Well, I usually write on my blog when I am traveling somewhere and this is no exception. But the difference is that I am currently in South Carolina - in Lexington - staying in a friend's condo and I will be here for about a month, writing a book on marimba pedagogy....essentially a book on how to teach marimba to everyone from a beginner to a college student! It will cover a wide variety of topics beyond the obvious mallet technique and will reflect what I have learned from my many years of teaching! I am excited to do this!!
I came south for a couple reasons - to get away from the distractions that home, friends and the familiar provide and it doesn't hurt that it is warmer down here - though winter has not really been nasty up north yet. It was 63 here today and it will get cooler one of these days, but for now I am enjoying the change of scenery and warm weather. I arrived yesterday and my hosts left today. I spent the afternoon driving around and becoming more familiar with the area (after my hosts drove me around last evening). I learn the lay of the land faster when I drive myself and try to find those places that I saw as a passenger.
Tonight (New Years Eve) I am "home," listening to Prairie Home Companion as I write this blog. I am now fully aware that while I have done my grocery shopping and put things away that I am indeed here by myself! My good-ole introverted self will adjust to this and my intent is to start my work on Monday. Its interesting because I often spend my New Years Eve alone - praying and thinking about the past year and will likely do so later tonight. I have a great deal to be thankful for!
I'll sign off for now and will try to post a couple times a week...I think I can do this since it will be a very different kind of writing.
To all who read this, I hope you have a blessed 2012!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sunset on the Indian Ocean from a favorite restaurant!
Notice the dhou - an old style ship - off to the right as it crosses the path of the sun in the following pictures.
Economics and Eating
Perhaps the first shock upon arriving in Zanzibar was the money: the Tanzanian shilling is the currency and there are about 1400 of them to a US dollar!! So a bottle of coke or a 1.5 liter of water (which we bought everyday) was 1,500 to 2,000 shillings; an hour of internet 2,500 shillings; a typical dinner 10,000 to 20,000 shillings...it took a little while to get used to this!! The tour guide for our spice tour, who is in his mid-30's, told us that when he was a boy, the rate of exchange was 5 Tanzanian shillings to the dollar and now it is 1,400! Quite a devaluation... So while the numbers are huge, when you stop to figure it out, most things are pretty inexpensive comparatively.
As for the food, the first day we arrived we had a traditional Swahili meal – mostly rice and curry dishes (Zanzibari curry is a little different than Indian curry-not quite as spicy). Each morning for breakfast, there was fruit juice – the most intriguing and one of my favorites was an avocado/passion fruit combination which was really tasty and very unique; we had slices of papaya and other fresh fruit as well.
Because of the many influences on the island (Indian, Arabic and Swahili), the food is quite varied. The most common foods are “chips,” also known as french fries...it is difficult to get through a day without them because they are served with so many dishes. Rice is also used a lot; I ate vegetable curry for the majority of my lunches – mostly to get more vegetables in my diet and to avoid the fries, which were delicious, but not something I wanted to eat every day.
One evening part of our group had a meal in a home; it was a traditional meal that would be served during Ramadan, after an entire day of fasting (it was not Ramadan when we were there, but the food was what one would eat for the special meals of the year – much like our Thanksgiving feasts). We ate really well – everything was eaten with the right hand (no utensils), sitting on the floor. We had a delicious grilled kingfish, chicken with a curry sauce, naan and another type of bread, a potato filled with beef that was really tasty, several banana-type dishes and a couple other things unlike anything I have ever eaten. It was incredible!
As for the food, the first day we arrived we had a traditional Swahili meal – mostly rice and curry dishes (Zanzibari curry is a little different than Indian curry-not quite as spicy). Each morning for breakfast, there was fruit juice – the most intriguing and one of my favorites was an avocado/passion fruit combination which was really tasty and very unique; we had slices of papaya and other fresh fruit as well.
Because of the many influences on the island (Indian, Arabic and Swahili), the food is quite varied. The most common foods are “chips,” also known as french fries...it is difficult to get through a day without them because they are served with so many dishes. Rice is also used a lot; I ate vegetable curry for the majority of my lunches – mostly to get more vegetables in my diet and to avoid the fries, which were delicious, but not something I wanted to eat every day.
One evening part of our group had a meal in a home; it was a traditional meal that would be served during Ramadan, after an entire day of fasting (it was not Ramadan when we were there, but the food was what one would eat for the special meals of the year – much like our Thanksgiving feasts). We ate really well – everything was eaten with the right hand (no utensils), sitting on the floor. We had a delicious grilled kingfish, chicken with a curry sauce, naan and another type of bread, a potato filled with beef that was really tasty, several banana-type dishes and a couple other things unlike anything I have ever eaten. It was incredible!
Religious Tolerance and No Need for an Alarm..
Zanzibar is an island in the Indian Ocean, about 25 miles off the coast of Tanzania. The population of the island as a whole is just over a million people. Swahili is the official language; Arabic is also spoken and those involved with tourism speak English.
As we learned in our East African History class, the Arab influence goes back to 900 when trading between Zanzibar and Oman began; in 1697 the Omani flag was flown over the island of Zanzibar after the overthrow of the Portuguese. Thus, it is not difficult to understand why Zanzibar is 97% Muslim. In Zanzibar Town one hears the call to prayer from the 50 or so mosques five times each day. The first call was shortly after 5am so it served as a wake-up call for us, although I did manage to sleep through the earliest call as well as the bells of the Anglican Cathedral one morning! (I was really tired!!)
In addition to the many mosques, the religious diversity of Zanzibar Town is reflected in the presence of one Anglican Church; a Roman Catholic Church built by the French and modeled after the Catholic Cathedral in Marseille, France (the same architect designed both) and 4 Hindu temples. Also, we attended an evangelical indigenous church on the 2nd Sunday we were there (with some marvelous singing, I might add!). It should be noted that the Anglican church – and the hostel connected to it that we stayed in are on the grounds of the previous slave market in Zanzibar Town, so there are many visitors each day to see these sites from that perspective.
Speaking of slavery, it was a sobering reminder to learn about the slave trade from the perspective of the African culture: being there, seeing the sites and learning about that part of Africa's history. For many years, Zanzibar was the primary center for trading slaves. Slaves were traded right along with cloves and ivory. It was also eye-opening for me to hear of the slave trade with India, the Middle East and Europe, as most of my knowledge has been of the American slave trade. The depth of man's inhumanity to man is a heart-wrenching part of the history of Africa...
As we learned in our East African History class, the Arab influence goes back to 900 when trading between Zanzibar and Oman began; in 1697 the Omani flag was flown over the island of Zanzibar after the overthrow of the Portuguese. Thus, it is not difficult to understand why Zanzibar is 97% Muslim. In Zanzibar Town one hears the call to prayer from the 50 or so mosques five times each day. The first call was shortly after 5am so it served as a wake-up call for us, although I did manage to sleep through the earliest call as well as the bells of the Anglican Cathedral one morning! (I was really tired!!)
In addition to the many mosques, the religious diversity of Zanzibar Town is reflected in the presence of one Anglican Church; a Roman Catholic Church built by the French and modeled after the Catholic Cathedral in Marseille, France (the same architect designed both) and 4 Hindu temples. Also, we attended an evangelical indigenous church on the 2nd Sunday we were there (with some marvelous singing, I might add!). It should be noted that the Anglican church – and the hostel connected to it that we stayed in are on the grounds of the previous slave market in Zanzibar Town, so there are many visitors each day to see these sites from that perspective.
Speaking of slavery, it was a sobering reminder to learn about the slave trade from the perspective of the African culture: being there, seeing the sites and learning about that part of Africa's history. For many years, Zanzibar was the primary center for trading slaves. Slaves were traded right along with cloves and ivory. It was also eye-opening for me to hear of the slave trade with India, the Middle East and Europe, as most of my knowledge has been of the American slave trade. The depth of man's inhumanity to man is a heart-wrenching part of the history of Africa...
Houses of Worship in Zanzibar Town
The double steeples of the Catholic Church in Stone Town with one of the many minarets at the top of the mosque off to the right.
The top of one of the Hindu temples in Stone Town.
The Anglican Cathedral of Zanzibar on the site of the former slave market.
A reminder of the active slave trade in Zanzibar; these two sculptures are in the shadow of the Anglican Cathedral.
The top of one of the Hindu temples in Stone Town.
The Anglican Cathedral of Zanzibar on the site of the former slave market.
A reminder of the active slave trade in Zanzibar; these two sculptures are in the shadow of the Anglican Cathedral.
The "Obama Tree"
When people would ask us where we were from and when we said "Chicago," they immediately said "Obama." Barack Obama is a very well known and loved person in Zanzibar - no doubt throughout Africa as well. Well the "Obama Tree" is a tourist attraction in Stone Town. It was told to us that many people would gather and express support for Obama under this tree prior to the election.
You may not be able to see it clearly, but the red paint says, "Zanzibar 4 Obama."
You may not be able to see it clearly, but the red paint says, "Zanzibar 4 Obama."
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