So far I’ve neglected to mention that there is one word in Swahili that I (and other foreigners) tend to hear quite often as I’m walking around the streets, and even sometimes on the school grounds. If you’re a foreigner, and more specifically a white foreigner, you are usually referred to by a specific term- Mzungu. The term literally means “walking in circles” but it’s usually in reference to being a white person, or a foreigner. Being one of the few white persons in this area, I tend to hear it quite a bit. However, while it is used in reference to someone based upon their race, it’s not used in a derogatory manner (for the most part). That can be an awkward thing to understand, being from a very liberal and politically correct country, but it’s just something you come to respect as part of the culture and don’t try to take personally. After all, it’s not very often that people from other cultures decide to live for long periods of time in Tanzania, so it’s understood that you might tend to stick out a bit from time to time.
This evening, after my run I decided to join the regular soccer match with the other faculty members and students on the field outside of my house. I’ve always been encouraged to join in and play in the matches, and even though I’ve warned them of my abysmal skill level in the sport, they are always welcoming me to participate. It’s a great way to get to know my fellow teachers and even some of the students. Now as everyone gathered together and lined up midfield, two people went to either end of the field and started picking players one by one for teams. As people were getting picked, I could easily guess where this was going and I started to smile. The line dwindled down, and as it was down to myself and another colleague of mine, we both started to laugh. Of course he was then selected for a team and who happened to be the last one picked? The Mzungu.
It seems as if they’re quite familiar with the American reputation in soccer. Or at least my reputation J
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