Tanzanian Couture
After six weeks in Tanzania, I am still in awe of how colourful and vibrant this country is. I love the way the bold hues of the buildings contrast with the surrounding scenery. But my favourite colours come from the people and their clothing. In Karatu, the women prefer a more traditional style of dress where their wardrobe relies on large sheets of woven fabric. A variety of fabric types are available but the most common is the kanga. Printed with bold colours, the patterns on kangas are usually vibrant and the motif resembles images from nature.
Read More
Odds and Ends
For today’s blog post I have gathered several small stories to share. Here are some cultural tidbits we have enjoyed during our stay in Tanzania:
Read More
To Market, To Market
Purchasing staple goods in Karatu is very different from what we rely on in Canada. A few streets over from our home is the daily market where we frequently stop to buy vegetables for our dinners. One large covered area, packed with tons of vendors in small stands are all selling essentially the same products. How do you choose who to buy from? At first the task was a bit daunting. We knew that it is common for vendors to charge “mzungu prices”, an inflated cost for tourists. Fortunately, with a little prep we were able to find a friend in the marketplace and decided this would be our go-to vendor.
Read More
My Journey on Swahili Time
One cultural characteristic Japhet told us about during our first meeting was the concept of “Swahili Time”. In Tanzania, you will generally find that people are less concerned about maintaining a strict commitment to time. When someone says, “I’ll be there in five minutes,” there is a good chance it is going to be more like twenty. The running joke amongst our group is laughing about whether it will be five minutes (mzungu time), or fiiiiiiiiiiive minutes (swahili time), explanatory hand gestures included.
Read More
The Food Challenge
Food is an integral part of learning about any culture. If you are looking to get an authentic experience then you are going to have to try the local dishes. When I was told that meat is the main component of the typical Tanzanian diet, I was a bit nervous to say the least. As someone who regularly flirts with veganism, I knew that I was going to have to be prepared to step outside of my comfort zone.
Read More
The Beginning of a Journey
In less than two days I will be arriving in Karatu, Tanzania and beginning what is sure to be a life changing adventure. During my six week stay, I will be participating in a service learning project where education is taken outside learning objectives and grades and thrust into an environment where the curriculum is your personal experience. I have thought a lot about what I expect to receive from my own experience, and mainly I am expecting a lot of surprises. Living in an environment vastly different from Winnipeg is going to be filled with many unknowns from the food, to the culture, people, geography and living conditions… and I can’t wait to experience it all.
Read More
