posted 27 June 2005 01:41 PM            

thanks -

posted 27 June 2005 03:31 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Don:
My wife and I are helping a local refugee family from Somalia...and I would appreciate any suggestions people could give. The family has 3 younger children under 10, and 2 teens around 14 or 15. They play well with our children, although none of the Somalian kids speak any English. However, as is typical of kids...they got along well immediately and there was no shyness. My wife and I are trying to learn as much as possible as quickly as possible. We are wondering about customs and habits, things that might seem easy or normal for us but are difficult perhaps for this new family. Is there a second language they might speak? I speak some Italian and my wife speaks French. Are there foods that are offensive? Is it appropriate to offer any toys (soccer balls, baseball, etc) directly to the children? Does paying a compliment to the family make them feel indebted to us in any way? Is it inappropriate to comment on nice clothing that the teen girl wears? We have a small dog (7 pounds) that frightened the children a great deal...is there anything else like that we should be aware of? Are there any former refugees reading this column? What would have helped you the first few weeks and months when you came here? Did you like to talk about the experiences you went through to get to the United States or should I not talk about that? Are there foods you missed when you came here? Are there special days you wish people here knew about? Are birthdays celebrated? ANY help would be much appreciated!

thanks -

Don

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posted 28 June 2005 03:33 AM            

Few little facts:

Most Somali Bantus speak the af Maay dialect of Somali spoken in Southwest of Somalia. Most used to be farmers. They originally came from countries like Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique.

posted 28 June 2005 04:06 AM            

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Are there foods that are offensive?

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Muslims do not eat any pork-related products. Muslims don't drink alcohol. Or any other "haram" products. For more information about "haram" (not permitted) and "halal" (permitted), search the net.

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Is it appropriate to offer any toys (soccer balls, baseball, etc) directly to the children?

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No problem with this, but may not be culturally familiar to some toys.

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Does paying a compliment to the family make them feel indebted to us in any way?

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In Somali culture, "thank you" and "please," do not exist. Yes, of course, the terms exist for we aren't thankless or ungrateful, but they aren't uttered but each individual who does something for you assumes that you are thanking him/her in your heart than saying it aloud.

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Is it inappropriate to comment on nice clothing that the teen girl wears?

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No, it isn't inappropriate.

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We have a small dog (7 pounds) that frightened the children a great deal...

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Muslims generally consider dogs to be unclean and dirty, especially wet ones, so they stay away from them. In Somali culture, most--adult and children--are frightened by dogs which they consider more dirtier.

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Are there special days you wish people here knew about?

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Muslims have two special holidays called Eid. One happens after the end of fasting month of Ramadan, while the other occurs at the end of Hajj, the pigrimage. Also Muslims pray a special congregate prayers on Fridays at middays.

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Are birthdays celebrated?

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posted 28 June 2005 12:20 PM            

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Originally posted by COBRA:
Don.....ARE YOU TRYING TO CONVERT THESE SOMALIES??

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LOL what makes you say this Cobra?

posted 28 June 2005 12:24 PM            

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Originally posted by Djehuti:
[b]LOL what makes you say this Cobra?

[/B]

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WELL Djehuti....I HAD THE EVANGALICALS KNOCKING ON MY DOOR YESTERDAY.

posted 30 June 2005 09:02 AM            

so i was right.