The End

The thing about a story is you never find out what happens after the end.  What is a happy ending anyway?  Did Harry Potter have a mid-life crisis?  Did Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy get a divorce?  Does Odysseus ever venture back to sea?  And what becomes of the ill-known, but ever vital supporting characters?  Names like Samwise Gamgee and Little John become lost to our grey matter. 

The thing about real life is that the stories never end; they blend together forming images that make up our past, present and future.  Each new experience, each daring adventure adds a new hue for you to paint with.  Sometimes you end up with colours the shade of earwax, but you may also find a hue that would be alluring to even a rainbow.  Immersing yourself in a new colour causes you to reevaluate your entire palette.  Maybe what is blue to you is green to someone else.

Its funny how once you return to your armchair by the stove things so easily fall back into routine.  Old habits reemerge and the patterns of life flow on as if you had never left.  Watching the people around you makes you wonder, where has life taken them?  What colours has life given them?  As you pass someone on the highway, do you ever wonder where are they going?  Or have you ever looked at a family photo taken at Mt. Rushmore and wondered who those people were in the background?  Our lives are surrounded by fillers, people we see everyday but don’t know.  Perhaps a prolonged absence causes you to see your world more clearly than the new world you’ve discovered. 

As I emerge from my own adventure, however less daring than Harry Potter’s or less dramatic than Ms. Bennet’s, I find myself with a palette of possibilities, each colour holding the secrets to a new adventure.  Though the past is behind me, the colours are still there, showing who I am and providing inspiration for future murals. 

I do not have any more knowledge, other than the knowledge that I know nothing.  I do not have an understanding of anything, other than the fact which I understand nothing.  But I do know that my eyes have been opened to the subtleties of life and just beyond the shore I can see a whole new ocean of colours waiting for my paintbrush.

Things Long Forgotten

Things I forgot about…

• People who cut grass with lawn mowers instead of machetes
• Pumping your own gas at gas stations
• The amazing-ness of washing machines
• Drinking water straight out of the tap
• Twilight (In Tanzania once the sun goes down it’s dark. Also, its strange going from 12 hours of daylight to 8.30 p.m. sunsets.)
• Right-side-up constellations
• Wazungu up the wazoo (Being surrounded by Caucasians)
• People who show up on-time to events
• How expensive phone plans are
• Reliable water and electricity
• Where things (especially food items) are stored around the house
• Empty sidewalks (In Tanzania everyone walks so sidewalks (and roadsides) are always populated.)
• Comfortable mattresses
• Orange oranges (In Tanzania these fruits are green so now orange ones just look sickly)
• White sugar (All Tanzanian sugar is off-white and large-crystaled.  I rather like it.)

This Is Not the End

Today is Departure Day. Today I make that plunge back in the the fast-pace, materialistic world that was once the only thing I knew.  Today marks the end of my time in Tanzania but not the end of the things I am learning nor the last time I will see this land.

Though I have had my hardships, I have enjoyed my year in Tanzania.  I have learned so many things being in a different culture.  Traveling is a great way to learn about new people and places, but to really understand others you have to be immersed in their culture.  I am by no means an expert in anything Tanzanian, but I now have a greater understanding of other people and cultures.  I think the most important things I’ve learned are not things specifically about Tanzania but the things you learn when you are in a different culture: not understanding what is happening, feeling excluded, and being uncomfortable.  Perhaps it would be good for all of us to experience these things once in our lifetimes.  Maybe then we could understand each other better and respect all of humanity. 

There are many things I love about Tanzania that I will miss: the people I’ve met, the landscapes, the sunsets, the marketplace, phone plans, the mountain and many more things.  Of course there are also things that I won’t miss (being stared at, the tendency of things to break, being charged the mzungu price) but these things are generally out weighed.  All in all, I’m grateful for this experience (even the bad parts).

Even though I’m traveling back to America today, this is not the end.  Keep coming back for tales of re-assimilation until I tell you ‘This is the End’.

MYRT 13

The traveling salesman is a ubiquitous sight in any urban area.  Some carry large boards on their backs with all kinds of odd things like hair brushes and sun glasses hooked on.  Others carry sombrero-shaped baskets with peanuts and cigarettes.  There are even traveling salesmen selling blenders and Tupperware.  I believe it would be possible to do all your shopping from your car if you were so inclined.  Whether its fruit, clothing, phone credits or movies, there is someone out there willing to bring the good to you.  I rather like this style of marketing goods and I will miss it.

MYRT 12

There are two main types of outlets here in Tanzania, both different than those in America.  The most common is the rectangular three-prong.  This is the one you find everywhere.  Interestingly, the outlet sticks out of the wall a few centimeters. 

The Classic Outlet

The second type, the double round-prong, is less common. It is interesting to note that all outlets come with an on/off switch. 

The Double Round-prong Outlet

And lastly there is this enigma outlet that I have only ever seen in our house.  Its nearly like an American outlet but upside down and the matching holes go in the wrong direction.  I’m not sure why we have these in our house because nothing plugs into them and they are found nowhere else.  Oddly enough, this one is the most common in our house which is a mystery I haven’t figured out yet. 

In addition to having different outlet shapes, Tanzania’s power is at about twice the voltage of the States.

MYRT 11

Tanzania uses the metric system, which is amazing.  Though in the beginning it took a while to know what 15km or 25°C really means, I have adapted to this system.  I have always been fond of the metric system and I am not looking forward to dealing in inches and miles again.  Honestly, why should there ever be 5280 feet in a mile? And why should anything smaller than an inch be measured in absurd fractions like ¾ or ⅞ of an inch? And someone please explain to me why the freezing point of water should be 32°F.  Who comes up with this stuff?  People intent on baffling young schoolchildren, I suppose.  Units in base-10 and no fractions are much more logical and easier to deal with.  So if you ever ask me how far it is to Timbuktu or the temperature in Dallas, Texas don’t be surprised if I give you a metric answer. 

Say What?

There are certain words or phrases that different groups of people say.  For example, in Minnesota we are known for saying “ya, you betcha”.  Here are some local Tanzanian colloquialisms that we have heard a lot this year.

• “Its kind of…”
• “Of course”
• Somewhat
• “I say!”
• The word ‘boring’ meaning ‘annoying’
• The word ‘saloon’ where ‘salon’ should be
• The repetition of words like ‘small-small’ and ‘what-what’
• “To your side”
• “How do you see it?”
• “Brilliant!”

Houses and Homes

The typical Tanzanian house is very different from that of an average American’s.  Of course, there are many different types and styles of houses here, as anywhere, but for this article I’m going to take on a tour of a stereotypical upper-middle-class Tanzanian home. 

Houses are built of cinderblocks and cement and are not insulated or heated.  Windows are often covered by steel bars and may or may not have screens.  The typical floor-layout, which shows up over and over, is of a central hallway with rooms off to either side.  A surprisingly large percentage of the rooms in Tanzania are perfectly square.  Carpet is non-existent and floors are often left bare or covered in fake plastic tiling.  When someone is home, doors are often left open.

If you are welcomed into a Tanzanian home, you will be first taken into the living room.  Every Tanzanian living room I’ve been in has a matching couch, loveseat, and one or two chairs.  These furniture sets are always matching and are usually of a pattern that reminds one of the 70s.  The cushions are always overstuffed and feel more like rocks than cushions.  Matching lace doilies are often spread over the backs of the chairs and couches.  Coffee-tables and table-ends are also common and usually very wobbly.  If the family is prospering financially, you may see televisions, DVD players and other electronics.  If there is a television, it is undoubtedly on.  Even if a family has friends over to talk, the TV will still be on in the corner and the Tanzanians will watch it from time to time during the conversation.  Another different thing is that you can usually find a refrigerator in the living room that may contain a few drinks and other things. 

Walls are often painted a pastel yellow, blue, green or off-white.  Sometimes, the bottom few feet are painted a different colour.  Tanzanians don’t decorate their walls with art the way Americans do.  Paintings are very rare, though posters are sometimes found.  If anything, there will be a picture or two of a family member.  The strangest thing is that any picture that is hung on the wall is hung at the very top near the ceiling instead of at eye level. 

Tanzanians don’t show off their houses by leading guests on tours of all the rooms like Americans do.  Once you leave the living room, any decorations or other things immediately disappear. 

The kitchen is often scarce of things.  Most Tanzanians cook outside on charcoal stoves. Dinning rooms often have a sink for washing hands before a meal, a table with chairs and a cabinet with plates and silverware. 

A Tanzanian bathroom is often small.  It probably won’t have a sit-down toilet but only a porcelain hole in the floor.  Showers are rarely separated from the rest of the bathroom and may be just a showerhead attached to one of the walls with a drain below it.  More often, there will just be a drain and a bucket of water.  Very rarely will you see a mirror.

Bedrooms are often plain and simple with just a bed and maybe a shelving-unit for clothes. 

In many ways our house here is very un-Tanzanian.  We have a shower with a tub, a sitting toilet, closets, a cooker, paintings and other things.  And it’s not just what we’ve added that’s different.  Even the lay-out of the house is and the fact that we have panel siding on the outside is different. 

MYRT 10

Not only is what people write with different here, but also what they use to write on.  When I first arrived in Tanzania I found all the paper looked strange.  The standard piece of paper here is slightly longer (11.69 inches) and skinnier (8.27 inches) than one you would find in the States.  The other day when I picked up a piece of US standard size paper, it seemed short and fat.  Notebooks are also different.  You won’t find any spiral-bound notebooks, only hardcover book-style-bound ones.  These, in addition to being long and skinny, are thicker than the average American notebook.  ‘Exercise books’ are also common here.  They are fairly thin, shorter than an American piece of paper, and bound by a staple or piece of thread through the middle. 

MYRT 9

In the States, pencils are the common writing utensil of any grade-schooler.  Here it is pens.  Tanzanians are very particular about their pens.  Many teachers require that assignments and homework be done in black or blue pen (though diagrams are often required to be in pencil). This is just the opposite from the States where some teachers (especially math teachers) will tell you to write in pencil.  Tanzanians are also very careful about writing in a straight line.  If they are given unlined paper they immediately use a ruler or other straight-edge to scribe a vertical line on the left edge and spaced horizontal lines across the entire sheet of paper.  Also, Tanzanian hand-writing is uncommonly generic.  Though there are person-to-person variations, the majority of Tanzanians’ writings are all of the same ‘font’. There also seems to be many less left-hander's in Tanzania.

MYRT 8

Anyone who has been around children in a particular stage of language development knows that it is important to be careful with what you say. They will likely parrot it back to you without the slightest hesitation or knowledge of what they are saying. Sometimes college students similarly catch things that professors say and parrot it back with much glee. So I was reminded with the expression ‘Okey dokey’. I rarely use this expression, but all it took was one time and it stuck. Now my students here are ‘okey dokeying’ all kinds of things. I’ve tried to convince them that only ‘nerds’ use this expression, but then I had to define the word nerd. You try to define nerd; even harder in a different culture. None of this has deterred them from responding enthusiastically ‘Okey dokey!’ with a Tanzanian accent.

Cj

Making a Difference

This week we have a guest columnist with a story he would like to share with you. David Leonard Kabambo is currently a student at the College of African Wildlife Management but has previously worked extensively with children in need across Tanzania.

Nasra’s Wheel Chair

By David Leonard Kabambo

Article 23 of the Conventional on the Rights of a Child (CRC) states, “parties recognize that a mentally or physically disabled child should enjoy a full and decent life, in conditions that ensure dignity, promote self-reliance and facilitate the child’s active participation in the community.”

Every child has the right to grow up in a family environment where they are respected and have a chance to flourish. This doesn’t happen for all children.

Children, especially those with a disability, need moral support from the community and families. No one wants to be born with disability but it is not a choice we have to make. To discriminate against a child with a disability affects him/her psychologically. For those who are studying, this may cause them to drop out of school. Forms of discrimination against children with disabilities in school, continues to be a serious and pervasive social problem not just within the school but also in the community.

While I was training and learning about child protection and behavioral change at Kiberege Ward (a primary school in Tanzania), I saw a child wearing a school uniform crawling like a young baby who can’t yet walk. I was intrigued by this behavior and eager to get a chance to talk to her.

I soon got that chance. Her name is Nasra John Masanja. “I’m 11 years old, studying standard three at Kiberege Primary School. I was born with a physical disability. My leg has a problem so I can’t walk; I must crawl. My mother supports me by carrying me to and from school, but it is hard for her and sometimes she is late to pick me up. Sometimes I ask assistance from my fellow pupils to carry me home some pupils but some are mean when they see me crawling,” she told me.

After hearing her story I decided to find her mother. Majuma, her mother, explained to me, “Nasra was born at St. Francis Hospital in 1998 with a physical disability. The doctor tried to solve the problem, but failed because the bone of leg was so weak. My husband, after he saw her, complained, saying it was a bad omen and that the child would never be able help with anything at home.”

Majuma said she needed the assistance of a wheel chair in order to get Nasra to and from school. Carrying a child is hard work especially as the child grows and gains weight. While she could carry Nasra at the time, she though soon she would no longer be able to carry her daughter.

I was inspired by Nasra’s story and wanted to do something to help. I decided to help her get a wheel chair and I started to raise money. Nasra was astonished and very happy when I told her what I wanted to do. She broke into tears at the news; it was a dream comes true, from darkness into light, a sign of love, devotion and support extended by Tanzania Child and Youth Hope (a non-profit organization) to improve her life. I worked together with Tanzania Child and Youth Hope and after three months I finally had enough to purchase a wheel chair for Nasra.

When she received the wheel chair, Nasra started crying and said, “Oh My God! I wasn’t expecting in my life that one day I would have a wheel chair. I thank you and all those who contributed to getting the wheel chair. You all have such good hearts. The wheel chair will be a big help when it comes to getting around.”

I had another talk with Nasra’s mother. She was very moved by the help extended to her daughter, and wanted to say, “I’m so happy my daughter got a wheel chair. I have been experiencing such a hard time carrying her to and from school daily. Having a wheel chair will keep my daughter from being effected by as many air-borne and water-transmitted diseases that you are exposed to when you crawl. With this kind of environment, it is hard to avoid taking in dust and being contaminated with various germs. I thank Tanzania Child and Youth Hope for supporting my daughter with a wheel chair.”

I want to give another bunch of thanks to the head teacher of Signal Primary School, the place where Nasra is schooling, and to Tanzania Child and Youth Hope for extending so much help and support to Nasra. I also want to personally thank anyone who contributed money to purchase the wheel chair for Nasra, for the ‘move’ and in general, and for standing up for children’s rights.

Nasra is a one among many children living with disabilities in Tanzania. Most of the children like Nasra resemble her in their life stories and experiences.  My wish is that we can work together give these children the help and support they need to live full lives. May we join hands in empowering children and make them realize their full potentials by realizing children’s rights and protect them.

Since 1991 the government has made much progress towards promoting and protecting the rights of children with disabilities. The government, in collaboration with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), have worked hard to improve the situation. However the government still has a long way to go toward fulfilling child rights. There are many children like Nasra that still need our help.

TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE FOR CHILDREN

MYRT 7

One banana, two banana, red banana, black banana. So many varieties of bananas! They are cheap and are often eaten as a main meal, or as desert. You eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They even grow in my backyard, which means I can eat them without my ecological conscious revving up over the fossil fuel used to transport them to Minnesota. They come in many sizes. My favorites are the little ones and the red ones.

CJ

MYRT 6

Coming from Minnesota where the land is frozen most of the year and the growing season short, having fresh fruit and vegetables is a treat that comes only for a few months each year.  Here in Tanzania, fresh fruit and veggies are always in stock.  Depending on the season you can get fresh plums, watermelon, pineapple, oranges, avocadoes, grapes, passion fruit and more.  In addition to the seasonal fruits, other things like cucumbers, tomatoes, greens and bananas can always be bought fresh at the market.  These foods aren’t just fresh, they are delicious too.  Luckily, we are returning to the States in time for the first early-season harvests.  However, going back to fruit shipped thousands of miles next fall will be a hard switch.

MYRT 5

Cufflinks, those little fasteners that men wear to close their dress shirt cuffs. Maybe I’ve hung around the wrong crowds or just haven’t been observant, but in the US these nifty little ‘do-dads’ seem to have gone out of fashion. Does anyone still use them in the States? Here on the other hand they are ubiquitous! They add that extra touch to a suit that imparts a personalized, distinguished, stylish and even regal look.

Likewise dresses for women are much more common here than in the US. In the US professional attire for women is largely skirts or slacks and dresses are generally reserved for weddings or more formal affairs. Here women wear dresses and skirts and rarely slacks. The dresses and skirts are usually hand made out of beautiful African print fabrics that are color coordinated and often embroidered. Most are individually tailor-made and so fit perfectly. The end results are unique, stylish and very attractive.

CJ

MYRT 4

There is no such thing as a bad sunset in Tanzania.  No matter the conditions, there will always be an amazing sunset.  In the evenings, before the sun disappears, the light is so wonderfully golden in a way no other country can imagine.  The landscape is bathed in rich colours of mahogany, saffron and purple slate.  The sky ranges from vivid red to pastel purple to the deep blue-black of night.  Even on cloudy days the sun breaks through at the last moments to provide a beautiful show against the carnival-coloured clouds.  The sunsets happen quickly but every moment is worth catching. We used to be amazed by the pinks and oranges but now we simply take these sights for granted.

 

  

 

MYRT 3

Most processed good found in Tanzania are produced out-of-country.  Almost anything that comes in a jar, bottle, box or can has writing both in English and Arabic.  In the beginning this was always intriguing.  It wasn’t every day that you saw a can of tomato paste with Arabic lettering.  But now it is something that we are much used to.  Even my phone can write in Arabic!  Perhaps now when I go home it will be strange that nothing has Arabic writing. 

A can of Pepsi complete with Arabic writing 

Attachment

Attachment

By Cindy Johnson

For several years, I have escorted undergraduate students to Africa for a class I teach on the conservation biology of Tanzania. This is a wildlife safari complete with elephants, lions and zebra as well as traditional bushman who still hunt and gather wild foods. During the safari, I am confident that each student will experience some changes in the way they view the world. They all leave the US with anticipation of seeing elephants, lions, cheetah, monkeys and giraffes. They return with these memories; not at all disappointed. However they also come away from the journey with ideas they didn’t expect, big life questions and touching memories of Tanzanians.

Safari campfire discussions about Tanzanian lifestyles and standards allow students to reflect on their own lifestyle and standard of living. Students begin to probe deeper and question issues of sustainability, ethics and questions such as “What does it take to be happy in life?” “Does material wealth mean happiness?” Most of the students arrive home with serious questions about their need for material goods. Images of impoverished but happy Tanzanians complicate their reentry into the US. So if Tanzanians can be happy with so little, what is wrong with Americans, who can’t seem to find happiness despite all the material wealth? Though not evaluated or graded, this clearly is one of the most important lessons learned on the trip.

Over the years I have wondered myself about Tanzanians. Are they truly happier? Do they know something Americans and others don’t know? It has always seemed trite to me to say that Tanzanians are content with what they have. Though this may be true, it implies that they don’t want more material wealth. Perhaps they do want more. Is there a difference in world views that enable Tanzanians to be happier than Americans?

It wasn’t until residing in Tanzania for several months that a confluence of events allowed me to recognize some of the differences. It all came together, innocently enough, on a day that I had set out with a Tanzanian friend to day hike up the slopes of Kilimanjaro. I was excited to see the forest, challenge my muscles and enjoy the company of my friend. We had packed our lunches, driven to the park entrance and I anticipated a glorious day on the mountain. My anticipation and expectation quickly turned to disappointment and anger when we learned that we couldn’t hike that day.

I was unwilling to let go of my disappointment and anger. I had become attached to the outcome of hiking up the mountain and could not easily let it go. In the States, generally plans go in accordance with the preparation and I had prepared. The injustice of not being able to do what I wanted to do was unsettling. My friend on the other hand, though disappointed, was able to shrug his shoulders and offer another plan. He was not attached to an outcome in the way I had been.

As we adjusted our plans and drove to our new destination I reflected on why I couldn’t let it go. I come from a culture where one can plan and anticipate outcomes. I realized how keenly attached to the outcome of hiking I had been. My friend comes from a culture where things change constantly; he was not attached to the outcome. I couldn’t easily detach myself from an outcome. My friend shifted easily and almost instantly. I was unhappy while he was quite content. I wondered as we drove, what was wrong with me, why couldn’t I make this transition as easily as he had. Maybe Tanzanians are simply happier people.

This is a culture in which change and unpredictability are certainties. Even rules and regulations are trumped by reality in whatever form it takes. Though Tanzanians can anticipate an outcome they do not become attached to it due to the likelihood that it may never happen. As I pondered this, many things suddenly made sense. In the States we can plan. We have rules and regulations that allow us to achieve what we set out to achieve. We have support systems that function efficiently.

This is not the case in Tanzania. One can plan here, but things may or may not happen in the way you anticipate. Allow me to illustrate the difference with a simple example. In the States when students plan to go to college, they get the necessary loans and with the help of clearly stated loan regulations they can plan to attend college for four years. Sometimes if the loan paperwork wasn’t processed properly there may be problems, but for the most part it is a smooth, predictable and relatively easy process. A Tanzanian student on the other hand faces more uncertainties in acquiring a loan for college.

Just as in the US the process is govern by regulations and tedious procedures. However, unlike the US, in Tanzania, even the successful applicant is not guaranteed the anticipated outcome of completing a degree. Recently I read in the paper that there isn’t enough money for student loans. In Tanzania the government issues the loans and pays the institutions directly. So if the government doesn’t have money, it doesn’t matter if the student is entitled to a loan. With no incoming government money the universities and colleges hold the students “hostage”. They are not allowed to take final exams unless they are financially solvent with the college. So an entire semester can be lost in the end. Or as happened to other students, the government simply neglected to process the paperwork in a timely fashion and final exams were jeopardized.

My sensibilities cry, ‘Injustice!’ because I am American and consequently largely entitled. My Tanzanian friends, though angry and discouraged expect these uncertainties and are much quicker to accept the outcome. They do not dwell on it, for dwelling on these uncertainties would certainly lead to an unhappy life. Instead they accept it in stride. It is important to note, that they don’t necessarily like the outcome. They too are angry and discouraged, but it takes them much less time to accept and move on.

The lesson for me is clear. We can’t control outcomes and remaining attached to a particular outcome only leads to unhappiness. So is this the secret? Is this why Tanzanians are happier? Perhaps. It seems to me a more likely answer than believing that Tanzanians aren’t interested in having material things. Students here, like students in the US, covet fancy computers, cameras and iPods. We all posses the desire to have more, do better and achieve, but we don’t all have the resiliency, nor acceptance for unpleasant outcomes.

Though perhaps all humans desire to have more material wealth it is not an expectation to which they are attached as it can be in the US. For Tanzanians the desire to achieve (tasks or wealth) is strong, but uncertainties restrict attachment to these achievements / outcomes.

Though this may not explain why Tanzanians seem happier, I know there is a lesson here for me. Happiness resides in an ability to let go and to not form attachment to outcomes. I am not entitled to any specific outcomes and the sooner I let this notion go, the happier I will be. Once I was able to let the mountain hike go, we had a wonderful day of birding with the added bonus of swimming in a lovely tropical springs surrounded by luxuriant figs and palms.

In my musings that day I also realized that easy acceptance of outcomes explained yet another trait I had observed. Tanzanian students appear to settle for outcomes almost too easily. Extending these thoughts a bit further helped me see that the extreme of acceptance is acquiescence. Tanzania students are not acquiescent; nor are they militant about fighting for their rights. There are times when being attached to outcomes and persisting is important. The wisdom is in knowing when to let go and when to persist.

The truly happy people are those who have achieved a balance; people who have learned when to let go and when to persist. Perhaps material wealth isn’t one of those important things.

MYRT 2

Tea.  Or chai. Tanzanians love their tea time.  Everyday in the late morning a special time is reserved for tea break.  When tea time comes everyone stops what they are doing and faithfully observes the break.  The tea is always the same but very good.  The black tea is served with milk and so incredibly hot that I always wonder how the Tanzanians can drink it straight away. (I have come to the conclusion that their tongues are some how genetically equipped so as to be impervious to hot temperatures.) 

As well as a love for tea, Tanzanians have a very fond appreciation of sugar.  Very fond.  After a Tanzanian receives his/her steaming cup of tea they will immediately add three or four or more heaping spoonfuls of sugar.  Whenever I observe this, the first thing that always comes to mind is ‘saturated solution’.  I’m not sure if Tanzanians are aware of this, but there is a limit as to how much sugar can be dissolved in one cup of tea.  If you take a modest amount to sugar, say two spoonfuls, you will get a strange look that translates into something like ‘crazy American’.  The strange part is that most Tanzanians don’t like sweet things.  They don’t crave desserts or eat candy like Americans but they add enormous quantities of sugar to their tea.  I’m not sure I understand that one.

Tea is often taken with a small food bit such as chapati (a flat bread) or maandazi (think doughnut minus the frosting). 

I have become much attached to the concept of tea time.  First, I like the idea of a second breakfast (though for most Tanzanians it is their breakfast).  Second, it provides a nice break in work.  And third, there is the social component that draws people together.  For these reasons, I think a tea movement should be started in America to instate a tea time in our daily lives.  I have gotten used to tea time and I don’t want to see it end. 

MYRT 1

Today we start with the Mundane Yet Remarkable Thing number one.  This happens to be livestock.  A very mundanely remarkable thing.  What is so remarkable about livestock, you ask?  Well, first think about livestock in America.  What is most likely to come to mind is the classic black-and-white Bessy placidly chewing cud in a serene green pasture surrounded by a white-picket fence.  In Tanzania, there are very few of these kinds of cows.  Instead the predominant breed here is what I like to call the camel-cow.  These cows have humps on their upper backs that remind me of camels.  There are also a fair number of long-horns in some areas of Tanzania. 

The Camel-Cow

Another common livestock in the States is chicken.  But here they wander around in peoples’ backyards instead of being confined to mass cages on industrial farms.  In the beginning we remarked on the  frequency with which we saw these birds (they seem to show up everywhere, from ditches to restaurants to buses), but now this has become commonplace.  Oh, and roosters don’t just crow at sunrise.  They do it whenever they feel like it. 

The two other common livestock are goats and sheep.   These often graze the roadside ditches with cows.  This is the second remarkable thing that has become commonplace.  Livestock here are not restricted to pastures but graze wherever fodder is available which is often on roadsides.  Drive along any road and you’ll eventually see livestock busily munching roadside greens or plodding leisurely across the road. (Naturally, the more of a hurry you’re in, the more leisurely the livestock plod.) Initially we were intrigued by the herds crossing the roads followed by their herder but these days we hardly notice. 

 

Mundane Yet Remarkable Things (MYRT)

As departure looms with less than a month less, I will be using the rest of the days to reflect on my time here.  Over the next three weeks I will be writing short commentaries on things that were once strange, unusual, or fascinating and are no longer out of the ordinary.  These are the every-day things that truly define a culture – how people act, how they talk, how the environment looks and more.  These are the things once seemed exotic and intriguing but now are commonplace.  I aim at posting one commentary each day or at least every other day so take a moment from you coffee break and keep updated. 

Bartering 101

In American culture the word shopping conjures up images of gossiping teenage girls clutching designer purses, and soccer moms pushing overflowing grocery carts through the isles of Cub-Foods with Junior sitting up front, screaming for a box of Coco-Puffs.  In Tanzania, shopping is done a little differently.  Sure, girls here, as all over the world, like buying the latest fashions and you can find mothers in any country purchasing food for the dinner table.  It’s the way shopping is done wherein the difference lies.

Many Americans like buying in bulk and keep enough food stashed in the cupboards to last a nuclear disaster.  Refrigeration and stores like Sam’s Club make this possible.  When you don’t have reliable electricity, or no fridge at all, you are less inclined to buy in bulk.  People here more often buy as needed.  You see people in the supermarket buying just a few items - a loaf of bread, a bag of sugar. 

In the States, when you buy something, the price is always greater than you initially think it will be because of taxes.  Here, the price is always lower than the initial value because of bartering.  This fact of life has refreshing and I think switching back to paying full price for vegetables in the State will not be a favorable transition.

Learning to bargain is not an element of most young American’s education.  The only time this skill is used is at summer garage sales, a relatively low percentage of the average shopper’s expenditures.  So naturally, when I first arrived on this wonderful continent I was naïve bargainer.  However, I was a quick study and I can now confidently navigate my way around any marketplace. This isn’t to say it was an easy subject to master.

The most important part to bartering is knowing the true value of the good you want to purchase.  This is very difficult when you are unfamiliar with the prices of the goods.  You may know the average price of a gallon of milk or bag of potato chips in your state, but do you know the prices of these goods in Russia?  Probably not.  So when you first arrive you are very susceptible to anchoring (the belief that the first price mentioned is the closest to reality). 

This problem is further exacerbated by the colour of my skin.  Much as many Americans stereotype Africans as being tall, Africans think all Americans and Europeans are rich.  Consequentially, the moment a mzungu (white person) walks into a market, the prices increase twofold or more.

Upon entering a market, a food market for instance, the first thing you see are the stacks of carrots, pyramids of tomatoes, and other arrangements of fruits and vegetables, the old umbrellas protecting the goods from the sun and the seller, usually a woman, sitting behind her foodstuffs.  The first thing you hear is “Hallo, rafiki!” (Rafiki means friend in Swahili.)  Each vendor vies for your attention hoping to get the gullible mzungu to pay inflated prices.  If you stop to inspect their wares, they will say, “Good price for you, rafiki!” which really means ‘double price’ as any price you are given is nowhere near the real price that would be asked of any native Tanzanian.  Even location within the market can affect price.  On the edges of the market, where most Caucasian tourists buy food, the prices are even higher than those at the heart of the market where fewer mzungus wander. 

This prejudice pervades the culture and becomes irritating when you are continually asked to pay twice or thrice market value.  It is true that many visitors to Tanzania are rich Caucasians going on safari, but this is a poor representation of the American or European pocketbook.  There are also volunteers who are living off only a small stipend.  I even know some Tanzanians who are richer in their own country than my family is in the States. 

Even knowing the real price does not guarantee you a fair transaction. Once you are given the initial price you may ask for half that knowing the seller has given you the mzungu price.  But the seller will want to haggle more and you may still end up paying too much.  It takes tricks like feigning disinterest, pointing out the poor quality of the product, and walking away to get a price worth paying.  This process takes time and having to repeat the procedure becomes tiresome.  However, arriving home with a fair deal is quite satisfying.

Things I Have Learned

My year in Tanzania has taught me many things. Here is a list of some of those things.

• How to barter in the market
• The basics of Swahili
• How to teach
• How to shower in water just above absolute zero
• The rules of tennis
• To cook local fare
• To tolerate internet that moves slower than continental plates
• To adjust to being watched by everyone within eyeshot
• To identify Tanzanian birds
• Patience
• A new culture
• How to play badminton
• To use local public transportation
• To dance
• Fix a flat tire
• Do laundry without a washing machine
• Function without electricity
• Function without water
• De-slug a kitchen (to remove giant slugs from kitchen countertops)
• To eat new foods like passion fruit, ugali and coconuts
• To write on blackboads

Yes, Teacher

Now that you know a little more about schooling in Tanzania, I can tell you more about my adventures as a teacher.  This year, before arriving in Tanzania, I thought perhaps I could volunteer at a school and help tutor or do other things.  What I never expected was that  I would become a teacher. 

Needless to say, when I was offered a position as a teacher I was shocked.  In the States, being a teacher requires taking many classes, student-teaching and passing exams.  I have just finished high school (only a few years ahead of some of my students) and the closest I’ve ever been to teaching is class presentations.  I am more than confidant that this makes me far less than qualified.  That said, I am probably a more normal teacher here than I would be in the States.  The profession of teaching in Tanzania is, for most, a fallback job.  For many of them it is a capital-raising stop to gather enough funds to continue their education at university so they can get the job they really want.  Many teachers here were never interested in teaching and are only teachers for the money (though being a teacher here doesn’t pay well either).  I find this point shocking when  I think about it because teaching is a profession that truly requires passion.  A good teacher is one who loves his/her job, not one who is just in it for the money. 

And so I became teacher of Information and Computer Studies.  In my first week I acquired a syllabus.  For many of the topics I was to teach, I was either unfamiliar with or totally unaware of the material.  Only after some serious research was I able to acquaint myself with what I was to teach. 

I have found many challenges in my new profession.  The most obvious is that I’ve had no experience teaching.  This problem is magnified when you are teaching in a different country.  Within your own school system you know how things work.  You know the level of material students are taught at various levels, you know how the marking scheme is laid out, you know how things are done.  Here I’ve had to figure out what my students knew before I could start.

I’ve been teaching Forms I and II which are the Tanzanian equivalent of 8th and 9th graders.  Though you might assume that because there are so many students in a classroom that they are ill-behaved.  On the contrary, Tanzanian students are actually much better than American students.  When a teacher enters the classroom, all of the students rise and say “Good morning/afternoon, teacher” which is then returned by the teacher.  All of the students stand until the teacher tells them to sit and then class can begin.  If a student is called upon, he/she will stand before answering.  Questions addressed to the class will be answered in a chorus “Yes, teacher”.  Students are taught to respect teachers from the start the way we are taught to eat with our mouths closed. 

This respect seems like a great system until you learn how it is enforced.  In Tanzania, punishment is legal and widespread.  Students who misbehave are paddled or caned.  In one instance, I was sitting in the teacher lounge before class when another teacher brought in three boys.  He first caned their hands three times each and then set them hopping out the door and back to their classroom  like frogs.  Just as common, and probably even more effective, is humiliation as a form of punishment.  When the other teachers find out I don’t believe in these types of punishment, they ask, “Then how do you keep them under control?”  To them, this is the only way they know. 

The students seem to like having a mzungu (white person) teacher, though they probably have a harder time understanding me.  My American English with a non-Tanzanian accent has on several occasions confused them.   But I find that as long as I speak slowly, repeat myself and write on the blackboard they seem to understand.  Or at least they say they do.

Unlike in the States where children grow up around computers, many students here have never even touched a computer.  So teaching computers requires starting with the basics of turning on the computer and how to use a mouse.  Now teaching computers, once you know where to start, isn’t an altogether difficult task.  But teaching computers without electricity on the other hand, can be rather challenging.  Two lessons plans per class period are required – one for electricity and one without. And even more challenging than no power is variable power because you never know which version to teach, practical or theoretical.

Even on a good day, one with reliable power, teaching computers can be difficult.  When you have a class of 60+ students and less than 30 working computers, things can be a bit crowded.  Though my school is lucky enough to have computers, all of them are old and a few of them are nonfunctional.  Students have to share machines, often three to one computer, which means each task takes three times as long because every student needs to do the exercise in rotation. 

Assigning homework can be just as difficult at teaching without electricity.  Students here don’t have textbooks for most of their classes (and if they do they share), the library is small, and of course they can’t just hop on the internet to look things up.  Consequently, this means think of out-of-class-work becomes a creative exercise.  And grading that homework is no easy task when you have over 60 per class essays to mark. 

Through grading of homework and exams, observation, and other ways I have noted that Tanzanians excel in rote memorization but are challenged by creative thinking.  Students here can memorize formulas, definitions and lists and hold on to that knowledge for long periods of time but problem solving is not taught.   Though some school-knowledge is valuable in daily life, the most important things you learn in school are not the facts, but what to do with those facts.  If I could leave my students with only one lesson it would be the importance of thinking creatively is. 

Though it has been difficult at times, I am glad to have had this opportunity as a teacher.  I have learned many things about teaching and probably just as many about being a student. 

2 + 2 = 4

This year I have been teaching in a Tanzanian school.  It has been interesting to see how things differ between schooling here and in the States.  Here is a look at some of the things I’ve noticed. 

In Tanzania school years are arranged a bit differently.  You start out at age seven with primary schooling which consists of seven years, called Standards.  These first seven years are mandatory.  After that, if you wish, you progress to a secondary school for four more years.  At this level grades are known as forms and are not required by the government.  And when you’ve completed Form IV, if you have passed your exams you can continue with Forms V and VI.   In these two forms you choose a ‘career-track’ which formulates three major class focuses.  For example, if you wanted to be a doctor you would take the PCB track in which you focus on physics, chemistry and biology.  Once you’ve graduated from that, you are able to go to college or university, which an increasing number of students are doing. 

Unlike in the States, schooling here is not free.  Tuition, books, stationary and uniforms all incur costs that, only some of which is covered by the government. Unfortunately, this means that some families don’t have enough capital to send all their children through school.

Another difference is dress.  All Tanzanian school have strict dress codes and students wear school uniforms.  Depending on the school colours, the uniform is usually wine-red or navy-blue (though any colour is possible) slacks for boys and skirts for girls with a white shirt or blouse.  Shoes are traditionally black Dockers which are meticulously buffed to the teachers’ standards. 

School systems in Tanzania aren’t standardized as they are in the States. Many public schools are gender segregated and there are also many more private schools here.  Most Tanzanian schoolchildren board at their schools.  This is partly due to the fact that many children are sent half way across the country to a school.  This happens because the closest good school may be that far away, the child wants more independence, or for other reasons.  Some families even choose to send their children out of country.

Unlike in the States, here you don’t get to choose your classes until Form VI.  Until then you take the same classes with all your classmates for all four years of secondary school.  For example, at my school those classes would be, Physics, Biology, Kiswahili, English, Computer Studies, Bible Knowledge, Geography, Civics, Commerce, Book-Keeping, Chemistry, and Basic Mathematics.  Class schedules are arranged in typical American university fashion, with certain classes on different days. 

Due to the lack of teaching staff and budget, classes are crowded and often have over 60 students per room.  Your typical classroom has one old pitted chalkboard at the front, bared windows, and rows of wooden desks and benches crowded with students. 

Tanzanians recognize English as an important international language and as so, English is taught from primary school and upon reaching secondary school, all classes are taught in English.  Of course having been a former British colony, Tanzanian teaches proper British English. I particularly love this point of being taught in a second language, though it can be incredibly difficult,  because it helps fluency so much.  I wish my schooling could have been done in such a manner. 

As for similarities, Tanzanian schools, like those in the States, have many standardized tests.  To graduate from Form IV, you must pass standardized exams in all subjects that, I would say, are more rigorous than their American equivalents. 

Another big difference is out-of-class work.  There are no janitors or custodians here.  It is the students that are required to keep the school clean and in order.  Additionally some schools have shamba or farms on which the students plant, weed and harvest maize and other crops. 

PT in TZ

Public transportation is very different here in Tanzania compared to the United States.  In my rural mid-west hometown, we only have two forms of public transportation.   We have a transit bus system which only works in-town and very few people use it.  And we have school buses which are used exclusively by, you guessed it, school children.  Needless to say, neither of these services are very inclusive. 

As you look across America, there are some places with better transportation means, but the overall picture is quite grim.  There are subways underneath New York City, taxis in Washington D.C., trolleys in San Francisco and Greyhound buses that run in between but in smaller cities, it is hard to get around unless you have your own means of transportation.  Americans like to be independent, and in terms of transportation they certainly are. 

In Tanzania, things are just the opposite.  Few citizens own their own cars and most take public transportation. The most common type of transportation is known as the daladala.  These mini busses shuttle passengers to every possible location.  Often painted with nonsensical slogans they are always packed with people.  Tanzanian’s don’t have a culture of ‘personal bubbles’ as Americans do and have no qualms about packing fifteen or more people in a vehicle only slightly larger than a minivan.  And when there isn’t enough room,  people hang on from outside as the daladala zooms down the road. Often pile of bananas, chickens in cages or colorful empty buckets are strapped to the top and back of the vehicle making for a precarious load. 

The next step up in transportation are buses.  These buses are like many buses you might find in any major American metropolis but a few decades older.  In fact, these buses, and many other vehicles for that matter, are imported from Japan, with Japanese writing still intact.  These buses are used within major cities, like Dar es Salaam, and between large cities (for example, between Moshi and Arusha).   Like daladalas these become packed with civilians, especially at key rush-hour times. 

Going up the transportation ladder we reach coach buses.  In Tanzania, there are a wide range of coach buses from luxury to economy.  At the top end, you can find buses with air conditioning and music videos.  At the other end you find hot, noisy dusty coach buses which just get the job done.  Most of these buses travel at high speeds, barely braking for speed bumps.  Many are not aligned properly which causes somewhat alarming sights of large buses cruising down the road diagonally.  These buses sit five across with occasional passengers standing in the aisle between stops.  Additional passengers include squawking chickens who can be particularly noisy when frightened.  When traveling down dirt roads, things can get a bit dirty.  Due to tight quarters windows need to be opened to let in a breeze.  Of course when the bus slows, the cloud of fine red dust catches up the vehicle coating everything in a grimy layer of red.  Additionally, pot-holed roads and incautious drivers create an alarmingly bumpy ride which often involves being entirely dislodged from your seat.  As may be imagined, coach buses are used for long distance travel.

Additionally, Tanzania has a few rail-lines that operate primarily in southern Tanzania and provide transportation to areas that would otherwise only be reachable by air.

If you are interested in private public transportation there are a few options.  Taxis are common and useful for late nights when daladalas are done for the day.  They are much like American taxis but are white instead of yellow and price is negotiated before departure.    Option number two is bajaji which is a small, open-sided, three-wheeled motor car which can accommodate two passengers and a driver.  These, though bumpy, are cheaper and more scenic.  And lastly, you can hire a motorcycle to transport you a short distance. 

All of these options are efficient and inexpensive.  Though you may have to wait a long time for a daladala, in the end it is more cost-effective.  Because of the well designed system in place, public transportation here makes it possible to reach any destination at a reasonable rate. 

Fact Check That (Part 2 of 2)

Welcome back to part two of Getting to Know Tanzania Through Facts and Figures.  This week we continue with facts and figures about the economy of Tanzania.

Despite it’s natural beauty, Tanzania is in the bottom 10% of the world’s economies.  Tanzania’s GDP, in terms of purchasing power (what goods in Tanzania would cost in the USA), is a trivial $57.5 billion in comparison to the United States’ $14.26 trillion. (At the official exchange rate (Tanzania’s GDP converted to US dollars), Tanzania’s GDP is only $22.16 billion.)  Per capita, this is $1,400 (201st*).  Per capita GDP in the States is $46,000 (11th).  The percentage of the population below the poverty line in Tanzania is 36%.  There is nothing surprising about this figure.  The percentage of the population below the poverty line in the United States is 12%.  I find this rather astounding.  How is it the country with the world’s largest and most powerful economy find itself with 36,865,454 people living in poverty? Tanzania only has 14,777,471 people living below the poverty line.  The US has almost two and a half times the amount of people living in poverty that Tanzania does but over 600 times the GDP.  Now it is worth considering what is meant by poverty line.  This metaphorical line is based on many figures and varies considerably country-to-country.  This means what qualifies as poverty in one country may not qualify in another.  Thus is should be noted that poverty in the US is very different from poverty in Tanzania where poverty means living on a dollar a day.

Tanzania’s economy is primarily agriculture, with 40% of the GDP comprised of agricultural activities.  This is rather amazing given that only 4.23% of the land is arable. (18.01% of the United States is suitable for farming).  Additionally, 80% of the labour force works in agriculture and 85% of exports are agricultural goods.  Things grown for mass-market in Tanzania include: coffee, sisal, tea, cotton, cashew nuts, tobacco, cloves, corn, wheat, cassava, and bananas.  Tanzania exports $2.744 billion in  gold, coffee and cashew nuts, manufactured goods and cotton to mainly India, Japan, and China.

In terms of public debt, Tanzania owes 24.8% of it’s GDP.  Externally, it owes $7.07 billion dollars.  These figures are pennies compared to the debts of America.  In public debt, the United States owes 52.9% of it’s GDP.  This, of course, doesn’t include state and inter-governmental debt.  If it did, add another 30% of the GDP.  In external debt, the United States owes $13.45 trillion.  That make us #1 in terms of debt.  Congratulations us.

Tanzania consumes 32,000bbl/day of oil (112th), all of which is imported. The United States, as the number one consumer of oil, uses 19.5 million bbl/day, of which only 8.514 million bbl/day is produced internally.  In 2008, Tanzania consumed 560.7 million cu m of natural gas (93rd) whereas the US consumed 657.2 billion cu m(1st).  Given these figures, it should come as no surprise that the United States is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide on the planet.  Congratulations again.

Tanzania has a striking number of cell phone lines: 14.723 million.  This figure becomes clearer when you know that many Tanzanians have two or even three different phone lines with different companies.  A more reasonable number is the 179,849 main lines Tanzania posses.  For comparison, the US has 270 million cell phone lines and 150 million land lines. 

Americans love their televisions.  The fact that as of 2006, there were 2,218 different TV broadcasting stations proves this.  Tanzania, on the other hand, has just 3.  The US is also home to 231 million internet users while Tanzania has just 520,000 though this figure is rising.

Ask any Tanzanian and one thing they’ll say about the country is the poor infrastructure.  And indeed, it hasn’t quite the development as the United States.  Of the 78,891 km of roads in Tanzania, 72,083 of them are unpaved. (The United States has more miles of roads than any other country coming in with 6,465,799 km.)  Tanzania also has 125 airports,of which only 9  are paved.  (Again the US has more airports than any other nation with 15,095.)

Another thing Tanzanians will say about their country is it’s history of non-violence.  Tanzanians proud themselves on their passive nature.  Tanzania spends only .2% of its GDP on military (170th of 173).  The US throws 4.06% of its GDP ($578,956,000,000) to its military. Though the US rank appears lower, 28th world-wide, it is the highest among western nations and the countries ahead of it include: Oman, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, and Israel among others. (Iceland comes in last at 0.00%. I guess there isn’t a lot of desire for invading frozen islands in the middle of the North Atlantic.)  Additionally, Tanzania has taken in more refugees than any other African nation (480,613) mostly from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Comparatively the United States accepted 100,159 refugees from around the world in 2004-2005.

Though the USA may have better infrastructure and a longer life expectancy, this does not mean that it is a better place to live.  The United States is shackled with debt and produces an outrageous amount of green house gases.

Hopefully these statistics help give you a better picture of Tanzania and where it stands in the world.

 

* Disassociated numbers in parenthesis indicate rank among the world

Note: All facts and figures compliments of the CIA World Factbook and the math is brought to you by my handy Casio calculator.

Fact Check This (Part 1 of 2)

Recently, I realized that though I have given much commentary on Tanzania’s culture and landscape, I have supplied very few real facts.  This series will come in two parts, the first concerning social facts and the second, economics.  So here is a little commentary, and a lot of facts.

On the 9th of December, 1961, Tanganyika gained independence from British rule.  A few years later, the island of Zanzibar gained similar independence and joined with the mainland to form the United Republic of Tanzania on 26th April, 1964.  Hence the name, Tanzania.

The country of Tanzania is the world’s 31st largest with a total size of 947,300 sq km, roughly two Californias.  In comparison the USA is the 3rd largest nation with 9,826,675 sq km (3/10 the size of the African continent).  Tanzania is bordered by 8 countries and 1424 km of the Indian Ocean.  The country is home to many of the ‘continent’s greatest’ including highest mountain (Mt. Kilimanjaro at 5895 m), and the three of the largest lakes (Victoria, Tanganyika and Nyasa).  Additionally, Lake Victoria is the world’s second largest freshwater lake, and Lake Tanganyika is the world’s second deepest.  Tanzania is also home to part of the Great Rift Valley, Ngorongoro caldera and a plethora of unique flora and fauna.

Lake Victoria

The population of this African nation comes in at 41,048,532 (30th*), much below the USA which weighs in at 307,212,123.  This is only where the difference in population begin.  The median age in Tanzania is 18; in the United States it is 36.7.  The population over 65 consists of a mere 2.9% in Tanzania versus 12.8% in the US.  This statistic is more dramatic when seen from a different angle.  The average life expectancy for a Tanzanian is 52.01 years (206th of 224), 26.1 years less than the average American life expectancy.  It’s a little better for women who get an expected 53.51 years but it’s still much less than the American woman who gets 80.69 years.  Though we complain much about the costs and hassles of health care in the States, we really are getting a good deal.  That said, there are still 48 countries with better life expectancies than the United States.  (If you want to live long, move to Macau, Andorra or Japan.)  Infant mortality in Tanzania is 69.28/1000 live births (25th) – over ten times the rate in the US!  Like many developing nations, Tanzania’s urban population is on the rise.  25% of the population already lives in cities (compared with 82% in America) and that number is increasing at a rate of 4.2%.  The population as a whole is increasing at a rate of 2.04% (55th).

Tanzania, like all of Africa, is facing a HIV/AIDS crisis.  There are 1.4 million (6th) people living with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania alone.  There are 1.2 million infected in the States, but compared with population size, this is a much smaller fraction (6.2% for Tanzania versus 0.6% in the States).  Tanzania is also seventh in terms of HIV/AIDS deaths with 96,000 in 2007.

Tanzanian education, as you may imagine, is lagging.  Literacy is at 69.4% (girls comprising 62.2% and boys 77.5%).  Part of this may be explained by examining education expenditures.  Tanzania spends 2.2% of it’s GDP on education (164th).  In comparison the US spends a little more at 5.3% (57th).  What do these figures translate into?  With a little math you find that Tanzania spends $27.61 on each student.  This figure is an estimate because because it is based on the population below 14 and not all children below 14 go to school and many children above 14 go to school.  Nevertheless it is in the ballpark.  The math for the United States works out at $12,200.86 per student but this figure is bound to be high as it does not factor in any student over the age of 14.  Surprisingly, the majority of the countries with the highest educational spending are those in the South Pacific, with the tiny island of Kiribati coming in first at 17.80%.  On the other hand, the countries with the lowest GDP are the same Pacific island nations.

Tanzania is comprised of mainly three religions. 30% of the population is some denomination of Christian, 35% Muslim and the remaining 35% of believers hold indigenous religious beliefs. The percentage of the Muslim population increases as you head east; the island of Zanzibar is over 99% Muslim.  In comparison, the United States is 78.5% Christian and only 0.6% Muslim (the remaining percentage comprised of other beliefs (4.9%) and unaffiliated/non-believers(16.1%)).  

Tanzania, upon gaining independence, became a republic and choose to develop a legal system based on English common law.  Like the States, suffrage is 18 years and universal.  The current president, Jakaya Kikwete, has been in office since 21 December 2005.  Presidential terms last five years and the next election is coming up in October 2010.  In the last election, Kikwete won with a resounding 80.3%.  Compare this with our last presidential election in which Barak Obama won with 52.4% (a percentage most Americans did not find close).

Tanzania’s flag, as shown, consists of four colours.  The green represents the country’s flora, the yellow for it’s mineral deposits, black for the people and blue for it’s lakes and rivers.

Now that I have given you a multitude of facts, take some time to mull them over and come back next week for part 2.

 

* Disassociated numbers in parenthesis indicate rank among the world

Note: All facts and figures compliments of the CIA World Factbook and the math is brought to you by my handy Casio calculator.

Tanzania Wears Prada

Brand names.  Americans love them. Abercrombie and Fitch, Banana Republic, Columbia, GAP, Nike, Talbot, Birkenstock. Fashion is important in America, especially to younger people.  Social status is defined by the names on the tags of your clothing.  Consumers faithfully return to their favorite stores, spending a fortune on a pair of blue jeans.  Many even fall into debt because of their want for the best, newest clothing.

In Tanzania, appearance is as, or perhaps even more, important than in America.  But people here aren’t concerned with brand names.  A different kind of style reigns.  It doesn’t matter who made your clothes, or so much how they look or fit.  What matters is that you are wearing nice clothing.  Everyone wants to look ‘sharp’ and respectable.  Brand names mean nothing to Tanzanians.  Clothing is clothing.  Having an outfit that matches isn’t key.  But your overall appearance is essential.  It doesn’t matter who designed your dress slacks just as long as they’re ironed and creased properly.  Westerners have the stereotypic image of an African child in a baggy, tattered shirt and old flip-flops.  This stereotype is wrong.  Sure, you can find children dressed like this.  But anyone who can afford it, dresses well.  You won’t find anyone wearing sweat pants and torn sweatshirts for anything other than working out.  People place much importance on looking good.  Not on having the right brand names or latest fashions, but on the statement that you have taken care to look your best. 

Though Western clothing has become a dominant style in Tanzania, tradition still holds on.  Traditional dress is still apparent, especially for women.  Custom-made dresses cut from richly patterned fabrics are sewn with old Singer machines on street corners.  These dresses come in countless styles and have a truly African flavor.  Swaths of fabric known as khanga are wrapped around the the waist as a skirt are sometimes worn with the Western T-shirt.  Many Maasai, a tribe in East Africa, completely refuse to wear anything Western and proudly display their traditional shúkà dyed deep red and blue.  On the coast, where Arabic influence is apparent, men wear white tunics with matching caps and women are hidden underneath floor-length burkas. 

Clothes shopping is a mêlée of noise, heat and colour.  There are no shopping malls and clothing boutiques here.  Buying clothes must be done from a secondhand clothing market.  The clothing market near where we live sits atop red African soil and under the brilliant equatorial sun.  It’s quite expansive, extending a area comparable with that of a Western shopping mall.  The sharp smell of second-hand clothing permeates but doesn’t repel.  Wooden lean-tos with tarp roofing house ever type of clothing imaginable.  Some specialize in women’s blouses, others in blue jeans and others in hats.  In some, clothing is displayed from wire hangers and in others, clothing is left in rumpled heaps for the shopper to sort through.  Other vendors don’t have the convenience of a lean-to and pile clothes on low tables or on tarps spread on the ground.  Women with fanny-packs of small bills yell out prices like auctioneers and school-girls dig through piles of shirts for something that suits their fancy.

All clothing that passes through these markets is second hand, some used more gently than others.  Brand names are stuck next to nameless designers, with nothing to distinguish the two.  For some articles of clothing, it is clear how they got here – stained or torn or so terribly out of fashion they shouldn’t ever be allowed to be worn again.  Other garments are hidden treasures that don’t even show signs of wear.  Some obviously came straight from the garage sale, 25¢ masking tape price tag still attached while others could have walked right out of Macy’s.  The ones in better shape fetch higher prices - $2 for a shirt and $7 for a pair of pants at most.  If you’re lucky you can find great deals in the piles of clothing that would cost you only pennies.

Finding suitable clothing is somewhat challenging in this environment.  For starters, you have to find something that you like.  Once that is accomplished, does it fit?  Is it clean?  Is it damaged at all?  Finding an article of clothing that meets all of these requirements can be tricky.  But once you find something that works, you have a distinct feeling of accomplishment. 

Pole na Mazoezi

By Cindy Johnson

Pole (Po lay) is a Tanzanian expression that has no equivalent in English. It is a way of expressing sympathy for other’s work or difficulties in life. It is a wonderful and pervasive expression in Tanzania. It is a common greeting for roadside travelers burdened with a heavy load or firewood or water or for a friend whose car has broken down. It is a nice way of saying to someone, ‘I see you suffer from the inevitable burdens of life and I feel empathy.’

As I walk up the mountain toward my goal, the gate of Kilimanjaro National Park, I am greeted in many ways including “pole”, as villagers express empathy for my trudge up the mountain. “Asante, na wewe pia” I respond, and you too. The very idea that these villagers are encouraging me to keep trudging, gives me extra energy, but at the same time feels utterly ridiculous as I watch them also trudge up the mountain beneath a load of firewood balanced carefully on their head. Their burden is not by choice as mine is. I am exercising; they are working.

Exercising intentionally is something that mzungus (white people) do. We are joined by a small minority of Tanzanians who have similar positions behind computers or otherwise no longer have to harvest their food or fuel. Here on a college campus this includes many students, faculty and staff. But most Tanzanians have no need for physical exercise and must find it amusing to watch this mzungu professor marching up the mountain. They are physically strong with endurance that exceeds most athletes. Nonetheless they greet me warmly and offer encouragement.

I watch my fellow exercisers. A man pushes an old bike up the mountain laden with firewood that extends a meter in each direction from his bike. A young girl, no more than 8 years old, expertly balances a bucket of water atop her head as she heads for home. A woman squats while collecting forage; she is limber and flexible. This is what our bodies were meant to do, not run on treadmills.

I have never enjoyed exercising more than here on this mountain. Not only am I constantly encouraged and inspired by the many ‘pole’s I receive, but by the beauty of life. Walking (and running) has allowed me to explore my home on this mountain. With the assistance of students (lest I get lost!), I have explored villages, river gorges, paths that meander amidst banana plantations and stately coffee plantations. Everywhere I am greeted warmly and invited to partake in the local brew, mbege (millet beer). Most know me as the professor from the college. I am shadowed by children anxious to try out their English, wishing me ‘Good Morning’, regardless of the time of day. With few exceptions, I listen to villagers twitter and giggle with mirth as I pass; my Kiswahili is comical at best and I am happy to brighten their day.

Life as it exists here on the mountain is rich and full. Children, neatly dressed in school uniforms and in no hurry, walk home for chores and homework. A small boy dressed in winter ski cap slaloms down the mountain on his imaginary skis and his crude stick poles. A villager under the influence of too much mbege, calls loudly after the mzungu. Pods of women, sharing the day’s news, meander slowly up the mountain. Theirs is a sharing that has happened for centuries; burdens made lighter by comrades. An older man tugs at the lead rope to his cow, switch in hand trying to maneuver man and beast up the mountain. The butcher peers past the carcass that hangs from the ceiling of his small stall, watching and waiting for customers. Chickens skitter across the road and dogs sulk in the shadows. Blue Sykes monkeys perform wild aerobatics teasing me to watch their antics.

Omnipresent, is the mountain. My routes include up and down, both are inevitable. I can choose, up first and then down or vice versa, but always they come together. The mountain provides encouragement, inspiring glimpses of fresh snow contours or full throated cheers of magnificent clouds playing peek a boo with the summit in the colors of twilight.

It was the mountain that provided the inspiration, along with enthusiastic coaching from students, for me to enter my first ever marathon. Yup, a marathon…. Err half marathon. The Kilimanjaro Marathon is one of the premier African marathons that happens to run up the very road I live on at the college. Frankly, I have never understood why anyone would want to do a marathon…long training, boring and/or repetitive routes, hard on the body, etc. However, since I have been blessed with an awesome ‘gym’ on this mountain, I have found my excursions nothing but refreshing, inspiring longer and faster treks. I laughed at the first suggestion of me doing a marathon, but simultaneously and secretly made a promise to myself.

As it turns out, the Kilimanjaro Marathon is a big deal attracting over 3000 runners and 36 countries. There were more mzungus than I’ve seen in a while, but we were outnumbered by Africans of all kinds including those who sit behind computers and those who train professionally. Without contest, the fastest were Africans (Kenyans). Me, I coveted the beautiful medal and knew I could do it just to get the medal. Well 21 kilometers in 3 hours got me a medal, and a time only 30 minutes behind most of my students (1 minute for every year of age difference?). Heck it was easy…. Every few kilometers there was a stand issuing water, food and dripping sponges not to mention the Tanzanian music blaring loudly. It was a hoot, like a big moving party. I never expected it to be fun; hurt yes, but fun? My mostly solitary treks across the countryside had prepared me physically, but I simply didn’t anticipate the fun. Everyone was encouraging and friendly, how could one not succeed given such a huge cheering squadron?

My student coaches have all but signed me up for the next full marathon. Me, I am content to savor my one and only marathon medal (and t-shirt). I will keep trekking across this beautiful countryside soaking in life in its wonderful beauty, diversity and glory. To all you marathoners or marathoner ‘wanna be’, “pole na mazoezi”, I extend my empathy for your exercise.

Ready, set, remember!

Of all the subjects offered in school, physical education is the one students take least seriously.  Gym is the ‘fun’ class where you receive little or no homework, play games most days and are guaranteed high marks if you just come to class. 

Most days, at the beginning of class we would do some exercises which would be followed by a rousing match of whatever game it was we were focusing on that week.  We played (attempted) every game imaginable.  We tried everything from softball to bowling to dodge ball .  We even played unconventional games like crab soccer (soccer played in a crab position with an oversized stuffed ball) and Mission Impossible (a game of teamwork involving crossing the gym without touching the floor).  A unit on a legitimate game that had real rules (think any sport found in the Olympics) was always anteceded by a test on rules, strategies and scoring.  The announcement of a unit test was always met with groaning because, as everyone knows, you don’t get tests in gym class.  No one ever liked gym tests because (1) they were out of place, and (2) when would we ever need to know how the dimensions of  a lacrosse field or how to keep score in bowling?  Needless to say, the information we learned when studying for these tests were quickly lost deep within our grey matter after the exam was over.  After all, it wasn’t like these were skills we would need to know in real life.

Or so we though.  This year I have found myself reintroduced to all of the games I knew from Phy. Ed. like badminton, tennis and volleyball.  Finding myself back on the court, I regretfully wish I had paid more attention in gym class.  How was the proper grip of a badminton racquet again?  How was scoring in tennis done? I remember something of ‘love’ and ‘advantage’ and such, but then again, it was never was real clear in the first place.  It doesn’t help that I have abominable hand-eye coordination and a terrible sense of depth-of-field.  There is a reason I am a swimmer and a runner.  On the other hand, it doesn’t really matter if you know the rules of the game if the people you play with don’t always follow the traditional rules.  I don’t know much about volleyball, but I’m not sure it was intended to be played with kicking and heading as you might find in a soccer game. 

Despite my lack of skill and finesse, it is fun to play these games again.  And perhaps it is even more amusing for the other players to watch the girl who has no coordination and can only hit the ball two out of every five times.  So let this be a less to all of you 9th graders out there – pay attention in gym class.  Students always complain, “When will we ever need to know this?”  The answer is, even the most arcane bits of knowledge have a purpose and undoubtedly, they will come in handy when you least expect them to.

Sit! Stay! Roll Over!

Puppy chow, catnip and hamster wheels.  Americans are obsessed with their pets.  They feed them gourmet food, buy them little outfits for cold days, and leave them messages on the answering machine when they are away.  Coming from a culture like that, it can be hard to understand African’s adversity to dogs and other animals. 

Here dogs are for security and cats are for mouse control.  Dogs bark at intruders and cats do away with any pests.  They are purely practical.  For the most part, they are ignored and paid little attention, except for perhaps avoidance.  Many people here don’t like dogs, which is understandable.  Pets aren’t cared for here as they are in the states.  Dogs may not be friendly, they may have diseases.  With those circumstances it makes sense why people would be afraid of dogs.  

In the States, things are at the other extreme.  Some people lavish their pets with more attention than they give their friends and spend more money on their pets than the government does on education.  People take Fido to the doggy-playground so he won’t get lonely during the day, Mittens to the vet to have her teeth cleaned, and build Squeaky a veritable palace that connects his cage to every room in the house.

I find both of these extremes a bit absurd.  Pets can be great companions and useful as guards and pest controllers.  On the other hand, they are just pets and don’t need monthly check-ups at the vet’s, one hundred and one play toys or food better on par with human fare. 

The Snows of Mt. Kilimanjaro

Living on the slopes of the tallest mountain in Africa can, at times, yield an impressive view. Some days, the ones with out clouds, we have a spectacular view of the mountain.

There is even a good view reflected out front door:

 

On most days, however, the mountain is shrouded in cloud leaving little…   

… or none of the mountain visible.

Post-rain periods hold their own surprises. Like rainbows…

  

… and snow!