Sijali
JF-Expert Member
- Sep 30, 2010
- 2,700
- 1,857
- Thread starter
- #21
Apologies JF, I got this wrong.
As I was overseas, news about Tanzania is very scant. All what I heard concerning the US-Summit were the speeches of the likes of presidents William Ruto, Paul Kagame, Nana Akufo-Addo, Hakainde Hichilema.....
Tanzania did not make waves at all. Though we have much to offer than all those I mentioned combined! So, my point is still valid: that Tanzania diplomacy is in a limbo.
And thanks to those who, no sooner they realised I had made an error of judgement on this, than they launched a volcanic barrage of insults, name-calling and abuses! Thank God, they were all in Kiswahili, meaning those who did it are a mere hodgepodge of a hoi polloi; the loafers. People who intelligence or even life itself means no more than idle talk.
I am very convinced that we have to review some aspects of our Swahili culture; with a view to removing or reforming some of its impact on Swahili speakers. The culture of insults and abuses in Swahili has its roots in fishing villages and fishing trade, where abuses are a commonplace. This, unfortunately, has seeped up and trickled down to the more sophisticated, erudite city dwellers and now, even writers are given to insults, rather than critiquing logically and respectfully.
I always give an example of Kenyan and Ugandan forums. You rarely see insults heaped on a person for merely expressing their views- no matter how outlandish they are. Those are civilized people as opposed to unrefined, uncultured lot that we are.
As for my friend Pascal Mayalla, whom I haven't met, who asked me to translate my first lines into Kiswahili:
"Let me say my jaw hit the floor when I learnt that president SS Hassan did not attend the just-ended US-Africa summit in Washington, choosing instead to stay at home; effectively giving it a two-fingers up"
' Acha niseme kuwa nilishangazwa mno (jaw dropping) nilipojua kuwa rais Samia hakuhudhuria mkutano mkuu wa US-Afrika mjini Washington, na kuhiari kubaki nyumbani. Kwa kufanya hivyo, ni kama amesema 'potelea mbali' kwa mkutano huo' Now, Mayalla is above the standard of many Tanzanian intellectuals, but still he is craving to learn a new thing or two! That's the hallmark of a person deserving to be called a 'doctor' Not like these doctors running around full of inanities and self-conceit!
As I was overseas, news about Tanzania is very scant. All what I heard concerning the US-Summit were the speeches of the likes of presidents William Ruto, Paul Kagame, Nana Akufo-Addo, Hakainde Hichilema.....
Tanzania did not make waves at all. Though we have much to offer than all those I mentioned combined! So, my point is still valid: that Tanzania diplomacy is in a limbo.
And thanks to those who, no sooner they realised I had made an error of judgement on this, than they launched a volcanic barrage of insults, name-calling and abuses! Thank God, they were all in Kiswahili, meaning those who did it are a mere hodgepodge of a hoi polloi; the loafers. People who intelligence or even life itself means no more than idle talk.
I am very convinced that we have to review some aspects of our Swahili culture; with a view to removing or reforming some of its impact on Swahili speakers. The culture of insults and abuses in Swahili has its roots in fishing villages and fishing trade, where abuses are a commonplace. This, unfortunately, has seeped up and trickled down to the more sophisticated, erudite city dwellers and now, even writers are given to insults, rather than critiquing logically and respectfully.
I always give an example of Kenyan and Ugandan forums. You rarely see insults heaped on a person for merely expressing their views- no matter how outlandish they are. Those are civilized people as opposed to unrefined, uncultured lot that we are.
As for my friend Pascal Mayalla, whom I haven't met, who asked me to translate my first lines into Kiswahili:
"Let me say my jaw hit the floor when I learnt that president SS Hassan did not attend the just-ended US-Africa summit in Washington, choosing instead to stay at home; effectively giving it a two-fingers up"
' Acha niseme kuwa nilishangazwa mno (jaw dropping) nilipojua kuwa rais Samia hakuhudhuria mkutano mkuu wa US-Afrika mjini Washington, na kuhiari kubaki nyumbani. Kwa kufanya hivyo, ni kama amesema 'potelea mbali' kwa mkutano huo' Now, Mayalla is above the standard of many Tanzanian intellectuals, but still he is craving to learn a new thing or two! That's the hallmark of a person deserving to be called a 'doctor' Not like these doctors running around full of inanities and self-conceit!
