Pole

Pole means sorry.  And I’m sorry I’ve neglected this blog for so long.

The truth is that I’ve been keeping a steady journal of my experiences and I quickly became overwhelmed with the amount of material I am generating.  The result is a diligent and highly detailed account of my time here, which has been great for my own reflection, but I realize it doesn’t do you much good until I condense all my scribbles into blog posts.

Also, the internet is awful.  I’ve avoided spending time wrestling with the spotty connection, because I don’t like to be pulled away from my commitments here.  At the same time, I made a commitment to this blog.  I’m determined to see this project through and to share my experiences with you as promised.

As for the word pole, it’s probably the second-most common word I hear, right after karibu (welcome).  Like karibu, the word pole is applicable to an astonishing variety of situations.  Tanzanians say pole at any time we would normally say sorry in English.  But pole is also used at the most unexpected times.  Tanzanians say pole to each other at the end of the day, as if to say, “sorry that you’ve had a long day of work”.  Tanzanians say pole when they see another carrying a large load.  They say pole when they see others doing work.  Even the simple feeling of a mid-afternoon slump on any ordinary day is enough to warrant a pole.

At first glance, this custom makes Tanzanians seem lazy, but after hearing the word applied so frequently and liberally, I have the impression that pole carries more empathy than our word sorry.  I can also support this by having heard the word used to express condolences.  During funerals and memorial services, friends come to say pole—literally say pole—to the family.  It seems like such a simple word to describe the loss of a loved one, so I believe the word pole has more depth than I fully understand.

Now the phrase pole pole is something entirely different.  Pole pole means slow or slowly.  On a tourist level, climbers are told by their guides to hike Kili pole pole.  Signs in the national parks remind drivers to drive pole pole.  So you can imagine how much actual Tanzanians use it.  The phrase permeates the way of life here, ubiquitously applied to approach any situation.  I think it best captures the slow-paced lifestyle and the laid-back attitudes of Tanzanians.

In order to work within the structure of the culture, we must accept the slow pace and learn to live pole pole.  It can be extremely frustrating at times, so I realize how patient you must be to be reading this post or still following this blog after a month of silence on my end.  I appreciate it.

Really though, pole for taking this blog so pole pole.