Stop! Police!

Posted Monday, December 17, 2007, 8:53 PM by Lonely Planet

They say volunteering has its challenges, but I didn't think a simple shopping errand could be so complicated. I was to head into Arusha to buy some timber and steel from the hardware store. It was my first time driving in Tanzania, so the first step was to interpret the road rules.

The what? Give way? Right of Way? Not seemingly so!

Add to that the mix of bicycles, pedestrians, trucks, cars and Dulla-dullas (mini buses) - it was a touch stressful. I had a couple of passengers riding on the back of the Ute which the policeman who stopped me wasn't too happy about it. A bit of negotiation and a gift of 5000Tsh and the problem was solved - and a lesson learnt.

I hit a bit of a low towards the end of the week - perhaps some culture shock I didn't anticipate. Maybe it was the experience with the police or the general hustle and bustle of Arusha life, I don't know, but after a day or two to adjust (spent reading, eating and relaxing) I felt a lot better.

A friend of ours, Br. Frank O'Shea who has been running the Edmund Rice Secondary School (where I helped out with their IT) is retiring this year, so we were invited to his place for a farewell BBQ and beers - a great way to round off our first and slightly hectic week.

Back to the building...

- By day he's a Lonely Planet web producer but by night Ben Schwabe is the volunteer IT manager for foodwatershelter, an Australian NGO that builds eco-friendly children's villages with education, social and health facilities in developing countries. For the next six weeks he will be working on the ground as part of the Kesho Crew in Tanzania. Stay tuned for his next update.

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