My church is sending folks off to a mission in Tanzania in a few years. Not to worry; Lutheran missions are there to help people, not convert them. After all, “vangelical Lutheran” is an oxymoron.) For a civilian like me going on a “mission” generally means “cleaning, heavy lifting, and learning about another culture while you stay out of the way of the pros.” And the pros, usually MDs, have other things on their minds than preaching.
So I’m imagining many, many hours on a plane then a week or two at altitude. Not the road to happiness for a fat asthmatic so I should probably do something about it. Plus it would be embarassing to be this fat around people who are just subsisting.
The folks in the area apparently speak Swahili so I should probably pick up some of that. Whoa, a reason to learn another language! This trip is going to turn me into a completely different person before I even get there.
Other things I will do beforehand include getting rid of “The Hot Zone” and “The Parasites We Humans Harbor” and any others that have anything to do with unwelcome guests. I may be too self-destructive to lose weight because it would be good for me but I’m not suicidal and it’s sometimes best just to boil your water and not pet (or eat) the monkeys without thinking about why you are doing it. (I believe it was the second book that told the story of an American parasitologist who wouldn’t get off the plane when he reached Africa because he realized what he could catch.)
My husband’s aunt is in Tanzania as we speak. She’s been there since the beginning of the year and will probably be there for the next fifteen months or so.
A native told her she needs to ‘remove fat’ from her body. She didn’t take it as in an insult and was actually quite humored by the woman’s sincerity. Let me see if I can dig out the email she sent…
Have fun in Tanzania. She says it’s wonderful and hot and sad and hot and enlightening and hot and fun and hot all at the same time. She mentioned it was hot, too.
Get the shots. All of them. I know I’ve told the story of the immunologist I went to see who said, “Well, you don’t really need the hepatitus vaccine as the incidence is only moderate, not high, but I recommend it.” That to me is the easiest sell job in the world. Risk a lifelong infection or get a shot, well, let me see…
Also, they have some really great mosquito repellent down there restful sleep or something like that. Don’t waste precious luggage space with our stuff. Buy that when you get down there. Take all your malaria meds, bring loperdamide, and always use the mosquito repellent. Oh, and bring a camera.
Also, all you need to do is ask and I’ll be more than happy to show you all 17 rolls of pictures I took in Zimbabwae and Botswana. (Maybe I’ll corner you at the next dopefest.)
Where in Tanzania will you be, dropzone? I have friends that have been living in the central highlands for most of the last 10 years.
Things to know or try:
Drink lots of water, and bring some along on the plane with you. Stick with the bottled water, even for brushing your teeth.
Tanzanians aren’t as fixated on their watches as most westerners. If they say a meeting is at 9, be willing to add or subtract a couple of hours.
In Dar Es Salaam, watch out for the pickpockets. One of my friends had a watch stolen off of her wrist, as she was sitting in a car. Another time, someone stole the taillights off their car while they were sitting in it in a parking lot.
Check out the local artists before you leave. I have seen some wonderful carvings and paintings from Tanzania.
If you feel comfortable with it, and if you have time, see Zanzibar. Very interesting place.
If you are going to be working with MDs, you will be seeing advanced cases of AIDS. Be ready for that.
The Tanzanians I have meet are wonderful people. Willing to help you out, but probably just as confused by you as you are by them. Smile, be polite, and it will work out.
I’m not sure at the moment, Tastes. I think somewhere around Arusha. I’ve been around dying people before but Wife is far more experienced with people in the final stages. And far more experienced with other countries. I have totaled maybe four hours outside the US.
It’s odd that we are going to Africa. Not odd, I suppose, since the missionary the parish supports works there and our Pastor was born in Tanzania, but I have long been drawn to Africa as the place I really belong. I have no idea why since I have had few conscious thoughts of actually going there.
I am an easy sell on shots, Jane, and I’d love to see your pictures.
A couple years ago Wife and our oldest went on a mission to El Paso/Juarez. Wife was helping out a doctor down there and wants to go back to reorganize the doctor’s filing system and teach her how to make more (meaning “a little”) money by filling out Medicaid forms correctly. Sort of a busman’s holiday for her but when somebody sees she can use her job skills to help people it’s good. Me? I suppose I don’t bring much to the table but can corral kids. I’m lousy with languages but Kiswahili is a trade language and they’re usually easier.
The kids who went down to Juarez came back with tales of how poor the people were with their half-built houses and all. Wife grew frustrated trying to get through to them that these were middle-class people who, thanks to the Medieval (I think “corrupt” and maybe “fascist” sometimes dropped in, too–the girl’s a natural Lutheran) banking system in Mexico, cannot get loans to build their houses all at once and that these people were doing rather well compared with many of their countrymen. I don’t know what these kids will do when they encounter children starving because all of the adults in their family have died of AIDS.
(Maybe I’ll corner you at the next dopefest.)