Sunday, February 25, 2024

A Reader's Testimony

Glenel Loring

📚 Book Spotlight: “Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences” by Joseph Mbele 🌍

👨‍🏫 Professor Joseph Mbele, a Tanzanian living in Minnesota, has been instrumental in bridging the gap between American and African cultures. His book offers valuable insights into embracing and understanding cultural differences.

Hey, dear friends! 🌟 Before our family embarked on our Tanzanian adventure, I stumbled upon a gem of a book: “Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences.” 🌿

🧠 Mental Prep Matters We often focus on the practical aspects of travel—packing, flights, and logistics. But what about the mental journey? This book is like a mental workout before the big move! 💪

🌟 Game-Changer Insights Upon arriving in Tanzania, this book helped us decode behaviors that might otherwise have puzzled us. It’s like having a cultural compass! 🌍

📚 Exploring Cultural Insights with Professor Joseph Mbele 🌍
👀 In his book, Professor Mbele discusses the excitement and stares locals in African villages have when encountering a mzungu. I have discovered that "mzungu" holds cultural significance and doesn't simply mean "white."

👀 The Curious Stares Locals might give you curious looks—they’re intrigued! 😊 But guess what? I haven’t encountered those relentless stares. Some people say stares and some say looks. I think I accepted the looks/stares because I read the book. I never felt uncomfortable.

🌍 Universal Curiosity: Imagine a black person visiting a predominantly white country. Yep, they’d also get their fair share of curious glances. It’s a human thing—we’re all curious about the unfamiliar! 🌎

🌟 Enriching Experiences Navigating cultural differences isn’t always easy, but it makes our journeys memorable. Let’s celebrate the beauty of diversity! 🌈❤️

🤔 Have you experienced a similar cultural difference when traveling? Share your stories below.

hashtag#TanzanianAdventure hashtag#AfricansAndAmericans hashtag#CulturalBridges hashtag#MentalPrep hashtag#DiversityCelebration

(Glenel Loring published this testimony on LinkedIn, February 25, 2024).

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Cultural Differences Presentation in Owatonna, Minnesota

Please join us for Cultural Differences Between Africans and Americans with Author Joseph Mbele, Tanzanian and a professor in the English Department at St. Olaf College. He teaches world literature in English and Folklore. He is also a consultant and for thirty years has been helping Africans and Americans navigate cultural differences.
His publications include two books: Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences and Chickens in the Bus: More Thoughts on Cultural Differences, popular among Africans and Americans, both of which can be ordered at www.lulu.com.
He will offer an engaging and entertaining talk about cultural differences which cause misunderstandings and conflicts between Africans and Americans.
We look forward to seeing you Thursday, February 8th at 6:30 pm in the 3rd floor Gainey Room!