An important part of my duty as Program Director of this exchange program at the University of Dar es Salaam is to sit in a taxi while being whirled around the city. In spite of it evoking colonial times, I try to make the best of it because the work would be undoable in a daladala – public transport. Why?
1. P and I cannot drive motor vehicles here ( I don’t know the reasons for this rule, but I agree wholeheartedly with it).
2. The bank is at least 10 km away from the university (as are most administrative centers in downtown Dar). To go to the bank, I must go in a taxi because of the cash factor. On the way to and from the bank, I accomplish other admin tasks.
How am I driven around? Although the process used to make me itch (the glaring sun, the scorching dust, the stops and starts, the horns and the potholes), I’ve become somewhat comfortable with it now.
The Night before: I send a text message to Edson to arrange for his work and see if he’s available the next morning (phone calls are relatively expensive here, esp when you can text message for 9 cents per msg)
11:55: He arrives five minutes early, comes in and fills up his water bottle (we have a filtered water dispenser, a life saver. When the water runs out, we call the water company and they bring replacement jugs, usually a day after we’ve run out).
12 am: I hop in Edson’s taxi. He asks “Tunaenda wapi?” (where are we going?) Although his English is excellent, he generally attempts to speak Kiswahili. I lay out our itinerary.
12: 10: We drive out of campus onto Old Bagamoyo Rd towards Mwenge Market. The road is permanently under construction. Edson doesn’t put the AC on unless he has to close the windows due to the dust.
12:30: We pass by the Italian Deli that sells tofu, as well as the Palestinian bakery – leaven there is heaven!—at a place called Oyster Bay. I purchase falafel, hummous, baba ghonoush, 4 tofu blocks and more if possible. On the way out I buy mangoes, pineapple, humungus cabbage, shelled peas and a banana bunch for the week (or less, veggies and fruit have no preservatives, so they last less time). No bargaining here, but I attempt to speak completely in Kiswahili (not a common feat at this particular Westernish market). Today I bought more tofu than normal for the student dinner tomorrow night – the one Japanese student who’s on the trip is making a Japanese delicacy (requiring 7 cabbage heads).
1:00: Before we leave for the bank, we share a lunch of Middle Eastern Pizzas. I spill some pizza sauce on my khaki pants, clean it off then we’re off to the bank.
1:15 I again force my broken Kiswahili on bankers. Sometimes they mimic me, like today when the banker said “HABARI” (how are you) with a wilted “r” like any good American would. Then I made fun of him back. Then he converted my dollars into shillings (1 dollar = 1300 shilling today). Don’t ever try to cash travelers’ cheques here, even if someone tells you it’s okay. It’s a huge hassle (took us 1 hour one time).
2: Second to last stop at Mwenge Market at Martha’s juice stand. I’ve text messaged her earlier to ask if she could make us two bottles of mango juice, but the network isn’t working so she hasn’t gotten it. She’s distressed at this miscommunication, so she offers to make 2 bottles right there on the spot. I’m so happy! No end in sight to mangoes.
2:15 Last stop on grocery day – Shoprite – fancyish grocery store – to get other items on student dinner list (including 7 pounds of ground beef in spite of the Rift Valley Fever disease, which is linked to beef). I check out the newly opened theatre at Mlimani City – it’s showing “The Departed” and “Blood Diamonds.” It will be fabulous to see the latter movie here in Africa.
3: Home, unpack, chat with Edson and students, decompress.
And eat my chocolate.
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