Life in Arusha: veggies and internet

Well, the exciting news for this past weekend was my trip to the veggie market. It was very crowded, very rocky, and yet very fun. I went with another intern who spoke Swahili, and I had a lot of fun learning the words for "ripe" or "raw," and learning how to pick vegetables and barter (well, she did all of the bartering). Pity I can't actually remember any of the words, but I'm sure to be prepared if I go next time. I laugh because all of the produce here is organic and dirt cheap--healthy me! Here's what I got:
one bunch of bananas
tangerines
a watermelon (about half the size of them in the US)
a mango
apples
an avocado
carrots
cucumbers

I didn't keep good track of how much I spent, but it couldn't have been more than 5-8 Tsh. A bunch of three (big) carrots was about 500Tsh, three cucumbers were about 300 Tsh, the mango was 500 Tsh, the watermelon was 1500 Tsh (I think--it was one of the more expensive purchases) and the bananas were about the same, but only because I bought a lot of them. That's just a sample of the prices. The neat thing was that there's a word for "add something" in Swahili, and if you say it with a smile the seller will throw something extra in sometimes. I got an extra carrot and tangerine that way. I also stopped at the shop and bought milk and cereal--I never thought I would consider those things comfort food! I love my cereal in the morning with a banana cut up in it.

In more depressing news, I have yet to get internet at home. I can buy a USB modem and a monthly plan, but every time I've been in the office they're out of stock. I'm not sure when they're going to get more, but the lady took my number and said she would call, which sounded a little foreboding to me. Hopefully not too much more time will go by, but I wouldn't be surprised if I have to go another two weeks without it. It's not such a bad thing, because I can make do at work and with the stuff I have, but I'm not sure I could last the whole summer without it at home. Hopefully I won't have to!

I wanted to add some reflections on the economy and cashflow of Arusha (in my limited experience.) There are a couple interesting things to note: one is the lack of a technological infrastructure, which means that to pay bills, you have to go in person to one window, pick up your bill, and then go and pay it at another window, in person, in cash. The second is the relative poverty of the area, and the response of creating currency in small denominations. The largest bill I've seen in 10,000 Tsh, which is about $8 USD. It makes sense, however, not to have large bills when most things don't cost over 10,000 Tsh. As an example, a ride in a dala dala (for Tanzanians, the cheapest mode of transport around Arusha, for anyone else with a sense of safety, deathtraps) is 300 Tsh--about 30 cents USD. However, given the ICTR and also the booming tourism trade, there is demand for some things that cost a lot of money, like safaris, USB modems, and even rent for apartments (up to $400). Since everything is paid in cash, to pay any of these things, one has to go to the ATM, take out the motherlode of 5,000 Tsh and 10,000 Tsh bills, go to wherever it is you have to pay, and fork over a huge stack of cash. The third thing about this is crime, because when you're getting wherever you need to go, you feel like you have a large sign posted on your back saying "I'm going to buy something important, and am carrying a ridiculous amount of cash on me." It's not a very good feeling, and even a native Tanzanian (my landlady) gets nervous when she does it.
It's an odd look at the stops and starts of development. Most people probably don't need bills larger than 10,000 Tsh, but the grafting of the tourism industry onto the area means that there are large purchases to be made. There is likely no demand for the infrastructure, because I'm not sure that most Tanzanians are going to be paying their bills from a checking account that their paychecks are deposited into. Cash is therefore still required, but the chance of crime makes it unsafe for those who are willing to pay it (tourists and interns, like me).

I feel like I will need an armed guard when I go to buy my USB modem.