Beneath the Skin

Culture is a pretty crazy thing, I'm sure that in my time here I will barely scratch the surface of what Zambian culture is all about (especially because there are so many differences between all of the tribes). You may be familiar with the iceberg model related to culture. Basically, just like only a small portion of an iceberg is easily visible and most is beneath the surface of the water, so is the majority of culture difficult to see on the surface. What is easily apparent are things like language, the way people dress, food, festivals etc. and underneath is a huge array of characteristics: history, governing structure, hierarchy, spirituality, gender roles etc. If you assume that the only part of culture is that which is visible you may end up insulting a lot of people and in a wreck just like the Titanic (sorry, bad analogy....).

What has struck me the most, apart from the unbelievable friendliness of every Zambian I have met, is how much we have in common. The differences between Canada and Zambia are numerous, for sure, but what often escapes the media and other sources of information are the similarities that we, as Canadians, have with people living in an African country on the other side of the world.

The most significant thing that I find it possible to put into words is that despite the fact that the challenges faced by the average Zambian are different from those faced by the average Canadian, people's motivations behind their choices in facing these challenges are generally very similar. People want to advance themselves (be that through making money, receiving education or any other means), to provide for and improve the lives of their family and to enjoy life in whatever way feasible. This is one of the areas where people face the biggest challenges, it seems like there is so much working against their efforts to make ends meet. Everything from the difficulty to get a loan to start a business to the fact that most people can't expect to live until even their 40th birthday.

Also, as long as your are near to a decent-sized city, you shouldn't have any trouble finding many of the products that you can find in Canada. Before leaving Canada, I was told that the only things that are difficult to come by are sunscreen and contact lens solution, and so far I would have to say that it is true, the difference being that many of them are far out of the price range of most Zambians.

For many Zambians, making enough money to provide for their dependants (which could be quite a few!) can take up a lot of their time. But there is usually at least some time to do things that you enjoy. So what do people do here with their spare time? Lots of things... play or watch soccer, go out for a drink or play pool, sit around chatting and eating sugar cane, braid each others hair and participate in church-related activities including singing and dancing.

Like I said, I don't think it is possible for me to get a thorough understanding of Zambian culture in my time here. It's the kind of thing that would likely take years to fully understand. But here are a few interesting things that I have found since coming here....

Top 10 things I found weird/interesting when I first arrived and now seem completely normal:

1. In a lot of the local languages, greeting are often synonymous with "how are you?", so the response to "hello" will often be something like "fine."
2. Religion is HUGE! A five minute conversation with someone will likely include the question of what church you go to (if it isn't the first question you are asked).
3. It is considered an insult for women to wear pants in the village. It's either a skirt or a chitenge (2m piece of colourful cloth) wrapped around your waste to cover your pants.
4. Canadianisms - Zambianims
   "I'm moving to Mukobeko" - "I'm shifting to Mukobeko"
   "We'll meet there" - "You'll find me there"
   "I'll be back" - "I'm coming"
   "Where are you getting off the bus?" - "Where are you dropping?"
   "Tuque" - "Head sock"
   "3 o'clock p.m." - "15 hours"
   "What time do you finish work?" - "What time do you knock off?"
5. Small fires beside the road are pretty constant things, whether they are for clearing land, getting rid of garbage or just the result of someone throwing a cigarette out the window (they're pretty small though).


(A fire in the alley near the building where I work)

6. If you aren't having a meal of nshima (ie. breakfasts or lunches when in town) the meal will usually be something along the lines of bread, buns or boiled sweet potato and tea.
7. The amount of stuff people are able to carry on their bikes/heads is beyond impressive!


(A man heading to market with a load of firewood)

8. Time is of very relative importance. If you say that a meeting is going to start at 8, it's probably smart to not actually plan on anything starting until about 9-9:30.
9. After soccer, wrestling is probably one of the most watched sports (if it is a sport....).
10. Although tribes aren't very evident in the city, everyone knows what tribe they are from and where their relatives are, even if they have never been there.

Alright, question for this post: if the average life expectancy of Canadians was the same as Zambia (about 39), how would that change the way that you live your life and the things that you are able to do?