Trials and Tribulations

Weather: We had a break and had two days below 28 C, Wooohoooo.

News: I will be in California from May 21-June 16th!

Swahili Word of the Week: Kiti Kidogo- bribe payment

Special Shout Out: Happy Birthday Kara, Ellen and Heather!

Well, maybe because I just wrote a 23 page proposal, or I was sick or ?? but the writing is not flowing as free this week. I realized that after reading my last few blogs I have painted a very rosy picture of Tanzania. Which is true and I do love it but any who has been here knows that there are definite frustrations, idiosyncrasies and pitfalls when living in a developing country. I highlight a few just so you know it is not all kindness, glamorous and lovely out here ALL the time. Giving you a more realistic picture but hopefully not too negative too.

Last night I went to a lecture on dynamite fishing in Tanzania. Tanzania is one of only two countries (the other is the Philippines) in the world that has a rampant dynamite fishing problem. Although it is illegal and punishable by a 3 year mandatory prison sentence, as you can see in this video it is blatantly going on. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uv109P2vyg. Dynamite fishing kills coral reefs, fish, turtles and marine life. They use homemade dynamite made out of fertilizer that costs about $5. There are many lives and livelihoods lost through accidents (there are two men who now are working to fight dynamite fishing after having both lost both their hands from dynamite accidents!). The lecture was given by a man working for the WWF who has been working on this project for 4 years and to quote him “has made no progress what so ever.” The reason is because the dynamite fishers have become like the mafia. They use scare tactics to stop locals reporting them, they pay into a joint fund that pays off police men, magistrates, ministers. Out of 97 arrests, 37 prosecutions not ONE person went to prison even though the law states that it is a 3 year sentence…

I highlight this as it illustrates some of the frustrations of working here, often the best thought efforts fail miserably because of the core of corruption and Kiti Kidogos.

Things move at a different pace here. Often, this pace is very pleasant and necessary. When I first arrived I was walking down the street and a man approached me and said “What is wrong, do you need help” I answered “No, why do you think I need help?” “Because you are walking so fast, I thought you must be in trouble!” I was walking at my SF pace, which very much differs then the Dar pace. I have realized the pace makes sense because of the heat. But some things move frustratingly slow. Meetings for example do not start until the guest of honor arrives. Normally 1-2 hours late, is it a power thing? I don’t know but can be quite irritating. Meetings do have some nice qualities though. They love their pashas and icebreakers here. Pashas are where you give support to someone who has a good idea, has done a presentation etc. A pasha begins with rubbing your hands together to make them warm and prepare them for the clap which can be simple moja, mbile, tatu (1,2, 3) or very elaborate including ugali making, feet stomping, snapping fingers! Icebreakers are great too. My favorite is when they make your write your name with your hips. Looking around at meetings filled with people doing pelvic thrusts definitely breaks up the monotony and can make waiting for a guest of honor almost worth it.

In conclusion I have been compiling a quick list of only in Africa moments… Though not nearly complete I though you might like a glimpse of what has been brewing.

1. Note on an internet café window. Sorry No Internet Here
2. Meeting interrupted. My CDC presentation was interrupted when a gecko decided to warm up on the lens of the LCD projector
3. A friend asked about how I made chapatti, “I don’t know how to make chapatti” I answered. “What, No Chapati, how is that possible?”
4. Huge skyscrapers going up in central Dar, with absolutely no parking? And they wonder why there is traffic that takes 3 hours to go 10 miles?
5. My Bajaj (moped taxi) breaking down on my ride home, getting pushed the rest of the way (a good mile) because he didn’t want to lose my fare.
6. Realizing that as my Swahili gets better my vegetables bought from the market are getting cheaper. Coincidence? I think not!

7. Other than Mukatano Junction, TV in TZ is abominable. I missed the oscars BUT got really excited when my Hollywood Hotspot started with an Oscar overview. My heart sank when they said this years best picture went to Slumdog Millionaire.
8. They have 8 different types of Mangoes.
9. Although they grow massive amounts of Coffee in TZ all you can get here is instant africafe, a tragedy!
10. Watched a Spanish Christmas film in Chinese with English subtitles, what what!