Gender is a complicated and tricky topic. I feel like I’m only scraping the surface of understanding it in Tanzania, and of course it’s a continuing conversation among Tanzanians themselves! I’ve been hesitant to write anything on it for fear of oversimplifying, but blogging is like thinking out loud, so […]
For Christmas Elliot’s grandparents sent us some money to have a blackboard made for him on the side of our house. We needed a fundi to do it and found out that a catechist (like a student minister) of a local congregation does this kind of work. Very few catechists […]
The year has a different shape in Tanzania because the education system is the same as the northern hemisphere. The Christmas break of 1 or 2 weeks is over and it’s business as usual. But the year feels different because of the weather too. Arthur is fond of noting that […]
My friend Mama Martha stayed with me for a week a few weeks ago and I’ve missed her since she went home to Songea. Her daughter is a few months younger than Elliot and they had a good time together, and I just really enjoyed her company and having her […]
Merry Christmas! How are you celebrating? We recently had the privilege to host a party at our house for a Tanzanian friend. Here are five things that seem to be true pretty much across the board for parties, irrespective of the occasion:
Some Vegemite arrived in the post recently, thanks to a generous supporter, and we figured it was a good opportunity to try it out on our Tanzanian friends. We were surprised that they loved it! Cheese, on the other hand, earned polite distaste.
There are a stack of different types of music that Tanzanians sing in church. As well as pambios, more traditional denominations use the Tenzi za Rohoni, which are mainly English hymns translated into Swahili. One hymn that everyone seems to know is ‘How Great Thou Art’. Different types of music elicit […]
Meet Jesus at uni 