Tanzania: Hello again ... and again
鈥� A local, slice-of-life story from a Monitor correspondent.
DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA 鈥� There is no 鈥淗i鈥� in Swahili. No way, in the official language of Tanzania, to execute a polite brushoff on the street and keep walking.
This country 鈥� one of East Africa鈥檚 most peaceful since its founding in 1964 鈥� is convulsed with a friendly ritual: long, involved hellos.
Your basic greeting, the salutation of choice for an acquaintance you meet on the road or stoop, or a stranger to whom you鈥檙e being introduced, is a six-step exchange plus a three-step, wrist-clasping handshake:
Habari? (What鈥檚 the news?)
Nzuri. (Good.)
Hujambo? (How are you?)
Sijambo, asante. (Fine, thank you.)
Salama? (Everyone鈥檚 safe?)
Salama. (Everyone鈥檚 safe.)
That鈥檚 right 鈥� you do this with nearly everyone who catches your eye. And in many cases, it鈥檚 just the beginning. There鈥檚 also a special hello for elders:
Shikamoo. (Respectful greetings.)
Marahaba. (Thank you for your respectful greetings.)
And an exchange for little kids, teenagers, or anyone trying to be hip:
Mambo? (How鈥檙e things?)
Poa. (Cool.)
There鈥檚 terse teenspeak to factor in:
Sasa. (Hey.)
Vipi? (What鈥檚 up?)
And an extragracious greeting, usually delivered at the door of someone鈥檚 home, often with arms flung wide:
Karibu! (Welcome!)
Asante sana! (Thank you very much!)
There are various intensifiers for beloved interlocutors, and choreography plays a role: an array of fancy handshakes; a dirty-or-wet-hands variant, in which the addressee proffers a wrist instead; curtsies; air kisses; and the occasional handclasp that lasts the length of the conversation.
Tanzanians are proud of this tradition, which both reflects and contributes to a pace of life that鈥檚 amiably slow. It leaves visitors feeling at home 鈥� and perpetually late. But what can you do? You hate to bring up 鈥済oodbye."