Trip to the Mother Land(Africa)

1. Trip to the Mother Land(Africa)

2. First Stop! Madagascar(South Africa)(2 day stop… December 13 and 14)

3. Madagascar cost and Currency Airplane ride over The airplane tickets cost 7,324$ with three stops and that the way we chose to go. Flying on American Airline 3715.The flight is from Chicago, IL to Antanarivo, MGA. The cost does not include hotel. Currency The American dollar has more monetary value than Madagascar currency. The currency in Madagascar is called Madagascar Ariary. 1 USD = 2234.81 MGA

4. Madagascar Temperature and Hotel We are staying the Carlton Hotel in Antananarivo, Madagascar. 231.54$ a night per room. We ordered 2 rooms. The Temperature Antananarivo December 13- 30° with chance of thunderstorm December 14- 28° with slight chance of thunderstorm

5. People in Madagascar mostly speak Malagasy. Madagascar Language(Malagasy)

6. Madagascarian Etiquette • For men greeting men – A handshake is the most common form of greeting. Handshakes are with right hand while the left hand holds the right arm below the elbow. For women greeting women - A handshake is the most common form of greeting. Handshakes are with right hand while the left hand holds the right arm below the elbow. For meetings between men and women – A handshake is the most common form of greeting. Handshakes are with right hand while the left hand holds the right arm below the elbow. • There is little to no personal space, even with friends or business colleagues and definitely not with family. Much less than an arms length is common. • The only time it is more "acceptable" to have personal space is when you are ill, otherwise if you back away from people it is assumed you are not comfortable with them and/or you don't like them. • It is common for women to touch arms, shoulders, elbows, etc., when talking with other women and same for conversations between men and men. There is not as much touching during conversations between genders. • For conversations between family members (including those of opposite sex), it is common for there to be a lot of touching, depending on nature of the conversation.

7. Story From Madagascar On our first day of our African trip, we arrived at the airport and took a cab to the hotel. We rested for a while then went sight seeing. We saw Manjakamiadana, the Queen's Palace, in Antananarivo, the capital city, as well as the Palace of Andafiavaratra, which has served as the prime minister's house. At the Manjakamiadana, we met President of Madagascar, AndryRajoelina, who promised to take us on a expedition thru one of the many vast jungles in Madagascar. Why? Because we are amazing people. We arrived back to the hotel after eating fine Madagascarian cuisine. We had laspoy, veal vegetable puree, and ravinboafoby, malagasy tea. The next day we went on a tour that went thru the jungles. Thank goodness it didn’t rain, but it was still cold. The tour took all day but we saw many fascinating animals like the famous ring tale lemur. Around 10:00pm we traveled back to the airport to get on the plane to go to Ethopia.

8. This wooden turtle is very common in Madagascar. They look at the turtle in a very respectable manner. It symbolizes the slow progression of life and people often make them of wood and paint them. What we took from Madagascar

9. Second Stop!!Ethiopia(East Africa)(1 Day stop… December 15 and 16)

10. Ethiopia Cost and Currency The cost to get to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from Antananarivo 2,079.90$ per person with a total of 8,347.60$. For this flight we flew South African Airways 8253. In Ethiopia the American dollar has more monetary value than the Ethiopian currency. In Ethiopia they run off of Ethiopian Birrs. 1 USD = 18.0404 ETB

11. Ethiopian temperature and Hotel For the hotel we stayed in RadisonBlu Hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Prices were 188.33$ per room with two people. We ordered two rooms. Temperature ( Addis Ababa) December 15- 24° and partly sunny December 16- 22° and sunny

12. The Language in Ethiopia is Amharic. Ethiopian Language

13. Ethiopian Etiquette • People tend to speak indirectly, especially to foreigners, whom they do not want to offend or ask too much of. They often say "It is possible" to a request, even if they do not want to comply with the request. • Politeness is valued above all, so people tend to avoid directness.  However, questions about religion, money, marital status, as well as comments about physical appearance are socially acceptable and common. • It is best to avoid talking about sex, and politics during initial meetings. It’s also a good idea to avoid asking what tribe or area someone comes from until you have established a good relationship. • Showing anger or raising your voice in public is considered very rude. • Personal space differs from place to place based on tribal and religious influences. Generally, an arm’s length or a bit less is appropriate.  Personal space tends to be less between members of the same gender. • When two people of the same sex are talking, touching is usually acceptable.  Close friends of the same gender will walk hand in hand or arm and arm.  This is the case for men and for women. • It is common to see pairs or groups of men holding hands, walking arm in arm or with arms around waists/shoulders, hugging, sitting with arms around each other or resting on each other’s thighs, etc.  This is less common, but still widely accepted, in the business community.  • In Ethiopia the process of greeting a family member, acquaintance, or stranger is extremely formalized. The intricate nature of ritual greetings and inquiries can be bewildering from a Westernperspective. While some similarities are present, many elements of conversation, personal contact, and body gesture are very different. • Before speaking both individuals will bow to each other. Even between equals this bow will be very low. When greeting one superior in rank, it is customary to touch the right hand to the ground, and then to the lips in supplication while bowing. In family contexts, children are expected to go even further with their parents, prostrating themselves fully to the ground and kissing their fathers' or mothers' feet. Any head covering, especially the Christian devotional shamma, is to be removed during this time. • Besides the bow, other gestures are common during Ethiopian greetings. A hand shake is an informal gesture only made between equals, but when it is the hands will be held throughout the entire process of formalized health inquiry. Kissing is also extremely common, regardless of the sex of one's counterpart. For friends these kisses will be placed on the cheek, one between each inquiry of health. For relatives these kisses are placed on the mouth.

14. Story from Ethiopia When we arrived in Ethiopia (around 10:30A.M on December 15th), right as we were boarding off the plane we ran into the Ethiopian president GirmaWolde- Giorgis. We didn’t talk long but he pointed us into the direction of Harar which was only 3.2 miles away from the Addis Ababa. There we saw hyena men the Rimbaud House, ex home of French poet Rimbaud. This exciting trip keep us up until midnight and we went back to the hotel. We woke up around 6 A.M. due to our plane leaving at 11:25 A.M. That one day in Ethiopia was amazing to say the least. Off to Sierra Leone.

15. ETHIOPIAN HEADREST In many African cultures, small wooden "pillows" are used to support the head during sleep and in some cases to preserve a hairstyle. In Ethiopia, the headrests come in several forms and sometimes contain patterns that relate to other furniture or works they own. What we took From Ethiopia

16. 3rd Stop!!!Sierra LeonE(West Africa)(2 day stop… December 17 and 18

17. Sierra Leone Cost and Currency The flight to Freetown, Sierra Leone from Addis Ababa was 909.00$ per person. We arrived at 6:30P.M. that night. The American dollar has more monetary value than the Sierra Leone currency. The Sierra Leone currency is the Sierra Leone Leone. 1 USD = 4300 SLL

18. Sierra Leone temperature and Hotel Thru luck of fate. On the plane we meet V.E.H.Strasser-King, the principal of Fourah Bay College (the oldest college in West Africa) who offered us a dorm when he found out that our original resting place, Freetown lodge resort, had mixed up our plans with someone else and we didn’t have a place to stay. He didn’t want to leave us without a place to stay and because we were students he gladly accepeted us. Temperature December 19- 32° and sunny December 20- 32° and sunny

19. In Sierra Leone the official language is Krio. Sierra Leone Language

20. Sierra Leone Etiquette • The Forbidden Left hand: A general rule of thumb to live by when in Africa is to avoid taking or passing anything with your left hand. Objects are to be handled or passed with the right or both hands, but never the left hand, as this is considered the unclean hand (the hand used for personal hygiene). Do not eat, shake hands, gesture "hello" or give someone something with your left hand as it is seen as something used to do dirty things. It is this belief that informs the African proverb, “You do not use the left hand to point the way to your father's village”, which means: use respect when you gesture and learn to appreciate and admire what you have. • Displaying the sole of your foot: Particularly among Muslim cultures, and other groups who traditionally sit on the floor, it is improper to allow the sole of your foot to point at another person. As the bottom of the shoe touches the ground, it is considered to be the dirtiest part of the body. If you find yourself in this setting, avoid showing the soles of your shoe to anyone as it is considered by some to be rude and insulting. Best advice is to sit with your feet flat on the floor. • The “Thumbs up”: Throughout West Africa, the thumb lying on the index finger of a vertical fist with arm extended is equivalent to the American “middle finger”; insult is emphasized by motioning the thumb up (like “thumbs-up”) and down repeatedly. • Harsh disagreement with an older person: If you have a difference with someone who is elderly, try to refrain from harsh disagreement, especially in public. Keep in mind that Africans are very conscious of age and status differences. Being sensitive to someone’s age or seniority in an organization guides the way people communicate or interact with one another. For example, a younger person may be more able and competent than an older person, and everybody may recognize that, but the younger will still show deference to the older. Not only does this serve as job security for the younger, but it also keeps the elder from publicly losing ‘face’. To use their skill set effectively, a savvy subordinate employee will find more tactful means to deliver their message. So instead of resorting to harsh disagreement with a person of senior status, which may be misinterpreted as personal attack rather than constructive criticism, try instead to use subtleties and express differences with sensitivity.

21. Story of Sierra leone • After we were showed to our rooms, we immediately took a tour. We were told about the history of the school and surprisingly at the end of the tour, the President gave a test to see if we listened. Afterward we had lunch with the Board and discussed culture similarities and differences before going for our hotel around 7-8. We slept real good because we had to be up again by 6:00 A.M. Finally the trip has been very fulfilling but we are all kind of homesick. Off to Egypt. The last stop of our wonderful trip.

22. Sierra Leone coins Significant coins honoring heroes of Sierra Leone: King Naimbana, who ratified the land grant to the Settlers in 1788; Madam Yoko, ruler of th22e vast KpaMende Confederacy, and Sir Henry Lightfoot-Boston, the first African Governor-General of Sierra Leone. What we took from sierra leone

23. Final stop!!!!Egypt(North Africa)(2 Days… December 19 and 20)

24. Egypt Cost and Currency The flight to Cairo, Egypt from Freetown, Sierra Leone was 1,018.40$ per ticket. We flew ASKY 21 and arrived at 8:50 pm December 18th. The American dollar has more monetary value than the Egyptian currency. The Egyptian currency is the Egyptian Pound. 1 USD = 6.1481 EGP

25. Egypt Temperature and Hotel We stayed at the Kempinski Nile Hotel in Cairo. It was 154.00$ per room for per night. We had two rooms. Temperature Egypt ( Cairo) December 17- 22° cloudy and heavy fog December 18- 19° slight chance of rain

26. In Egypt they mostly speak Egyptian Arabic. Egypt Language

27. Egyptian Etiquette • Men greeting Men – During initial meetings a light handshake with the right hand is common.  For friends and relatives a kiss on both cheeks tends to be the norm. First right to right and then left to left accompanied with a hug and back slapping while shaking hands with the right hand. • Women greeting Women - During initial meetings a light handshake with the right hand or a simple nod of acknowledgment is common. For friends and relatives a kiss on both cheeks tends to be the norm. First right to right and then left to left accompanied with a hug and while shaking hands with the right hand. • Greetings between Men & Women – A handshake may be acceptable in certain circumstances. Cheek kissing is acceptable if they are very closely related, but the most common greeting would be a slight bow of the head and a greeting of “salaam aleikum” which should be replied to with “waaleikum us salam”.  It is taboo for religiously observant men to touch women and vice-versa • People tend to be extremely indirect when speaking, especially in regards to communication in business. They aren’t comfortable saying “no”, so they keep beat around the bush. • There are a lot pleasantries used and simple small talk continually interrupt a regular conversation. • Most Egyptians tend to be very religious so it’s best never talk to an Egyptian without respecting that and if you intend to talk about politics try not to take any sides, just be neutral.  It's best to avoid talking about religion and/or politics until you have established a strong relationship. • In some cases communication can be direct. So much so, that some comments may sound a bit rude or blunt at times. • Personal space between members of the same gender is kept at a minimum.  Less than an arm’s length is common.  • Egyptians will stand or sit very close to each other when talking, but if two unrelated Egyptians of the opposite sex are having a conversation, then they maintain at least an arms length of distance or more. • Touching during conversations is not usually appropriate unless the people having the conversation are very close to each other, like family or good friends. • There is little to no touching between members of the opposite sex during conversations or in public places in general.

28. Story of Egypt • So the group arrived to Egypt, and Joseph instantly wanted to see the Pyramids. So we asked would it be possible (surely enough it was) and we were off to the Sahara Desert. We were joined by tourist who showed us some of the greatest wonders of the world. What a crazy experience to come in contact with something so surreal! I know for a fact Joseph loved it more than anybody. He had his ol’ school camera to snap pictures. At the end of THIS day, we slept overnight and packed up to come back to U.S.A!!!!!!!!!!!!

29. Egyptian Sphinx "Living Statue" It is a type of statue joining a human head with the body of a lion. It symbolizes sovereignty by combining the strength of the lion with a human intelligence. The Egyptian Sphinx was usually shown as male. What we took from egypt

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