The good, the bad… the beach

So i live on the beach. Literally. There are positive and negatives. Mostly positive.

Fact is, during the Tsunami watch two weeks ago, although nothing thankfully cam our way, rains did… and raised water lines. The high tide mark, usually 30yards off the wall (live in an 8-house complex, i’m on the corner closes to the water) was lapping at the wall that night. I’m not sure what would have happened if it had been a real alert for us. Traffic was at a standstill, and high ground? There is no high ground in Dar.  That’s a negative, but one that at least statistically speaking, shouldn’t be of significant concern.

On a positive note, there is living on the beach, watching wonderfully colorful sunsets, and of course, the sounds of the beach.. no, not just the surf, but the people.  How to describe the simple cacophony of noise of a Sunday afternoon, beautiful day, slight breeze, not too hot, whereas hundreds of people have decided to hit Msasani beach for the afternoon. Three football (soccer) games going on simultaneously, kids swimming, running around, ice cream vendors, groups of young men doing calisthenics, karate and even shadow boxing, bongo music, fishermen working on their crafts, and a jet ski.

I stood at my window, looking down at the sight, smelling the cooking food of the various grills and fires spread through the sand.  Listening to the laughter and the ever present call to prayer from the two mosques nearby reminded of just how far from loved ones i truly am as i admired the skill of the players on the sandy, uneven pitch, as families gathered at the top of the water line, to watch the sun descend into the land.  As the light went out (and it does so very quickly in these parts, dusk seemingly lasting just seconds), the noise died down. Clumps of people walked off towards their sunday nights, while i ventured into my kitchen to forage for a light dinner.  Big positive living on the beach.

Living and working in Dar

So week three draws near to a close.  This is Dar after all, so of course the power went out this morning… right around the time that the chorus of roosters in the neighborhood started their song,  right around the time that call to prayer could be heard through the stillness of the hour. I imagine the mosque must be towards the beach, I’ve yet to sight it, but i do know it is close enough to hear it.

Last weekend was spent or misspent, depending on who is asking. Looked at apartments on saturday, and hopefully i’ll have good news tomorrow — found the perfect place, a bit large, but once i went inside and looked out the windows… i knew that is where i wanted to spend my off time.  Followed that up with yet another ferry crossing adventure to Kigamboni, down to Kijiji beach  where i sat around, enjoying the warm breeze, cold kili and the view as the herds of cows and goats paraded down the beach on their afternoon walk.  Saturday nigh led into sunday morning, which caused my sunday to last but a few hours in the afternoon.  Cooked up a pot of spaghetti, a couple of steaks and settled in to finish the Cryptonomicon.

Work you ask? work is work.  If you are here, you know the challenges, if you are not.. well lets say that for every two steps you take forward you are sure to take one, two or even three steps back.  Regardless, we are growing, we are improving, our metrics and KIMs (KPIs) are rather healthy and even better news, the client list is growing.

This weekend? well, i’m off to get some new boots.. turns out i’ve joined a team.. a little futbol on Dar, saturday afternoons… should be fun.

 

 

Moving or commuting? (musings on packing)

I suppose that packing three suitcases worth of clothes, home goods and assorted collection of cables (that is a topic that deserves a complete 300 words at least) is enough to qualify my undertaking in less than two weeks as moving… but as i’m schedule to be back before spring is out and then out again and then back again and then out again and then back again.. maybe what I’m doing is a combination of commuting and working from home.  No matter what its called, the time grows short, the pressure grows exponentially and new challenges surface daily that promise to make the next 12 days a fun filled, hair pulling, bang-head-against wall experience.

so what do you take when you move to a foreign country for a semi-short period of time that will continue for a longer period?

I’ve always been jealous of those who are able to just get up and go, seem to pack nothing and yet are prepared when the the tide changes.  Over 13 years of travels throughout the US,  i did not check bags. did not believe in it — all my travels were executed smoothly no time wasted at the airport before the flight, arrive just in time, get on the plane, snuggle in for the ride in my window seat, get off the plane get on the car, taxi or train and get to work. return was the same way, but with a time allowance to partake of a few frosty or clinky beverages at the airport bar.   so with this in mind, what do i take with me?

Its not Europe, heck its not china and definitely not the US.  It is a hot, strange land. Where English is not primarily language, but it will get you what you need…yet i know enough, and i’m such that must have as close to everything as possible complete when i hit the ground. Never mind i don’t have my housing situation finalized yet, but i don’t want to spend more time than necessary hunting for lodging when i could be working or exploring the beaches south of Dar.

Researching the topic does not provide a clear cut answer.  Few similar situations, far too many from folks in different enough parts of the world so as to make the advise nearly useless.

So, besides the much needed suit case (yeah, i know, you get what you pay for, but prior to embarking in my last major career move in 98, i bought a set of four bags from Costco -say about $150… 13 years later, and they are in serviceable order, past of the zipper of the carry on is gone, and a two inch gash had to be repaired, but other than that… great deal)… so a suit case, and a walking pharmacy.. you never know how much you depend on 24-hour-anything here in the US, until you get someplace and realize that your options past 9p are pretty much non-existent…

Maybe it will be just two suitcases.  No matter.  Less than two weeks.  Then the real fun starts.

a little cross-promotional break here — an old colleague, whom i was not able, when we had a team, to get him to lend his awesome swing to our coed softball team.. has chosen to display yet another of his hidden talents.. check out Jerry’s blog here — Wandering Wonderings — and let him know what you think. Simple, engaging, beautiful prose.