Mango Season Doesn't Last Forever

So after three weeks in Africa, I have finally managed to find people to play sports with. I had expected when I came here that there would basically be soccer games played at every street corner, but it didn’t quite work out that way. The government here doesn’t have too much excess cash lying around, but I still feel they could find ways to invest in a few more empty fields.

On Saturday I played ultimate (Frisbee) with a group of about half ex-pats and half Tanzanians. Frisbees are not too common here (when I have tossed around the one I brought there are generally some locals looking confused), so I was lucky to bump into the right people who invited me. They play every week, so I should be able to get a good number of games in with them before I head home.

Then during the game I was asking if anyone knows of any regular soccer games, and a few of the Tanzanian guys (most well educated people here have pretty good English) let me know they were playing the next morning at eight. I wouldn’t have minded the time, as it is a lot more comfortable running around early in the day, but due to forces outside my control (peer pressure), I didn’t get home until pretty late the night before, and didn’t get quite as much sleep as I would have preferred. But, along with one of the guys I am living with, I forced myself out of bed and helped lead (I use that term very loosely) the African/ex-pat team to victory against the Indian team. There is a surprisingly large Indian population in Mwanza and in Tanzania as a whole, and by Indian I mean the real kind, in case anyone was confused.
Overall, I have started to get to know a lot more people living and staying here, and have been able to watch many of the more important world cup games with good-sized groups. I have also managed to get onto Lake Victoria twice in the last week, once on a large boat with about twenty people, the other a small sailboat with four others.


Lessons:

Always examine packaged goods before buying: It is not unusual here for bugs to get into food, and grocery store return policies are not quite as liberal here as they are in Canada (shocking I know). When you are all excited for those cookies you just bought, seeing ants crawling all over them can be a real downer.

Clothing donations don’t always go where you think they do: There is a used clothing market across the street from my apartment filled with everything from shoes to bras to hockey jerseys. I have even heard someone found a shirt from a soccer tournament they played in when they were a kid. People think they are giving away their old closes to help the poorest of the poor, but instead it just goes onto a clothing rack, or pile, in a different country (how it gets to the market I am not sure). While there are actually a lot of nice things being sold, as soon as you show the slightest interest in a vendors merchandise, they will begin shoving everything they own in your face, making casual shopping quite difficult.

When taking a cab, always ask before hand how much it will cost, and know what the price should be: Cab drivers will generally try and charge white people a higher price then locals, thinking we won’t know any better. It is important to know what the correct price will be, and make sure you bargain down to it. However, when asking after the ride has finished, you don’t quite have the same level of bargaining power.
Barbers don’t use scissors here: On my way to go to one of Mwanza’s countless barbershops (I choose the “Executive Barbershop”), I started to realized that basically every male Tanzanian had a very similar, very short haircut. Within two minutes of sitting down, the large majority of my hair was scattered over the floor. The barber did spend another forty minutes (not an exaggeration), however, cleaning up the sides and edges with different length razors. So my hair is now the shortest it has been since I used to get buzz cuts at the age of eight. I do feel like my head has been keeping colder though, so overall I kind of like it. On top of this my electric trimmers battery blew when I plugged it into the outlet here, so I have to use a razor now. Add that to the sunglasses I am wearing regularly for the glare and I look like a whole new person.

Driving here is generally chaotic: Passing in oncoming traffic on the highway is quite common, and most people push it much closer then etiquette says to do in Canada. People will speed up to the many speed bumps, then quickly slow down. Any roads outside the city require drivers to sway side to side wildly to find the path of least resistance, as the dirt roads will just get worse and worse until they get fixed again. Few cars have working seatbelts, and fewer people ware them. Motorcycles are often seen swerving between traffic. And best of all, the other day only quick reflex’s on the part of the driver stopped the car I was in from getting struck by a cow coming out of a bush. But on top of all this, I have seen no dangerous accidents. I have seen two minor ones though (cars scraping each others sides), both of which I was in one of the cars for.

Mango season doesn’t last forever: This sounds like a good metaphor for life. I recently found out that Mango season is nearing its end, meaning I will have to eat as many as I can while it is still an option.

Credit does not exist here: Getting any kind of bank loan for most people is next to impossible, there is no almost such thing as a credit card, and even the large majority of cell phone plans are prepaid. Luckily, this well known fact here isn’t always the case. After ordering a special at a restaurant, my group realized we might not have as much money with us as we thought, and were unsure of how much the special was exactly. Fortunately, we had been to the place before and they recognized us, letting us pay part of our bill the next day. I would not be surprised, however, if most places would have made one of us cab home and back, while keeping the others “around” (this was our initial plan).

I could get used to this...

World Cup:
I want to start out by saying I love being able to watch the world cup in the correct time zone. I’ve been doing what I can to get some games in, and last night watched the England vs. USA game in a restaurant/bar with at least 20 people from each of the two countries (I don’t know where they all came from, I feel like every Mzungo in town showed up).

Let’s just say my “CA-NA-DA, CA-NA-DA” chant didn’t really catch on. I mostly plan to cheer for all of the African nations, as it would be great to see one make it through a few rounds. However, among the favourites I am picking Argentina (this could change with a few blatant dives) as I want to see an individual player take over, and Messi has the best chance to do that (I really just want to see some goals. I know scores are low, but the 8 goals in the 6+ games so far just do no cut it).

I want to add that I think having the World Cup in South Africa is great for this continent in more ways then I previously realized. When people think of Africa, minds generally go straight to the poverty and charity and to the general burden it puts on the world. This is one of the first major events that connect Africa to a positive connotation, and being here I can tell it means a lot to the locals. Even hearing the song “Wavin’ Flag” (the official song of the tournament by K’naan. I recommend his album) in a local bar/club, the mood just exploded, and everyone seemed genuinely happy and excited.

Weather:
Now with sports out of the way, let move onto the weather. While it is consistently very hot, and I sweat a good portion of every day, overall it has been more bearable then I expected. Being shirtless in public isn’t really an option here (I know what you’re thinking, what kind of world is this right?), so I have had to learn to live with it. Fortunately the nights cool down enough that sleep is possible, just often using no blanket. We have also had a few periods of rain, when it pours down for about half an hour, the whole town shuts down, and then the sun comes out again and everyone gets back to work.

Other:
The food has actually been quite good so far, with a large Indian influence on most restaurants menus. Most menus are quite long, giving me more choice then I prefer. And then when you finally order, half the time they can’t even make it, and you have to look again. But so far I have been eating out too much, and I am going through my money a little faster then I would prefer, so it is time I start shopping a little more.

Two of the three other interns I came down here with will be leaving for Kenya tomorrow morning, so I’m just going to blame this spending on them. Once they are gone I will have to start adjusting to what my life will be for the next two and a half months.

Something I have noticed in Mwanza is the high number of hotels, a number of which are actually quite nice and quite new (some extremely nice). This is interesting, as most of them, especially the nicer ones, seem to be almost completely empty, and this is one of the busy seasons. I have been to a few of the hotel restaurants, and the staff often outnumber the customers.

Also, the service at most restaurants, even nicer ones, is generally quite poor. I think this is due to a mix of the more relaxed culture and the lack of tipping in this country (it’s all about incentives). Everyone seems so nice over here except for the people you’re giving money too. But interestingly enough, while things can take a long time, they never seem to forget anything. Yesterday at lunch, a friend had to use Tabasco sauce as salad dressing. Ten minutes later, she’s just about done, and a big container of salad dressing is brought to her.

The Project:
Now onto the project. So far progress has been slow, as we are still just adjusting to our role and the country. The last intern working here recently managed to source new packaging for the yogurt, which will hopefully allow the product to be sold in the local market, and at a higher price. However, before this is allowed, the process needs to be certified by a local government organization. Their representative is examining the kitchen tomorrow, and that result will play a large part in what I will be working on in the near future.

We have also been spending some time at the kitchen getting to know the Yogurt Mama’s better, while performing interviews for the research component of the internship. These are meant to give us a better idea of the Mama’s feelings throughout the growth of their business, which is important as we will need to know where the success’s and failures of the past lie when creating the ideal model for expansion.

I could probably write about a few more things, but I got to save some stuff for next week. If anyone has anything particular they are wondering about the project or country, feel free to ask me in the comments section. Also, you can check the blogs of the interns I am here with, as most of my time has been spent with them so far.

Kathleen - http://kathleenheadseast.blogspot.com/
Kinleigh - http://kinleighheadseast.blogspot.com/
Jackel - http://jackelheadseast.blogspot.com/

Some of them have also managed to upload some photos using a program not available for my mac. But I will see what I can do in the future.

The First Week

After the week long orientation in London, more then 17 hours of flight time over three planes (two red eyes), a 13 hour layover in Amsterdam (plus over two more hours delayed on the plane), seven hours of jet lag (ten from Vancouver) and a lengthy wait at the Mwanza airport to get our visas, I was finally able to freely walk the country of Tanzania.

The project

I know a lot of people are wondering what exactly I am doing over here. I’ll do my best to help clarify, but a lot of objectives are sure to change or adjust as I learn more of the situation.

My internship is in conjunction with Western Heads East (WHE), an organization through the University of Western Ontario, which has been setting up probiotic yoghurt kitchens throughout east Africa. For those who don’t know, probiotics are active cultures in food meant to help the body in some way. The probiotic in the yoghurt here is taken to assist the human immune system. Useful for all people, but meant particularly to help those suffering from HIV/AIDS (roughly 10-20% of Tanzanian citizen, depending on the location), as well as reduce the risk of transfer/contraction. The yogurt is the medium for the probiotic to grow in, while providing valuable nutrients of its own to customers.

At the same time, each kitchen is able to create employment for the “yogurt mamas” who work there. This then puts a business in the hands of woman, something uncommon in Tanzania.

WHE currently has only three established kitchens, with two more in start up as I write, but the goal is to expand throughout Africa, setting up kitchens in communities of all sizes

I am here in Mwanza with three other interns from the Richard Ivey School of Business (two of whom will soon be moving on to a site in Kenya). Together, we have been tasked with determining the best method of this expansion, focusing on the sustainability of the kitchens without compromising on the overall social mission WHE began the project with.

So far…

With five sleeps under my belt (not including the two I attempted on the way here), I have finally moved into the downtown apartment where I will be spending the next twelve weeks, and thus finally should have a more steady supply of Internet. Here are some of the things I have learned/noticed so far:

Swahili time is very different then North American time: Long story short, things move slowly here (except for the vehicals). Two o’clock does not mean two o’clock, and waiting for food or a bill can take longer then I’ve ever imagined. For anyone who knows how punctual I can be, this is going to take me a little getting used to.

English translations can be taken very literally: After finishing dinner last night, a fellow intern ordered a banana split for dessert. Forty minutes later (see above), she is brought a plate with a banana, split down the middle.

Eggs only need to be refrigerated after being washed: Supposedly, chicken eggs are laid with a protective coating that preserves the yoke. But when washed this coating is removed. I hope its true, because eggs here are defiantly not refrigerated.

Outdoor urinals: This one is actually from Amsterdam, but scattered around the city are metal spirals, solid only from around the knees to the neck. I was wondering what they were until I saw someone go in one…

The dawn of the sandal tan: After only a few days, I have been able to notice the consequences of wearing sandals in the sun all day long. It is still a light contrast, but I am quite curious what three months will do.

I don’t really know what else to write about, so here are some top 10’s

Things we are not supposed to do in Mwanza:

1) Ride in the dala-dalas. –Done
-- A dala-dala, for those wondering, is a vehicle slightly larger then your average minivan, but seats 16 people and fits more then 20 (regularly), with the occasional person substituted for a goat or a chicken. They are Tanzanian buses, and are known for their somewhat aggressive driving. But at less then $.20 CAN, I have so far been taking them about twice a day.

2) Ride the motorcycle cabs. –Not Yet
-- A cheaper alternative to cabs if traveling by yourself, the lack of helmets and driving style scares off many mzungus (The non-offensive Swahili word for white foreigner. It can be used to get your attention, or just yelled at you by laughing children on the street). I have generally been traveling in groups, but its something I plan on trying at least once (I’ve never been on a motorcycle before).

3) Walk around the city at night. – Done
-- This one more so refers to woman (for good reason). And when I did it I was still in a group. Alone is much more frowned upon.

4) Not wear bug spray after dusk. –Done
-- I’ve never been a big fan on loading my skin down with sprays and creams, especially at 30% deet. I’ve mostly just been spraying down my window and bed net.

5) Walk barefoot, especially on sand. –Done
-- I have avoided this on the streets for good reason, but who wears shoes on sand or grass. The reason for this rule is that the sand is on the shore of the lake (see below).

6) Swim in Lake Victoria. –Not Yet
-- Certain bacteria in the water supposedly enter your skin almost instantly, and eventually give you some kind of worms. However, it causes no symptoms for about six months to a year, and all you have to do is take a couple pills back in Canada and you’re good. For this reason, most interns seem to swim and even wakeboard, and it is too hot here for me to pass up on either if the situation arises.

7) Eat street meat. –Done
-- I don’t see what the big deal is here. The meet is cooked over hot embers, and I did check to see if it was still raw (believe it or not). It was cheap, tasted great, and my stomach is fine, so this should become a staple.

8) Eat uncooked vegetables. –Done
-- The street meat has to have something on the side, right. The issue here is that it is washed with the tap water, but I think as long as you don’t drink the water directly it isn’t really a problem (although some peoples systems do require a few days to “adjust”)

9) Drink the tap water directly. –This one I plan on following
-- This is just asking to get sick. So far I have had boiled then filtered water, but I hear an even easier way is to leave jugs on the roof for three days, letting the UV rays kill the bacteria, then filter out the silt. The things you learn.

10) Brush teeth with the water. –Done
-- Like the uncooked vegetables, following this would just be too much of a hassle. I’ve already done it in Mexico many times, so I’m not too worried.

Overall, there are lots of rules you can follow if you want to be extremely couscous, but it’s just not worth it when you’re spending three months in the country. I’ve just decided to push the boundaries until my body says otherwise, let my system get used to the country, and move on with it.

First time:

1) In Europe
-- Had never even seen the Atlantic Ocean before my flight to Amsterdam. Nice place, but sadly it was raining and Sunday, so not the best situation to get a fair impression.

2) In Africa
-- Going from being a member of the majority (or at least the largest minority) to having children laughing and getting excited at the mere sight of you is quite the culture shock.

3) Being a millionaire
-- $1.00 CAN = about 1300 Tanzanian shillings (Tsh) which means about $770 CAN = 1,000,000 Tsh. I know it’s not real, but it still feels good.

4) Eating freshly deep fried foods for breakfast
-- So far, the breakfast choice has been either fried or fruit, and not a lot of locals go for the fruit. I’ve been trying to embrace that by grabbing a samosa to go some other random selection each morning.

5) Sleeping with a mosquito bed net
-- And I still seem to get bitten plenty every night. I feel as if Tanzanian mosquitoes will each bite more times then Canadian ones, and are much harder to catch. But I am paying for my malaria pills, so I may as well give them a chance to work.

6) Having a bucket shower
-- Decided to try going for a run just before dusk, and when I came back to my room found out the power was out and the water was not working. So I got to instead use a bucket filled with water from a source of unknown sanitary levels.

7) Seeing an albino person
-- Due to the scarcity of white people, I generally get a little excited every time I see one (no prej). It just took me a second to realize how white this one was.

8) Eating avocado Pizza
-- Meat is less common over here, but avocados are bigger, more plentiful, and better tasting then in Canada, so this one just makes sense.

9) Seeing a wild monkey
-- Saw a couple cross the road I was walking down. When I turned the corner to get a better view, saw about 15 more climbing the trees and sitting around. The Africans didn’t seem as excited.

10)Tipping ten cents and feeling like a good person
- Sounds bad, but tipping isn’t very common in Tanzania. Looking at a plate of food that cost you less then a dollar makes throwing 100 Tsh the other way pretty easy.

I am sure I have missed some good ones, which I will try to add to future updates along with new firsts I am sure to come across. In my next blog, I’ll try and give a better idea of what life here entails. I will also try to post some pictures (they can be very hard to post with the internet here).

P.S. - My number is +255759290803 (from Canada). Texts home only cost me 10 cents, and I have free incoming worldwide. So depending on how much I mean to you, feel free to send me a message or two, and I’ll do my best to reply. Email and facebook should also be checked regularly enough.