How does where a person lives impact on how s/he lives?

Naomba and tunaomba

Quite a lot has been said about the polite inclination or predisposition of the people of Tanzania. The brotherhood spirit still lives on. As a person who recently moved to Dar es Salaam, I have found the city dwellers incredibly polite especially in their consistent use of the words, naomba and tunaomba. These are said countless times. In a restaurant, if music is very loud for example, the customer instead of screaming like it happens elsewhere in East Africa, he will call the waitress and say,  “Is it in order if you found out from the manager if it is in order for him to find out from the person in charge of the music if it is in order for him to reduce the volume.” One day, while at the bank, one customer walked up to another customer and said, “Naomba kalamu.” (I am begging for a pen.) But after using it, he somehow forgot to give it back to the owner. Astonishingly, the owner of the pen graciously said, “Naomba kalamu zangu.” (I am begging for my pen.) Why must one beg for what is rightfully his? As an illustration of how where one lives impacts on how he lives, I have taken on the words naomba, and tunaomba to start almost every sentence I speak here in Dar. Dear reader, “Naomba niishie hapa.” (I beg to stop here.)