African Culture
Last night in Swahili class I asked my teacher if we could talk about African culture. I want to have a better understanding of the African culture here. I have also been curious to know how I’ve been doing with all things Tanzanian up to now. I am glad I asked him. I learned some new things. First let me say that I am happy to report that I have not done or said anything to mortify the Africans we have met.
My teacher answered a few things I’ve wondered about. One of them was this: When we visit someone’s house is it ever a brief visit not involving food or beverage. The answer to that question was this: When you visit a person’s house you are expected to have at least something to drink. You cannot visit someone without having at least a soda. But in most houses they will serve you more than a soda. In Tanzanian culture if you go to someone’s house they need to serve you something and sit and talk to you for a little while.
That explains a lot to me. I have story after story of visiting someone’s house and then staying there for a whole meal…even when we were briefly stopping by.
Here is an example: Jodie and I have been looking for a place for Steve, a man from California that is moving to Tanzania to volunteer at the orphanage for a year. Eli’s pastor said his neighbor had a place to rent so we “stopped by” the pastor’s house because he was going to take us over to look at this potential place for Steve. The pastor had company when we got there…two other pastors were visiting. We sat and chatted for about 30 minutes. Afterwards we walked over to look at the house. During the walk back from looking at the house the pastor asked us what kind of soda we would like…I have learned not to refuse a soda when asked…that day I choose a Coke. We returned to the pastor’s house, sat down, drank our sodas and chatted. After about 45 minutes the pastor got up and went outside. We followed Eli outside to look at his new living quarters…he had recently moved into a room at his pastor’s house. After leaving Eli’s room we walked to the van to leave. The pastor’s wife came over and told Eli in Swahili that they were preparing a meal for us and wanted us to stay…we had already been there for two and a half hours.
Another question I had was about the way people greet each other. Greetings can take a long time. You can spend five solid minutes just greeting someone. Our Swahili teacher told us that greetings are extremely important…especially to the elderly. There is a woman that cooks and sells food by the road where our teacher lives. He said that if he does not greet her then she will call him names…not nice ones. When she leaves at night to go home sometimes it is after 10pm and if he hears her calling goodnight to him, he will get up and open the door to wish her a good evening.
There is a man that works at a store I go into every now and then. He thinks I am fluent in Swahili because of the way I greet him. I have the greetings in Swahili pretty much down. Habari yako? Habari za tangu jana? Umeshidaje? Habari za kazi? Mwishowa juma ulikuwa je? The list goes on. I love greeting people…mostly because I have something to say in Swahili. But that is not the only reason why. I appreciate the respect the greeting represents…you are worth my time to ask how you are doing, how your family is doing, how work is going, how your day is going, how your weekend went, how you are feeling…the list really does go on.
My teacher answered a few things I’ve wondered about. One of them was this: When we visit someone’s house is it ever a brief visit not involving food or beverage. The answer to that question was this: When you visit a person’s house you are expected to have at least something to drink. You cannot visit someone without having at least a soda. But in most houses they will serve you more than a soda. In Tanzanian culture if you go to someone’s house they need to serve you something and sit and talk to you for a little while.
That explains a lot to me. I have story after story of visiting someone’s house and then staying there for a whole meal…even when we were briefly stopping by.
Here is an example: Jodie and I have been looking for a place for Steve, a man from California that is moving to Tanzania to volunteer at the orphanage for a year. Eli’s pastor said his neighbor had a place to rent so we “stopped by” the pastor’s house because he was going to take us over to look at this potential place for Steve. The pastor had company when we got there…two other pastors were visiting. We sat and chatted for about 30 minutes. Afterwards we walked over to look at the house. During the walk back from looking at the house the pastor asked us what kind of soda we would like…I have learned not to refuse a soda when asked…that day I choose a Coke. We returned to the pastor’s house, sat down, drank our sodas and chatted. After about 45 minutes the pastor got up and went outside. We followed Eli outside to look at his new living quarters…he had recently moved into a room at his pastor’s house. After leaving Eli’s room we walked to the van to leave. The pastor’s wife came over and told Eli in Swahili that they were preparing a meal for us and wanted us to stay…we had already been there for two and a half hours.
Another question I had was about the way people greet each other. Greetings can take a long time. You can spend five solid minutes just greeting someone. Our Swahili teacher told us that greetings are extremely important…especially to the elderly. There is a woman that cooks and sells food by the road where our teacher lives. He said that if he does not greet her then she will call him names…not nice ones. When she leaves at night to go home sometimes it is after 10pm and if he hears her calling goodnight to him, he will get up and open the door to wish her a good evening.
There is a man that works at a store I go into every now and then. He thinks I am fluent in Swahili because of the way I greet him. I have the greetings in Swahili pretty much down. Habari yako? Habari za tangu jana? Umeshidaje? Habari za kazi? Mwishowa juma ulikuwa je? The list goes on. I love greeting people…mostly because I have something to say in Swahili. But that is not the only reason why. I appreciate the respect the greeting represents…you are worth my time to ask how you are doing, how your family is doing, how work is going, how your day is going, how your weekend went, how you are feeling…the list really does go on.
posted by Lydia | 7:52 AM
2 Comments:
I guess you really got to be mentally prepared to stay awhile...or send a messenger for you!
Good times ;)
JoRo
Yeah... are you doing alright being patient with the greeting/staying forever at someone's house thingy? You sound like you're alright with it... it might try my patience a bit... as a self-absorbed American. : )
Love You,
Frey
Post a Comment
<< Home