Foist Post

Well it´s about damn time I got to postin´.  I don't know what's been taking me so long. Oh, maybe the extrordinarily inconsistant power problem.

Tanzania has one power company, which means there is no competition and therefore one standard of power supply, which is very low if we compare it to western standards.  We expect power all the time, whereas Tanzanians can hope for power most of the time.  The corruption plays a huge part in all of this, since the power problem could be solved if a little extra money was used productively instead of being pocketed by the "cabbage head" president and his compatriots.  The working Tanzanian government is comparable to a ten headed clown trying to decide which face paint to wear before going out to make people laugh.

That aside, the first lesson I learned here was that of hospitality.  Tanzanian culture prides itself on graciousness and the treatment of guests.  Actually, the treatment of fellow human beings.  If one has a guest in their house, they are obliged to provide as much as they can for the guest as long as the guest sticks around, which can be for a very long time.  Years, quite literarlly.  It is extremely inappropriate to ask one's guest when they are leaving or for how long they plan on staying, so people stay as long as they want.  Most of the time, guests stay as long as they have to. 

Gender roles: there are a few.  Women are expected to perform all responsitbilites that pertain to the home, which includes cooking food and taking care of children.  Women get married at a younger age than men most of the time.  If the marriage ends up being problematic, there isn't much a woman can do.  Divorce is frowned upon here and is socially stigmatized, which disuades many women from going that route.  Most of the time, women who have run into trouble will look to their families for support.  Family structure and integrity is incredibly important here and most families are quite large.  Families support each other and help members out whenever they are in need.  A family will often help pay for the education of children collectively.

MORE LATER I HAVE 30 SECONDS LEFT AT THIS INTERWEBZ CAFE.



p.s. I would like to talk about our safari experiences, but I will save those for later posts.  Something to bring the few followers back....for more dribble.