All is well in Tanzania! I've been working on assessing the needs of the village i'm living in and continuing to Transition to a slower pace of life. The needs I've learned about, that are specific to this community, mostly concern Teachers housing (lack of), water security issues, skills education for youth (carpentry, masonry), and needs for income generating projects. If you have suggestions-don't be shy! so, potential projects are; secure financing to build new teacher housing (an estimated cost of $12,000), help construct more water catchment/water storage systems, and begin a brick making co-op for youth to make some $$.
My relationships with the other villagers are continuing to evolve. I go to the convent often and eat dinner with the nuns that live there. Those woman are my 'homies' through and through. We drank wine spritzers the other night! I felt a little cloud of Catholic guilt hanging overhead while I was imbibing with several of the lord's exalted followers. But, no harm in a little fun. That night was actually really fun though. I made a new friend in a weird way when I ate an old woman's corn cobb- not knowing it was hers. This old woman works very hard to keep the grounds of the convent clean and the gardens well kept. She was so disappointed when she came into the jiko (kitchen) and saw me eating her evening snack! (I was told to eat it by one of the sisters, but she didn't know!). She muttered in swahili (jokingly) that she wanted to go get a switch (to spank me). I understood her kiswahili. I felt so guilty that I ran and made her one! she proceeded to give me a good spanking. By the time she'd had her fill of spanking me-we'd all laughed ourselves to tears.
Learning a new language while being fully immersed has been really interesting. It's helped me to think a lot about how language affects our reality, and the landscape of our minds (mindscape). The language we use can be easily oppressive, or deceitful in the way it leaves us to perceive our surroundings.
example:
“The language we use influences the thoughts we think much more than the thoughts we think influence the language we use. We are encased in fossil metaphors; verbal chains guide us through our daily reality-labyrinth.
“Physicists, for example, spent nearly three centuries looking for a substance, heat, to correspond to the substantive noun, “heat”; it took a revolution in chemistry and thermodynamics before we realized that heat should not be thought of as a noun (a thing) but a verb (a process) — a relationship between the motions of molecules.”
and another quote I found to support these thoughts,
"It seems likely that the principal software used in the human brain consists of
words, metaphors, disguised metaphors, and linguistic structures in general. The
Sapir-Whorf-Korzybski Hypothesis, in anthropology, holds that a change in language can
alter our perception of the cosmos. A revision of language structure, in particular, can
alter the brain as dramatically as a psychedelic. In our metaphor, if we change the
software, the computer operates in a new way.”
Sapir-Whorf-Korzybski Hypothesis, in anthropology, holds that a change in language can
alter our perception of the cosmos. A revision of language structure, in particular, can
alter the brain as dramatically as a psychedelic. In our metaphor, if we change the
software, the computer operates in a new way.”
– Frank Herbert, ‘The Dosadi Experiment’
The words that we use are so central to what is constructed out of our reality. In addition, every language is limiting in different respects. Is it possible that language is sometimes distracting from the core of the present? or our meta-self? can our language take us walking down paths that lead us away from our true selves, and our higher purpose-if we allow ourselves to be lead? these thoughts have lead ME on kind of a rant, apologies!
anyway, everything is great. I'm enjoying new inspirations, new people, and new experiences. My only real frustration right now is that I don't have the sequel to the Game of Thrones book I just finished! woe is me. It's still hard to upload videos and such but I'll try to make another video blog soon! I hope that everyone is well!
<3
Steven
P.S. I'd like to start a tradition of making shout outs to NGO's that are doing good work ever so often in my blogs. This time, I'd like to mention a couple;
Water scarcity is a growing problem all over the world. Charity Water does great work in the fight to keep or brothers and sisters around the world Hydrated and healthy! check them out!
How do we monetize things we can't see? How to value Natural services? How to encourage conservation? Consveration International does work throughout the world to create a more sustainable future for our planet by supporting the growth of enduring economies. CI works to monetize natural services and create 'Ecosystem Services Markets', in order to account for nature. Conservation international is changing the way we think about everyday products and services! You can find a lecture on the itunes store, given by CI's founder, Jennifer Morris! Find her talk at 'Standford Technology Ventures Program'. The Talk is called, 'Effective Models for Sustainable Growth'
<3
Steven
P.S. I'd like to start a tradition of making shout outs to NGO's that are doing good work ever so often in my blogs. This time, I'd like to mention a couple;
Water scarcity is a growing problem all over the world. Charity Water does great work in the fight to keep or brothers and sisters around the world Hydrated and healthy! check them out!
How do we monetize things we can't see? How to value Natural services? How to encourage conservation? Consveration International does work throughout the world to create a more sustainable future for our planet by supporting the growth of enduring economies. CI works to monetize natural services and create 'Ecosystem Services Markets', in order to account for nature. Conservation international is changing the way we think about everyday products and services! You can find a lecture on the itunes store, given by CI's founder, Jennifer Morris! Find her talk at 'Standford Technology Ventures Program'. The Talk is called, 'Effective Models for Sustainable Growth'
well written, entertaining post. Thank you very much for taking the time to share!
ReplyDeleteSteven, you are amazing! I hope that all of your followers will click on the links to the NGO shoutouts you have given here and contribute money, time or pass the word on to their friends as I will. This blog is now in my primary bookmarks, so I will be following your every post!
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