I will also post a short blog on Wednesday and another possibly like this next Saturday. My friend Raphael has a tablet that allows for a WiFi hotspot so I have bought data for his phone to use. It lasts about 15-30 minutes, but it will allow me to post. On Wednesday the 16th I will be at the airport heading to Kilimanjaro (WOOOOOOO!!!!) and there should be WiFi available for me to post a short blog again. So, that is the plan.
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| Joyce fetching water from the well |
I'll admit, when I first arrived at the house the American in me started kicking and I began to feel a bit bummed about the state of the house. I quickly dropped this thought, though. To so many this house would be luxury. Being conscientious of your thoughts and the way you think is very important. If I had become stuck in this way of thought I not only would have been forgetting a large portion of what I have learned, but I would also have had a crappy two week stay in Dar. Now, who wants a lame and unhappy vacation? No one. Now, I am extremely happy with where I am at and if you keep on reading you will learn why.
As for Dar, the closer you get to the center of town the nicer, more expensive and larger things become. The center contains buildings such as a very nice Holiday Inn, casino and the presidents White House. The outside of town is quite run down and poor. A load of vendors line the streets and busses fill the roads being the main way to commute. Dar has to be the world center for traffic jams.
Below I mention bus companies and how nice they are. The companies that travel cross-country are, however the inter-city busses I am talking about above are most definitely not. Hmm...how can I describe them...let me see...
If there is a Hell than I am quite sure these busses are how people there commute. Jam-packed, hot, slow, mostly standing and traffic. I got sunburnt at the beach and my skin had practically peeled and healed by the time I got home. Slowwww.....
It's no wonder so many people here believe in God.
Anyways,
I will begin to list the main topics I would like to discuss now:
M-Pesa:
This is the process of transferring money. You can go to an M-Pesa stand and give them 70,000 Schilling and they will send a message to the person you want to transfer money too. That person will then go to an M-Pesa stand and take money from that stand. It reminds me of an advanced telegraph system. This is how I paid the house owners for my stay. I have paid for the houses electricity, water (no running water) and security. I haven't seen any security, but they say it's there. Whatever.
Even though I have paid for all of this I also supply the food and transport costs. It is all fairly inexpensive, but its still money. Good thing we all like beans and rice. :)
Night at Raphael's House in Songea:
Our bus (Theodore, Raphael, and me) left early on Monday so we spent the night at Raphael's house in Songea. They have three beds and gave me my own to sleep in which was nice. At night, though, cockroaches scurry under and around the room. This is common when in town. Bugs are just a part of life here. I could hear them running around. The gross things can go everywhere. Good thing the mosquito net blocks out more than just mosquitoes.
Raphael's Mother:
Editha is a very nice woman. She only speak Swahili, though, so it can be hard to communicate. However, even though it's hard to communicate, she has taken a liking to me. She told Raphael "I wish he could be my son." Her words, not mine. That was nice to hear. She has checked in on Raphael and I multiple times since arriving in Dar.
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| Cross-country bus, Super-Feo |
(Cross-Country) Bus Companies:
With the bus being the most popular form of transportation in Africa, the bus companies are fairly nice. The busses are like Greyhound ones in America. They also give you a pop on the long rides like the 14 hour one from Songea. The drivers are maniacs, though. They fly around corners and pass anyone and everyone. It's both good and bad. Even though they drive fast the traffic in Dar is so bad that it takes two hours just to get to the bus station once you enter the city.
Njombe:
Njombe is one of the cities we passed through on the way to Dar. I enjoyed it for two reasons. It is located in a hilly area and therefore is cooler. The temperature was to my liking. Also, because of the cool temperatures, tea plantations can be seen for miles. The vendors sell packs of fresh tea at the bus station. We picked up some and it is great.
Mkumi National Park:
Coming to Dar from Songea the road passes through a national park. I saw baboon and antelope. Even though I didn't see much I still enjoyed it. So fun to see something other than deer. Ha! Also, I am a huge fan of savanna. These national parks are full of savannas and grassland. A beautiful scenery.
Baobab Tree:
These are trees that we passed while traveling. It is a funny looking tree with a large base/trunk and scrawny looking branches. It is said that God became upset at the baobab tree and took it and flipped it upside down to punish it. That's a fairly accurate description. The tree is now protected in Tanzania.
Backstreet Boys:
I read and listened to music for a large portion of my time on the bus. Long bus rides are perfect for some Backstreet Boys. If you don't like them then it's your loss. Great band and great music. Reminds me of so many car rides while growing up in Tennessee.
Joyce and Samwell:
This is the couple Raphael and I stay with. They both are very nice. Raphael's brother is friends with Samwell and this is how we found this place to stay. Joyce (22) has one of the best personalities I have ever met. She is always happy. A very fun person to be around. Samwell (28) is a nice man and I believe the two of them are dating, but plan to marry. Not too sure. I have heard rumors they may separate too. What do I know, though. I just met them.
One thing I do know is that Joyce is a machine and I mean that in a very good way. She is such a hard worker. I'll wake and find her scrubbing the cement floors in the morning, washing clothes, preparing food, and fetching water. These things are considered woman's work in Africa. I tried to explain that there is no such thing as woman's and man's work. There is just work. However, they don't understand that here. Samwell has no job so he just hangs out or goes to a friends. I don't understand how one would make his girlfriend or wife do so much when he does so little. Another interesting (but rather sad) aspect of African life.
Additionally, in Africa, it is emasculating for a man to have no job and a woman to so it is common for women to have no work outside the house even when the man does not work. Many woman wish to work too so it is a sad thing to see.
The way I see it - it's more masculine to not only help your wife with the work around the house, but to allow her the freedom to do as she wishes. I am no expert and maybe I am confused, but isn't the whole point of being together to help and support one another?
Finally, in order to marry, a man must pay the woman's parents a certain agreed-upon amount of money. I just thought that was interesting to mention.
Halima:
She is the neighbor that is more of a housemate than neighbor. Ha! She is always around. I don't know where her husband is so she hangs out with us. She is a nice lady. She has a good sense of humor. We will come across an older lady and she will say (in Swahili) "this is my husband from America!" and the other person will be in awe. I think it is funny.
My Hair:
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| The flow, though |
Additionally, I went with Raphael to the barbershop. He wanted a haircut. While there the owner asked if I would pose in a picture with him pretending to cut my hair. I said yes (making sure the blade was far from my actual hair). He said he wants to blow the picture up and post it outside. The white man will bring business he thinks.
Oh, and now I know why girls like when you play with their hair. It feels awesome. If ever I am wealthy I will give to the less fortunate and then grow my hair out and pay someone to just massage my scalp and hair. :)
Indian Ocean - Coco Beach:
Considering Joyce doesn't get out much and doesn't have the money to travel I paid for her, Halima and Raphael to join me at the beach yesterday. Joyce was so excited because she had never been. A very fun and relaxing time spent at the ocean. We did the whole sha-bang, swam, took photos, collected shells, buried me in the sand, etc. I love the coast. The sight, feeling and smell of it all is so relaxing. We plan to go next Friday. When I said this they asked "Why Friday?" I told them "Friday is supposed to be fun, isn't it?". I think so. Also, maybe we will get ice cream afterwards.
The Canadian:
I met an older man at the beach the other day. He saw me playing Frisbee. He joined in for some time. He was nice and he came from Vancouver, Canada. It was nice to speak to someone who speaks English. He told me he just finished working on a Netflix show called "The 100". I don't know the show, but I may have to check it out.
The Headman:
Mr. Mkwabe is the appointed chief and headman of this section of Dar. You must check in with him before making any big changes or having visitors. Samwell brought me to the chief to alert him of my presence here. He was an older man who had retired from the military. He was kind and the talk was short. I have been approved to stay.
Different Languages:
I wish I understood Swahili better and the friends I have made wish they understood English. Raphael does a lot of translating. He is really good about it and it helps so much. I will listen to a song and they will be confused by the words. The same goes for me and their music. Language is funny.
However, I was at the store buying some water for me and Fanta for my friends (they love Fanta in Africa) and when I approached the check-out a European lady allowed me to go first and I automatically spoke in Swahili and then was like "ah, sorry, I meant thank you!" She laughed. The transformation is in process.
President:
Theodore, Raphael and I went into Posta which is the center of Dar. This is a nice area. The president, John Magufuli, lives near by and so we went to see his house. It's beautiful (as expected). There is a huge white wall surrounding it which makes it hard to view, but I snuck up and took a peak. The other day the motorcade of the president passed by the bus I was in. He was headed to the airport where his plane, AirTanzania, awaited. He motorcade brought traffic to a standstill for an hour. That was the one downfall.
Phew, that is all I will write for now. I am writing on my phone so it takes a while. I am well and am enjoying. Theodore, friend from Germany who was staying elsewhere, has left for home.
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| Center of Dar es Salaam |
I will end by saying that the other day Raphael, Halima and I went to help Joyce fetch water from the well. She does this three times a day! It makes you think about how much water we use, waste and take for granted.
I met many people while doing so and they loved speaking with me and I them. They told me I am the first white person to be seen around here.
One mama (mother) gave me some tea as a gift for speaking with her children and helping. Getting to meet and help these people with their daily work is one of my favorite aspects of African life. Taking it all in and learning always.
*I just received very sad news of Br. Joseph Mpundu Mulenga's passing yesterday. I became close friends with Br. Joseph while in Katibunga, Zambia. He was involved in a car accident in Mpika. Rest in Peace, Br. Joseph.
- From Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Thanks for reading!
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