Mungu Ibariki Africa

"Mungu Ibariki Africa" is the first line of the Tanzanian national anthem. The whole first stanza of the song sings: God Bless Africa, and its people, its children, and let there be peace in Africa. The second stanza is the same, only sung for Tanzania instead of Africa as a whole. It has a nice tune and is a singable anthem; unlike ours in the US. There is no line like our, "laahaaaannd of the (Gasp, will she make it?) FrEEeeeeee!!!!" Yeah. Even I can sing the Tanzanian national anthem. And for those of you who know me, that is quite the accomplishment.

At CAMS we sing it two mornings a week at assembly. Going to NYC public school, I never learned the Pledge of Allegiance or participated in any other patriotic activity. The only reason I know the words to our National Anthem is from going to Yankee games in the Bronx the first half of my life. Since moving to the Turner south of the US, and as my dad will tell you, Yankee games are harder to come by. "...and the home of the Braves!"

Baseball. What a fun sport. What an American sport. Last year teaching PE at CAMS I tried to get the kids to play baseball. I thought it would be a fun challenge. But Why would you ever play a game where you only used your hands and your arms, what's wrong with football (soccer)? Even with me as the near-perfect pitcher, (ha) I could tell the kids weren't enjoying this variation from soccer nearly as much as I was. So for the rest of the month we played kickball. It was a tad more successful.

Anywhere you go in Tanzania, (and Ecuador and Honduras, and I imagine the wide majority of countries outside the USA) you will see kids playing soccer. On a field of dirt. Or sand. Few will have shoes, (or perhaps wearing one on their kicking foot) and maybe just a home-made ball of socks, plastic bags, fabric, cardboard, or some combination thereof. One of the things that surprised me most when I first arrived in Tanzania is the huge interest in English soccer. Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea...you have to choose one. And now Beckham has gone to America. What a sellout! Why would he join Major League Soccer? Americans don't play football.