Yes! after a long adventurous travel, at last we are there; this is the Maine I have been dreaming about for a couple of weeks. "Maine is a rural place, even the university is situated in rural area" these are the words I registered in my memory since early days of my application for attending this course.
As a Tanzanian coming from rural setting, Iringa my work place and Morogoro my region of origin, to me whenever I hear the word 'rural' I associated it with features like 'areas with few cars, houses with no reliable electricity, poor buildings, unsafe water,poor heath services and many other of the kind.
Unfortunately, my hypothesis has failed the test; in fact the results has taught me a great lesson that every expressions should be put into proper context and perspective, otherwise one can find him or herself falling victim of fallacy of generalization.
Maine has given me a new understanding that "a rural area in one place might be totally the opposite in another area. How comes the rural area looks well planned and inviting far better than my big city Dar es Salaam!? If we are comfortable to ascribe this land of black bears as rural area, what then should we call our cities in Tanzania like Dodoma, Tanga and Arusha?! I think even our rural areas deserve another good name that can best express them!
When back home, I will have the obligation of convincing our planners to visit this city and see themselves how villages can make a good use of available resources for better settlements; the houses made of timber are good examples to imitate.
We have areas in Iringa where timber trees are produced in excess, but end up in big towns to serve as funiture and building material, live along the tones that are exported abroad.
In case of humanity, I am happy to say that, people in Maine are so kind and generous; this is the behavior matching with people back home.
Another good lesson qualifies to be on record is the definition of 'Night' again the issue of context comes in here! " Why cars put on lights at full blown sunshine?" that was a question I posed to one of my colleagues who opened my eyes by saying " Its already night now simon!"
Can't that be a misuse of resources! any way, I don't know but the experience was real an eye opener. In Tanzania it needs darkness to put on the light (Because light chases darkness).
The driving side is real horrific! in Tanzania we keep left, it was shocking to think that drivers were jeopadizing our lives by driving the wrong side.It was nice to know that in Maine men do barbecue! they are good chefs.
I will probably put in my CV that I am the man who have tested almost all types of pizzas! This is because of what happened at the 'pizza house!' the prof was busy for us 'manufacturing' a lot for the lucky Nyerere descendants! Thanks prof and the organizers.
Let me end my first post by sating that you can not detach the city of Maine with 'Black Bear'; this animal is attached to social, economical and even cultural lives of Maine people (though I was hinted by a source who pledged anonymity that to eat the bear's meat is a taboo, but some reports say there some few people who eat the meat of this hero bear!). Despite that,I was however happy to be assured that at Maine there no cannibals (I mean people who eat people's meat".
Guys, there is a lot to document in respect to the impression over Maine, but conclusively, the place is very inviting, full of nice people, where life becomes difficult if you don't follow time tables with high discipline in using the doors and meals cards!
I am happy to be part and parcel of Maine life, and I promise to keep the spirit of black bear alive. Kazi njema na Mungu awabariki sana. I submit
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