kiswahili school, wiki moja

So after that wonderfully relaxing week of rest in Dar es Salaam, we have just completed a whirlwind week of adjusting to a new home/awesome language classes/meeting people from around the world/putting the kids in their language school/having our brains stretched farther than they've had to stretch for quite a while/and oh yes, an absolutely spectacular safari which must be a post for another day.

Phew!  And it really has been that full and that busy, but somehow in the midst of all that newness, there has been very little stress.  We have never felt rushed, we are enjoying daily tea breaks and long, leisurely meals, we are sleeping so very well (all six of us, thankyouverymuch!),  and we are just thrilled to be here.  What is it that the developing world has figured out that we in the West seem to be missing?

Of all the fun and useful new vocabulary that we've learned in our Kiswahili course, my hands-down favorite is an expression that I hear at least four or five times a day.  I hear it when I apologize for my choppy attempts at speaking this beautiful language, or if I arrive late to class, or if the kids spill something, or when something gets lost or broken, or we forget something that we were just taught, etc.  And the single-word response is this: hamnashida.  It's pronounced /HUM-na-shee-dah/ and it essentially means "there is no problem."  I know what you're thinking--we're in the land of the Lion King, so why not "hakuna matata"?  Well, in the two weeks that we've been here, I have yet to hear that particular phrase.  Yet, the lovely "hamnashida" is spoken, really almost sung, several times every day.  And I think that what I love about it is the fact that it seems to capture what I have seen as the spirit of the Tanzanian people.  There is a welcoming nature to practically every person we have met so far--they are warm and hospitable and seem genuinely happy, both in their own lives and as hosts to the many "muzungu" (white, western) people that pass through their land.  I also think that the spirit of "no worries" in some ways reminds me of my home state of Louisiana, where this same sort of relaxed, "let it be" mentality is so readily embraced.  While I know that there are drawbacks to being laid back all the time, for now, I am grateful for the break, and I am enjoying the experience of leaning into the spirit of hamnashida.

And as for our first week of language classes, it's been fantastic.  I'm not sure what our expectations were, but whatever they might have been, they've been exceeded.  By a lot.  We are in very small classes (our beginner's class of 8 was split into two groups of 4), our teachers bring experience and patience and fun to each class, and we are enjoying some less-traditional learning methods that add an amazing new dimension to the whole experience.  The course director told us on the first day that this institution is big on "active, participatory learning," so as part of our classes we have the opportunity to learn in a number of different ways.  In just these first five days of class, in addition to learning lots of  important grammar, we've sung Kiswahili songs, played games like Bingo and Scrabble to help solidify our vocabulary, and we've spent one-on-one time with native Tanzanians to brush up on our dialogue skills.  This week we will go to a market and practice both our grasp of food vocabulary as well as our Kiswahili bargaining skills!  Be assured that we are learning a ton and being humbled--a whole lot--every day.

And those kids who were feeling a little homesick our first few days in the country?

They are doing just fine.

Joshua continues to amaze us and everyone he meets with his Kiswahili proficiency.  Our teacher said that when she sees him on campus, she speaks to him as fast as she would to a native speaker (and trust me, that is mind-bogglingly fast), and Joshua understands every word and responds like a native as well.  This weekend he's enjoyed his first soccer experience when one of our neighbors' sons stopped by and invited him over.  He said he had a great time playing ball outside with a group of boys and then enjoyed some time on his friend's Playstation.  You know, since we moved our family 8800 miles across the globe so that our boy could get in some Playstation time.  Kidding, of course.  We couldn't be happier that he is thriving on so many levels.

Madison and Caroline continue to be each other's best friends and are enjoying language classes as well.  All three big kids are in class together, but the teacher meets each one right where he or she needs to be challenged.  They are loving it.  And they, too, get cool field trips and experiences.  This week they made Masai beaded jewelry, trekked through a forest, chose what animals they will carve from wood later, hiked around a beautiful lake, and prepared (with lots of help) a delicious African meal for us and our teachers.

And our sweet baby Jacob, now 5 and half months old, is busy making friends and influencing people all over the place here at language school.  Although there are a whole lot of cultural differences that we are learning to navigate as we go, the love that people have for babies seems to cross all cultural lines.  And despite his mommy's characteristic worries (this time focused on the guilt of putting him in childcare while I attended classes), Jacob is doing remarkably well.  He has a one-on-one nanny who adores him, speaks to him in Kiswahili all day long, and brings him to me when it's time for his feeds.  So we see each other in the morning, then at our chai break at 10, again at lunch time, and then when classes are done in the afternoon.  I am most grateful that this aspect of my language school experience is going so well.  Thank God.

I have so much more to say and many more pictures to post, but it's late, and my tired brain needs to rest before we launch into another happily-jam-packed week of learning.  For now, I'll just say, asante sana for your thoughts and prayers.  Wishing much amani (peace) to all.