The Daring Book for Girls - Andrea J. Buchanan [39]
SWAZILAND
Declared independence in 1968 from the United Kingdom
Languages: English, SiSwati
Adventures: Safari through the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary to see zebras and giraffes
TANZANIA
Declared independence in 1964, as the merger of Tanganyika and Zanzibar
Languages: Kiswahili or Swahili, English, Arabic
Adventures: Scale mysterious Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest peak in Africa
TOGO
Declared independence in 1960 from France
Languages: French, Ewe and Mina (South), Kabye and Dagomba (North)
Adventures: The Grand Marché market in Lome with its famous female merchants; the fortified villages in the Tamberma Valley, built in the 1600s by people fleeing the slave traders
TUNISIA
Declared independence in 1956 from France
Languages: Arabic, French
Adventures: The ruins of ancient Carthage
UGANDA
Declared independence in 1962 from the United Kingdom
Languages: English, Ganda, Luganda, Swahili, Arabic
Adventures: The bustling city of Kampala, and the mountain gorillas of the Impenetrable Forest
ZAMBIA
Declared independence in 1964 from the United Kingdom
Languages: English, Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, 70 other African languages
Adventures: Victoria Falls
ZIMBABWE
Declared independence in 1980 from the United Kingdom
Languages: English, Shona, Sindebele, numerous dialects
Adventures: The ruins of Great Zimbabwe, near Masvingo
Bandana Tying
THE WORD bandana has a global history. It comes from the Sanskrit bhandhana, which means tying. The word was absorbed first into Portuguese (in the sixteenth century, Portugal had conquered the cities of Goa and Bombay, now called Mumbai, on the western coast of India). From Portuguese, the word entered English. We can thank Indian languages for an assortment of English clothing words, such as cashmere (from the northern region of Kashmir), cummerbund, bangle, khaki, pajama, and dungaree.
Bandanas are often sold under the nondescript name “All Purpose Cloth,” or APC. A bit of a boring moniker, perhaps, but, oh, so true. A bandana can be a belt, or a blindfold for Blind Man’s Bluff. With a needle and thread, two or more can be sewn together to make a shirt or skirt.
You can wrap it loosely around your neck, cowboy style, pull it up over your nose and mouth for a disguise, or use it to dress up your pet. Best of all, you can wrap found treasures or lunch in an APC, then attach it to a long stick and sling it over your shoulder when you head out to see the world.
Bandanas are an excellent way to cover your hair, too, while playing lacrosse or hiking on a hot day, and they make perfect headbands.
To tie a bandana around your head, fold it in half to make a triangle. Place the long edge on your forehead, however low or high you want (you’ll likely experiment with this, and try different possibilities). The cloth will fall lightly over your hair. With your hands, smooth it toward the back, push the tip of the triangle toward the nape of your neck. Then draw the ends over it, and tie (use your square knot).
You’ll probably want to pull the triangle portion of the bandana into place, so it’s smooth against your head, and so the corners don’t stick out the sides.
If your head is larger, or if your mom or dad wants to wear one, instead of folding the cloth in half, merely fold one corner toward the opposite corner, and go from there.
To turn a bandana into a headband, fold in half to make a triangle. Start folding in, from the tip of the triangle toward the long edge, till you’re left with the size headband you want to wear. Wrap around your head and tie in the back.
Five Karate Moves
KARATE BEGAN in the fifth century BC as a set of mind-strengthening exercises. Legend says that it was brought to a small forest temple in China by a Zen Buddhist monk named Bodhidharma (Bo-dee-darma) who, amazingly, had walked there all the way from India. Below are five basic moves that are fun to do with friends. To learn more and to take karate more seriously, look for a professional instructor