Tag Archives: Tanzania
Travel in Tanzania
Some previous posts have discussed Tanzanian travel, but having just finished a weekend trip with its own share of adventures, I decided to take a post to discuss the bus system in a little more depth, in light of that … Continue reading
My Tanzanian Diet
One of the best things about living in Tanzania is the food. While Tanzanian cuisine isn’t (generally) that amazing, Tanzanians do the simple things well, and basic foods like rice, pilau, stewed plantains (green bananas) potatoes, beans, green vegetables, fried … Continue reading
Tanzanian Debate
After a great deal of building anticipation I have finally seen a Tanzanian Secondary School Debate. Other volunteers across the country have told me stories about how these debates proceed, and so I was not entirely surprised about what awaited … Continue reading
Teachers on Duty
I promised another post about “teachers on duty” (hereafter TOD) in secondary schools, so here goes. As I said previously, every week two teachers are assigned the position of TOD. These teachers are responsible for the day to day operations … Continue reading
The rain
My first week or so in Ngara was spent in the rain, but during that period I was assured that the rain would stop for a while. Then, around a week ago, I was told that the rainy season would … Continue reading
Corporal Punishment
Corporal punishment, or “giving the stick,” is very common in Tanzanian schools. Indeed, it is how nearly all teachers punish students and maintain control of their classrooms. Nearly all teachers derive a sense of authority from the stick, and when … Continue reading
Theft in Tanzania
Theft is Tanzania is taken very seriously by most ordinary people. Indeed, in a society without a lot of resources, people have taken to punishing theft very seriously (often by killing the thief), oftentimes outside the bounds of the law, … Continue reading
“English only education”
My most faithful and dedicated readers will notice that a few blog posts ago I used the phrase “English only education” in the same quotation marks that they appear here. You might have wondered why I used these quotation marks, … Continue reading
Mzungu
If there is anything that a white person one cannot forgot while living in Tanzania it is that he or she is a mzungu. This is word literally means a person who walks in circles, but practically is used by … Continue reading
The O-Level Exam and my students
I am teaching Form IV English, which means my students are [very roughly] the equivalent of High School seniors in the states. However, as a result of a national census-shortened Semester, my students are graduating this coming Friday. Nevertheless, they … Continue reading