Word Pictures

There are many times when I wish I had a camera attached to my car.  Just hit a button, and click!  The roads here are forever interesting and I’m never sure what I’m going to come across.

Since I don’t always have pictures of these unique sights, I thought I’d give you a few word pictures to mull over instead.

Imagine…

A herd of cows, all on rope leashes, wandering across the road.  Their shepherd comes out, nudges them with a stick and a word, and they move back off the road.  I push the accelerator as I go around them and laugh.

A guy laying in the back of a red pick-up truck as it drives down the street, over speed bumps, through pools of water… completely asleep.  His left leg hangs over the side as well as his arm.  I half-wonder if he’s going to fall out.  A few minutes later, he jerks, looks around, and wonders where he is. 

Then there was the guy on rollerblades, wearing way-too-small cargo shorts and a neon yellow top, that was trying to make his way through the sand on the side of the road.  He was covered with safety equipment – wrist braces, elbow pads, knee pads.  And he was CARRYING a humongous motorcycle helmet.  In his arms.  (I looked at the Tanzanian lady next to me who I’d never met before, and we burst out laughing after he’d passed…)

I keep thinking I need to write a song/book about, ♫ ♪ This is the way we ____, ____, ____, this is the way we _____, here in Tanzania… ♫  (Think the tune of, this is how we brush our teeth so early in the morning...) Maybe it would be a good learning tool for some kids in the States.  Or a fun way to share a bit of life in Tanzania with kids the world over!  Verses would include: how we buy our food.  How we get to the market.  How we pull in the driveway.  How we wash our clothes.  How we buy our clothes.  How we get clothes made.  How we get water to drink.  How we feed our dogs.  The list goes on.  and on.  and on.  :)

In the meantime, though, I did manage to discretely get a few pictures of people yesterday as we made our way home from the peninsula in a bajaj.  Many thanks to the ladies who made this secret mission possible by sitting next to me and laughing!  These are a few of the things you’ll find being sold by guys on the street (where the traffic is backed up to stopping, of course)…

From Left to Right, top to bottom: Inflatable swim toys.  A guy selling "credit" for cell phones (everything is prepaid here).  Water canteens, anyone?  Mugs, mugs, and more mugs.  On mug trees.  Roasted corn, with lime juice and chili pepper if you want.  Sports equipment and mosquito zapper rackets.  Car supplies - triangles, jumper cables (around his neck), a pillow, balls, and zappers.  And the two lovely ladies that made all these pictures possible out the sides of the bajaj... and who are going to LOVE that I posted this picture on my blog... Heather and Jen :)