Hakuna Matata, Rafiki

My first day here in Tanzania, someone told me “hakuna matata” and I realized I knew more Swahili than I thought.  I always try to learn some basic (and helpful) phrases from wherever I happen to be, and it has been particularly easy here in Tanzania (or at least, easier than it was in South Africa, where there are 11 official languages).  If you have seen the Lion King, you already know some Swahili: simba (lion), rafiki (friend), hakuna matata (no worries).  Swahili also uses a lot of words from other languages (I have already founds words that are the same or almost the same in Zulu, Spanish, and Arabic), which makes it easier to pick up on words people are saying.  I am starting to wish I had actually studied it when I was going to Iowa instead of just joking about it.

Hakuna matata is such a wonderful phrase (please excuse the terrible Lion King reference).  I think it perfectly describes the mentality of the people in Tanzania, and it is amazing.  People really do not get worried about anything here, and they are constantly telling you “hakuna matata” and “pole pole” (slowly slowly).  It is completely different from the Western mentality of hurry through life and constantly worrying about everything.  There are certain things I think it is good to worry about (like when I first got here and had no way of getting any cash in a cash only country), but I think I have quite fallen in love and in synch (at least as much as I ever will) with the hakuna matata mentality. 

Hakuna matata; peace and love