What did I find?
PEPSI!!!
I was coming out of a meeting and looked to the right and there it was - a Pepsi vending machine!!! So it does exist in Tanzania! haha... I have yet to find it served in any hotel or restaurants, but a vending machine will do as proof of it's existence in Tanzania!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Where are the Two-Wheelers?
Again, comparing it to India, Dar es Salaam doesn't have a 2 wheeler culture. I don't see that many motorcycles, cycles, scooters, etc. on the road. Makes me wonder how people travel. There are of course cabs, and autos (which they by the way call 'Bajaj' here!). They also have these 'Dala dalas' which are mini-buses which most of the people take. But as far as personal transportation... not sure. I would think 2-wheelers would be the obvious cheap alternative to a car (which most people can't buy). Our driver, Jonas, told us that now the Chinese have introduced a cheap motorcycle, and many people are starting to buy it.
And the other thing I don't see here are Coffee Shops!
Sometimes between meeting we really want to grab a coffee or latte or something and we don't know where to go. There's no equivalent of a Starbucks or Barista or Costa Coffee here.
And the other thing I don't see here are Coffee Shops!
Sometimes between meeting we really want to grab a coffee or latte or something and we don't know where to go. There's no equivalent of a Starbucks or Barista or Costa Coffee here.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Master and Slave Culture
My coworker brought up something quite interesting, which I found to be true... We noticed that the 'poor' people here are not subservient. There seems to be a certain amount of dignity - no matter how poor or rich, there's more equality and respect. I don't think that exists in India. In India, the servants, drivers, waiters, etc. seem to think they're inferior and hence bow their head down and live. There's a very 'master and servant' culture in India...We hire people for the elevators to push the floor we want to go to, we have waiters keeping an eye on our plates so they can serve us more food as our plates get empty, etc. This is not the case here. There's no 'lift-man', waiters don't constantly fill up our plates, etc.
Also - there's more of a civic sense here. This place is not really.polluted. You don't really find trash on the road or on the beaches. Not to say that Dar es Salaam this developed city... it's not. You definitely know you're in an underdeveloped country - and one that is far more underdeveloped than even India. But, some there just seems to be a greater respect for one's surrounding (which includes other people).
I'm quite curious as to what it is in our culture that makes us so 'uncaring' where as the Tanzanian's not.
Also - there's more of a civic sense here. This place is not really.polluted. You don't really find trash on the road or on the beaches. Not to say that Dar es Salaam this developed city... it's not. You definitely know you're in an underdeveloped country - and one that is far more underdeveloped than even India. But, some there just seems to be a greater respect for one's surrounding (which includes other people).
I'm quite curious as to what it is in our culture that makes us so 'uncaring' where as the Tanzanian's not.
Monday, September 28, 2009
An Experiment!
I'm conducting an experiment here. My hypothesis is that Pepsi doesn't exist in Dar es Salaam (and probably all of Tanzania)!!! Everywhere I go, they only have Coke and coke products like their bottled water, Dasani. No Aquafina anywhere (Pepsi's bottled water). So for the next 2 weeks, I'm going to ask all the restaurants for Pepsi explicitly to see if they have it or not. I find it quite surprising that Pepsi doesn't exist here but... let's see!
Oh and another interesting thing. When I got a local sim card when I got there and remember asking him outgoing and incoming charges. He gave me that information in seconds! (not minutes!). So he's like it's 5 shillings per second. I was caught off guard for a min! hehe... anyways, I thought that was worth sharing!
Oh and another interesting thing. When I got a local sim card when I got there and remember asking him outgoing and incoming charges. He gave me that information in seconds! (not minutes!). So he's like it's 5 shillings per second. I was caught off guard for a min! hehe... anyways, I thought that was worth sharing!
Mud Houses and Blue Waters
Today we did sight seeing. We first went to this Village Museum. It was quite cool. It showcased the different houses of different tribes from all over Tanzania.
Then we went to this place called Sea Cliff. It was ok. It was a place where the expats in the city go for groceries... and bookstore. The view of the sea from there was stunning!
Looking out at the sea I realized that Mumbai and Dar es Salaam are both by the the Indian Ocean... but the difference in the water and beauty is at the opposite ends... Mumbai water is brown, eeky... basically, nasty! And here... it's beautiful...and pollution free! (1st picture is Mumbai, 2nd is Dar es Salaam)
Then we went to this place called Sea Cliff. It was ok. It was a place where the expats in the city go for groceries... and bookstore. The view of the sea from there was stunning!
Looking out at the sea I realized that Mumbai and Dar es Salaam are both by the the Indian Ocean... but the difference in the water and beauty is at the opposite ends... Mumbai water is brown, eeky... basically, nasty! And here... it's beautiful...and pollution free! (1st picture is Mumbai, 2nd is Dar es Salaam)
I'm in Dar es Salaam!
Saturday, 26 September 2009
I landed in Dar es Salaam around 3:30pm... was at the hotel a little before 5. So as you can see, the immigration process was fast! But I would hardly say inefficient! The international airport was small... with maybe 4 or 5 terminals! Ours was the only plane there that I saw. So basically, there really wasn't much going on at the airport.
We stepped out and met our driver, who was standing outside with our names on a placard. The weather is great! It's like 31 C (90 F) but not humid... just the way I like it! :)
One of the first things that hits me when I compare to my experience of coming out of the international airport in India (Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, etc.) is how its not crowded and how its so much cleaner outside.
Just so you know, Tanzania's population is about 40 million and Dar es Salaam's is about 3-4 million. So compare it to India, that's quite small (though I find it interesting that 10% of the country's population lives in one city in the country - Dar es Salaam)
We leave the airport and head to our hotel. Some faces of poverty I guess are the same everywhere. At every light, there were children and young adolescents selling things or just plain begging (just like in India). I didn't see any deformed people though (people with limbs cut off, distorted features, etc. - you know what I mean) as you see in India... but it's only been 1 hour. Will see if that holds true.
I landed in Dar es Salaam around 3:30pm... was at the hotel a little before 5. So as you can see, the immigration process was fast! But I would hardly say inefficient! The international airport was small... with maybe 4 or 5 terminals! Ours was the only plane there that I saw. So basically, there really wasn't much going on at the airport.
We stepped out and met our driver, who was standing outside with our names on a placard. The weather is great! It's like 31 C (90 F) but not humid... just the way I like it! :)
One of the first things that hits me when I compare to my experience of coming out of the international airport in India (Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, etc.) is how its not crowded and how its so much cleaner outside.
Just so you know, Tanzania's population is about 40 million and Dar es Salaam's is about 3-4 million. So compare it to India, that's quite small (though I find it interesting that 10% of the country's population lives in one city in the country - Dar es Salaam)
We leave the airport and head to our hotel. Some faces of poverty I guess are the same everywhere. At every light, there were children and young adolescents selling things or just plain begging (just like in India). I didn't see any deformed people though (people with limbs cut off, distorted features, etc. - you know what I mean) as you see in India... but it's only been 1 hour. Will see if that holds true.
What Country is THAT?
Saturday, 26 September 2009
I'm on my flight from Dubai to Dar es Salaam. I look outside and look down and see barren land. As far as I can see, I see barren land... no trees, no water... just dry brown land. I look 30 mins later... same thing. An hour later.. same thing. Then I wonder which country I'm over. I turn to the in-flight system and go to the map page where they show you the route and where you are. There I see which country I'm flying over: Somalia... Interesting.
For those interested, Somalia has not had a central government since 1991, so has been a state of anarchy for 18 years! You can read more about it on... where else but Wiki! Very interesting...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Somalia
I'm on my flight from Dubai to Dar es Salaam. I look outside and look down and see barren land. As far as I can see, I see barren land... no trees, no water... just dry brown land. I look 30 mins later... same thing. An hour later.. same thing. Then I wonder which country I'm over. I turn to the in-flight system and go to the map page where they show you the route and where you are. There I see which country I'm flying over: Somalia... Interesting.
For those interested, Somalia has not had a central government since 1991, so has been a state of anarchy for 18 years! You can read more about it on... where else but Wiki! Very interesting...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Somalia
On my way to Tanzania!
Friday, 25 September 2009
I'm going to Tanzania! I'm so excited. I'll be going to Dar es Salaam, Arusha, a Safari, hopefully Zanzibar, and other places to do farmer visits, etc. I'm really looking forward to it! One of the things I'm MOST excited about is just to see what poverty looks like in Tanzania (at least from the outside and use it as a benchmark for Africa I guess) :P hehe... ya ya... i know Africa is a HUGE continent. Anyways, being from India and living there, for me it's really exciting to see what the face of poverty is like in Africa. I was in Kenya years and years ago... hardly remember it. So... lets see how this goes!
I'm going to Tanzania! I'm so excited. I'll be going to Dar es Salaam, Arusha, a Safari, hopefully Zanzibar, and other places to do farmer visits, etc. I'm really looking forward to it! One of the things I'm MOST excited about is just to see what poverty looks like in Tanzania (at least from the outside and use it as a benchmark for Africa I guess) :P hehe... ya ya... i know Africa is a HUGE continent. Anyways, being from India and living there, for me it's really exciting to see what the face of poverty is like in Africa. I was in Kenya years and years ago... hardly remember it. So... lets see how this goes!
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