Holly Molly I'm actually here!

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Habari za siku nyingi? (what is the news of many days?)

I did manage to get out of Toronto on the 2nd… Actually that’s a lie, I didn’t get out until 3:45 am on the 3rd, 5.5 hours late but who’s counting? Once I arrived in London, I was pleased to find out that my connecting flight to Johannesburg had been cancelled, so I ended up being put up in a hotel for a day and a half. Once I arrived in Dar es Salam (28 hours later than originally planned) things started going much smoother, other than finding out that one of the top straps on my bag had been partially torn off. Danny and Steph (two EWB volunteers in Mbeya until the end of August) came and picked me up at the airport and have been a great help in getting me settled here.

Mbeya, the town I am going to be spending the next year in, is located in southern Tanzania. The area is quite high (1800 ft) and dry (just like back home in Calgary). It is currently the end of the “cold” season, so it is cold enough at night that I wear pants and a fleece jacket. During the day it is quite warm in the sun, but I can still comfortably wear pants, and if there is a wind (and there usually is) I get cold if I am sitting around or in the shade. A collard shirt, dress pants and dress shoes are the norm for men here, and wearing shorts is considered juvenile, so I’m going to have to invest in some respectable clothing.

Steph, Danny and I are currently staying in the Moravian Hostel (lonely planet guide recommends against staying there, and says you will likely get mugged on the road to it… so far so good (actually it’s really clean and Danny and Steph have been here for three months without any problems)). We are sharing two double rooms, the winner of various bets and games gets the room to themselves, which costs 7200 shillings (tsh) a night. I am going to try and find my own place to move into around the end of the month when Danny and Steph leave, because paying 3600 tsh a night when I am supposed to be living on about 9000 tsh a day ($10/day) is a bit pricey.

To get a sense of prices here, a “western” breakfast (two eggs with toast) costs about 800 tsh, a lunch in the market of either rice or ugali (a stiff porridge made from maize or cassava flour) with beans and greens costs 350 tsh (and it’s enough food to choke a horse), and dinner runs between 800 and 3000 tsh, depending on what I have and where I have it. So 9000 tsh/day is plenty.

Emotionally I am doing pretty good. Most of the time I am glad I decided to come and work here, and excited to be learning a new language and a new culture. I really haven’t done much work yet, but the little I have has been enjoyable and I’m looking forward to learning more about what Enterprise Works. Occasionally, usually when I am hungry or tired, I get really down. I start thinking about all the people I love that I’m not going to get to see for a long long time. I am also kind of worried about getting lonely, once Steph and Danny leave. I guess I’ll just have to get on learning Swahili so I can get over the language barrier.

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Photos

Eli on a Treadle Pump
This is one of the irrigation techniques that Enterprise Works teaches people how to build.

Bringing the nerd to the world
Steph teaching Willie how to use Solid Edge to help him with his design work.