Tag Archives: Tanzania
Learning and Teaching Language
I have never felt that talented when it comes to learning language. I took Spanish in Middle School, and then in High School for a year and a half, before I switched to Latin which I took for two years. … Continue reading
Reflections on my first semester and some thoughts for prospective volunteers
As my second semester of teaching begins, I thought I would take a few minutes to reflect on teaching and my life in Tanzania over the course of the first semester, specifically with an eye for people who are considering … Continue reading
Being a tourist
After spending three months in Ngara, a place I now think of as home, it was odd to again feel like a tourist. Of course, I not only felt like a tourist, but in every sense of the word was … Continue reading
Lines
In most circumstances Tanzanians refuse to form proper lines (or queues if you want to be British about it) , Americans form lines at just about every opportunity, and in some rare circumstances Tanzanians are induced into making lines, but … Continue reading
Personal Space
One of the things you quickly realize in Tanzania is that Tanzanians have a different idea of personal space than Americans. Nowhere is this more readily apparent than on public transportation. Americans in major metropolitan areas crowd onto public transportation … Continue reading
Records
As an American who grew up in the middle of the development and spread of technology, I cannot remember a time in America when records were not digitalized. While I have lived through a time that has seen many things … Continue reading
Evolution
In some American school districts there is an ongoing debate about whether evolution should be taught to students. Many Christians believe that evolution is “only a theory” and that it is incompatible with their creationist worldview. As a result, ideas … Continue reading
The colonial legacy in schools
“When Europeans came to Africa, they saw that Africans were lazy. To make them work hard they knew that they would have to use the stick to teach them about how hard work is important. Somehow, that is why we … Continue reading
Freemasons and Tanzanian Superstition
One of the more interesting queries I get from Tanzanians involves freemasons. “What do you know about freemasons?” they ask. Often this simply comes up out of the blue, as though it is simply a topic that they have a … Continue reading
“At home” – Living in Tanzania
I was asked recently by a friend what I feels like to be living in Tanzania. I have tried to keep my blog detached from my own emotions and feelings, in order to try to capture, somewhat objectively, what life … Continue reading