Hakuna Matata

Infectious Smile

ZANZIBAR: Jambo (Hello), Asante Sana (Thank You), Karibu (Welcome), Hakuna Matata (No Worries. Be happy.) The Swahili words roll off their tongue as though from the Broadway musical, The Lion King. But it’s real here and very infectious, as tourists soon catch the vibe and start greeting each other with Jambo. A stranger at the airport told me, “In Zanzibar, we are all language teachers,” and commenced with a brief lesson in Swahili. It was the same in Tanzania. Wherever I go I try to learn at least two words: “Hello” and “Thank you.” Those two words are usually enough to at least crack a smile and sometimes start a conversation. But too often, to my chagrin, even these two simple words can be a challenge, involving rolling R’s that stick to my tongue like super glue or guttural sounds that makes me cough. Here though, it’s nothing of the sort, as I have been immersed in the soft tonal sounds of the Swahili language as soon as I stepped off the plane. But it’s not just their language that is infectious, but also their welcoming smiles. As travelers we know that too often smiles are a mask for more pressing self-serving concerns, but here, more often than not, they are genuine expressions of friendliness. Hakuna Matata.