August 1. Denice Dorchak-Ochola

“Charles!!!”

Denice ran out of the office and gave me a big hug. Not once, but twice; one for left, and one for right. She said that no one hugged her when she came here for the first time; she wanted to do me a favor what she really wanted, warm and sweet greeting.

“Let’s take a picture!”

As always, I have in mind that I need to capture any historical(?) moment for my blog. It is something like a journalist spirit. The feeling, the moment, and the emotion that I just had should be written. My memory will be slowly blurred as time passes, but I can return this memory within a minute by reading what I would write, just like getting in time machine. I was happy about this moment. The more unexpected, the more I would feel excited. 8-hour of driving from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma and coming to the office directly was really worth to do it.

I met Denice Dorchack-Ochola, World Vision Global Health Fellow in Tanzania, in Dodoma in Tanzania. How could we imagine that we fellow would meet right here? There are 5 African countries – Mauritania, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania – where AIM-Health Project has been implemented, and 4 fellows from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health has been dispatched to each African countries, except Mauritania. Until AIM-Health Project Mid-term evaluation will have been completed, each fellow has no reason to go to another African countries. However, I came to Tanzania because I am attention No.1 fellow! I have experienced very special exception, evacuation that I only had imagined, has really come true. Coincidentally, 4 months of my fellow duration has been divided into exact half; I was in Sierra Leone for 2 months, and I will have stayed in Tanzania for 2 months. But my project for Sierra Leone will be continued in East Africa, Tanzania.

Denice is not only my schoolmate from the same department, International Health, but also has been doing the same role in World Vision. I may never get bored for the rest of 2 months because I am able to see my colleague Denice, who has been experiencing exactly same situation as mine, here in Tanzania. I already like World Vision Tanzania; they have accepted both of us, which must be really redundant when it comes to their work, and greeted me as well like their family. Okay, I only have two months to be here, but I will repay their kindness by learning Swahili as much as I can and finding out what I can contribute to their work.

“Naku Penda Sana!” (I love you so much!)

I used this sentence with my full confidence to the project manager, Jane. I had practiced it many times, and I was convinced she would understand my Swahili. Everyone in the room laughed, and Denice was surprised by my Swahili. Hey, Denice, I only know a few!

Denice took me to the several departments and introduced staff to me, and I had my brief introduction time with every staff. As soon as I heard their names, I typed it in my cell phone note app to remember it. I also met Modest Kessy, the person who appears in Denice’s blog many times. I felt like I am actually meeting main actors in a novel who I am not likely to see. It was already around 5pm, the closing working hour, so many staff were about to leave. I may know more staff at the devotion time on Monday.   

Life in Tanzania has officially begun. The biggest difference comparing to first arrival in Sierra Leone is comfort. My first feeling in the office was ‘Oh, what should I do? I know nothing, I know nobody!’ two months ago, my another first feeling in this office is ‘I am ready to say hi because I know what to do!’ New start might be stressful or energy consuming, but on the other hand, it should be exciting and full-hearted, depending on how I consider this situation. Everywhere I go, I can enjoy the new environment because I am hard-core survivor like an unnamed weed in the desolate land.

P.S. I accidentally figured out why chef Sofu said weird breakfast time 2 days ago while I was talking with WVT staff today. (Check the post “July 30. Breakfast is between 12pm and 4am?”) He actually meant 12am to 4am, and this TZ time is added to 6 hours, which means 06:00 – 10:00 am. But why TZ people count the time differently? I will figure that out later. Charles’ TZ research time will begin from next Monday.    

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. 

July 30. Breakfast is between 12pm and 4am?

Let me get in this airplane to get Dar es Salaam! 

Here I am, Dar es Salaam in Tanzania! Through Accra, Ghana and Nairobi, Kenya, I successfully arrived in Dar es Salaam, formal capital city of Tanzania. I had no research about Tanzania yet; all I had to do is to safely come here first. I was not even sure there is dry and rainy season here just like West Africa. My seat was second rear seat. Luckily enough, the airplane front door was out of order and only rear door was opened, so I was almost the first passenger who got out of the airplane, like a first class business man.

Thanks to this luck, I could enter the gate quickly and applied and got the visa on arrival without waiting in a line. My big baggages were already waiting for me over there, and I promptly exited the airport. There he is! He was holding “Charles Park” paper, and I had no problem finding my driver.

Hakuna Matata! (No problem!) I could also use this expression in this situation. It was 10am, today was holiday, so surroundings looked more chilly. It was cloudy, seemed to rain or not, and anyway, I liked this weather! Why have I always assumed groundlessly that Africa would always be hot?

Like this, the first impression of Tanzania was calm, quiet and cool. Comparing to Freetown, Sierra Leone, nobody bothered me here. People looked sedate and calm, cars did not honk a horn, and several multistoried buildings caught my eyes. My tension had always been on in Freetown, but I was relieved here to some extent. I decided to say in Swahili to driver, Prosba, to find out Hakuna Matata! really means No problem.

“Hakuna Matata!”

He grinned. I asked the meaning, and it meant No problem. My neighbor, oh… my old neighbor from now, Nephas, did not make a fun of me. He taught me a right Swahili one.

While heading to Mesuma Hotel, the place where I would stay for 2 days, I asked a few more Swahili, such as Hello, How are you? Welcome! Good morning/afternoon/evening, I love you so much, I am fine, Thank you, I am sorry, Are you sleepy? I am sad… in Swahili. I zealously wrote them in Korean as I heard into my cell phone note app. 콰주아이, 마카디(하바리야코), 카리부사나, 하바리아스고이, 아바리암차나, 아바리야지오니, 나쿠펜다 사나, 조리, 아싼테, 사마니, 랄라? 나세마…

Oh man… When can I learn Swahili? I only have two months to learn Swahili. So then, how much I do need to know? When I was in Sierra Leone, I did not feel much about learning local language, Krio or Mende. Krio language is widely used in Freetown, and it is somewhat similar to English, like a broken English. Mende is local language that people in rural area use it a lot. Sierra Leoneans speak English so well, and I was surprised every time when I talked to them. Here in Tanzania, people seem to use their first language, Swahili for the most of their time. I was embarrassed that Prosba and I could not communicate smoothly, and I tried to find the easiest English word for him to ask something. When I read Denice’s blog, I wondered what motivates her to learn Swahili passionately. She bought Swahili language book, text friends with Swahili, and practice it everyday. I think I also have to do it. Let’s keep learning it!

When I got Mesuma hotel, I was a little terrified to see that a security guard was holding a gun. But I tried not to be scared because I had already treated gun in the military. I asked him, “Is this a real one?” He did not answered, which made me more nervous. Probably, it could be gun with a blank cartridge?

Mlimani City Mall: Samsung is famous company in Africa

I needed to use phone or Internet to let my boss know that I safely arrived here. I presumed that airtel sim card from Sierra Leone might work in Tanzania too, but my phone did not function. There was Internet service in the hotel, but it was not possible to be connected. My another presumption was that hotel in Tanzania might sell sim card and exchange money, just like my favorite place Family Kingdom Hotel in Sierra Leone does. Unfortunately, they did not do anything what I wished. Okay… I have to abandon my preexisting life in Sierra Leone. I have to realize that I start over with new people, new food, new weather, new place, new culture, and any other new.

I should have asked World Vision driver to take me to the place for withdrawing cash and having sim card. He was already gone and I did not want to bother him again. So I asked hotel receptionist several times that I want cash and sim card. Finally, one of hotel employees, Devi, took me to the bank and Mlimani City Mall, so I could have them. The mall was really nice; I felt like I was in a mall in the U.S. The place was in no way inferior to any mall in the world, except relatively small scale. As soon as I got sim card at the airtel store, I let WV staff know that I have arrived in Tanzania and appreciated them to have me.  

Grilled chicken scaloppini with plain ugali

In the evening, I went to the restaurant in my hotel and ordered grilled chicken scaloppini and plain ugali. This was random choose for my first dinner in Tanzania. The restaurant manager, Nasro, explained me what they were in English, but I could not quite understand it. So I asked, “Is it good? Good combination?” and show him my thumbs up. He said, “Yes!” If he says so, I am “Hakuna Matata!” Let’s just try it.

The food was nice. Ugali is almost the same food as fufu, which I ate in Sierra Leone. The ingredient must be similar but the way of cooking must be slightly different. The price was 18,000/=, but I had no sense of exchange rate yet. It must be expensive because it is a hotel food? Maybe, I will know tomorrow when I go to a normal restaurant outside.

Suddenly, I was wondering whether breakfast tomorrow is free. I approached chef Sofu and asked, “Is breakfast free?” “Yes,” he said.

“When is the breakfast?”

“4am.”

“No no, I mean, when is the breakfast begun and finished?”

“12pm”

“No no, when is the restaurant is opened and closed for breakfast?”

“12pm to 4am.”

I was really confused what conversation I had. I wrote the number and “am” and “pm” on my laptop word file and show it to him, and he wrote the number on his note. As far as I know, breakfast is for morning, and I was expecting to hear some reasonable time. Later, Nasro, came to us and wrote the time on the note, 06:00 – 10:00. Yes, that seemed to be reasonable time for breakfast.

Expecting free breakfast early in the morning, I tried to sleep. Next day, I will meet new people. 하지만 당황하지 말고~ 침착하게! I will get friendly with them as quickly as possible as if I have already known them for a long time.