Cell Phones

Cell phones are here and everyone has one. This is a change since the first time I visited Tanzania, only a few people had them. Now in 2011, they are everywhere. You’re walking down the road and you come across this old bent over grandmother carrying a load of bananas or something, and then you see her pull out, from beneath the yards of fabric wrapped around her, a small cell phone and say “hello.”

Some things are not so different than home. In fact, just like home, people are talking on their cell phones while walking, driving, and in the middle of a conversation with one person they will stop and answer an incoming call or return a text message.

Here’s what I’ve noticed that is different.

In the U.S. when someone’s cell phone rings during a meeting, there is usually a bit of embarrassment and then everyone else in the room will quickly check their own phones to make certain they are silenced. (Of course, there are definite exceptions to this rule – but for the most part this is my experience.) Usually in a meeting, it just takes one phone ringing and then you never hear a phone again.

Yesterday at this meeting I attended in Tanzania, cell phones were ringing non-stop. Most were loud and some kind of 80’s music. Most people just let it ring until they were ready to answer it, and then either answered it or returned the call. There seemed to be no problem or embarrassment in your phone ringing during a meeting.

Last week during the funeral, Pastor Shao was preaching and must have had his cell phone in the pocket of his robe. The phone started ringing and he just ignored it. The person must have tried calling him again and while he didn’t answer it, it provided for some interesting background music to his funeral sermon.

During the first Sunday service I attended here at Uswaa, Pastor Mmanga returned a few text messages during the visiting pastor’s sermon. He also got up and left for about 15 minutes during that sermon. The sermon was about 50 minutes long! When that visiting pastor got done preaching, he also, during the offering, sent a text message or two.

I was eating dinner the other night with Bishop and Mama Kweka, the Bishop’s cell phone rang during dinner and he answered it. I saw no real problem with this, but when I tried to continue my conversation with Mama, she silenced me. I guess you don’t talk while the Bishop is on the phone.

Cell phone etiquette in the U.S. is in definite need of improvement; in fact it tends to be one of my biggest pet peeves. But in this African culture where so much is so formal, it surprises me how often cell phones interrupt!