-The beer comes in larger bottles - which is wonderful except for the few of us who have had certain "side effects"...yes I wanted to believe I was above this, but was proven wrong. I am now officially only drinking red wine....I think you can figure out the rest of this story.
- You need to specify very clearly that you would like it served cold! (baridi! baridi! baridi! ie COLD)...totally bummed out that there will be no more beer for me in Tz (unless, oh brain wave! I switch to Heineken...now here is a thought!)
-Wa-lee Kuku is traditional Tanzanian meal (chicken & rice) - can't wait to go to Chako ni Chako!
-There is a big difference between local chicken and "other chicken"....you want local chicken (translation = free range, for you naturalists)
-Dompo is NOT Dodoma Presidential wine...it is a fortified sweet wine (translation = Port... and no offence, but not the preferrable cigar smoking kind!)
- The ketchup is an 'interesting' colour & texture (not heinz....it is a much thinner, pale pink variation). I prefer the chili sauce while I am here.
- Despite the fact the local Canadian Starbucks boasts the usage fresh Tanzanian beans....we cannot find a single whole coffee bean in Dodoma....we have resigned ourselves to Africafe....a powdered coffee-like mixture that boasts 100% pure instant coffee flavour...puried beans? I can only guess....if only I could get to Arusha to see a real Tz coffee bean, this would make me happy right about now.
-Organizing a cab ride is a complete exercise in the fine art of negotiation. This should be a mandatory requirement for everyone to experience. This would enable the learning of the of various negotiation negotiation strategies (ie ones that work and ones that will immediately foil your colleagues' tactics in one fell swoop). Thankfully, we have a designated on-site team of chief negotiators who thrive on getting us the cheapest fares!!! Thank heavens.
- You will pay more in the local street shops for Tz crafts than you will at the tourist shops??? What the heck...!
-Sometimes people will not turn up for meetings despite organizing the time days in advance and double/triple checking....what can I say - things come up.
-There is a secret Pizza location, but I have been sworn to secrecy on any further details...all I can confirm is that it was worth the wait, the crazy cab ride and the price...jeez it was good!
-Bongo Flavour music is really cool! (hip Tanzanian music)
-People from Dodoma (well Tz for that matter) are incredibly nice & very helpful...you cant help but fall in love with this place.
- Football (soccer) is the game of choice...many ManU fans....although the crowd went wild tonight with Barcelona tying the game with Chelsea and advancing to the UEFA Champions League cup final scheduled for May 27...my oh my, what will happen to the Norwegian Referee???? The Chelsea fans are absolutely gutted!!
-There is a distinct knack for crawling into and out of a mosquito net...and once you are tucked in it is rather annoying to realize you must still turn the reading lamp off...hence the reason I must sign off now. It is really difficult typing in the "net".
- You need to specify very clearly that you would like it served cold! (baridi! baridi! baridi! ie COLD)...totally bummed out that there will be no more beer for me in Tz (unless, oh brain wave! I switch to Heineken...now here is a thought!)
-Wa-lee Kuku is traditional Tanzanian meal (chicken & rice) - can't wait to go to Chako ni Chako!
-There is a big difference between local chicken and "other chicken"....you want local chicken (translation = free range, for you naturalists)
-Dompo is NOT Dodoma Presidential wine...it is a fortified sweet wine (translation = Port... and no offence, but not the preferrable cigar smoking kind!)
- The ketchup is an 'interesting' colour & texture (not heinz....it is a much thinner, pale pink variation). I prefer the chili sauce while I am here.
- Despite the fact the local Canadian Starbucks boasts the usage fresh Tanzanian beans....we cannot find a single whole coffee bean in Dodoma....we have resigned ourselves to Africafe....a powdered coffee-like mixture that boasts 100% pure instant coffee flavour...puried beans? I can only guess....if only I could get to Arusha to see a real Tz coffee bean, this would make me happy right about now.
-Organizing a cab ride is a complete exercise in the fine art of negotiation. This should be a mandatory requirement for everyone to experience. This would enable the learning of the of various negotiation negotiation strategies (ie ones that work and ones that will immediately foil your colleagues' tactics in one fell swoop). Thankfully, we have a designated on-site team of chief negotiators who thrive on getting us the cheapest fares!!! Thank heavens.
- You will pay more in the local street shops for Tz crafts than you will at the tourist shops??? What the heck...!
-Sometimes people will not turn up for meetings despite organizing the time days in advance and double/triple checking....what can I say - things come up.
-There is a secret Pizza location, but I have been sworn to secrecy on any further details...all I can confirm is that it was worth the wait, the crazy cab ride and the price...jeez it was good!
-Bongo Flavour music is really cool! (hip Tanzanian music)
-People from Dodoma (well Tz for that matter) are incredibly nice & very helpful...you cant help but fall in love with this place.
- Football (soccer) is the game of choice...many ManU fans....although the crowd went wild tonight with Barcelona tying the game with Chelsea and advancing to the UEFA Champions League cup final scheduled for May 27...my oh my, what will happen to the Norwegian Referee???? The Chelsea fans are absolutely gutted!!
-There is a distinct knack for crawling into and out of a mosquito net...and once you are tucked in it is rather annoying to realize you must still turn the reading lamp off...hence the reason I must sign off now. It is really difficult typing in the "net".
Thanks for the tips! May-be one day I might need them! By the time you get all the Tanzanian routines figured out, it will be time to come home.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you are having a wonderful time despite the coffee and ketchup. I'm so jealous that you got to go on a safari...one of my dream trips. (Although the tickling millipede kinda puts me off! You are soooo brave.)
Looking forward to all your stories. Miss you.
Sue