Tanzania Post 1

My time is short in terms of updating this blog (as shown by the fact that my last post seemed to end in the middle of nowhere – I was promptly kicked off the net... and blogger didn't save the draft!), so I am just going to list a whole load of my current musings on Tanzania without going into my usual rambling detail. Here goes:

The monetary system is #%*(#&. On top of having different exchange rates for 50 & 100 $ bills compared to 1s, 5s, 10s and 20s, the exchange rates apparently vary quite significantly across the country. In Dar, the exchange rate was approx. $1 to 1,300tsh. In Iringa it is more like $1 to 1,190tsh. If you use dollars in a shop, you are going to experience ‘conversions’ like $1 to 1,000tsh – and obviously, trying to convert back results in even worse rates.

There is a massive difference between being educated and being smart. Many of the workers at Neema are a great example of this – for example the shopkeeper who proudly told me how he calculates the profit/loss for the week, and explains to the manager exactly why he thinks the profit and loss has occurred, and how it might be dealt with in the future. Contrast that with your average teenager in Tescos! Or the guy who in his first computer lesson wrote a letter to the local primary school, telling them that ‘in this time of globalization, it is important to learn computer skills’ in order to keep up with the times!

I would sum up Tanzania and Kiswahili with one word: ‘Karibu’ (Welcome). I’m pretty sure that even if your arch nemesis came through your door, you would still have the following conversation:

Nemesis: Hodi (May I come in?)
Helpless Prey: Karibu (Welcome)
N: Asante. Habari za leo? (Thanks. News of the day?)
HP: Nzuri (Good)
N: Habari za kazi? (News from work?)
HP: Nzuri…
N: Habari za nyumbani? (News from home?)
HP: Nzuri…
N: *Brandishes knife*

The point being that greetings are such a central part of Tanzanian culture. People who know me well will have probably heard me moan about my dislike of small talk. Whilst this probably counts as small talk, I have no beef with friendly greetings. It really is nice to have strangers ask how life is when you walk down the street, and when you do the same, as my friend Adam remarked: ‘they never leave you hanging’.


Being here has made me appreciate my time at Deloitte a lot more. It seems that contrary what I might feel a lot of the time, I’ve actually learnt a lot of transferable skills there. Yesterday I was quizzed by the FD of Neema Crafts about audit, and went through his accounting system with him. It seems like MBF is going to ask me to do a similar thing. I've also managed to help out a lot with improving MBF's loan tracker.

7 minutes to go before internet goes, could be tight...

Dave over and out