A beautiful early morning with a great light. Colors were
bright and intense. I was simply walking around shooting in digital but I was
also equipped with a Leica M and Kodachrome film as a historic tool But I’ll
have to wait to develop these special films in the US. Another day, it was the
Rolleiflex in B/W as a complement. I’ve said it before but I just love using
older equipment, some of the very equipment that has created the visual 20th
century. Another philosophy.
US style school bus but English make. There are 2 accredited
(and expensive) international schools in Arusha. A 3rd one only pretends to be.
Africa can be cheap to live for ex-pats, except for the kids. My ex boss with 3
daughters at various school level said once he was paying a total of 40.000$ a
year for them. No wonder our salaries were not the best in TZ… add the flights
home usually once a year, a medical insurance…
the use of helmet is still not perceived as a must. Coming
very slowly, but very. Here is one the new moto-cabs that appeared all over
town a few months ago. No licensing, no rules but they are already considered
hazardous. This is Clocktower, one of the roundabouts in town. I think roundabouts
are better suited for the undisciplined drivers here, and cheaper than the only
2 crossroads with lights and it works the same I guess.
I’m always puzzled how the West is copied first for its
craps it has to offer to 3rd world countries, like ugly advertising in any
form, cheap entertainment like Madonna or Rambo or rap music, lack of planning
or foreseeing, consumerism…I mean “ to keep up with the Joneses” existed
before, they just replaced the cows and the wives by Mercedes and mistresses and
golden watches and whatever is bling bling…for those who jump on the band
wagon, I usually pee on Mr Politically Correct. Anyway this is not even racism,
white “nouveaux riches” just follow the same pattern more often than not,
right?
dangerous driver in the making…
Clocktower and the new movie boards that show wildlife
scenes. I thought initially that this would be a distraction for drivers but it
seems that they couldn’t get worse so the accident rate didn’t rise. Now I
don’t mind it’s there in full sight, maybe kids will develop some wildlife
awareness…
another roundabout, again with a wildlife theme.
many town have a monument for the armed forces.
luckily the soldiers fight better than they create
monuments, always built in the same papier-mâché style. Ugly, looks like done
by kindergarten kids. But hey, they kicked Amin Dada’s fat butt out of Uganda
in 1978, not bad at all.
view of Mount Meru towards the NE. This tricycle is also
part of a new arrival. All the rage in Dar es Salaam as taxis mostly, they
arrive slowly in Arusha.
common scenery, street vendor pushing an Ali Baba cartwheel.
one of my enemies…well no these drivers are everybody’s
enemies. If killing was permitted, they’d be high on the victims’ list. The guy
in blue and his peers are the clowns I watch the most: he has the job to
attract and prey on potential passengers, so he is the one banging on the door
to tell the driver to stop, who happily obliges without thinking and looking
for anything else. I don’t even notice but I have developed an instinct to
bring my fingers around the brake levers without thinking when I spot one of
these dala dalas or matatus (still waiting and hoping for my eyes to develop
like chameleon’s eyes though). But finally, after 11 years, I may think it is
safer to ride here than in Europe. Here I’m always, just always on high alert
as if surrounded by hitmen. Whereas in Europe I might expect some form of
politeness and consideration from drivers and relax a bit too much…then I’d get
hit by the clumsy one who didn’t pay attention…
