those who change the world

i have met some wonderful people and made some fantastic friendships while in Tanzania.  some expats and some nationals.  with all of them there is a common thread.  they made me laugh and we did spend a lot of time laughing. sometimes it was about some cultural thing i didn't understand or the way i saying something in swahili.  

there were so many adventures as i look back over the last year.  the safaris, camping on coffee plantations, Kilimanjaro, trips to Nairobi, exploring Kigali, the mountain gorillas, a holiday in India, getting to spend time Zanzibar and whale sharks around Mafia Island.


i found strong, intelligent and independent woman who will be the next face of Africa and bring success through hard work and lessening in the sense of entitlement they get from the west.  

i met expats who were truly changing the world for better and my year living in the shadow of Kilimanjaro is an experience that will forever shape who i am.  

i am a better person for this experience and i leave with gratitude for all the blessings of my life and compassion for those who struggle in our world. 

  

one year in africa

my year in Africa is up.  next month i will say goodbye to Tanzania.  so as i wind up my time here there are many going away dinners, drinks and fetes.  
every time i am asked if i am sad to be going i mumble something about it being bittersweet and returning.  it's all a lie.  it's not bittersweet.  i am glad to be leaving.  mentally i left a long time ago.  i don't plan to return.  there is just nothing here for me.  i smile every day i can mark another day off the calendar before i leave.

i am humbled by the experience, the challenges and the people.  the friends that i have met and cherish will always be with me and we will connect in the future - just not here.

bus from Moshi to Dar el Salaam

i have until now avoided taking a bus anywhere in East Africa.  it's the most common although time consuming way to get around.  for this trip to Dar i'm traveling with a new sales rep for training and although a flight from Moshi to Dar is about the same cost the new managing director doesn't want to seem like he's giving special considerations to the marketing team and tells us to take the bus.  i'm actually okay with this since my forward travel after Dar is to one of the islands for a one week holiday and i won't be returning via bus.

i appreciate the opportunity to see via the ground a lot of what i've been flying over.  the 10 hour bus ride turns into a 14 hour trip but at least it does not break down which is not only common but is expected anywhere in Africa.  indeed, a western couple approaches me on the halfway break and says every bus trip they've been on has broken down.  i use the chance to learn some more about the sales rep that we hired to expand the business and i'm disappointed but not surprised that she's really not interested in what we are doing.  she just needed a job since the organization she was working for was defunded.  i'm not saying that's a direct reflection of her sales skills but i hired her reluctantly at the request of the managing director knowing she'd need lots of training.

turns out i'm not missing much between Moshi and Dar and i'm glad i'm not returning via bus.

she's well educated by Tanzanian standards but perhaps too much so as she aspires to become the next discovered 'african model' and work at the UN.  i'm all about empowering women to reach their goals but in this case i'm thinking it's not going to happen.  [spoiler alert: this 24 year old, who is unmarried, ends up pregnant and supporting the baby daddy in a continued cycle of poverty that could be avoided with some education about and use of birth control. yeah, i saw that one coming.  it's time to give these women some power over their own lives and control over their future.]   

getting accommodations in Dar is difficult because the company allowance is not generous and i usually stay someplace nicer but this time not willing to pick up the cost for an extra employee.  my new sales rep [a tanzanian who speaks the language] is absolutely worthless in helping with this.  let's say i slept with the lights on.

take away

in the US they say to-go but everywhere else they say take away so i had to search my mind [which yes, is turning to mush from lack of using any real brain power] for the word to-go.

anyways, cooking here is so much nicer at my new house but i still get take away sometimes from some restaurants.  take away here is different than to go elsewhere and it's environmentally better than what we do in the west because of the packaging waste but it creates a process.

here, they don't have containers to put your food if you are not eating at the restaurant.  you have to bring your own.  so if you want food delivered this is what happens:

1. you call the restaurant and place and order and get the cost
2. you call your motorcycle guy who runs these kinds of errands for you.  these guys, even though they are also your boda driver are called picki pickis because they are picking something up for you.
3. your picki picki then comes by your house and collects the cash and the containers and takes them to the restaurant
4. the restaurant then fills your order and the picki picki brings back to your house.

usually the order will be wrong but it's food and you didn't have to cook right?  

think about that next time you spoiled westerners order a food delivery.

eating and exercise

avacados

the fruits and vegetables are easily available here making eating more varied than in burma,  every month some new tree is blooming and a new fruit will appear.  the soil here is amazing.  it leaves you wondering how there could be starving people on this continent when anything you put into the ground will grow.  

i was eating watermelon in the garden one day and had about 15 seeds left at the bottom of the bowl.  for fun, i just scraped a hole in the dirt and threw the seeds in.  two weeks later i had a dozen watermelon seedlings.

there is quiet talk of the chinese and monsanto and all the gmo that is introduced here but the nationals generally don't understand the difference.  so i was pleased to see that the seeds were regenerating.

bananas are by far the most common with a woman on every corner selling them and as the avocados and mangoes come into season the price is obscenely low with most expats giving them away for free because the trees produce more than they can use and everyone has a tree or two in their garden.

so the fresh food is readily available.  there are some local dishes that take some getting used to but there is also a large concentration of indians in Tanzania and so the indian food here is both vegetarian and good.  a kitchen here is usually a small counter, tiny sink and maybe a fridge [not in the kitchen - for some reason they put the fridges in the dining area] 

mangos

because of the lockdown after dark security protocols the exercise is a bit more of a challenge.  with no sidewalks the running/walking can be a bit hazardous on roads that barely fit two cars.  i have a back road i can take to the office so i usually walk to and from the office.  i was underweight when i arrived because of the stress of the transition, jet lag and getting sick from one of my nephews the week before i left.  



i've regained the weight i was down and starting to feel i need to get some more exercise in.  there's a woman who runs a yoga class a few days a month but getting there is such a hassle that i rarely go.

there are western restaurants that cater to the visitors so there is always someplace to eat where there is a higher standard of service and food.  but it's not an everyday thing because the prices are much higher.

container store

container store 'western style'

African Container Store

go looking for a container store in tanzania and you'll not find a big shop that sells lots of boxes.  that idea would be ridiculous here.  a container store is a small shop built inside a shipping container.  they sell small items that the neighborhood would buy kind of like a 7-11 but no ventilation, no light and limited stock.

shipping containers are actually really valuable here has they are easy to secure.  we have two at the factory with one more expected.  one is storage but one is also work space which gets a little bit warm in the afternoon as you might expect.

the sky blue gate to the right of the container is my new house [pictures coming soon].

cats i inherit with the house

with the lovely house [photos to come] i get three cats.  the momma kitty who is black and i want to keep for protection [because of the locals superstition] and two of her first litter cats.  

my friends were determined to have momma kitty spayed before they left to decrease the cat population in Moshi and had missed the first 'window of opportunity' before she was pregnant again.  so in the weeks before they left the kittens had to be taken away [rehomed] so the momma would stop nursing.  without going into a lot of detail about cat anatomy of which i am no expert let's say this was a challenge. 

momma kitty was starting to teach them life skills [like hunting at night] and they were put into the garage so they wouldn't run away but the window was left open so the momma could come and go as she wanted [window being too high for the kittens] then momma took the kittens one by one, we assume, through the window one night and hid them somewhere in the hedges.  proving, perhaps that cats are smarter than humans.  now my friend has to coax the momma to bring her kitties back and then has the new owners swoop by to pick up the kittens.  with the kittens gone momma will stop nursing and be prepared for her surgery, proving humans are at least as smart as momma cats.

i happened to stop by for some reason a few days after the kittens were gone and momma kitty was just screaming for her kittens.  poor thing had no idea they had gone someplace safe and was a bit uncomfortable as she was still producing milk.  now, we were down to the last few days before their departure from tanzania.  my friend was determined to get momma kitty to the vet [which is a 30 - 40 minute drive] where the surgery can be done.  since they need to keep her for at least a week, i need to go with her to the vet so i know where to pick her up.  

'cat carrier' 

my friend has planned this meticulously and her husband [somewhat conveniently is working or out of town] so i take off the afternoon and head to the house.  the first plan is to put the cat into this 'cat carrier' which, yes, is a cardboard box with airholes cut in.  i'm skeptical but all those years experience with guide dog puppies makes me feel confident.  

so, in goes momma cat - for about 2 seconds during which i try unsuccessfully to hold the top shut while my friend tries to secure with tape.  holy shit, i had know idea how sharp cat claws are and let's just say my blood still stains the spot of this adventure.

alternative or 'african' cat carrier

now, cat out of box [literally], we have to coax her back but i look around for an alternative 'carrier' and find a large plastic clothes hamper with a top and plenty of vision/circulation for the cat/monster.  so again, i hold down the top while my friend gets momma kitty into the new 'carrier'.  again, the monster cat is way stronger than me and jumps out before we can get the top sealed with the crappy stuff that passes for tape in africa.  i'm not saying i let her escape exactly, but i had some really deep bleeding cuts on my hand already, so you know...

we both take a deep breath because this cat is wicked smart and knows she does not want to go into this african cat carrier, no matter how deluxe it is [we put a nice, comfy towel in the bottom].  fortunately, my friend is like a cat whisperer or something [witch probably] and for the third time she has the cat in her hands. 

monster cat goes into the african cat carrier which used to be a clothes hamper but this time i suggest my friend use her 'powers' to hold her in and i'll do the driving.  so we arrive 40 minutes later at this vet/animal sanctuary/farm place with the cat and no further bloodshed.  we are greeted by a bizarre group of handicapped animals and there is no surprise or curious look from the vet staff when we present momma monster cat to them in a clothes hamper.  they just take a down payment and somehow we suggest they drop the monster kitty back at the house after the week recovery period AND THEY AGREE.  ha ha - good luck, right?

white kitty

the vet does, as promised, return momma kitty to me after a week and removed whatever demon monster possessed her when she left.  i suspect he used tranquilizers [or witchcraft] as she was calm and relaxed when she returned.  also, he had real duck tape to seal her into her 'carrier'.  anyways, he comes in for the balance due on account and poke [vaccinate] the other cats. in true african style he stays for an hour to talk about politics and stuff and have a cup of tea before he goes.

long post i know, so thanks for hanging in there.  this is the defining moment when i start to be invested in africa instead of just being a visitor.

stripe kitty

hello and goodbye

it seems i've only just arrived and met people when i've got to say goodbye.  it's really bittersweet - the expat community here is mostly transient [there are some hardcore colonialists here with 20 year leases] so you make connections quickly and share so much but it is sad when someone is moving on.  there is a common bond among people who choose to live outside the country where they are born [unlike refugees] so as a rule they have that which bonds them quickly.

there's a Scottish couple i've grown close with and we have a standing dinner at the El Rancho [you think it's mexican, right? it's not it's indian] every Friday.  we always laugh and end the week with a reminder of what's important and why we are here along with any relevant gossip.

it's particularly hard to say goodbye to my Scottish friends but they had a really nice house close to my offices and i wanted it.  so it's hard to say goodbye and i cry on the day i move in and they move out but i'm happy to finally be settled into a house that is comfortable.  a real internet connection.  a clothes washing machine - you take this for granted in the west but it is a life changing technology.  a full size fridge.  a quiet garden with a view of kilimanjaro.  no roosters or dogs fighting in the middle of the night.  i did inherit the three cats.... remember the momma that had kitties?  the kittens are gone but the momma and two other cats that still hang out.

going for a swim

this guy showed up at the pool today

i almost killed someone today

litterally, i almost killed someone today.  it was the end of the day and i was driving the beast into town for an end of the day delivery on my way to yoga class. 

as i turned into the parking area a boda [motorcycle] driver passing me at high speed on the wrong side hit my truck veered across oncoming traffic, hit a curb and flipped head over handlebars onto the pavement hitting hard enough that his helmet popped off.  i watched the whole thing in slow motion and sat horrified as the driver didn't move.  

the next 30 minutes were just a nightmare as it was just chaos with people shouting at each other and me.  eventually, the boda driver regains consciousness and has some people helping him.  a police/traffic officer arrives and stops a passing car to take the boy to the hospital.  [that's how it's done here since they don't have ambulance service] same officer starts drawing a sketch of the accident.  

fortunately for me, the boda driver landed on the pavement in front of an ATM machine which all have armed guards here [with basically nothing to do but watch traffic] as well as the parking lady [whose job it is to watch traffic and charge for parking] and one of my staff members who happened to be walking down the street were all witnesses and blamed the boda driver.

the beast, with a flat tire

so i never even spoke with the boda driver and the police don't even ask me for a statement.  we did have to go to the police station where they asked if i wanted to request payment for damages to the beast.  i said hell no,  i took my staff girl for wine instead of going to yoga.  i was really grateful for her help because when the 'mob' of locals started talking about how the white girl should pay regardless of whose fault it was she inserted herself into the conversation and broke up the group.  it could have gotten very ugly and a lot of expats have horror stories of dealing with accidents here.

the beast is the company truck which because it is a manual transmission i'm one of the only people who can drive it.  it's so dented and scratched I wouldn't be able to even tell if the boda driver had left a dent.  also, it's really filthy because no one ever cleans it.  not long ago, i wouldn't even date a guy who drove a truck like this.  my life is so different here.  that night i sent my boss a note about what happened he asked if the truck was okay - didn't even occur to  him to ask if i was okay.

coffee

i love coffee and have loved it since i discovered it in high school.  now, i find myself living in the midst of where some of the best coffee in the world is grown.  how coffee is grown and harvested is very interesting.  like most of the raw materials in Tanzania, the highest quality coffee beans are sold on the global market for processing elsewhere.  

in Moshi there is a coffee cooperative that has been very successful and they have daily auctions during the harvest season when the buyers come to purchase the beans.  the roasting and any further processing is done in the west.  the coffee plantations here get by but are by no means a way to accumulate wealth.  it's almost like an inheritance burden.  

the coffee plants will produce for 100 years if properly cared for so each generation carries on.

one weekend i go with friends on a hike through a plantation and it's beautiful but also easy to see how much work goes into producing a crop.  the plantation manager gives a an overview of the crops which is really complicated and more than i can explain.  like growing vanilla - very labor intensive and volatile in the global marketplace.  


we get to wander the plantation and find a waterfall which is refreshing but too cold for a swim.

golf?

there's a sugar plantation, a very very large sugar plantation, just outside of Moshi.  it's owned by some Mauritians and it's a popular place for westerners.  it's about a 40 minute drive to get there but it's a really nice drive.  no lorries and no buses driving crazy speeds and passing everything on the road.  the drive is lined by trees and the fields of sugar cane surround you once you enter the premises.  it is amazing efficient for a plantation in Africa.  

they have a lot of heavy machinery and a rail system that automates the delivery of the raw sugar cane to the factory.  if the wind is right, when they are burning off the fields it blows right over moshi and can be seen for miles.


one day a few of us went out for a tour of the sugar processing plantation.  i got physically sick and left mid tour.  the smell was making me want to vomit.  i left thinking that i would probably never consume sugar again.  a few weeks later when i was exploring the idea of vanilla sugar as product to bring to market i found out that this factory doesn't export as their sugar doesn't meet international food safety standards.  yummy. 

it's a huge plantation and has it's own school, hospital and other administrative offices and every western convenience.  so it's a popular place for expats.

they built a lovely club house which includes a room for ping pong and billiards and the restaurant overlooks the golf course which i've only seen one person playing any time i've been out there.  the food is lovely and there is tennis and a pool so everything one needs to be comfortable.  it feels like a different world from the chaos that is the cities of Moshi and Arusha.  we did walk around the golf course after lunch and it was covered with monkeys which makes one wonder if they steal the balls.

dhl for giraffes

true story.  i spent 3 hours at the dhl office to get a shipment off to europe.  the most facinating thing about sitting there while they packed the order was this photo on the wall.  so someone, please explain to me, what exactly is dhl delivering to the giraffes?  

it's not just me, i showed my photo of the photo to another expat who said wow, i'm going to their offices just to get a photo of that.

and this explosion of clown confetti?  yeah, that's how dhl africa packs the boxes.  i can only imagine what the guy in belgium is going to think when he opens these.  but it's not possible to buy bubble wrap here so it is actually an environmentally good alternative.  every day i fight the [mostly accurate] perception that anything produced in Africa is substandard.  this does not help the fight.

lazy sunday

not every day is a work day and with a plethora of hotels in the area i found one just a short walk away that allows guests to use the pool for 5000 TZS [$2USD] each day.  it's still kinda winter here so the water is freezing and as you can see from the photo they plant trees that cover most of the pool most of the day so the water doesn't really warm up.  still, the water is clean and it's refreshing so i wander over from time to time and lay out at the pool for a while.  the sign pointing to the hotel is like a neon light that would have been cool in south beach in the 50s.  now it's just a sad little posting that is easy to overlook when you drive down the street.

the hotel is a lower to mid market property so there always a weird mix of people there.  although the north of Tanzania is christian, there are still muslims about here and so i do see women covered from their ankles to their wrists swimming about in the pool.  i don't judge them for that and i'm comfortable in my bikini even if their men do stare but that is life in a mixed environment.  it is a good place to spend a lazy sunday afternoon and soak up some sun.  plus, i'm planning a trip to Zanzibar which is an island off the coast at the end of the month so i need to get a little bit of sun before then.  

a love hate relationship

this is the shopping site for any western brands.  everyone has a love hate relationship [mostly hate] with them because it's the only place in Moshi to get things that a westerner might want or need.  every trip is painful and avoided for as long as possible.  usually in the US if i go to make a purchase i have a simple process.  i know what i need, i go directly to the place in the store where they stock that product, i proceed to the checkout to pay and leave.  

that is not possible here.  in the US we complain when the shops are out of eggs or milk because of a snowstorm and it might take a day or two to get the supply chain back on schedule.  i laugh at that now.  at this store the supply chain is so terrible you never know what products will be in stock.  every trip requires a scanning of every shelf to see what products are there.  everything is expensive as it is mostly imported items.  once, i a moment of weakness i paid $4USD for a can of Campbell soup.

one week they might have white girl shampoo and then next week none.  yes, that is what we call it.  Africans do not use the same hair care products so there is a very limited supply of shampoos and conditioners that westerners would use on their hair.  lack of these products lead to a look that i refer to the  as the 'aid worker without a shower in a week'.  i digress to only explain why it is necessary to shop here.

after scanning each shelf with the focus of a scientist on the edge of a new discovery you fill your basket with the stuff you hoard in case you might not see it for another three months.  i was buying some liquid hand soap and this actually happened.

him:  can we please buy the good smelling soap?

her:  no, you have to have the antibacterial soap.

him:  cringes as i grab the last coconut soap on the shelf.

me:  moves quickly on as i smile smugly knowing i have the last bottle.

oh, bonus, on the way out they check your receipt against what is in your bag, treating everyone like the shoplifter they aren't.

i've dealt with them as a vendor as since we've tried to get them to stock product for years.  it's a nightmare company to deal with.

there's one alternative.  a small shop called Aleems where they consistently stock product and even take delivery of special items from the bakery i like in Usa River.  Aleems deserves it's own post as every trip is like a pilgrimage.  otherwise, it's a 1.5 hour drive to the next closest 'supermarket'

so, next time you casually throw your favorite brand of soap or pasta sauce into your shopping basket think of me and the painful process of shopping here and understand that's what makes america great.  

out of the indian compound

my time at the indian compound has come to an end.  i am moving to a new location that is just three kilometers from the office.  it's out of town and in a quiet, western populated, upscale area called ironically, Shanty Town.

the compound i am in now is called Tatu because that's the name of the NGO here and everyone knows who they are.  i'm living on the second floor with a spanish guy who is a kili guide and safari organizer.  on the first floor, in the same square footage there are 9 - 11 volunteers working and living in dorm style housing.  they are mostly in their twenties - just looking for some experience but it's great having them on the compound. 

there is rope stretched across one area and at first i thought it was for laundry but it's a volleyball court and it's nice to hear them outside after work or on the weekends hitting a ball around.  there is also a slackline - so i'll be giving that a try soon.  there is a huge terrace that faces kilimanjaro and farm fields so i put out my yoga mat and practice there is in the mornings when it is cool.

it's 100 times better than the last place i was and after the first week, in which there was no hot water, the urge to check on return flights to the US is starting to diminish.

most awesome job ever!

no, i have not gotten bipolar.  i know the last few posts have showcased some of the negative aspects of a move to Africa but i really don't want anyone to think this is all about exotic animals and glamours international travel.  [haha, although i hope that is coming]  

i needed a couple of weeks to dive into the work and see if the company was delivering on the social impact they are promoting.  

the organization is fantastic from the view of a social enterprise.  they are really delivering on sustainable social, economic and environmental solutions and i'm so proud to be working on their brand.  it's so exciting to be part of a company doing amazing work and although i am struggling to settle here i do love the work i am doing.

more on the company soon.  www. epicurioushedgehog.com

how safe is Tanzania?

safety is a relative thing.  of course, i know this, every country is different and you adjust along the way.  it's always best to talk to other expats so yes, i asked about safety and security before i accepted a position here.  

here's what i was told:

'yes, it's safe if you follow basic precautions'

here's what i heard:

'it's okay, just stay alert'

here's what it really means:

it's not safe for a western woman to walk alone anywhere in Tanzania at any time of day or night.  plan to buy a car, get a license [this is a joy] and insurance.  you should expect to be inside your locked compound before dark or travel with an entourage.  never use a taxi or driver that you don't know.

forget about any security for valuable items, just assume they will be stolen and hope your insurance will cover it.  definitely don't carry something that looks like a laptop bag.  

for me it's an adjustment, in Myanmar [Burma] 95% of phones/laptops left in a taxi are returned to the owner.  it's safe for women to move freely around the city at any time and safety was never an issue.

here, the young girls call out to me and engage me and i delight in being able to stutter a few awkward swahili words, but the boys and men look at me with cutting eyes and resentment and i am wary of every step on the streets.

Tanzania is a beautiful country and to be restricted like this hurts my soul.  at the Indian compound, i am unsure if it is a cultural or safety issue but the women of the compound never seem to leave, just pace back and forth over the same paths.

after the airport

ok. ok.  i am obsessed with airports and travels.  there is more coming on this subject... although my friend in London commented on this obsession that because i travel so much i must be a good traveler.  not true. 

more importantly, i want to share some pictures from my garden.  i've been living in what is commonly known as the 'indian compound' because, you guessed it, it's owned by and mostly occupied by indians.  let's start with the fun stuff... there are two beautiful tortoises in the compound.  i look for and talk to them every day.  they don't talk back.  when the owner of the compound asked me 'are you comfortable' i didn't want to be rude so i said 'i love your tortoises - they are so beautiful' and he said, 'yes, thank you, we used to have more, but then the Chinese came and even the big one we had to rescue back from them'.  i said, 'yes, it is like this everywhere - the Burmese say the same about the snakes - there are none here because the Chinese eat them'.  

there are also some beautiful gekkos [big lizards] that i love seeing.  so no lions, elephants or exotics yet but a tour of the safari circuit is coming up at the end of May so soon you will be bored and envious of all my up close and personal exotic animal photos i will be posting.

in my first week here in Moshi i wake up every day at 5AM because that's when the mosque thinks everyone should start praying.  it's hard with the jet lag to get back to sleep but they don't seem to care.  they carry on every day with their constant call to morning prayers. but, i said i would start with the good stuff and so i will stop here.

back to the airport

as i was leaving the jaro airport i thought to myself 'this is probably one of the many trips i'll be making to and from this airport over the next year'.  well, i didn't think that i'd be back two days later.  i left my office number with the baggage claim group since i didn't have a local number yet.  after a 3 or 4 different stories from baggage claim in the next two days, including:

'we have your luggage'

'we are sending to your luggage to Moshi'

'it will be delivered to the Moshi office today'

then the office takes a call and they say i must pick up the luggage because customs wants to go through it and i must be present.

so, off i go with the driver back to the airport to pick up my luggage which is sitting in the customs office.  i'm really annoyed and it doesn't get much better.  i stand quietly by as they pull most of my bag apart asking 'what is this?' and i reply as appropriate, 'those are tampons', 'that is asprin', 'that is an electronic power supply'.  for me, as people in third world countries touch me or my things... it's always in the back of my mind that they don't use toilet paper ... so i cringe a bit when they are touching my personal items.  

eventually they get bored with me and the game of 'what is' because i make them repeat everything twice even though i understand them and i do my best to ignore them by writing email on my phone.

i'm 99.9% sure that Ethiopian Airlines didn't want to pay for or be responsible for the transition of my luggage to Moshi so they just handed it over to customs.  i F*&K$ng hate customs. 

afterwards, talking to a hardcore NGO employee, even they said, 'yeah, we don't fly Ethiopian - don't they suck?'