From this week on, the language class has started. I have learned Chitumbka ( the language of Tumbka tribe) which is spoken by 4 Million in Northern part of Malawi. From 8:00 AM to 11:00, and from 13:00 to 16:00, we study with Malawian teacher.
During lunch time, we went down to the market with him to have lunch together. After we had Sima ( staple food in Malawi, something like rice cake but made with corn, like fufu and Ugali) and I left there for the supermarket with one of my friend. Then I experience which was a bit scarely.
At that time I was wearing the traditional skirt, chitenji. It is simply a big cloth and we wrap it with our body. One women who looked like middle of her thirties grabbed my arm and stopped me. She seemed a bit angry and was talking to me in Chewa, the official language which I cannot totally understand. She grabbed my arm and the knot of Chitenji. She talks so fast that I felt offensive and scared. And she tried to let me out of the market, saying ' you cannot enter like this!' And the women around us were laughing.
After I left there I really felt uncomfortable coz I could hardly understand her except for ' I could not enter like this.' And I was really scared too because several days before women in Malawi who were wearing trousers and mini-skirt were stripped by guys in public after the riot here in Lilongwe. It made not only me but also JICA staff feel sensitive with the way which we go out.
So after I went back to the class, I asked the reason why she seemed to have complained about me and what she was saying at that time. Two teachers had different interesting ideas about Chitenji.
1. Not to untie
She was worrying about me after seeing the knot of my chitenji. She was afraid it would be too loose to be tied in the market. So she may have wanted to tell me I should have tied it up properly.
2. To make it loose
She was worrying about me and afraid the case the emergency like the fire occured.With my way the knot looked too tight and in case of emergency I may not be able to run fast to escape. So I should have changed the way to tie it up with my body.
Their ideas are tottaly different as for how to tie. I don't know why and which is better beause they are men. When I start to work with women's group, I may have a lot of opportunity to learn this. At least the women was not trying to do anything bad to me which makes feel relieved. And I feel grateful as she was advising me something. But what I was really really scared was I could not unerstand her at all. Now I know the importance of the language ability. So that's why I try my Tumbka language class hard.
This is only the beginning of inter-cultural understanding. I assume I need to face with many big differences in two years. I feel a bit anxious but in the meantime am excited with new experience which divers my sense of values.
During lunch time, we went down to the market with him to have lunch together. After we had Sima ( staple food in Malawi, something like rice cake but made with corn, like fufu and Ugali) and I left there for the supermarket with one of my friend. Then I experience which was a bit scarely.
At that time I was wearing the traditional skirt, chitenji. It is simply a big cloth and we wrap it with our body. One women who looked like middle of her thirties grabbed my arm and stopped me. She seemed a bit angry and was talking to me in Chewa, the official language which I cannot totally understand. She grabbed my arm and the knot of Chitenji. She talks so fast that I felt offensive and scared. And she tried to let me out of the market, saying ' you cannot enter like this!' And the women around us were laughing.
After I left there I really felt uncomfortable coz I could hardly understand her except for ' I could not enter like this.' And I was really scared too because several days before women in Malawi who were wearing trousers and mini-skirt were stripped by guys in public after the riot here in Lilongwe. It made not only me but also JICA staff feel sensitive with the way which we go out.
So after I went back to the class, I asked the reason why she seemed to have complained about me and what she was saying at that time. Two teachers had different interesting ideas about Chitenji.
1. Not to untie
She was worrying about me after seeing the knot of my chitenji. She was afraid it would be too loose to be tied in the market. So she may have wanted to tell me I should have tied it up properly.
2. To make it loose
She was worrying about me and afraid the case the emergency like the fire occured.With my way the knot looked too tight and in case of emergency I may not be able to run fast to escape. So I should have changed the way to tie it up with my body.
Their ideas are tottaly different as for how to tie. I don't know why and which is better beause they are men. When I start to work with women's group, I may have a lot of opportunity to learn this. At least the women was not trying to do anything bad to me which makes feel relieved. And I feel grateful as she was advising me something. But what I was really really scared was I could not unerstand her at all. Now I know the importance of the language ability. So that's why I try my Tumbka language class hard.
This is only the beginning of inter-cultural understanding. I assume I need to face with many big differences in two years. I feel a bit anxious but in the meantime am excited with new experience which divers my sense of values.
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