This posting is a continuation of Part One and Part Two, where there are some introductory remarks.
I found this part more difficult to translate and had to work quite a bit with Moris to understand what he meant and to get the translation correct. The English translation follows the Swahili. -Earl
Hata ofisini mwa mwafrika ni shida tupu, faili hazikai kwa mpango wala utaratibu. Mfano. Kama kuna faili za watu katika ofisi ya mzungu huwekwa kwa alfabeti A - Z. Hii inarahisiha wakati wa hitajiko la faili ya Zuena na Idaya ni muda mfupi kutafuta.
Lakini ofisi ya mwafrika kanyaga twende shaghalabaghala na hana hata makabati ya kurahisisha shughuli za ofisi, vitu vyake ni kwenye droo moja na kufuli na fuguo mkononi. Utakapo kitu huchukua muda mrefu kutafuta, na ndio maana rushwa ni wimbo wa taifa kwa mesenja wa ofisi hadi boss wa ofisi.
Ofisi ya mzungu huwa na utaratibu sana, hata katika kushughulikia jambo au maswala ya watu. Kwa mwafrika hakuna utaratibu, mfano hospitalini. Kama kuna foleni na wengine wamekaa kuingia kwa daktari, na mtu anajua daktari gani yupo ndani ya ofisi anatoa huduma ya wagonjwa, yeye huenda moja kwa moja bila utaratibu wowote. Na hata kama atamkuta daktari na huduma atapewa kwanza na kuwaacha watu wengine, kitu ambacho kwa mzungu - hakipo. Anatoa huduma kwa watu wote kama walivyojipanga na hii huleta ufanisi wa kazi.
Ndani ya nyumba. Kwa mzungu kama sebuleni ni mahali pa kupumzika, ni sehemu hiyo kwa kazi hiyo, kwa mzungu kuna sehemu ya kusomea, kwa mwafrika sehemu yeyote ni sawa. Kwa mzungu kuna kabati la nguo, viatu huwekwa sehemu maalum, hata vyombo uwekwa semhemu tofauti tofauti kama sahani, bakuli vikombe, n.k. Kwa mwafrika vitu havikai kwa mpango, yeye anachojua kabati ni kabati na kamba ya nguo kwenye chumba chake poa.
Ndani ya nyumba ya mzungu, kitanda muda wote huwa safi yaani hutandikwa, kwa mwafrika yeye akiamka poa - hata chandarua kutoa kwake ni tatizo.
Mzungu huwa na uangalizi mzuri wa nyumba yake kila siku, na hupelekea kuwa na mpango bora na safi wa nyumba yake.
Ukweli na mazungumzo. Mzungu huwa na kauli moja - na kutobadili maneno na maamuzi, kama hataki ni sitaki, au siwezi ni haiwezekani, au sitafanya.
Kwa mwafrika kwake siyo mkweli wa yote, machache ni kweli, mengine ni uongo. Kama kitu hawezi yeye usema nitajaribu, hana kauli ya kusema nimeshindwa - au sitaweza, sana sana husema nitaangalia, au nitajaribu.
Kama umeongea naye neno akakuambia kesho, kwa mwafrika ni lazima umkumbushe tena na tena. Usipomkumbusha yeye usema nimesahau au nilipitiwa na hivyo ni mtu mwenye kauli mbili mbili kila wakati.
Kwa uaminifu. Mzungu ni mtu mwaminifu wa ahadi yake. Kama ni ndoa, mke mmoja ni mke mmoja au mume mmoja ni mume mmoja.
Kwa mwafrika hasa waislamu ni wake 4 na kwa watu wengine labda wana ndoa kidogo huwa na mke mmoja, lakini sehemu kubwa ni mke na nyumba ndogo. Akiwa na ndoa sawa sheria inamfunga, na sio wote wenye kushika sheria za ndoa.
Mzungu akiwa na mke ni sehemu ya uhai wake. Umpa siri au mpango wote wa maisha yao, nini tufanye na nini tupange.
Even the office of the African is a hopeless problem. Files are placed in neither a plan nor a pattern. Example. If there are people's files in the office of the Westerner they are put alphabetically A - Z. This makes it easy so that when files for Zuena and Idaya [like Jane and John] are needed it takes a short time to find them.
But the office of the African is to step without caring into disorder. There are not even cabinets to simplify the matters of the office. Its things are in a single drawer under lock and key. When you want something it takes a long time to find. Indeed bribes are the national song for office messengers up to the boss of the office.
The office of the Westerner is very orderly, even in attending to people's issues or matters. For the African there is no order, for example in the hospital. If there is a queue and others have been waiting to enter for the doctor, and a person knows the doctor who is inside the office offering patient services, he goes in directly without following any order. If he finds the doctor, he gets service first and leaves behind the other people, a thing which for the Westerner does not happen. He offers services for everyone according to how they have arranged themselves, and this brings efficiency to the work.
Inside the home. For the Westerner the sitting room is a place for resting, and there is such and such an area for such and such work. For the Westerner there is an area for reading, for the African anywhere is fine. For the Westerner there is a cabinet for clothes, shoes are placed in a special area, even dishes are put in a different place such as plates, bowls, cups, etc. For the African things do not reside in a pattern, what he knows is that a cabinet is a cabinet, and a cord in his room [for hanging clothes] is fine.
In the home of the Westerner the bed is clean at all times, that is, it is made. For the African if he wakes up it's fine - even removing the mosquito net for him is a problem.
The Westerner pays good attention to his home every day, and ensures that there is excellent order and cleanliness in his home.
Truthfulness in conversation. The Westerner has a single speech - and does not change his words and decisions. If he doesn't like something then "I don't like it", or if he cannot do something then "it's not possible", or "I will not do it".
The African is not truthful in all things, a few things are true, the rest is false. If he cannot do a thing, he says "I will try", he does not have the speech to say "I have failed" - or "I will not be able", very very often he says "I will see", or "I will try".
If you have spoken of some matter and he told you "tomorrow", for the African it is necessary to remind him again and again. If you do not remind him he says "I forgot" or "I was distracted", and in this manner he is one who says two different things all the time.
On reliability. The Westerner is reliable in his promises. For example, in marriage one wife is one wife, one husband is one husband.
For the African, especially Muslims, he has four wives. Others perhaps have a few marriages with one wife, but the larger part is with both a wife and a "little home" [with a different woman]. To have a valid marriage it is sealed, and it is not everyone who follows the laws of marriage.
The Westerner lives with his wife as part of his life. He provides her with all confidences and plans of his life, what we are to do and what we are to plan.
About speaking truthfully, I am reminded of the story of a European farmer in Kenya who had an African supervisor for his work crew. When questioned about some problem or other, the supervisor would more often than not "make some excuse bearing no possible relation to the truth." This was explained as due to the desire on the part of the African not to say something unpleasant or unwelcome to the farmer.
I may have experienced something similar very recently. I had asked another teacher whether he would like to take a class period of mine since I really did not have another lesson to teach the students before their mid-term exams. He said yes. Later, I found out from one of the students that he never showed up. Was this because the teacher simply could not say no?
With regard to doing something "tomorrow", I find that it's almost as though Tanzanians have a binary sense of time. There is right now, and there is later. Stuff that is needed right now gets done. Indeed I see Tanzanians work hard if they are under pressure or if there is an immediate, tangible reward to be gained. As for the stuff that is for later, it disappears into a mental black hole. Very often if I ask a student to come by my office later in the week or even the very next day, they almost never show up.
(continued at Part Four)
Monday, March 26, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Feet and Hands
Below, students with a volunteer from Germany, December 2011.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Differences Between Tanzanians and Westerners (Part Two of Four)
This posting is a continuation of Part One, where there are some introductory remarks. As in the first part, the Swahili original appears first followed by my English translation. -Earl
Muda na Ratiba ya Shughuli za Kila Siku
Mzungu ratiba ni muhimu wakati mwafrika ni vigumu kuwa na ratiba na kutumia muda.
Mwafrika hana muda maalumu kwani kama ana ahadi saa 3.00 kuonana na mtu mwingine mahali fulani mwafrika huongeza dakika zaidi ya 30 - 45 tofauti na mzungu. kama saa 3.00 ni saa 4.00 - 5.30 kwa mwafrika. Muda kwa mwafrika ni ugonjwa wa kudumu katika maisha yake ya kila siku.
Ratiba. Mwafrika hana ratiba ya kila siku. Yeye huanzia pale anapoanza siku, hata ofisini kukiwa na ratiba ya kazi hafuati hata haijali, wakati mzungu ana ratiba ya nyumbani, ofisini, na ya mwaka mzima au ya miezi 6 zaidi. Mzungu hujua tarehe gani natakiwa kufanya nini, wakati mwafrika hajui hata umuhimu wa kalenda na kutumia kuweka vitu vyake mpangilio unaofaa.
Mzungu hupanga ratiba hata ya chakula chake kwa siku wiki mwezi. Mwafrika hajui hilo, yeye alacho cha toka kwa mungu, ilimradi tumbo lijae ashibe, hana muda na mlo uliokamili kwa siku, wiki, mwezi. Yeye hana.
Ratiba ya mavazi. Mwafrika hajui kupangilia hata uvaaji wa nguo kutokana na rangi ya nguo na yake, wakati mzungu hujua rangi gani inafaa kwa mazingira gana. Mwafrika yeye ilimradi nimevaa — yatosha ni safi.
Uwajibikaji na Kujaliana.
Mzungu hujali shida ya mwenzie na kumpa msaada wa njia ya kutatua shida na kupambana na kila hali. Mwafrika hana msaada kwa mwenzie hata wa mawazo, yeye anaweza kuona na kucheka tu. Mzungu utoa mawazo fanya hivi na tatizo litaondoka kama la maisha na kama la elimu, afya, mazingira yeyote. Mwafrika anajua tu kuomba msaada wa mara moja kama chakula au fedha, au kinginecho, na kumaliza kwa siku au muda huo tu lakini kesho shida huendelea tena na tena na tena.
Mazingira ya nyumbani. Kwanza nje ya nyumba.
Mzungu ana mpango mzuri wa mazingira ya nje ya nyumba, ataweka bustani nzuri na atapanda maua na kuweka katika hali ilio bora.
Mwafrika yeye hana mpango ulio mzuri nje ya nyumba yake kwani hulima sehemu yote ya mbele ya nyumba na pembeni ili kupata mahali pa kufagia na kukaa pakiwa na ukavu, vumbi na kila shida. Uamini nyasi ni uchafu na maua ni tatizo kwake kutunza kwani hana elimu nayo.
Mazingira ya ndani.
Mzungu ana sehemu sebule, jiko, chumba, choo kwa mpango ufaao. Mwafrika sehemu hizi hazipo kwa mpango, mfano utakuta viatu vipo juu ya kiti, utakuta sufuria ipo sebuleni, utakuta nguo ya ndani ipo jikoni, yaani hana mpango kitu gani kikae wapi?
Time and Schedule of Everyday Activities
For the Westerner the schedule is important, while the African has difficulty in keeping a schedule and in using time.
The African has no particular time since if he has an appointment for 9:00 to meet someone somewhere the African adds more than 30 - 45 minutes, different from the Westerner. 9:00 is 10:00 - 11:30 for the African. Time for the African is a permanent ailment in his everyday life.
Schedule. The African does not have a daily schedule. He starts off when he starts the day. Even if the office has a work schedule he does not follow it, not even caring, while the Westerner has a schedule for home, office, and the entire year or more than six months. The Westerner knows which dates he needs to do what, while the African does not even know the importance of the calendar and putting his things in an appropriate plan.
The Westerner arranges the schedule, even his food, for the day, week, month. The African does not know this. For him what he eats is from God. Provided that his belly is full and he is satisfied, he does not have an exact time nor meal for the day, week, month. He doesn't have this.
Schedule for clothing. The African does not know to arrange for himself the clothing which he wears based on the colour of his clothes and of himself, while the Westerner knows which colour is suitable for which circumstances. For the African provided that he is wearing something — it is enough that it is clean.
Responsibility and Mutual Concern.
The Westerner cares about the problem of his friend and gives him help for a way to solve the problem and to meet each situation. The African does not have help for his friend, not even thoughts. He can only see and laugh. The Westerner offers thoughts on what to do and problems go away, such as those in life and in schooling, health, any circumstance. The African only knows to ask for one-time help such as food or money, or some other thing, and it is finished in a day or for that time only but tomorrow the problem continues again and again and again.
Home Environment. First, outside the house.
The Westerner has a beautiful arrangement of the environment outside the home. He will put a beautiful garden and plant flowers and put nice things there.
The African does not have an arrangement which is beautiful outside his home because he does not cultivate any part of the front of the house and the sides. He gets a place to sweep and to sit which is dry, dusty, and has other problems. He believes that grass is dirtiness, and flowers are a problem for him to keep because he does not have training.
The inside environment.
The Westerner has areas for the sitting room, kitchen, room, and toilet according to a suitable arrangement. For the African these areas are not arranged. For example you will find shoes on a chair, you will find pots and pans in the sitting room, you will find clothes in the kitchen, that is, there is no order for which item is located where.
I must concur that there are huge differences with respect to attitudes towards time. Westerners work hard to control time and to make efficient use of it. Tanzanians are very relaxed about time, about appointments, punctuality, etc.
I'd like to attain a happy medium in which I make effective use of my time while also remaining flexible (I have learned a lot here about being flexible) and having the ability to "enjoy the sweetness of doing nothing".
While going over the translation of this part I told Moris that the Westerners he meets in Tanzania are a self-selecting group of people who are generally competent and able to do different things. People who are not do not come here. This gives him a very skewed view of wazungu.
(continued at Part Three)
Muda na Ratiba ya Shughuli za Kila Siku
Mzungu ratiba ni muhimu wakati mwafrika ni vigumu kuwa na ratiba na kutumia muda.
Mwafrika hana muda maalumu kwani kama ana ahadi saa 3.00 kuonana na mtu mwingine mahali fulani mwafrika huongeza dakika zaidi ya 30 - 45 tofauti na mzungu. kama saa 3.00 ni saa 4.00 - 5.30 kwa mwafrika. Muda kwa mwafrika ni ugonjwa wa kudumu katika maisha yake ya kila siku.
Ratiba. Mwafrika hana ratiba ya kila siku. Yeye huanzia pale anapoanza siku, hata ofisini kukiwa na ratiba ya kazi hafuati hata haijali, wakati mzungu ana ratiba ya nyumbani, ofisini, na ya mwaka mzima au ya miezi 6 zaidi. Mzungu hujua tarehe gani natakiwa kufanya nini, wakati mwafrika hajui hata umuhimu wa kalenda na kutumia kuweka vitu vyake mpangilio unaofaa.
Mzungu hupanga ratiba hata ya chakula chake kwa siku wiki mwezi. Mwafrika hajui hilo, yeye alacho cha toka kwa mungu, ilimradi tumbo lijae ashibe, hana muda na mlo uliokamili kwa siku, wiki, mwezi. Yeye hana.
Ratiba ya mavazi. Mwafrika hajui kupangilia hata uvaaji wa nguo kutokana na rangi ya nguo na yake, wakati mzungu hujua rangi gani inafaa kwa mazingira gana. Mwafrika yeye ilimradi nimevaa — yatosha ni safi.
Uwajibikaji na Kujaliana.
Mzungu hujali shida ya mwenzie na kumpa msaada wa njia ya kutatua shida na kupambana na kila hali. Mwafrika hana msaada kwa mwenzie hata wa mawazo, yeye anaweza kuona na kucheka tu. Mzungu utoa mawazo fanya hivi na tatizo litaondoka kama la maisha na kama la elimu, afya, mazingira yeyote. Mwafrika anajua tu kuomba msaada wa mara moja kama chakula au fedha, au kinginecho, na kumaliza kwa siku au muda huo tu lakini kesho shida huendelea tena na tena na tena.
Mazingira ya nyumbani. Kwanza nje ya nyumba.
Mzungu ana mpango mzuri wa mazingira ya nje ya nyumba, ataweka bustani nzuri na atapanda maua na kuweka katika hali ilio bora.
Mwafrika yeye hana mpango ulio mzuri nje ya nyumba yake kwani hulima sehemu yote ya mbele ya nyumba na pembeni ili kupata mahali pa kufagia na kukaa pakiwa na ukavu, vumbi na kila shida. Uamini nyasi ni uchafu na maua ni tatizo kwake kutunza kwani hana elimu nayo.
Mazingira ya ndani.
Mzungu ana sehemu sebule, jiko, chumba, choo kwa mpango ufaao. Mwafrika sehemu hizi hazipo kwa mpango, mfano utakuta viatu vipo juu ya kiti, utakuta sufuria ipo sebuleni, utakuta nguo ya ndani ipo jikoni, yaani hana mpango kitu gani kikae wapi?
Time and Schedule of Everyday Activities
For the Westerner the schedule is important, while the African has difficulty in keeping a schedule and in using time.
The African has no particular time since if he has an appointment for 9:00 to meet someone somewhere the African adds more than 30 - 45 minutes, different from the Westerner. 9:00 is 10:00 - 11:30 for the African. Time for the African is a permanent ailment in his everyday life.
Schedule. The African does not have a daily schedule. He starts off when he starts the day. Even if the office has a work schedule he does not follow it, not even caring, while the Westerner has a schedule for home, office, and the entire year or more than six months. The Westerner knows which dates he needs to do what, while the African does not even know the importance of the calendar and putting his things in an appropriate plan.
The Westerner arranges the schedule, even his food, for the day, week, month. The African does not know this. For him what he eats is from God. Provided that his belly is full and he is satisfied, he does not have an exact time nor meal for the day, week, month. He doesn't have this.
Schedule for clothing. The African does not know to arrange for himself the clothing which he wears based on the colour of his clothes and of himself, while the Westerner knows which colour is suitable for which circumstances. For the African provided that he is wearing something — it is enough that it is clean.
Responsibility and Mutual Concern.
The Westerner cares about the problem of his friend and gives him help for a way to solve the problem and to meet each situation. The African does not have help for his friend, not even thoughts. He can only see and laugh. The Westerner offers thoughts on what to do and problems go away, such as those in life and in schooling, health, any circumstance. The African only knows to ask for one-time help such as food or money, or some other thing, and it is finished in a day or for that time only but tomorrow the problem continues again and again and again.
Home Environment. First, outside the house.
The Westerner has a beautiful arrangement of the environment outside the home. He will put a beautiful garden and plant flowers and put nice things there.
The African does not have an arrangement which is beautiful outside his home because he does not cultivate any part of the front of the house and the sides. He gets a place to sweep and to sit which is dry, dusty, and has other problems. He believes that grass is dirtiness, and flowers are a problem for him to keep because he does not have training.
The inside environment.
The Westerner has areas for the sitting room, kitchen, room, and toilet according to a suitable arrangement. For the African these areas are not arranged. For example you will find shoes on a chair, you will find pots and pans in the sitting room, you will find clothes in the kitchen, that is, there is no order for which item is located where.
I must concur that there are huge differences with respect to attitudes towards time. Westerners work hard to control time and to make efficient use of it. Tanzanians are very relaxed about time, about appointments, punctuality, etc.
I'd like to attain a happy medium in which I make effective use of my time while also remaining flexible (I have learned a lot here about being flexible) and having the ability to "enjoy the sweetness of doing nothing".
While going over the translation of this part I told Moris that the Westerners he meets in Tanzania are a self-selecting group of people who are generally competent and able to do different things. People who are not do not come here. This gives him a very skewed view of wazungu.
(continued at Part Three)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
