Crazy Tanzanian things and Kiswahili Proverbs
I still don’t really think my blog has done this country justice yet (or ever will). There are so many wacky and quirky things that we experience on a daily basis that go beyond what I am able to convey. i try to write them down but many just seem to slip away.
Some examples...
1. The speed limit on the road is determined by how fast your car can go. I have never seen a 'maximum speed' sign.
2. This morning at mass a person decided to sit next to me where there was no seat. What this means is that they put their behind down on the very edge of the pew and forcefully push you and all the people next to you over so that their bum has a seat. Everyone looks straight ahead while this is happening too, pretending like they are not feeling like they are being squished beyond any level of comfort and that their personal space has been seriously violated. Occasionally, the person on the other end of the pew falls off and then the whole exercise repeats itself as they put their backside back on the pew and push the opposite direction.
3. A car stopped in front of the women’s center house yesterday and the man opened the trunk and out jumped a goat..just on their way home, I guess.
4. There are crazy old buses (luxury coaches that saw their day in China or India about 15 years ago) that take people around to various destinations in this country everyday. Many of these buses are run by private operators who compete for passengers (specifically, how full they can pack the bus), speed, and, how gaudy(or beautiful, depending on how you see it) they can paint the outside of the vehicle. By far, the most important thing about these buses is that they all have names. The ones in Moshi town that I have seen are as follows:
The Hans Blix (yes, the UN guy who looked for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and didn't find them)…with, of course, a lovely mural of Hans himself on the back of the bus. There is the Paris Hiton (yes, sadly, the bus painter spelled it wrong..but who really cares) and unfortunately the back of the bus has a bad picture of Paris herself...she would not be pleased. There is the God Save the Queen bus (yes, you guessed it, the Queen is on the back)and, the Jesus Saves Us bus (with the Black or the White Jesus depending on the bus). I can't forget the long list of Rasta looking Bob Marley buses as well. There is one called Child's Play and Hero and Eddie Murphy..I could continue, but I won't because I think you get the picture…I am perpetually on bus alert as they are usually speeding by trying to kill us. Despite all the great names, I think The Hans Blix is still my favorite!
On a more spiritual note, there are lots of sayings in Kiswahili that are difficult to translate into English because of inherent differences in language structure and norms but, there are some Kiswahili proverbs that are easily translatable and nice to ponder. Here are a few of my favorites taken from my perpetually lifesaving Tanzanian handbook (Rough Guide to Tanzania)...
Haraka haraka haina baraka : Hurry hurry has no blessings
Mtumai cha ndugu hufa masikini: He who relies on his relative’s property, dies poor
Mchumia juani, hilla kivulini: He who earns his living in the sun, eats in the shade
Kila ndege huruka na mbawa zake: Every bird flies with its own wings (My favorite)
Ulimi unauma kuliko meno: The tongue hurts more than the teeth
Heri kujikwakidole kuliko ulimi: Better to stumble with toes than tongue
Haba na haba, hujaza kibaba: Little and little fills the measure
Some food for thought on a hazy Tanzanian Sunday.
Some examples...
1. The speed limit on the road is determined by how fast your car can go. I have never seen a 'maximum speed' sign.
2. This morning at mass a person decided to sit next to me where there was no seat. What this means is that they put their behind down on the very edge of the pew and forcefully push you and all the people next to you over so that their bum has a seat. Everyone looks straight ahead while this is happening too, pretending like they are not feeling like they are being squished beyond any level of comfort and that their personal space has been seriously violated. Occasionally, the person on the other end of the pew falls off and then the whole exercise repeats itself as they put their backside back on the pew and push the opposite direction.
3. A car stopped in front of the women’s center house yesterday and the man opened the trunk and out jumped a goat..just on their way home, I guess.
4. There are crazy old buses (luxury coaches that saw their day in China or India about 15 years ago) that take people around to various destinations in this country everyday. Many of these buses are run by private operators who compete for passengers (specifically, how full they can pack the bus), speed, and, how gaudy(or beautiful, depending on how you see it) they can paint the outside of the vehicle. By far, the most important thing about these buses is that they all have names. The ones in Moshi town that I have seen are as follows:
The Hans Blix (yes, the UN guy who looked for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and didn't find them)…with, of course, a lovely mural of Hans himself on the back of the bus. There is the Paris Hiton (yes, sadly, the bus painter spelled it wrong..but who really cares) and unfortunately the back of the bus has a bad picture of Paris herself...she would not be pleased. There is the God Save the Queen bus (yes, you guessed it, the Queen is on the back)and, the Jesus Saves Us bus (with the Black or the White Jesus depending on the bus). I can't forget the long list of Rasta looking Bob Marley buses as well. There is one called Child's Play and Hero and Eddie Murphy..I could continue, but I won't because I think you get the picture…I am perpetually on bus alert as they are usually speeding by trying to kill us. Despite all the great names, I think The Hans Blix is still my favorite!
On a more spiritual note, there are lots of sayings in Kiswahili that are difficult to translate into English because of inherent differences in language structure and norms but, there are some Kiswahili proverbs that are easily translatable and nice to ponder. Here are a few of my favorites taken from my perpetually lifesaving Tanzanian handbook (Rough Guide to Tanzania)...
Haraka haraka haina baraka : Hurry hurry has no blessings
Mtumai cha ndugu hufa masikini: He who relies on his relative’s property, dies poor
Mchumia juani, hilla kivulini: He who earns his living in the sun, eats in the shade
Kila ndege huruka na mbawa zake: Every bird flies with its own wings (My favorite)
Ulimi unauma kuliko meno: The tongue hurts more than the teeth
Heri kujikwakidole kuliko ulimi: Better to stumble with toes than tongue
Haba na haba, hujaza kibaba: Little and little fills the measure
Some food for thought on a hazy Tanzanian Sunday.
posted by karenandroman at 6:44 AM
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