Kindness

Weather: Hot, humid… I might have to change this segment as it never seems to really change. I am promised a monsoon ‘season’. I’ll believe it when I see it. I think I have lost 5 kg of weigh from sweating alone.

Swahili word of the week: Karibu- it means welcome. They say it so much here it is almost overused, yet it is not, because it is 100% sincere, every time! A rarity in this world, at this time.

Special Shout Out: Congrats Frank and Theresa for getting Married. YAY!

Tanzania is known as being an island of peace. Not because it is an island (duh), but because the many border countries that have had genocides, civil wars, dictators and unspeakable unrepeatable acts of hatred and violence. Yet Tanzania has survived. Maybe because of lofty visions of a socialist government, or a different history then their neighbors. Certainly not because of tribal hostility, it has close to 120 tribes but they appear bound to their nation. After many travels through southern and eastern Africa I cannot put my finger on it, but Tanzania has a unique quality and it illustrates itself in the way it has shown extreme kindness and welcoming to me, a wageni (visitor).

The last few weeks I have traveled a lot. Some for pleasure (Zanzibar with Mum) and some for work; a tear your hair out workshop in Morogoro. Yet everywhere I go, I am welcomed. I have been taught by my wise parents, how to be a good (or I like to believe an excellent) hostess. The key is to make it seem effortless, not forced and most importantly, not a burden. Tanzania is the ultimate hostess. I was in Morogoro for work this week. After a harrowing long workshop I decided the weekend would be spent marching up the 2150m mountain that the lovely town sits at the base of. Being a cheap skate I refused a guide. My bicycle and I headed up the mountain until the road turned into a track too steep for the bike to ascend. I stashed the bike in a goat shed and continued hiking up a treacherous 3 hours until reaching an old German settlement with killer views. Along the way, as I huffed and puffed, with full hiking gear on, passed by grandmothers, mothers with ugali on their head and a babies on their backs and small shoeless children scampering away I was welcomed. I was offered water, fruit, a chair to sit on and most importantly a guide to make sure I took the right path rather than the one that leads to who knows where. All of this without me asking or paying (though my red face may have been a good indicator for the water).

Likewise back in Dar this weekend, as I took a tumble out of a moving dala dala. Yes, that’s right, I can’t blame the old lady that had her crutch sticking out over the exit stairs (or can I?). As I lay bleeding in a ditch, the whole daladala emptied, helped me to my feet, brushed me off and bandaged me up without a word. A simple camaraderie that is expected here.

It seems to have rubbed off on even the expats here. I have been busy socializing and went to my first hash house harriers dar meeting. It claims to be a drinking club with a running problem. After a nice 5 K run I personally ended up pounding 4 beers in the circle of doom and doing a reenactment of the ‘angry chair’ from davis days, (WOW). Needless to say we drank way to much Kili, I made some friend and I had a really good time. Looks like Monday nights are going to be dangerous from now on.

Asante Sana Tanzania for welcoming me, teaching me and ultimately hosting me.