Observations of Life in Dodoma

I have been meaning to write more about my observations of life in Dodoma. I always notice things when I am walking to work, riding the dala dala, walking around the market or at work, but by the time I get somewhere where I can write it down I forget. I will try harder from here on out. Here is what I do remember for now :)

It is amazing the things that people will carry on their bikes; the number of people and/or objects on a motorbike; the weight of peoples loads (fruit in 2 baskets carried on a pole over their back or shoulders); the stack of goods on a cart usually pushed by only one person (not sure how they don’t crash more often cause I don’t understand how they know where to go as there is no way they can see) and so on. I am working on taking pictures of all this for a photo blog one day :)

I am also amazed at how color does not really mean anything here. I have lost count of how many school boys I have seen with pink Little Kitty backpacks and men in bright pink shirts.They walk tall and proud! I love it! I would love to see my nephews with those backpacks and my brother in a bright pink shirt that shines and glimmers in the sunlight.LOL

On Friday we had a meeting with the two groups that built sand dams last October. They have not been taking care of their sand dams and so we are trying to find out why and what the town council can or will do. So once again we are sitting in the shade of a random Baobab tree, where we always tend to have our meetings. I am thankful for the shade of the large trees and there is usually a breeze. I also always get a seat of honour, being a mzungu (even though I’m female). That means I get a chair, a bench or stool or even a pail to sit on. I am usually grateful to have something to sit on, but honestly, sometimes I think the ground would be more comfortable, depending on what the chair of honour is. But I smile, say thank you and suck it up. :)

What I noticed at this particular meeting was that there was some cattle dung laying around but nobody else seemed to notice. It was not that it smelled (I couldn’t smell it from where I was) but that occasionally someone would touch it with their feet. Most people here wear sandals and because of a lack of water, the heat and sand their feet are often very dry, weatherworn and cracked. All I could think of was how easy it would be to pick up some disease from the cattle dung. 

Another man sitting there on the ground in front of me had some rather large sores on his feet which were very attractive to the flies. Every time I looked (and I tried to stop looking!) there were flies crawling all over the sores. I was watching the flies go back and forth from the cattle dung to the open sores on his feet. It made me really sad, especially when he did not even flinch from the flies on his feet. Whenever there is a fly crawling on me anywhere it makes me flinch cause it kind of tickles. The people here are so used to having flies on them that I don’t think they even notice them. You know those sad commercials on TV that show children with flies on their faces and they don’t try to swat them away? Well, that is real, not just for the children but for everyone here. 

And to end on a happy note, I am hoping to move into my house this coming week!!!

Happy August Long Weekend Canadian Friends and Family!