More Random Thoughts

Power Outages:

Yesterday we had our plan A all worked out regarding our power outage but we are realizing you always need a plan B and a plan C wouldn't hurt either :) Knowing that power goes out every Monday and Thursday (occasionally on Sundays), we rushed home after work to try to get there before it was cut off so that we could warm up our dinner. We prepared the night before by cooking extra pasta and vegetables so we could just throw them in the microwave. I think that our walk home on Mon. and Thurs. goes by much quicker b/c we are consciously trying to get there before the power goes out to make a mad dash for the fridge and microwave. We got there with about 10 minutes to spare. Just enough time to warm up our food and start eating. Afterwards, we headed to the cinema with our friend Alfred to watch Ice Age 3 but to our dismay, the cinema is closed on Mondays :(. Hence, plan B. But, we really didn't have a plan B so we just walked around the shopping complex (most of the other stores were closed on Mondays as well) to see what they have. I found out where the salon was that I have been hearing about. Apparently I can get my hair done there (wash and set) for 3,500 shillings (about $3.00)! That is cheaper that the domincan salons back home! We did stop in to the new grocery store that caters to foreigners but it was really expensive. I saw a box of cereal for 12,000 shillings. that about $10.00 (ridiculous!). We grabbed a few things and were out. On the way home we stopped at a new coffee spot called Starcup which is right next to Star grill. It was a nice, relaxed atmosphere and you can tell they also cater to foreigners.

Societal divides:

As we were at the Starcup talking to the son of the owner I started to think more and more about the societal divides here. It seems that there is a society that caters to the locals and another society that caters to foreigners. The guy at the shop was telling us about a new medical clinic his father also owned that would be opening up soon. He said that there is a need for such a clinic because many people travel to Nairobi and South Africa for medical care. As we talked to him more and more I realized that this would be another place that would cater to foreigners. He talked about how it would be a state of the art center and they would bring in foreign doctors and nurses and it would be a private facility, possible with a gym or a daycare center attached to it. I assume that the center would employ locals as the coffe shop has (our barista was a nice local guy with a shirt that said "coffee and sandwitches" on the back) but I just have this conflicted feeling about the inequality that seems to be created in Arusha. The thing is that I also take part in creating that inequality because I like to frequent these places that cater to foreigners because they remind me of home. I guess from a business stand point it makes sense to provide what people want or need but I am sure that that the local people are also in need of better health facilities and they cannot afford to travel to Nairobi or South Africa. This is just something that I have been thinking about lately as I start to notice this divide in society more and more.

Laundry:

On a lighter note, I have realized that I have a new way of separating my laundry. Instead of separating them by colors to be washed as I would back home, here are my new categories:

- clean clothes (the ones that I was able to wash in the wash machine at Melissa's and now I don't want to get them dirty)
- not so clean clothes (ones that can be refreshed with Febreeze at least 2 more times)
- almost dirty clothes (the ones that have been Febreezed 3 or more times but could go for atleast one more spray)
- dirty clothes (the ones that have been febreezed to death and no amount of febreeze will make them look or smell better!)

I think I am getting a system down now so it is not bad. Hey, you gotta go with the flow!