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.

whale sharks - mafia island

i just got off the boat from a trip out to swim with the whale sharks and it was like nothing i had ever done before.  it is a not to be missed peak life experience.

not my photo

it was exciting and scary at the same time.  they are massive animals [up to 40ft] and swimming along side of them can be intimidating.  when you look down and see one of the massive fish surfacing under you its just unnerving.  there's no way to get out of its path.

fortunately they are harmless to humans so getting into the water with them is safe. unfortunately, they are harmless to humans and some people treat them more like a domesticated pet than a wild animal.

my first trip out was with a conservation group so i was well briefed on both etiquette and research being done on the species. it's really amazing what they've learned about these fish and how much they don't know.  check out  wwf profile and nat geo profile

i swam with sharks before but it was more like a petting zoo where the sharks are fed and domesticated or seen sharks while diving [ok.... the sharks on the GBR Australia were a little bit intimidating].  still, the largest shark i've seen while i was in the water was only about 9ft [3 meters].  later, in a social setting, when someone mentioned her experience of diving and touching one of the whale sharks it was awkward.  i was thinking, ummmm i don't think you are supposed to touch them.

for those of you who thought me crazy to mingle with the mountain gorrillas and think swiming these guys was just as crazy, let me tell you that i have another crazy wish... one day to dive with whales.

kua ruins, juani island, mafia archipelego, tanzania

it's a short and very worthwhile trip out juani island to see the kua ruins. it's another world heritage site that i'm glad to take the time to see.  i'm absolutely fascinated by the history and the how well developed their structures and society were that the remnants are still standing thousands of years later.  

other than a few fishermen we find at the access point to the island ruins we don't see any humans.  monkeys and birds and assorted reptiles, yes.  maybe that's why i like it more than the touristy and exploited dark slave history of Zanzibar.  we timed the return from the island for sunset over mafia and it was the perfect end to a relaxing day on the island.

  

last trip to dar - hopefully

after an exhausting 5 days in Dar for customer meetings and the farmers market to train the new sales girl i am getting on another ridiculously small plane to fly to Mafia Island for a week holiday which is supposed to be deserted with fabulous diving.  

still as i board the plane find myself wondering which seat is best if the plane crashes? will the plane break apart if if crashes in the water? do I really need to wear a safety belt? wouldn't that make it harder to escape during a water landing?

the guy sitting next to me is from Bulgaria and says he works with fastjet on the Bulgarian planes which makes no sense to me because i didn't know Bulgaria was making planes and since i find myself on fastjet a lot now i can add that to my mental checklist every time i board one of those flights.

i also meet a Canadian based in South Sudan working for MSF and she makes me feel grateful for Moshi when she talks about the hours and conditions in which she works. god bless them.

of course there is no problem and it's a beautiful flight and the pilot puts us down on the right island and the 'airport' is as small as the island.

strangely, when we land there is a sign that says the airport is funded by the americans.  not sure what's up with that.  also, same with the roads on the island which are much nicer than where i live in Moshi.

dar el salaam traffic

just another day sitting in traffic in dar

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.

corruption in Africa

extortion and bribes are a way of life in Africa.  it's part of their income stream.  as a company our policy was not to pay any 'extra fees' and there were times when without that leverage it felt our paperwork was neglected.  

in Tanzania if you call someone to a meeting, like our farmers to a training, you have to pay them to attend [transportation & time].  it's common that government officials will show up for organizational meetings just to sit through them and collect the stipend at the end of the day.  it's not a productive model as real engagement is pretty low.

unfortunately, high visibility into corruption in African leaders leaves locals believing that it doesn't exist to the same extent in the west.  

we don't call it corruption when US doctors get free trips for continuing education from pharmaceutical companies and when PACs run negative ads in election cycles yet somehow the African model is viewed as more corrupt. hmmmm, makes a person think.

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.

beer truck meets curve

first half of truck

brakes are optional ... or only really maintained for tourist vehicles.  someone will be short a few beers this weekend.

second half of truck

when you own the road

real sign at hotel

there are always little things to remind you are in africa.  i don't see monkeys in my garden but i did see one crossing the road close to my office so they are always around.

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.

kili hike

we did a kili hike a couple of weekends ago.  just to the first hut which is about all you can do for a day hike.  it started as a good idea - a way for a bunch of friends to get together for the day.  the Marangu gate where we begin is about 45 minutes away so we start early 6:00am at 8:30 we are still in Moshi.  it turns out our 'guide' has been up all night drinking and can barely speak.  in the end we bail on the situation and walk away to have breakfast at one of cafes in town and call another guide to give it a go the next day.

everything goes according to plan which means a 45 minute wait at the gate for the office to process the paperwork before you can step foot onto the mountain.

we get impatient but i've been here before and i remember how slow it is.  in 10 years they haven't figured out a better way to do it?.  fortunately we are early and towards the front of the line so who knows how long it takes if you show up an hour later?  it's such a beautiful hike up through an environment much like a jungle and we stop to enjoy the flowers, moss hanging everywhere and even spot a few monkeys.

this is a popular path and being the first day for groups planning to summit the porters are weighed down to the maximum allowable weights.  still, they move quickly and we step aside we they move to pass us.

we have lunch at the huts and head back down to thicker and and warmer temperatures.  on the way out of marangu we stop at one of the hotels for cold drink and enjoy a relaxing hour in the garden there which is a throw back to colonial times.

kilimanjaro animal crew - awesome

the www.kilimanjaroanimalcrew.org is where we took momma kitty for surgery.  they do amazing work and deserve recognition for the dedication they have put into wildlife preservation in tanzania.  the clinic/sanctuary/farm has deep roots here and the german vet and his partner has been here for a very long time.

so a visit to their place [arranged in advance] is quite an education on tanzanian wildlife.  i snap a quick photo of the rescued 3 legged cerval which is hissing at me because i'm too close to the enclosure and i try to respect the other animals by viewing from a distance while i'm there.

they don't have the large game animals but there is such a farmyard collection of animals all hanging out together that it's a happy place.

even if you don't understand german, the pictures tell the stories...
https://www.facebook.com/kilimanjaroanimalcrew/

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

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.