Settling into Dar es Salaam & UNDP Tanzania
Today marks exactly 1-month that I boarded American Airlines in Toronto, and traveled via Washington DC and Ethiopian Airlines to my long anticipated field placement in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Being my first time visiting the African continent, my eyes were glued to the airplane window most of the flight...
Upon arrival to Nyerere airport I was relieved to encounter no delays in retrieving my suitcase, and a very friendly colleague from UNDP kindly met with me at the airport, helped me get some local currency and get settled at my temporary hostel.
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| Consolata Fathers - Private Missionary Residence |
Not only was I picked up at the airport, but I was staying at a very inviting guesthouse where the landlord spoke English and Italian, in addition to Kiswahili. Needless to say I felt very welcome - and this made a world of a difference as I navigated my new surroundings, sharpened my language skills and figured out a very important thing - the Tanzanian telecommunications options...introducing Vodacom:
Vodacom and I would develop a love-hate type of relationship over the coming weeks. Cell phones here are marvelously advanced, while internet is kind of like electricity - not everyone can have it at the same time!
(I can just hear the missionaries and development workers from the 80s and 90s now, telling us how we've got it so easy with all our fancy modes of communicating with back home!)
I thought about sending a postcard today...I really did ;)
My first weekend in Dar was awesome and it was a slight sensory overload with all the sights and sounds of my new environment. The howling dogs outside at night, the car-honking, the crowds, the street vendors...I welcomed every minute of it. I was also very blessed to have a nice mix of Canadian, expat and Tanzanian friends to spend my first weekend with. Right from the get-go I've made a point of keeping my leisure time balanced between the local scene and the expat scene, and there is certainly considerable differences between the two.
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| Slipway Shopping Centre on the Masaki peninsula |
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| The 'Loblaws' of Dar es Salaam |
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| Official taxis will have a green stripe on the side of the car. Other 'taxis' will also offer you rides. |
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| Mishkaki - skewered meat & roasted bananas |
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| Nyama choma kwa ugali - barbecue meat and accompanying sticky porridge, to be dipped in hot sauce, chilies, etc. |
No complaints about the food here so far!
Three days after my arrival I started my placement with UNDP. It was great to be greeted in the lobby by my supervisor and given a tour of the office while being introduced to everyone individually. Then came some admin. stuff - my laptop, desk, request for IT access and scheduling of my security briefing the following day. I was introduced to the Economic Growth Programme Specialist whom I would be working closely with, and I rounded out the day with some briefing on UN Project policies and procedures...lets not forget taking my Access Badge photo:
My second day on the job my colleagues started a running joke saying "yesterday you were new, but today you're not new", basically saying "now we can be tough on you and give you lots of projects" - I felt right at home :)
Local Restaurants
My first week at UNDP some of my colleagues kindly took me under their wing and showed me where they normally go for lunch. These places were lovely (i.e. the National Museum, the Tourism College of Tanzania, etc.), and somewhat inexpensive in comparison to Canadian restaurants...however I knew that the local places on the street were serving the same food for much less, and I really wanted to try them out and support them. Everyday I would pass these places, see the barbecue and wish I could just eat there...so finally I decided to ask some of my Tanzanian colleagues in the office if they ever eat lunch there - sure enough they did and I asked if I could join them. After a couple of these "stints" and getting to know the cooks and waitresses I now am just as comfortable with going there myself everyday. The local place is famously referred to as "Holiday Out" restaurant since it is located across the street from the Holiday Inn hotel. Genius!
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| "Holiday Out" Restaurant |
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| Gravity-fed handwashing |
Celebrating Canada Day on July 6th at the High Commissioner of Canada in Tanzania's Residence
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| Mr. Alexandre Lévêque - High Commissioner of Canada to Tanzania |
Barack Obama "fever" sweeps over Tanzania!
People at work were joking with me saying my time of arrival couldn't be better! In my second week in this beautiful country, I was not only invited to the Canadian High Commissioner's barbecue for Canada Day, but I also got to witness all the preparation and anticipation for the two days US President Barack Obama would spend in Dar es Salaam, concluding his Africa Tour. It was a privilege to share in the local excitement, and hear how highly revered Mr. Obama is over here among Tanzanians. If you look at the map of Dar es Salaam on Google Maps, you will see that they have already changed the name of part of Ocean Road to "Barack Obama Drive"...before I saw this I thought all the talk was just rumors, but one thing I've learned about Tanzania is people here never say things just to amuse themselves - they mean it! I wonder if they'll ever take the signs down?
