Conversations with Barnabas #5

Welcome back to Conversations with Barnabas Bear. A couple of items up front, the conversation is fictional (hopefully that was obvious) but are pulled from some of my conversations and observations during my time here in Tanzania.  The main purpose of these is to help everyone get to know the people in Tanzania a little bit better while having a little bit of fun.  I would love some feedback on these so I know if I should continue and if so what types of conversations Barnabas needs to be having.  The stories are told from Barnaba’s point of view and because of that they are in English though I try to reflect some of the problems with the English translation.

It was a long frustrating week for dad in the village this week that extended into the weekend so instead of leaving Friday afternoon for town, we are heading in on Saturday afternoon.  It is roughly a two hour ride in using the truck and since we don't have any guests it is a quiet ride.  Dad is pensive as he works over one of the many projects going on in his head.  Not sure what has him so worked up, maybe the fact that two of the guys who work on the site did something stupid and dangerous with the ladder (or as dad calls it "the really expensive ladder").  Not only did they break the ladder one of them had to be rescued from the tree he was using the ladder to scale so he could get to a bee hive.

Maybe it is the argument over money for medicines as the clinic staff wanted to buy more despite having spent all their money for the month.  Maybe it is the fact no one here really talks to him until they want something.  Maybe it is because he has not had time to work on the house for almost two months now.  Maybe it is because his list of projects he wants to work on has grown to over 50 and all he really needs to do them is more time in a day.

I may not know what is the main cause of his mood right now but I know what this means.  We are heading straight for the Stanley Motel in Singida.  This is one of his favorite restaurants in town.  The Stanley's restaurant, his hardware store, Sarafina's and our hotel to stay out called the Shining Star are his favorite places because people there actually talk and act like they are glad to see him.  Not to mention two of them are places to get good food.  However Safafina's is his favorite place to get breakfast.

I like the Stanley because the wait staff are all nice and several of them like to play with me.  Like Aziza in the picture above.  He may get his comfort food called Chipsi Mayai which is french fries (steak fries actually) cooked with eggs like an omelet.  But I am guessing since he has not had any meat all week on site he is going for Kuku nusu pamoja chipsi which is half a chicken with fries.  Not to be outdone by his desire for a Coke (pronounced here like  Coka) Zero baridi which means it is cold.  If Robert is there it will be cold enough to have some ice crystals in it as Robert knows how much he likes it cold.  

Wow good time we are here  already.  Yeah I see Hadiya and Robert they always like to greet us and talk a little.  They will ask why they rarely see the truck and Dad will explain in broken swahili that once he parks it at the hotel he will only get it out if it is really needed.  It is the same discussion and greetings every week.

Hadiya is first, "Hujumbo, Steve"  

D:  "Sijumbo, Hadiya"

H:  "Shikamoo"  (this is a greeting of respect to elders-It's literal translation is I am under your feet)

D:  "Marahaba" (This is the response to Shikamoo though the translation is murky and most say it does not have one really)

D:  "Habari mchana"  (This means what news of the afternoon? but is basically like Good Afternoon)

H:  "Nzuri"  (Good)

D:  "Habari Kazi"  (How is work)

H:  "Safi"  (normally means clean but when used in response means fresh

Robert:  "Mambo Vipi"  (This is the cool greeting which sorta means What's up)

D:  "Poa"  (Cool you have to respond to the cool greeting with a cool response)

Then Dad and Robert go through all the greetings that Dad and Hadiya went through.  Each person who comes out to see us will do the same.  Christian who runs the three hotels is probably at his hardware store so it is unlikely we will see him.  

In the meantime Robert has brought a Coke Zero from the back of the refrigerator so it is cold.  Dad actually started to smile as he twisted the top off to see some ice crystals floating in the soda.  After about another four or five minutes of greetings Dad finally orders and he is going for the chicken so we have at least an hour before the meal gets here.

Dad pulls out his phone to use the calculator and his notepad so he will be designing something.  That must have been what he was thinking about on the trip some new concept he wants to figure out if he can build so project number 51?  People who are regulars stop as they walk by to greet dad. It is almost always several minutes of greetings back and forth.  I have pulled out my coloring book and Hadiya and one of the guys working here are helping me color something in.  It is always interesting how many adults want to color here especially if the outline is already there.  I keep wondering if the elaborate adult coloring books would do well here.  It is misleading to judge the wait staff at a place like the Stanley by a moment in time.  You may catch them sitting around sometimes watching tv or possibly even dozing off.  On the flip side they work morning, lunch and dinner shifts and often into the early morning hours at the bar area.  At times their job is demanding and full force but at other times it is boring.  But you will see them there most any time of the day.  Tipping is also different here as most Tanzanians don't tip.  So dad is always struggling to figure out what is right.  If he just gets a soda somewhere he does not tip but if they bring him a meal he normally goes for 10% or the next whole number available in their monetary system.  

When he first came here dad said they had shillings as low as 1 in coin form.  Now the lowest you can get is 50 shillings.  Bills start at 500 and go to 10,000 though they really need something larger.  He always likes to comment the broken down Dodge Ram truck has not changed since his first trip in 2001 though despite all the improvements to the buildings behind it.

Dad is more relaxed now as he is trying to show off his latest idea to someone. This is a self harvesting rainwater barrel that can be placed in the field with the crops.  Everybody seems excited by it so it must be a hit.  

Dad takes a look over at our coloring.  I sometimes wonder if he wishes he could color but since he does not see any colors it would be hard.  I know he wishes that was a form of art he could do.  He likes working with wood, crochet, metal but I think he sometimes wishes he could draw and paint but the way he sees the world I am pretty sure none of us would ever understand-and a could part of that would be his colorblindness.

Some girls show up and Hadiya takes me over to meet them.  We go through the greeting process again.  I don't know everything they are saying but there are laughs when they find out Dad carries me around in his backpack.  We get that a lot here.  Never phases dad.  At least now he is relaxed and smiling.