Dear Jelita
Its been quite a long while since I heard from you. I’m much happier now and feel more settled here in Chicago.
As you know when I first came here I was so sad and felt terribly out of place. I tried to act happy and even copied the American accent so I’ld sound like a black American! I sounded so phony! Then one day a chance remark uttered by my mother in law transformed my life. She was talking one day of how she brought up her children and she said ” No matter what happened, I always insisted on their being themselves.”
Something lit up in my brain. Of course, I needed to be myself. There has never been a Womba like me through out history nor will there be for ages to come. Why should I try to be a 2nd rate American when I can be a first class Zambian, with my beautiful Zambian accent.
I’m so happy. Instead of playing basketball with my husbands family last weekend I taught them netball. We had so much fun and laughter like never before. Laughing with them for the first time made me feel a part of them. I sing my Lunda and Bemba gospel songs proudly and I’ve stopped trying to sound like Yolanda Adams!
I end with a poem I saw in my mother in laws kitchen.
If you can’t be a pine on the top of the hill,
Be a scrub in the valley- but be the best little scrub by the side of the hill
Be a bush if you can’t be a tree.
If you can’t be a bush,be a bit of the grass
and some highway happier make;
We can’t all be captains, we’ve got to be the crew,
there’s something for all of us here.
Theres big work to do and there’s lesser to do
And the task we must do is the near.
If you can’t be a highway,then just be a trail,
if you can’t be the sun ,be a star
It isn’t by size that you win or fail
Be the best of whatever you are!
love Womba
guess who’s @ 1! :d:d:d
Complements of the season all LT bloggers!
nambera 3 :((:d:d
Womba,
You are fortunate that you came to the realization that you have nothing to lose by being your self. Many of our people even feel ashamed to speak the Zambian language while others make a thousand appologies for a poor command of a foreign language such as English. Zambia has become cultureless mainly because of inferiority complex. The Zambian cultural norms are considered backward while anything western (including walking half naked in public) is taken as modern and superior. Some parents even harass their children for speaking the language of their grandparents (the parents pretend to be english). Womba is fortunate.**==
# 4, YOU HAVE HAMMERED THE NAIL RIGHT ON THE HEAD!
will owaz be a true zambian thats why i eat nshima everyday and wud neva change anything
BLESSINGS OF THE SEASON AND THE NEW YEAR 2009 TO ALL THE LUSAKA TIMES BLOGGERS. PLEASE BE YOURSELVES IN WHATEVER CIRCUMSTANCES!!!!!!!!!LOVE
im not left out, i eat nshima in russia as well proud zambian bemba
You can not live in a foreign land and not accept the culture and everything. You will always find it tough.
Accents can be learnt and it is only natural. When you speak to a British person of Asian decent, in most cases you are likely to pick the Asian accent whether one was born in Britain or not. It can be difficult in some cases.
a side to this article is very beneficial to the reader but we also have to realise that it is a reflex for not only a human being ,but also every living thing to change to suit the enviroment around him at a particular time,infact the whole theory of evolution is based on that principle!what is important though,is to know which parts of your are ‘changable’ and which parts aren’t.big up to all my zambians in diasphora. :)>-:)>-:)>-
#9 i conquer with you exept for the user name you’ve chosen.go to any zamnet website and you’ll see why i could thump your skull for using that name if i was near you. :-l:-l:-l:-l:-l:-l
When ever I go to a Zambian party, people are always speaking in Bemba. I don’t know how to speak Bemba as I can only speak Nyanja which is also not my Language. I always feel out of place and I can’t be myself so I end up speaking English which makes me feel unZambian when everyone else is speaking Bemba. How can i be myself and enjoy the party other than look like a Mbuzi.
#6 Being Zambian te nshima only. Some use food as a tactic of saving money. “Ichainishe inkumba chilyelyele”…. # 4 is some how right.
Hi womba, this topic is closer to home . One has to learn to humble themselves when they are in a foreign land but keeping in mind who you really are is vital.. You do not lose anything being your true self.Once you exert all energies to be like the owners of the land the more you forget your true self…
There is no need to stop eating nshima,ifisashi,grow chiwawa on a small garden patch…
simply be yourself.
I love your mother in-law’s poem :*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*@};-
<:-p
#12 anonymous, I too have the same problem you face.My Bemba is pathetic and I usually can not participate in conversations at Zambian parties apart from laughing at the numerous Bemba/Zambian humour.Someone told me a long time ago to just speak the language I’m comfortable with.Whether I’m perceived as being a chongololo or having an inferiority complex thats not my problem. If we knew how little time others spend thinking about us we wouldn’t worry about what other people think of us!
I totally agree with the moral of the story. There is nothing more self-destructive than denying one’s real identity. Although I have lived over half of my life in Germany, I try my best to remain Zambian in all areas of my life.
I have been inspired by the zeal that connects the Jews in the diaspora are to Jerusalem.
I don’t know why people expect anyone to make all this effort “not to be anyone else” but “be themselves”, when you have lived in a foreign land for a reasonably long period of time you will still be yourself and retain your Zambianness whether you eventualy adopt the accent prevalent in your surrounding. I don’t think we should hold this against anyone. It takes effort to be someone else whilst it takes no effort at all to be yourself. Just my 2ngwee here.
i have great respect for ppl who preserve their true selves.i understand the pressure to conform in some situations is high but there’s more happiness in being urself.i wouldnt be someone else even if i tried.i value my zedness too much and i totally insist speaking our languages in the purest form.when i go home ppl say that its like i never left at all.i still wear my chitenges when in the house and listen to my bobojani cd full blast on weekends.tho we have to change when we’re abroad e.g stop freaking out when someone says they are gay, we should always have a sense of who we are and where we come from.nice job Womba.:)>-
#19, walasa iwe.. #:-s=d>=d>=d>=d>=d>=d>=d>=d>=d>=d>:*:***==**==**==**==**==**==@};-@};-
“Why should I try to be a 2nd rate American when I can be a first class Zambian, with my beautiful Zambian accent.”
This is the greatest question I have seen today.I had a lecture Habatwa Mweene (PhD) at UNZA who taught us in his class to preserve ourselves and ever since I have kept my Tonga accent, but enriched with an extensive vocabulary such that Canadians and US Americans admire my speech.In fact, some America PhD holder lecturing somewhere here from church was so surprised to note how much may English is splendid. She couldnt just understand how a Zambian could speak English well with his natural accent.Such has encouraged me to keep it up.I advise all who can manage to do the same.
“Why should I try to be a 2nd rate American when I can be a first class Zambian, with my beautiful Zambian accent.”
This is the greatest question I have seen today.I had a lecturer Habatwa Mweene (PhD) at UNZA who taught us in his class to preserve ourselves and ever since I have kept my Tonga accent, but enriched with an extensive vocabulary such that Canadians and US Americans admire my speech.In fact, some America PhD holder lecturing somewhere here from church was so surprised to note how much may English is splendid. She couldnt just understand how a Zambian could speak English well with his natural accent.Such has encouraged me to keep it up.I advise all who can manage to do the same.
12. Anonymous and 16. cece, please just speak whatever language even if you will not be heard by Bemba Language characters. I speak broken Bemba but I always use English if someone can not understand me in Tonga, nyanja or my broken Lozi.
There is a growing tendency by some tribal Bemba Speaking characters to try and make Bemba Language a National Language even when Nyanja is much more widely spoken than Bemba. Unfortunately,the POST has been championing this alongside their campaign for the Undereducate, Micheal Chilufya Sata.
I hope your friends at those parties will be inclusive in accepting your language or tribe. If they dont you can always find other useful parties to attend and enjoy.
I LIKE THIS STORY. REALLY I HAVE SEEN SOME ZAMBIANS ABROAD WHO WANT TO BE WHAT THEY WILL NEVER BE”. A PERSON TELLING YOU THAT YAA UBWALI MWATEMWA NAIMWE MUKALABA OVER WEIGHT!
PLEASE MWE BANTU BE YESLF. I LIKED THAT THE BOY REALISED BEFORE IT WAS TOO LATE. ALA IFWE NA BALUME BESU BAKATUKANILAFWE PA BU PROND ZAMBIAN..PLEASE YOUNG MAN ENJOY BEING A ZAMBIAN… AND TRY TO ORDER AMAPINDA NE NSHIMI..
#23 Maestro I appreciate what you have said. You know I spent some years living among white folk.When I opened my mouth they would note my accent and marvel at my command of the queens language.I however did not realise that my accent had changed till I went to Zambia for a holiday and noticed the thick Zambian accent my friends had. I then thought wait a minute aren’t I supposed to sound like them? I became self conscious of my now high pitched tone not because of what anyone said but because I never thought my accent would ever change.My accent is different but I’m still me.:d
#
25. your flag cece, great posting and keep well.
Please, enjoy your moments! :-j
Iye tata! Palibe chisungu pa LT blog! ati, “I’m still me”. Mumalo mwati “I’m still myself”. A cece osatisebanya tiyeni tingokamba tyala chakwasu apa nagati vabene vitivuta! You are the people full of filler words like “like”. Example, “I was LIKE blah blah blah”.
“nagati vabene vitivuta!”?
Navathu vitivuta!
#25 You liar! White South African have a very thick accent. Well, you may not notice but we do when they come here. Like I said in my post above, it is natural. This is reason those who have lived in England are able to tell who a cockney is, scoucer and the rest. But then you are still able to tell an accent from say Birmingham and one from say Dorcet.
We do have it in Zambia. You do not need to ask whether one is from Southern province when they speak (thick accent, and h will always come out) or Eastern.
#11 Thank you but humour batata :d:
30. 3RqU, following your “#25 You liar! White South African have a very thick accent,” did cece indicate that she lived among White South Africans somewhere? I gather she/he wrote just “living among white folk” without writing where or when. I have met people of Zambian origin in South Africa who have just relocated to there while they grew up in or were born in Europe.
On “You do not need to ask whether one is from Southern province when they speak (thick accent, and h will always come out) or Eastern,” I wish to add that Northern Zambia folks have a lack of an “h” in there speach too. You just have to listen to their pronouncing akainde ichilema to excuse them of being deceived that ..
#31 continued.
You just have to listen to their pronouncing ?akainde ?ichilema to excuse them of being deceived that … president Hakainde Hichilema is disabled.
This is culture and has to be respected though learning how to pronounce Names of people is very important to avoid insulting them or belittling them.
I must write that this topic is really great as many of us are going to learn to respect each other as Zambians or World Citizens.
:-\”
#31 It is tiring arguing with you I know because you sometimes choose to be thick.
Please read #25 again.
#31 Calm down son! The poster said white folk! Read again please! Aba batata!:d
#
33. your flag 3RqU and #
34. your flag 3RqU , I have already quote “white folk” for you in 31. So, please it is you who needs to read my #31 again.
I hope this is clear. Have a blessed day and keep well.
#35 Sorry I think you are right. :d
I grew up in Zambia but i never had a thick accent, because I grew up being taught to speak articulately and not speak english like i’m speaking Nyanja or Bemba.When i speak BEMBA or Nyanja or TUMBUKA i speak them like i’m from the village!!I had many people saying i was copying an american accent when actually its very different its just that even though my accent is influence by my native tongue, my phonetics r good (y pronounce good as GOODU/where as wheya?).I speak both bemba and tumbuka PROUDLY speak what u know,I have friends they speak nyanja or english while others speak bemba,we go to east african parties and pipo speak swahilli…don’t make yourself out of place
Never seen a nation so obsessed with accents. it is like a status symbol I have heard all sorts even crocodile dundee tonga accents to geordie luvale accents. What I find very humorous about zambians is they have trans accent syndrome , when you first meet them the accent is on full blast but as time moves on they forget what they are supposed to imitate. And even funier how come zambians from germany, prague and china have american accents ? Am i missing something here
#38 Exactly. What is even more annoying is those kids back home speaking like “Americans”!
3Rqu wow don’t appreciate you calling me a liar when all I wrote was my humble experience.I see though that Maestro corrected you.I didn’t say I got that accent from SA did I? I’m not about to give you my travel history or why I ended up in some place studying what I did on that scholarship etc Anyway have fun blogging after all all we know is how to :-@right?
BTW you did an amateur job hacking the Zamnet site. Real hackers don’t advertise their work and claim root access,they just leave carnage!Good for Zamnet though.
Cece Mwalisambilila and if I were you I would be giving thanks to God and not bragging about it. A lot of people back home would want to be more than you. Scholarships are not as easy any more so kneel down today and say a prayer. And, yeah say thank you for that accent too! I bet baledabwafye pa Zed ati akamusungu
:d
Ba zambia twasebana! mulundaku ubunga na kulela ati dipano.
ba Zed be prayerful, twalapwa. Ba Banda dove sei?????????
Fake accents have strangled the pleasure out of Zambian radio music stations. The DJs are incredibly annoying!
The story is not original. It was book lifted from the book by Dale Carnage entitled; “Stop Worrying and Start Living”. The title of the hapter is “Find yourself and be yourself”. Please Lusaka Times, try and come up with original things.
#37, A Mukwa ginger brandy, ati mumanya chitumbuka namwe? kansi tili banandi pa blog. muli uli ? mukhalila nkhu kuno ku ‘down under’? panyake mukasanga ati muli ba dumbo wane….kukaya ni nkhu?? kwa Magodi or kanele No.1? ine ndi makola. Nga mwa wona nyengo muniphalile komwe muli.. kuti nalimo ni nthowa imoji ka!!:-?:-?:-?:-?
its like everyone wants to make a name abt how intelligent you are eating nsima in a foreign country is by choice not chance if you choose not to therez no problem just like speaking like one coz at times if you restrict yself to the native language you drag yself behind therez no way you can continue with a bemba nyanja or tonga accent in a foreign country after living there for so many years you are likely to improve unless you want to more especially in england tho you can not completely adopt their accent but with time therez usually a change coz of interaction especially if you are in an area where there are very few blacks
By the way, never assume that because you’re in a foreign country, you can insult others in vernacular! I was once on the London Underground train (Tube) when two Z women started making fun of people in Bemba. (They had also assumed that they were the only black Zambians in London too!)
Sitting next to me was my british friend (white) who could also understand Bemba. I left it to him to tell them off in their own language. Their faces were a picture!
47. Jaroph, =)), the Bemba women surely brought my lovely country to shame and disrepute. Sad, what such Bemba people do to all ourselves as Zambians.
I hope their kind on here are taking note for this group annoys a lot when they insult.
maestro u are becoming annoying by the day <:-p
#46 One sentence sure!:d
its day in day out the blog is just filled with you now wayamba naku losing steam..>:p
Maestro go and clean your teeth in private. Who told you that everyone who speaks Bemba is Bemba? You grew up in the village (Southern Province) we know but not everyone did.
You should know by now that we were learning Bemba on the CB regardless of one`s tribe.
We should take skills home and not accents because they will not take us anywhere. To say the trueth guys those whose accents are deep are good in learning skills than those who go to school to learn accents. Tongas have the deepest accent in Zed but those who manage to attain higher education in life become very successfull. Many top zed rich people are Tongas by tribe, if you do not believe try to find out when you have chance to visit zed. Many of these guys are real in life. I enjoy saying stating facts as they are and not siding because we belong to the same tribe guys. We need to learn to be objective in life and face things as they are.
52. Anonymous, thanks fror the advice, but where did I write that everyone who speaks Bemba is Bemba – by tribe?
Yes, I grew up in the village Kitwe and Ndola! I also grew up in another village Lusaka and of course Southern Province – the big village of learned men and women, boys and girls! Ni |-).
53. Chomba, but walanda/naulemba ifyamano mune. Hats off anf encourage those ba-yewe to keep cool and do things in a normal way. =;.
English accent is different in every country and region especially in Africa, its dependent on regional tones. North African have the same accent, East, West and Southern Africa we have similar accent also though Zimbabweans and South Africans(black and Afrikaans) and Tongas in zed have the deepest. Anyway those who want to change accents can continue but for how long in life, unless if you intend to be in the diaspara forever.
So exactly how do people discern a real and a fake accent. It seems anyone that doesn’t talk with words like aaaaah, eish mwandi iwe is branded someone with a fake accent.
if you live around people who talk a certain way for a long enough time, you will in most cases start to sound like them. so people, stop saying every zambian out there that doesn’t sound ‘zambian’ has a fake accent.
u couldn’t catch me dead speaking English like a Zimbabwean,I’d rather use sign language… :d/
M any people find it difficult to live happily, not only with others, but also with themselves.A friend of mine told me she had lost herself and she wanted me to help her find herself.My response to her was,”Be your self.Don’t try to obe who you are not because you will not understand the self that you are not.When you are yourself,you understand yourself better than anybody else would.”
FIRST AND FOREMOST WHY SHOULD ONE TRY TO BE LIKE THE AMERICANS.BE PROUD TO BE U.DONT B A COPY CAT PLS.IN THIS DAY AND AGE.LIVE LIFE AND GET A LIFE :-w
Donya Donya ni nsele
# 25, 30 31, lelo lelo lelo lelo eya kalendele, eya kalendele – wamene afuna ndeo amenyepo! **==
my father was a civil servant in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and moved from one province to another. I speak Tonga, Lozi, Bemba, Nyanji, Ngoni, because i lived at one time each in Chipata, Choma, Livingstone, Ndola, Mufulira, Luanshya, Mongu and dad refused a transfer to Solwezi because it was really getting on us – school going children. But am Tumbuka and speak it fluently, though my mother is Mambwe and speak both. My English is not bad….. but at least i have my fluent mother language.
u lose nothing by being yoself
LT my flag please
Long time Rasta a tell dem dis ahready. De easiest way to know yuhself is when yu feel Jah positive vibration…Jah Love shows you who you really are & what you supposed to be. Yu no need no Ganja fi know dat, seen?
Number Why don t the whites or Asians pick our accents> Is it just easy for to pick there access> Have been away from home for long but havent changed my access where as somebody who came two days ago changes the access> its what u r and what to portary to the people
😡
#68 I agree with you
Only kids’accents can easily be changed depending on where you take them. Old pipo’s accent cannot be changed, you just have to be yourself and be pround to be a Zambian.
hey guys thanks for ur comments am learning something here where a hell is baby C :”>
maestro what makes you think that bcoz the ladies referred to by no 47 were bemba? bcoz they were speaking bemba?
i think whether we like it or not by there are certain things that we pick up when we live in another culture.It may be our values,our perception or even our accents. And some of the things we pick are good.Therefore this thing of being yourself should be properly defined bcoz if u are not careful u run the risk of shutting off even gud things.On the other hand dont be a dustbin by allowing everything to be dumped on you.
Maestro Hhehhehhehhe it seems you have issues with bembas huh! when are you going to get it in your thick head that whether you like it or not 3/4 of Zambians can effectively communicate in bemba. But that does not mean that anyone want to make it a national language I am actually wondering if at all you ever stayed in Kitwe or Ndola as u claim. Because if surely u did there is no way u can fail to speak good bemba, to start with it is taught in all Basic schools on the CB and it is examined during Grade 7 examinations furthermore it is widely used as a means of communication there. So priz stop being tribalistic like your fellow political under five HH.