full to bursting

Last year we were celebrating Josey's birthday here. We were having a small party at the house and then walking down the street to the Chinese restaurant (their eggplant dish is divine, however, if you put the leftovers in the fridge the fat congeals and it's sobering if not frightening). That was on a Thursday night; Friday we were heading to Mafia Island to do some pumzika-ing (resting and relaxing), diving, and whale-sharking.

I think the only time I have been able to pay for anything with a credit card is for flights on the internet with Coastal Airlines. Everything else is cash. Even for power or gas or cell service, you pay as you go, cash up front. Buy more when you run out. So...we had a party to prepare for and then a long weekend away. I went to get:

• as much money as I possibly could out of both of our accounts
• 24 beers
• a 26er of gin
• a 26er of vodka

The largest denomination of Tanzanian shillings is 10,000 (about $6.50 US). Walking home from the bank machine and liquor store was a journey for your intrepid adventurer of about four blocks. My pockets were jammed full of bills and my hands were full of booze. Firstly, I'm very much in the minority so some people are kind of checking out what the hell I'm up to anyway. Further, I felt a tad conspicuous carrying about two years salary and, just in case anyone missed it, an amount of liquor that most couldn't afford either.

That said, I wasn't worried about being robbed. The incidence of crime here is very small. There is a huge social stigma to it (much more than home or I wouldn't mention it) (perhaps everyone has to work so hard for theirs that the thought of someone stealing the fruits of their labour is especially repugnant). And, if someone is caught stealing they may get killed by a mob, or killed by the police, or killed in the 3rd worst prison system in Africa (which is probably lousy, I reckon). I did feel like a jackass though.  I felt like I was cruising around town in a stretch limo throwing money out of the sun roof.