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Early during our time in Pommern, I was walking with one of the secondary school students, talking about a variety of things. Somewhere in our conversation, the topic of the weather came up and he commented on it being cold this time of year. (Pommern is located about 8 degrees south of the equator, so in June it was winter in Pommern.) Now, being an Iowa girl and accustomed to temperatures that can range from about 20 degrees below zero to around 100 degrees above zero -- and being one who prefers cooler weather to hotter weather besides -- the 60-some-degree temperatures in Pommern were just about perfect for me.
When I commented that I liked the weather and that I wasn't cold, his verbatim response was, "Is it because you're fat?" You know, extra weight equals extra insulation equals feeling warmer than thinner people, right? I explained that I didn't think that was the case and told him about Iowa temperatures and my general preference for cooler weather. Now, if you know me personally, you know that I was overweight for years until I recently worked to lose a considerable chunk of weight. But I still prefer cooler temperature to warmer ones, thank you very much!
So yes, I was overweight, but in American culture it is obviously not considered polite practice to tell someone she is fat. However in Tanzania, being fat is a symbol of wealth and prosperity, much like it was in America of yesteryear. Being wealthy means you can afford more food and you can have variety beyond ugali (corn mash that's a typical food in Tanzania) for every meal. I like to think there was a compliment disguised in the student's question, but regardless I'm hoping *not* to be asked that question this time around!
On our last night in Pommern, we had a dinner celebration that included the 5 of us volunteers, Mohammed & Edward, Haran (the assistant headmaster from the secondary school), 3 secondary school students, 2 secondary school teachers, Dr. Godlove & Nurse Patricia, Pastor Saga, and a couple of others we'd worked with and gotten to know well. Prior to eating our meal, each person stood and talked about the experience of the past three weeks, thanking everyone for their part, and so on. When it was the turn of one of the secondary students, among his comments was a reflection that he was impressed that Mama Matthew (a.k.a. volunteer Amy -- her oldest son is named Matthew and she used the African naming system for herself while she was in Pommern) could do construction work even though she was old.
Now first of all, Amy is *not* old. She's a mom, but her kids were only ages 12-16, for goodness sake. And second of all, American culture would again dictate that telling someone she is old is deeply insulting. But Tanzanian culture sees it differently. Life expectancy in Tanzania and other African countries is not as high as in Europe and North America. In Pommern, more than half of the population is under the age of 18. To make it to age 40 (or 50 or 60 or 70) is again a sign of some wealth and prosperity -- to be able to afford proper medical treatment when needed, to be able to afford to maintain a home that is clean and sanitary, to be able to afford mosquito nets to guard against malaria, to be able to afford proper food and nutrition, and so on.
After the student made the comment about age, Haran lightly admonished him by telling the rest of us that the students were taught that topics like age and weight were not polite topics in American culture. Apparently that lesson was not so well learned!
So what topics should Americans know are "taboo" topics in Tanzanian culture? Don't ask a pregnant woman about her unborn baby. It's like counting your chickens before they hatch in a place where the infant mortality rate is about 6.5%, or 10 times higher than in the United States. Sex and most sex-related topics are also pretty off-limits, including homosexuality (acts of which are actually against the law) and AIDS (making awareness and education somewhat challenging).
On the other hand, breast feeding is a cultural norm and common public practice. And while public displays of affection between a man and a woman are not acceptable, it is not at all strange for two male friends or two female friends to hold hands while walking together in public.
The more you know!
When I commented that I liked the weather and that I wasn't cold, his verbatim response was, "Is it because you're fat?" You know, extra weight equals extra insulation equals feeling warmer than thinner people, right? I explained that I didn't think that was the case and told him about Iowa temperatures and my general preference for cooler weather. Now, if you know me personally, you know that I was overweight for years until I recently worked to lose a considerable chunk of weight. But I still prefer cooler temperature to warmer ones, thank you very much!
So yes, I was overweight, but in American culture it is obviously not considered polite practice to tell someone she is fat. However in Tanzania, being fat is a symbol of wealth and prosperity, much like it was in America of yesteryear. Being wealthy means you can afford more food and you can have variety beyond ugali (corn mash that's a typical food in Tanzania) for every meal. I like to think there was a compliment disguised in the student's question, but regardless I'm hoping *not* to be asked that question this time around!
* * * * *
On our last night in Pommern, we had a dinner celebration that included the 5 of us volunteers, Mohammed & Edward, Haran (the assistant headmaster from the secondary school), 3 secondary school students, 2 secondary school teachers, Dr. Godlove & Nurse Patricia, Pastor Saga, and a couple of others we'd worked with and gotten to know well. Prior to eating our meal, each person stood and talked about the experience of the past three weeks, thanking everyone for their part, and so on. When it was the turn of one of the secondary students, among his comments was a reflection that he was impressed that Mama Matthew (a.k.a. volunteer Amy -- her oldest son is named Matthew and she used the African naming system for herself while she was in Pommern) could do construction work even though she was old.
Now first of all, Amy is *not* old. She's a mom, but her kids were only ages 12-16, for goodness sake. And second of all, American culture would again dictate that telling someone she is old is deeply insulting. But Tanzanian culture sees it differently. Life expectancy in Tanzania and other African countries is not as high as in Europe and North America. In Pommern, more than half of the population is under the age of 18. To make it to age 40 (or 50 or 60 or 70) is again a sign of some wealth and prosperity -- to be able to afford proper medical treatment when needed, to be able to afford to maintain a home that is clean and sanitary, to be able to afford mosquito nets to guard against malaria, to be able to afford proper food and nutrition, and so on.
After the student made the comment about age, Haran lightly admonished him by telling the rest of us that the students were taught that topics like age and weight were not polite topics in American culture. Apparently that lesson was not so well learned!
* * * * *
So what topics should Americans know are "taboo" topics in Tanzanian culture? Don't ask a pregnant woman about her unborn baby. It's like counting your chickens before they hatch in a place where the infant mortality rate is about 6.5%, or 10 times higher than in the United States. Sex and most sex-related topics are also pretty off-limits, including homosexuality (acts of which are actually against the law) and AIDS (making awareness and education somewhat challenging).
On the other hand, breast feeding is a cultural norm and common public practice. And while public displays of affection between a man and a woman are not acceptable, it is not at all strange for two male friends or two female friends to hold hands while walking together in public.
The more you know!
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