Tomorrow I leave Mwanza. I am driving with some friends across the country. It will be nice farewell trip across the beautiful country of Tanzania. It will take two to three days depending on how tired we get of the potholes and swallowing dust. We are not in a hurry.
It will be hard to say goodbye to this place. I will miss lot of things. Today I went for my last morning jog around the villages. The scenery keeps amazing me. Also running through the village roads or should I say paths is always a treat. The greetings I get on the way are outnumbered. I don’t know how to tell them that this is the last time to greet each other.
I decided to make a little bit longer route this time. I wanted to enjoy for the last time people’s morning rituals; people doing laundry in a bucket outside, or having a morning bath with only a little cup of water, cooking on a chalko (most common local cooking pot) on the porch or under a tree, people collecting firewood and carrying it on the top of their heads, fisherman coming from the lake with their morning catch, and children sweeping their “yard” in front of their homes. This is the real Tanzania.
Since I will be travelling with my friend, we have had lot of little things to take care of before starting the trip. We both needed to get our hairs done. This time mine was easy. I went to my regular place and got a very short cut. I have begun to like it. My friend, on the other hand, needed to get her hair braded. That is another story. I see women braiding each other’s hair all over usually. When finding one, they are nowhere. After finding one we waited for three hours to get our turn. It was worth it. I got to sit outside and watch people pass us by, women putting up their stands (cooker and a pot), men going to the mosque, and children fetching water from the nearest ditch. Everyone seems to live in peace and not worry about a thing.
Last Saturday I had my farewell party. I had invited my closest friends, must people from the college, and some neighbours. Fortunately only my friends came. We had made food for thirty people but we were 25. This time I though there was no way we could run out of food. Think again. When you invite basketball players over, there is always four quarters in eating. They finished everything we had prepared. We had 5 kg of meat, 5 kg of beans, 5 kg of rice and some other Tanzanian dishes. I can’t believe it was all gone.
Having people over is always been fun. When ever I invite someone over, the number doubles. Everyone wants to see how the Mzungu lives. I am happy to have people over but it is hard to prepare anything since you never know what the final number is. It is also funny to see how the different customs meat in normal situations. For example eating with your hands, washing hands ritual before eating, prayers and asking to visit the bathroom. When I am visiting others it is only me who has to remember their customs. But when they are visiting our house which has some western standards and customs, I always wonder how they are feeling. For example our toilet is normal western sitting toilet inside the house. You don’t have to do any arrangements when entering the room. In Tanzania it is a custom to give slippers to a person who visits the toilet. It is understandable since the toilets are outside with only a hole. So my guest are wondering around the house on my slippers and asking which building the toilet is.
Another thing is the hand washing ritual. I think we all agree that it is smart to wash your hands before starting eating. We are capable of doing it anywhere, in kitchen or in the bathroom, what ever is the most convenient. Well, here the host is supposed to go around with a bucket and a scoop among all guests so that they can wash their hands. We never do that in our house. So when the food was ready and people were invited to start, everyone just waited for me to start the hand washing ritual. I noticed that soon, and said that in Europe you are supposed to go toilet to wash your hands and now we are living partly in Europe. Everyone laughed and went to wash their hands reluctantly to the toilet.
Although it will be sad to leave this place and these people, I am partly happy. Since I have given out most of my clothes, all of my shoes, and some other stuff to my friends and neighbours, people have started to show another side of them – greediness. I hate that. When giving my best shoes or shirt to someone, you would think that they were at least a bit appreciative, but no. Now they come to my house asking for the weirdest things, and they bring all their friends with them. I can’t blame them really. This has been the custom here with previous westerners. When they left, they gave out all their stuff to locals. I can’t do that. And I hate begging. So past few days I have turned people away when they come to ask for a fridge or a bed or what ever you can think of. Even my closest friends. It is very hard to keep an open mind and think of them as my friends in that situation. I wish I didn’t have to see that.
I have received lot of things also. The most common gift for my farewell has been a kanga (a wrap around). I have received quite many of them. Two of my friends prepared a Tanzanian dress for me. I hate to tell you this, but I can’t think of a place to wear them. Anyway, they are beautiful. And it is the thought that counts – right!
So tomorrow I will hit the road. I still have almost three weeks to spend in Tanzania. I know it will be a mistake to spend it in Dar; it will be expensive, I will eat too much, and it will be way too hot for me. But I am sure I will enjoy it in any case. Ulla-Maj has promised to let me stay with her as always. She is leaving to Britain for Christmas so I will have the house for myself. I must invite some friends over.
Now it is time to say goodbye to Mwanza and head for another adventure. Kwaherini!
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