‘not-yet-married,’ – to which she responded with slight surprise and a quick addition of ‘I will find you a Massai.’ We later found out that one of the men in the village who had tea with us, was Sara’s husband (mume). If I had to guess there was an age difference of about 10-15 years. It took me by surprise when she was surprised that I wasn’t married yet and again that her husband appeared so much older. I knew coming into this trip that many women marry younger than we do in the States and that often times their husbands are older but for some reason this first-hand encounter with it still took me by surprise.
While we were having tea, some of the kids came over by the old church hut (where we were having tea) and they would watch us. One little girl started making funny faces and even flipped her eyelid inside out trying to creep us out – just goes to show that kids will be kids no matter what corner of the world you are in.
During the church service I saw the power and universal appreciation of a simple smile. Every once in awhile I would look around the church and catch someone’s eye. Often times they were looking at me in a very perplexed way. I would smile and almost instantly, they would return one of the biggest and most genuine smiles I have ever seen. It served to make my own smile grow.
Finally, after tea at noon, a baptism church service, and right before lunch/dinner around 5, we were leaving the church and a bunch of the girls in the choir came up to me and swarmed around me. I took out my camera to show them the videos I had taken of them singing. They all loved it! Then, as they were watching the videos, I started to feel people touching my arms and almost petting my hair. I glanced over to see who it was and I found the kids touching my skin and hair in amazement. I guess it is one of those things we take for granted. Massai (both men and women) shave their heads so long blonde hair was definitely a foreign concept to them. And then my skin was white and soft… probably something they don’t get to see up close all too often. As they were playing with my hair, they found my cartilage piercing (a common practice for married women in Massai culture) and immediately checked for one in my other ear. They also found the tattoo on my shoulder and thought that was pretty interesting as well.
Today really made me realize the simple differences that we often take for granted and don’t notice until they are pointed out to us – things like our white skin, hair, piercings/tattoos, and even how we view marriage. It also showed me the true power of a smile – even when you can’t speak very much with the people around you, remember that a genuine smile is universal and it might just brighten someone’s day… I know that their smiles today brightened mine.
Peace. (and smiles)
Waving goodbye.
Sara(h) saying goodbye.
Loving seeing themselves on my camera.
The choir singing in church.
The little boy that followed us around in the beginning of the day.
The village elder and Sara(h)'s husband.
The little girl who liked making faces and flipping her eyelid inside out.
Sara(h) sitting with the choir - in the blue.
Luka and PH during the Service.
The view from the village... simply breath taking.
The village.
Structure of a (more permanent) Massai building... how's that look, Lisa?
This is one from Luka and Emily's Wedding that somehow didn't post earlier, but I really like.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)