I Don't Hear Wedding Bells, I Hear Wedding Ululation

Ululation (noun): a long, wavering, high-pitched vocal sound resembling a howl with a trilling quality. It is produced by emitting a high pitched loud voice accompanied with a rapid movement of the tongue and the uvula.

A few weekends ago I got the lucky opportunity to attend the Tanzanian wedding of my assistant, Mariam. It was very small by Tanzanian standards, but I enjoyed watching the service. Watch the three minute video to get a taste of what the service was like.

Unlike American weddings, the wedding party drives to the church together in a car processional. The lead vehicle is actually a pick up truck with a brass and percussion band in the back, heralding the triumphal transport of the wedding party. The bride’s car is decorated with big ribbons and bows that are the theme color of the wedding. When they arrive at the church, the bride and groom lead a parade of all attendees down the aisle where people take their seats. The bridal party sits in the front middle and the congregation listens to a very long but quite humorous sermon. In this ceremony the pastor was at one point talking to the groom when he said following paraphrased statement to the groom: “You, Asifuni (groom) are a Chagga (his tribe). Chagga are economical people and very tight with money, but you cannot, no, you cannot, be too cheap with Mariam (bride).” I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Intermittently the ceremony would stop and the band would sing the same song over and over…and over again.

During the ceremony it is tradition that the bride and groom do not smile at all until after the pastor announces them as husband and wife (but they don’t kiss). It was so weird for me to watch them exchange their vows and keep getting their pictures taken while they had faces that looked like they were at a funeral!!

After the service the newly married couple finally smile and lead us all outside under a tree where there is some singing, dancing, and congratulatory hugs. I loved my cultural experience and had so much fun at this joyous party!

Click HERE to watch the short video on YouTube.

Airports: A Little Heaven on Earth or Hell on Earth?

I visit a lot of airports. The words that come to mind when I think of airports usually have quite negative connotations: expensive, sterile, drudgery, hurry up and wait, lines, stress, frustration, and annoyance. Rarely do I think of words like pleasant, tranquil, and stress-relieving. These words do, however, come to mind when I think of Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, Holland.

I have visited Holland and have also flown through the Amsterdam airport hub a number of times, and each time I visit I find another unique gem hidden within its airport. Earlier this month when I came back from Boston I had a 4 ½ hour layover that I spent exploring the airport. As with other airports, it has decent restaurants, plenty of areas to watch action outside the large glass windows, and a plethora of shopping. Amsterdam goes above and beyond this though and exudes a tasteful abundance of Dutch pride. In celebration of the tulip, one of its nationally recognized symbols, these beautiful flowers (which happen to be my favorite) are planted throughout the airport in classically chic flower boxes. The bulbs and plants are also sold throughout the airport. It's also got an airport park that brings a feeling of nature into an otherwise sterile environment.

Beautiful flowers aren’t all this airport has going for it. It also houses a library. Here you can go and peruse a wide selection of books about all things Dutch: art, cooking, history, sports, holidays-you name it, they’ve probably got it. Comfortable chairs and desks are situated with small table lamps so you can immerse yourself in some good reading while you pass the time.

Above the library you can walk up a small spiral staircase to a sleeping area that has reclining chairs and some couch-like furniture. This quiet area’s lights are dimmed a bit and the noise level is subdued.

Some of the best artists in the world have hailed from Holland: Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Vermeer, just to name a few. There is a small art gallery with works from the country’s famed artists as well as a beautiful art store and learning center. After a visit to the library and art gallery it was time to check my e-mails. Unlike many other airports, the wireless internet is free!

I found a sitting area that looked more like a living room than an airport. It had lovely high-back chairs and some small sofas. There was a glass structure that was made to resemble the wall of a living room, complete with a fake fire place and a large area rug! I laid down on one of the sofas and quickly drifted into a peaceful slumber. A short time later I was groggily aware of beautiful classical piano music. Had they turned music on in the airport? I laid there listening to this gorgeous melody for another minute before realizing that it was actually live music. Lifting my head just enough to scope out the area around me, I saw that there was a piano just a few feet away, on the other side of this ‘living room’ wall. A traveler had stopped and was sharing his talent with those of us in this relaxing abode. How in the world was I in an airport right now? I was contently laying on this sofa near a fake fire place listening to a short Bach performance. Was this really happening? Can I really be relaxing in an airport?

Alas, my time finally came to a close and I boarded the plane for Dar. Did I really just actually enjoy my time in an airport? Was this really an airport? Art galleries? Libraries? Living rooms and live music? More airports need to be like this one; it’s just the remedy for any weary traveler. In the meantime, I need to book another flight through Amsterdam so I can visit this traveler’s paradise again soon.

你好.Hello! Let the Mandarin Lesson Begin!

As I wrote in my last post, I'm leaving Tanzania in June and recently went to an international school job fair in Boston. On my way to Boston I received an e-mail from representatives at a school in Shanghai, China saying that they had decided not to attend the job fair but that they would still like to have a Skype interview. I was a bit upset because this is the school I had felt most drawn to and I was weary of interviewing via Skype.

The night before the fair started I had the interview with them, and I (still!) don't think I presented myself in the most stellar way possible. I stumbled my way through some answers and probably said 'ummm' about 20 times in the first 10 minutes. In addition, the connection was bad, so they turned their webcam off but asked me to keep mine on. It was SO difficult interviewing with three men who could see me but all I could see was a little green webcam power light and a box showing me how I looked to them. Talk about nerve wracking! It was challenging not being able to play off of their facial and body cues, while at the same time trying not to look to the bottom of the screen to make sure I looked okay myself!

I really liked everything that they had to say and felt even more like it would be a great school for me, but I thought I just did an okay job at best. After the interview I immediately Skyped Mom and Dad and began telling them about it. One minute and thirty-two seconds into our conversation we were interrupted by a return call from the recruiters. They had already come to a consensus and decided that I was the candidate they wanted, so they immediately offered me the job! All modesty aside, people usually have a pretty good idea of how interviews go and can more or less guess the outcome. This one truly blindsided me though. I was so thrown off guard that I didn't know what to say! They asked for my response within 24 hours, but I negotiated for 37 hours by arguing that they are thirteen hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time! This gave me more time to think about it and to have more interviews for which I traveled halfway around the world!

The next day I had a series of other interviews but none compared. Going into the fair, I was very open to wherever God wanted me to be, but I had been hoping for and assuming that I would get the big flashing lights, horns, and all other manner of mayhem pointing me in the right direction. This didn't happen in the way I had anticipated, and it took me a little longer to notice it, but I actually got a much bigger sign of assurance: peace. Peace is not a word I would usually associate with myself. I am a lot of things, but peace-filled is not always one of them-especially when in the midst of decisions like these. More closely associated words are usually stressed, anxious, and freaking out, just to name a few. This was different though. I was completely at peace with moving to Shanghai and taking on this job from the moment they started the interview with a prayer (and when I found out I can still access Facebook and YouTube from there!). I accepted the offer on Saturday morning and celebrated with two days of play in Boston since I'd finished my job hunt earlier than expected!

Concordia International School is wonderful. It's a Christian school with an American curriculum. The majority of teachers and the 1,300 students are American too. I'll be teacher 2nd grade, which I've done for a few years in the past. Technology is integrated into the teaching in an extraordinary capacity, with Macbooks and iPads in the classrooms as well as an abundance of other electronic devises. Check out their website at www.concordiashanghai.org.

One of the buildings at Concordia

I'm excited to live in Shanghai too. As the largest city in the world with a population of just over 23 million, it's got many of the western things that I miss. Culture, arts, dining, and shopping as well as stable infrastructure are just a few things I'm looking forward to. The school and many local churches provide an active Christian community and large number of expats will make for a well-rounded social life.

Shanghai, China

Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, and encouraging messages as I went through this process. I look forward to sharing many more stories with you over the next few years. For now though, I will continue to to focus on these precious days left in this beautiful country of Tanzania.