Down 'n' Out in DSM

DSM, February 2007

So, I am pretty certain that Heather and I do our best, most of the time, to put any problems we have in perspective. And we are thrilled to have the opportunity to live and work in Dar es Salaam for five months or so...That said, let me tell you that we occasionally get frustrated by life here.

First, there are all sorts of cultural disconnects as well as real, i.e. material, problems that come with living in a developing country. Yesterday while preparing dinner, the power went out. When would it come back...you never really know. Over the weekend, the university water system shut down; we've got a water cooler but if there's no water in the pipes then flushing a toilet is, well, not possible.

There are large quantities of tiny ants that make their home in our kitchen. Keeping anything out of the fridge that is not fully sealed is an invitation for these ants to chow down.

It's really hot and humid, all the time! We don't use a/c and we walk most everywhere or take these super-cramped minibuses. Traffic is insane much of the day, especially going downtown (where Heather must do much "bizness" for work).

We're still not used to living with a "helper" (she is employed by the university and has worked in this house for years) and she has very definite ideas about what she does and does not do. Complicated by language barriers. We feel so colonial sometimes...

Bureaucracy, did I mention the bureaucracy?! We're here for almost 6 months; students and teachers regularly come here for a semester. Alas, recently the Immigration peeps changed from 6 to 3 month visas. When we arrived at the Dar airport, the Customs officer reduced ours, randomly, to one month. Heather and folks from the univ. have made trips almost weekly to the Immigration Ministry to take care of. Still no visas for us or our students. They actually write down (by hand) the serial numbers of the bills Heather pays with. Much of the university and national government administration does not seem to operate with computers!

The final timetable for the semester's classes did not come out until midway through the second week of classes! Many students, and professors, do not attend class for the whole first week! Why, when classes might be changed?

I could go on but will spare you, my kind readers, and myself any more surris (sp?). Sure glad I got that off my chest...Rahimu (oh, did you hear the one about how Kiswahili is "easy" to learn?! Not! Ok, maybe easier than English but still quite hard.)