Eyes of Tanzania

A few years ago when I got back from trip to Tanzania my wife asked me to go get the kids a few gifts at the store. That request set off a emotional response that I was not expecting and I found myself crying in a store staring at all the stuff at was wanted, but not really needed. It was a very different vision than what I had been used to for the last two weeks in Tanzania.

After that Christmas I really thought about what was missing from the holiday, I had no desire for more stuff, I could hardly use all the stuff that I had. Somewhere along the line I realized that, what I desired from Christmas was another Thanksgiving. I wanted my family close and to be thankful for all that I have.

This year my wife and I decided to rethink Christmas. We decided that the kids where not getting gifts this year. That they were getting money. Money that they could donate to causes that they wanted to support. The kids did not complain, they spoke about it at school with their friends and teachers and I am told that some of the kids even said that my wife and I were being mean. But my kids defended our idea and believed that there was a greater need then us getting more stuff. Then one night in late December we decided what groups we wanted to help and it was fun drinking tea and figuring out what we were going to give to Heifer, the  Boston Food bank, the Defenders of Wildlife and some of my friends in Tanzania.

On Christmas as my kids opened there stockings of candy (you can not deprive a kid of everything) my son gave the above card to my wife and I think it says it all.

I hope everyone a great 2010.  – Eoin

The first night I was in Tanzania, I had not really slept for 40 hours. I had set up a bed and was very excited to try it out. Hours after dark it sound like a troop of dogs were fighting outside the house. It felt like hours later I finally fell asleep.

The next morning I found out that someone had cleaned out the kitchen and threw some old food in the trash. The trash is one of the hardest things to understand from a westerner. It is a whole in the ground next to the house. Dogs and other animals find there way through and after a few weeks they light the pit and let it burn.

I love music. It is around me at all times. So, as I started plaining my trip I started downloading some music from different regions of Africa. For years I have enjoyed Hukwe Zawose music and it was a great reason to look for more. I found some great stuff, Femi Kuti, Baaba Maal, Hallelujah Chicken Run Band, The Sacred Drums Of Burundi and Ayub Ogada.

With this sound going threw my head, I was exited to hear what people were listening to in Tanzania.

It should have not surprise me, but I guess it disappointed me that most of the people were listening to European and American Hip-hop. The big radio station is Kiss FM and it was playing everywhere.

I did find a music store, if you could call it that, it was more like a bank teller window, with bars. To get the music you would scream your desired music from a little hole in the window and they would bring it to you. Regretfully, they did not have anything that I was looking for.

My music luck changed on the third of forth day there. James picked me up at the Hospital and we off. Bob Marley was play on the tape deck and it all seem to fit.

Oh, ya the volunteers were listening to Purple Rain…

There are times when words fail me, English escapes me and leaves and I am left with images in my head. I work for a Japanese company and there has always been a desire for me to communicate at some level with my friends from Japan in their own tongue. So, over the last few years I have been learning little bits a pieces of the Japanese language that I use from time to time.

When I was traveling in Tanzania, I had the same motivation to learn a little Swahili to be able to thank the people I photographed and to greet people during the day.

The funny thing was, when I went to speak in Swahili, often Japanese came out. I got some very funny looks from people and at some points during the trip it froze me completely from speaking at all, because I was unsure what was going to come out.

Here are some words to look at, there tone and rhythm are very similar in my mind.

Asante sana = Thank you very Much (Swahili)
Arigatou gozaimasu = Thank you very much (Japanese)

Samahani = Excuse me / pardon me (swahili)
Sumimasen = Excuse me / pardon me (Japanese)

I think I will stick with English for now.

To my surprise I found myself at dinner last night with some friends that flew in from the left coast for work. I spoke of my adventures in Tanzania, and they spoke of me no longer writing anything in the blog and the desire to see more.

The photo essay book that I am creating from the trip is about 3/4 done and I am trying to put the final touches on the postscript.

As I move my way through the book I have realized that there are many stories that will not be include in the book. So, I have decided that I need to document them here. I will be listing them under the stories categories.