You know you live in Africa...

You know you live in Africa...

1.       Even in English, you “welcome” people to everything—the Swahili translation of “karibu.”

2.      You get your Christmas stocking in February, even though your mom mailed it in early November.

3.      You gawk at white people in town, though you refrain from shouting “mzungu!” as it is hardly polite.

4.      The sound of unaccented (see: American) English is like a big hug from home.

5.      Your mantra is “low expectations, positive attitudes!”

6.      Donkeys eating dogfood on your neighbor’s front porch doesn’t even strike you as odd.

7.      You see the invisible “middle lane” of the two lane freeway that is used for passing—sometimes with a narrow margin of error toward oncoming traffic.

8.      When watching an American film, you worry about the people in the movie falling asleep without mosquito nets.

9.      You never accept the first price quoted, and you still pay far too much for your produce.

10.  You give yourself haircuts...sometimes in the dark by the light of a headlamp.

11.  When a group of guys are bored on a Friday night, one suggests, “let’s go crocodile hunting.”  And then...they do!

What I Missed

Recently, someone asked me what I missed about home while I was in Tanzania.  There were tons of things, namely friends and family, but I hadn’t thought about it in a list-type form.  I struggled to say what I miss.  So I’m trying to articulate it here.

1.      Long, hot baths.

2.      A freezer, but mostly just the ice cream one could keep in it if one had a freezer.  Or if one lived less than an hour from the closest ice cream.

3.      Being able to expect that something will happen when it’s supposed to, not delayed by countless unforseen obstacles.

4.      Target, where you can get just about everything.  And it has a price tag on it.  And there are well-lit, wide aisles.  And no one is yelling “sistah, sistah, carroti, cabbage, onion, sistah!!” at you.

5.      Lazy Friday evenings when I would get Chicken Masala take-out and a $1 DVD rental from Redbox.

6.      Dryers for clothes. 

What do you think you would miss the most if you were away from home?

Swahili for Smarties...because none of you are dumb!

“Swahili is a very simple language.  Very simple…”

I heard this often during those first weeks in Tanzania.  I know it was meant to assure and encourage me, but it also was a teeny bit annoying.  Because, if people hadn’t noticed, I was not yet a master of this “very simple language,” so what the heck? 

I studied linguistics in college, and I was initially thrilled by the chance to test my skills.  I went through all the predictable stages of language acquisition: excitement and rapid growth, plateau-ing, frustration, renewed drive, rinse and repeat.  There were many rewards beyond my own personal satisfaction: better deals at the market, lovely conversations with native speakers, and an avenue for showing great respect for a culture and people I love.  Also, playing dumb in tourist spots and then coming back with a snappy response was quite fun, too, I must admit.

At any rate, I always meant to include a Swahili lesson on the blog.  If I were following the Craig McKim Theory of International Relations, I would teach you the only three phrases he claims are necessary to learn in any language:

1. I’ll have a cheeseburger with fries.  “Nataka burger moja na chipsi.  Asante.”
2. Where’s the bathroom?  “Choo iko wapi?”
3. Same to you.  “Na wewe piya.”

Instead, I’ll share with you a basic equation for making hundreds of phrases. 

Simple Swahili phrases come in this order: Subject + Tense marker + Verb.

The typical subjects you will use are:

I                       “Ni”

You (sing.)      “U”

He/She            “A”

We                  “Tu”

You (pl.)*         “M”

They                “Wa”

*Stephanie calls this “y’all.”

There are three basic tense markers:

Present Tense: “na”

Past Tense: “li”

Future Tense: “ta”

There are other tenses, such as recent past, and different subjects to denote negation, but let’s just stick with those for now.  Some common verbs I used in the beginning were TO GO (-enda), TO EAT (-kula), and TO RUN (-kimbia).

To say, “I am going,” (present tense, verb=to go) you would write NI + NA + ENDA… “ninaenda.”

To write, “he ate,” (past tense, verb=to eat), you use A + LI + KULA… “alikula.”

Here’s one to try on your own:  “We will go.” 

You will put together the components…

_______(Subject “We”) + ___________ (Future Tense Marker) + ________ (“to go”) = _______________.

Here’s a two more for practice…

“They are eating.”

“Y’all are going.”

Once you master the subjects and tense markers, you can substitute these components in this simple equation say whatever you like as you learn new verbs.  And there you have it!

The best way to learn a language is just to practice. And yes, you will make mistakes.  You might horrify a kitchen full of women by (ACCIDENTALLY) saying a highly inappropriate phrase.  But if you keep pressing forward, you’ll develop a rich vocabulary with which to engage the world.

The One Where We Went For A Hike

Casually mention to two girls that you’d like to go for a hike on Saturday—and everyone is invited—and you will be greeted by thirty seven eager faces on the appointed day.

Or, at least in my experience.  I love that the girls are always up for an adventure and that some of the mamas join in the fun, too!

We set out for our hike after morning chores had been completed.  Thankfully, Kris and I had already scouted the route.  If we’d trekked up our original path, the girls would have found themselves in thorns up to their chins and scaling rocks the size of their dorms.  Instead, we were able to walk up the (mostly) clear path to our destination.  This was particularly helpful since some of the grown-ups were carrying precious cargo to the top…

If there were any doubt about Mama Mage being the definition of champ, I think this picture confirms it.

She may look light, but Ester had been bulking up on ugali, sugar cane, and chapatti for weeks by the time we took this hike. 

Of course, a few rests/photo breaks along the way were necessary.

But the view was worth it!

If you look very carefully at the top right of this picture, you can see our campus:

And that's how this incredibly good looking crew made it to the top!

What I Learned in Tanzania

It goes without saying that I learned a lot during my six months abroad.  Here are a few…

1. If cooked with a little oil and salt, bugs can be really tasty. 
2. There’s a big difference in the freedom awarded from a knee-length skirt vs. an ankle length skirt.
3. A wedding just isn’t a wedding without three choirs.
4. In the absence of an ice chest, one can cool a warm soda by placing it in a wet sock, tying the sock to the car’s side mirror, and driving at 60 mph for twenty minutes.  (Seriously.  If it’s not illegal where you live, try it!)
5. Electricity is not a “need” or a “right.”
6. Singing while you work makes any task better.
7. If you’re creative enough—and have access to The Joy of Cooking—you can replicate just about any food…except s’mores.  And maybe sushi.
8. A metal shovel also serves as a school bell when struck with a rock.
9. There are few sights more powerful than watching a group of people sing their national anthem.
10. Delegation.  It’s a beautiful thing.
11. Don’t put your precious 1 kg bar of dark chocolate from Trader Joe’s next to your laundry detergent.  Soap-flavored chocolate is not tasty.
12. Masai gift-giving guide: raw meat is ALWAYS a win.  Unless it’s pork.
13. A bread knife is the best instrument for cutting foam mattresses.
14. If you don’t wash eggs, they can last over a month without refrigeration.  Eggs with bits of feathers and straw stacked on my kitchen counter came to be a beautiful sight.
15. There are few bad days that can’t be overcome with hugs from preschoolers.

Sharobaro!

I had many willing tutors when it came to learning Swahili.  Teachers quizzed me relentlessly during morning chai breaks, the mamas taught me new vocabulary and phrases while cooking, and the girls wrote out songs for me to practice.  Back in the days when her living room doubled as a classroom, Jackie spent several evenings giving me lessons on a whiteboard while making dinner.

However, my favorite and most persistent instructor was Jonas.  Jonas, who is a budding linguist in his own right, often checked in on my progress and gently pushed me to continue studying.  He assigned me compositions, which he corrected and returned to me.  With a grade.  And suggestions for improvement.

What truly set Jonas apart as a Swahili teacher was his emphasis on “street words,” or slang.  I’d pepper my conversation with these new phrases whenever possible, always eliciting a hearty laugh from whoever was around.  Ladies at the market thought it was hilarious when I’d say something like “two bucks” in the middle of haggling for tomatoes.  While it was initially distracting, I think it ultimately earned me some street cred.

The street word I used the most was “sharobaro” which suggests someone is stylish, both in their dress and demeanor.  The best English translation I can think of is “swag.”  I used “sharobaro” as frequently as possible—because who doesn’t love a compliment?  Inevitably, everyone within earshot would burst out laughing.  I guess it’s like seeing a dignified Indian woman in a sari yell, “yo, what up, homie!”  It’s unexpected.

There were many sharobaro moments on campus.  Here are a few I documented…

 Lipstick.  It's not just for your lips anymore!

 Salome put this look together from randomness on my kitchen table.

Saleh was looking especially sharobaro for his gardening chores on this day.

 Khangas also make great turbans...

 Babu is looking especially classy in my sunglasses.

This was taken during a football jersey photo shoot.  At one point, there were two girls in one jersey.  We're just keeping the spirit alive in Kitongo!

Mama Mary put together a neon headband to match Stephania's...here they are sporting their very fashionable accessories.

This post is dedicated to Jonas, pictured here in a sweater-turned-turban with berry accents.

In other news, the domain www.sharobaro.com is available.  Oh, the possibilities!

Movie Night!

This is a great sight.  It means everyone is gathered together, which probably means something fun is happening. 

Typically, you’ll see everyone’s shoes piled up outside the dining hall at family mealtimes (it would be madness to try to sort out shoes with 280 students traipsing through twice daily) and for church.  You can always gauge how many people are inside by the array of flip flops/sneakers/mary janes/Crocs/sandals etc. are outside.  And if you’re lucky enough to have feet as, ahem, substantial as mine…you can always find your giant kicks in the pile.

On this particular afternoon, it was Movie Day!  Using a projector and laptop, we were able to screen a Mr. Bean film for the girls as a special treat.  This was a genius selection on Kayci’s part, as the physical comedy of Rowan Atkinson was a hit for everyone, regardless of their English proficiency.

Forty four girls on four mattresses and eight chairs made for one cozy living room, but no one seemed to mind.

Even Ester came out for the big event, and she thoroughly enjoyed herself.  You just can’t tell by looking at her face.

All in all, our movie premier was a big success and an afternoon full of laughter.  You don’t get much better than that.