Teaching in Tanzania: Hodi!

In Masoko (the town in which I live), visiting with neighbors is a daily pastime. On any given afternoon, you can find clusters of friends relaxing on porches and in backyards. These visits are rarely pre-arranged, rather people depend on the traditional system of take a chance and show up, a system only familiar to American culture via classic family sitcoms. However, at some Tanzanian homes, friends can't march up and knock on the door, like Sean so often does in "Boy Meets World." The reason behind this is, unfortunately, not all homes have doors here. Instead, Tanzanians use a traditional verbal exchange to establish a visit."Hodi!" is the greeting to announce the visitor's presence, its also a way of asking, "Are you home?" or "Can I come in?" Which is typically returned with a "Karibu!"

Since I'm assuming none of my friends and family have tentative plans to show up at my door, I figure I'll use some photos to share my home.