Living, Language and Lots more
Hello all. It's been quite some time since I was last on here - I guess things got a little more busy. Hopefully, from now on I will post shorter more regular updates.
So much has happened over the past three weeks I don't even know where to begin. Lately I find myself really wanting to be able to speak swahili. It really is disabling not to be able to properly converse with visitors to FADECO. About three weeks ago we were given a really good swahili course book from a volunteer from The Netherlands who is working for an NGO called Karadea. Sasa, I have two books and a set of audio files on Jane's computer which I can use to learn - the problem is making time for it.
Each week I have a different thought process about communicating with people. When I first arrived I expected people to greet me with swahili, and then not mind when I butcher the response. At first when I was introduced to people I think they would use swahili because they wanted to show me the greetings. When they would continue to speak full sentences of swahili I would assume they wouldn't mind when I shake my head in confusion. As time goes on, I've really started to notice people making an effort to speak to me in english, especially greetings. Until recently the only phrases I felt comfortable saying were greetings and it bothered me that people would use english on me even if I tried swahili. More recently my biggest challenge is processing what people are saying, even if I know the words they're saying I can't recognize them fast enough to respond. While I'm thinking, someone else will usually translate for me.
I do miss certain things, like chocolate, pizza, tap water, showering, tuna, other sources of protein, movies, peace and quite, personal space, etc. But on average at the end of the day when I am brushing my teeth and looking up at the clear sky with all those vibrant stars, I realize how relaxed I am. Sometimes I feel like yelling or hiding in my bed for a week - but usually I'm just thinking to myself : wow this is a lot better than an office job in TO. That's not really the way I view my time here, but often I can't help but compare it.
Steve
So much has happened over the past three weeks I don't even know where to begin. Lately I find myself really wanting to be able to speak swahili. It really is disabling not to be able to properly converse with visitors to FADECO. About three weeks ago we were given a really good swahili course book from a volunteer from The Netherlands who is working for an NGO called Karadea. Sasa, I have two books and a set of audio files on Jane's computer which I can use to learn - the problem is making time for it.
Each week I have a different thought process about communicating with people. When I first arrived I expected people to greet me with swahili, and then not mind when I butcher the response. At first when I was introduced to people I think they would use swahili because they wanted to show me the greetings. When they would continue to speak full sentences of swahili I would assume they wouldn't mind when I shake my head in confusion. As time goes on, I've really started to notice people making an effort to speak to me in english, especially greetings. Until recently the only phrases I felt comfortable saying were greetings and it bothered me that people would use english on me even if I tried swahili. More recently my biggest challenge is processing what people are saying, even if I know the words they're saying I can't recognize them fast enough to respond. While I'm thinking, someone else will usually translate for me.
I do miss certain things, like chocolate, pizza, tap water, showering, tuna, other sources of protein, movies, peace and quite, personal space, etc. But on average at the end of the day when I am brushing my teeth and looking up at the clear sky with all those vibrant stars, I realize how relaxed I am. Sometimes I feel like yelling or hiding in my bed for a week - but usually I'm just thinking to myself : wow this is a lot better than an office job in TO. That's not really the way I view my time here, but often I can't help but compare it.
Steve
posted by Stephen Young at
8:17 PM
3 Comments:
Suuure, rub it in... Stupid office jobs.....
Miss you!
By
Anonymous, at 9:19 AM
Good Evening Steve,
Great to have you back blogging. School ends in 3 days and I get my report card on Monday. Have you seen any elephants, crocs or hippos? Also I have a question-- if I find the heat unbearable here, how hot does it get near the equator? I am just writing a French paragraph here and am having difficulty so I can only imagine what it's like learning Swahli! Hope you're doing well. We miss you here. Cheers, Kenny
By
Anonymous, at 1:34 AM
Hey Steve
Good luck with your continuing work in Tanzania. You seem like you are making the most your time there and keeping up an upbeat attitude. I start work at Crestwood on Friday and guess what I got that scouting scholarship (I was kinda suprised)
Good Luck Again, Your Brother (the very tall one) Philip
By
Anonymous, at 2:17 AM
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