July 31. Dar es Salaam Program Development Office

Dar es Salaam morning overall view in the balcony

Brand new morning in Tanzania! But I woke up late. I was mad at myself that I could not be ready until 7am, the time the driver was supposed to come to pick me up. I rushed to go to downstairs and asked receptionists that World Vision driver has already come. No, he has not. It was about 7:10am, and I decided to eat breakfast. I kept waiting for a vehicle after breakfast, and it arrived at 7:40am.

I met several staff in the vehicle who were also commuting to the office. I was not even sure what office I was going, and what is the capital city in Tanzania. They told me that Dar office is Program Development division and work for grant and finance. I think it is good strategy for World Vision Tanzania that a certain office focuses on a specific field. Oscar explained to me that the capital city is Dodoma, but Dar es Salaam is original capital city and president is still here. He sighed, “politics…” and continued that it takes about 20 years for moving capital city, but it has not completed yet.

World Vision Dar es Salaam Program Development Division

The devotion time started at 8:20am, earlier than WV Sierra Leone, and we had a bible study and shared our thought. Then, unavoidably, I met my introduction time during the announcement time. 당황하지 말고~ 침착하게! Staff here might not concentrate their attention to Ebola epidemic, I explained why I am here. Even though I will leave for Dodoma tomorrow, I wanted to remember staff’s name as many as possible within a day. I wrote their name on my note, and memorized. I submitted all document for my CTA visa, and attended WebEX group call for further fellowship instruction.

Time goes fast whenever I am in the new place. Likewise, time flied like an arrow to 5pm, and most staff began to leave the office at the same time. This is 칼퇴근. Dr. Peter asked me that Korean or Japanese have extra working hour. I said that the official working hours would be similar, but people there like to work extra individually, so they stay late in the office. Well… Hard working is good or bad?

Again, I will say good-bye to Dar office staffs tomorrow morning. My life is such a quick say hi and quick say bye. But nobody knows what will happen in the future, and I want to see and talk to them with sincerity even if our meeting is only for short period of time. Tomorrow morning, I will get in a vehicle for 6 hours to get to Dodoma. I may have introduction time there again, and memorize staff name. Oh, there is my colleague, Denice over there! I would have never imagined that I could see her in Tanzania, during this fellowship period. Like this, nobody knows what will happen. Let’s go! There should be no transition time. I go, and do it right away.