Monthly Archives: September 2012

Some in the ex-pat community here are talking about the death Sunday of a Greek doctor in Dar es Salaam. She and a group of about 30 colleagues were walking along a major street in a populated area when a … Continue reading →

I bought some cashews the other day. Cashews are a product of Tanzania. I love cashews. And here I am right at the source. So I bought 500 grams. That’s 1.1 pounds or about 17 ounces. The cost was 10,000 … Continue reading →

A dance group teaches a diverse group of students from a Dar es Salaam school some steps. A drummer listens to the pitch change as he heats the drumhead to tighten it. The U.S. Embassy on Friday afternoon warned Americans … Continue reading →

I bought three postcards and airmail stamps to get them to the U.S. The total came to about half the price of liter Gordon’s gin. But that wasn’t the worst of it. There is no home mail delivery in Dar … Continue reading →

The other day we lost power at the house at 9 a.m. and it didn’t come on again until 6 p.m. Although this was a first time for me to experience this here, I was told that daily rotating power … Continue reading →

I’ve had my first few lessons in “survival” Swahili. Of course, I asked how to order a beer. “Bia.” But if you don’t ask specifically for “bia baridi” you will get a warm beer, because that is the default. And … Continue reading →

I am staying with my cousin Elizabeth in Dar. My first full day here she took me around for some shopping and to get some local currency. I had a $100 bill that I wanted to change into shillings. As … Continue reading →