Hapa Kwetu

Leo nimepata mwaliko kutoka kwa mratibu wa "Education and Outreach" wa kaunti ya Goodhue, jimbo la Minnesota, ambayo makao yake ni mji wa Red Wing. Ananiuliza kama nitaweza kwenda kuongea kuhusu hadithi. Ameandika: I recently found information about your program last February with the Kofa Foundation “Folklore, Food, and Fun with Dr. Mbele –Celebrating our Roots.” Your presentation sounded fun and informative and, I would love to bring your expertise and insights to Red Wing. If possible, I would like to schedule you for a presentation in February to celebrate Black History Month. I would like to host something very similar to the Kofa Foundation event but, without the potluck aspect. I think our audiences would still enjoy the story-telling and fun. If you would like to bring your book 1Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences to sell at the conclusion of the presentation, you are welcome to do so. Ninahisi kuwa taarifa inayotajwa ya Kofa Foundation, ni

Leo nilienda Mall of America. Nilipitia Apple Valley katika duka la half Price Books. Kama kawaida, niliangalia kwanza sehemu vinapowekwa vitabu vya Ernest Hemingway. Hapo nilinunua  The Dangerous Summer , kitabu ambacho nilikifahamu kwa miaka. Nilijua kwamba kinahusu utamaduni wa Hispania wa "bull fighting." Nilijua pia kuwa hiki ni moja ya vitabu vya Hemingway ambamo alielezea utamaduni huu kwa umakini na ufahamu wa hali ya juu. Kitu kimoja kilichonifanya ninunue kitabu hiki leo ni utangulizi mrefu ulioandikwa na James A. Mitchener, mwandishi ambaye nimemfahamu kwa jina kwa miaka kadhaa na nimeshaona baadhi ya vitabu vyake, ila sijawahi kuvisoma. Nilivyoanza kusoma utangulizi wake katika The Dangerous Summer , nilivutiwa sana na uandishi wake. Vile vile, nilitaka kujua anaeleza nini kuhusu kitabu hiki. Utangulizi wake umenipa hamu ya kusoma vitabu vyake. Baada ya hapo, nilielekea vinapowekwa vitabu vya bei ndogo zaidi. Niliangalia kijuu juu vitabu vilivyojazana hap

Leo nilikwenda uwanja wa ndege wa Minneapolis. Wakati wa kurudi, nilipitia Apple Valley nikaingia katika duka la Half Price Books, kama ilivyo kawaida yangu.  Sikukaa sana humo, bali nilinunua vitabu viwili. Kimoja ni America and Americans and Selected Nonfiction ambacho ni mkusanyo wa maandishi ya John Steinbeck, ambao umehaririwa na Susan Shillinglaw na Jackson J. Benson. Baada ya kukiangalia, nilivutiwa nacho kwa sabababu sikuwa na kitabu hicho wala sikuwa nimefuatilia habari za Steinbeck kiasi cha kujua kuwa aliandika sana katika tasnia ya "nonfiction." Nilichojua zaidi ni kuwa alikuwa mwandishi wa riwaya. Steinbeck si mwandishi mgeni kwangu, kama nilivyowahi kuandika katika blogu hii. Sababu ya pili ya kukinunua kitabu hiki ni kuwa nilivutiwa na taarifa kwamba Steinbeck anawaongelea wa-Marekani. Mimi mwenyewe nimekuwa nikifanya hivyo, hasa tangu nichapishe kitabu changu kiitwacho Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences . Kwenye ukurasa wa nyuma wa

Tumo katika wiki ya mwisho ya kozi ya "African Literature," ambayo ni kwa kipindi hiki cha kiangazi. Kati ya vitabu ambavyo tumesoma ni Confession of the Lioness , riwaya ya Mia Couto wa Msumbiji. Couto ni mmoja wa waandishi maarufu kabisa Afrika na ulimwenguni, ambaye amepata tuzo za kimataifa kwa uandishi wake, ikiwamo tuzo ya Neustadt. Mia Couto anaandika kwa ki-Reno. Ninasoma na kufundisha tafsiri za ki-Ingereza. Kwanza nilifundisha riwaya yake The Tuner of Silences  hapa chuoni St. Olaf nikaipenda sana. Niliifundisha tena katika muhula mwingine. Kutokana na hilo, niliamua kufundisha riwaya yake nyingine. Ndipo nikachagua Confession of the Lioness , baada ya kusoma taarifa zake mtandaoni. Riwaya hii inasimulia habari za eneo la kaskazini mwa Msumbiji, katika jamii ya wa-Makonde. Jamii inaishi kwa hofu na wasi wasi kutokana na kuwepo kwa simba ambao huzunguka na hushambulia watu na mifugo. Wasi wasi umechanganyika na imani za kishirikina kuhusu simba hao. Je, ni si

Roma, a Tanzanian composer and singer, has become a household name in Tanzania, albeit controversial, on account of his compositions. His latest song, "Zimbabwe," has just been released to much acclaim, but also reservations. It is a charged piece that is bound to raise sentiments and maybe ruffle a few feathers. "Zimbabwe," is a music video that brings up seemingly disconnected and random images and references incorporating ideas, sentiments, and pleas. Clad in flowing robes, like a prophet, Roma traverses an expansive landscape proclaiming his message, which sounds like an apocalypse. I think of Yeats's vision--in "The Second Coming"--of a rough beast slouching towards Bethlehem to be born, but Roma's vision is not entirely dark and ominous. The plight of prophets is often uncertain and Roma's is no exception. He has experienced rejection, censure and even kidnapping, which is a key theme, if not the impetus, of his "Zimbabwe"

Tarehe 8 Agosti, nilikwenda Rochester, Minnesota, kuhudhuria mkutano wa bodi ya Rochester International Association (RIA). Tunakutana mara moja kwa mwezi. Katika ajenda ya tarehe 8, yalikuwepo mambo yanayonihusu moja kwa moja, ambayo ninapenda kuyaelezea hapa. Moja ni kuwa wanabodi tuliohudhuria tuliulizwa na rais wa bodi, Brian Faloon, iwapo tutapenda kuendelea kuwa wajumbe mwaka ujao. Wote tulikubali. Mimi kama mwanabodi mpya kuliko wote, nilivutiwa na jinsi wajumbe walivyo na moyo wa kujitolea. Nilikubali kwa sababu ninathamini mchango wa RIA katika jamii. Kwa upande wangu, kutumikia RIA kumeniwezesha kufahamika katika mji wa Rochester. Kwa mfano, kupitia RIA niliweza kutoa mhadhara chuo kikuu cha Minnesota Rochester.  Pili ni kuwa RIA imesisitiza kuafiki pendekezo nililotoa siku zilizopita la kuonyesha filamu ya Papa's Shadow mjini Rochester. Bodi ilipendekeza kwamba onesho lifanyike kupitia maktaba ya Rochester. Tutafuatilia, ili filamu ionyeshwe hivi karibuni. Jam

Juzi, tarehe 5, niliandika katika blogu hii kwamba nilikuwa nimepata barua ya shukrani kutoka Global Minnesota, kufuatia mhadhara niliotoa. Leo, bila kutegemea, nimepata cheki kutoka kwao, kama kifuta jasho. Sikutegemea, kwani tangu mwanzo waliponialika kutoa mhadhara na hata baada ya mhadhara, sikuwa na hata fununu kwamba kuna kifuta jasho. Nami sikufikiria wala kutegemea. Nilichojali ni kufanya kazi waliyoniomba kufanya, yaani kujadili mada ya "African Folktales to Contemporary Authors." Ninaongozwa na nasaha ya wahenga kwamba tenda wema nenda zako; usingoje shukrani. Kama nilivyosema katika blogu hii, mengine ni matokeo. Sijawahi kukataa mwaliko wa kwenda kutoa mhadhara kwa sababu ya malipo. Watu wanaonihimiza nisitoe huduma bila malipo ninawaambia kuwa kuna baraka katika kuwasaidia watu. Fursa ya kutoa mhadhara ni ya manufaa kwangu, kwani inaniongezea uzoefu na kuniwezesha kujitathmini ufahamu wangu, hasa katika kipindi cha masuali na majibu. Vile vile matangazo

Tarehe 12 Julai, nilitoa mhadhara Global Minnesota, kama nilivyoelezea katika blogu hii. Nimepata barua ya shukrani kutoka Global Minnesota, iliyoandikwa tarehe 20 Julai, ambayo ni kumbukumbu nzuri kwangu. Imeandikwa: Dear Dr. Mbele On behalf of Global Minnesota, I would like to thank you for speaking at the Global Conversations program on "African Folktales to Contemporary Authors" at the Minneapolis Central Library on July 12. Your extensive knowledge and skillful storytelling captured and kept our audience's attention throughout the program. The program was both informative and entertaining, and the feedback we received from the attendees and our partners was extremely positive. We were also so pleased that you brought your daughters to the program and rekindled an old MIC/GLobal Minnesota connection. Thank you for partnering with us on this program and helping us in our mission to bring greater awareness and appreciation of African culture to the general