Wednesday 21 May 2014

Tales from Tanzania

Tinga Tinga painting

Leopard

Mohamed Saidi Chilamboni
Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania

oil enamel on canvas


*****

MasterM
Isiah is my taxi driver and he is a crazy guy. This one time we drove from the Peninsular at night and it was total gridlock so he drove on the other side of the road. Not just that, he drove on the pavement of the other side of the road. A policeman saw us and hopped over the barrier to stop the car. Isiah had to hand over his driving licence and pay 5,000 TZS fine (£1.50) then he drove on a few metres and got out of the car. "Just wait there Mister MasterM" he said and then he went back and gave the policeman an extra 5,000 TZS to get his licence and we set off again at top speed moja kwa moja on the pavement .

MrsM
What does that mean?

MasterM
Straight ahead in Swahili
or you could just say
straighty, straighty.

MrsM
Right.

MrsM remembers how carefully she supervised MasterM crossing the road when he was young and wonders if she was too protective. 

7 comments:

  1. Tales of the Unexpected. Love straighty straighty - I shall be using that phrase more often from now on.

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  2. Sometimes it is just best not to know! Lovely story though.

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  3. Probably, the best advice to give to ones child, Straighty, straighty! More tales of Africa please Master M and thank-you Mrs M for sharing.
    Shauna.x

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  4. LOL, that is fantastic!

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  5. AnonymousMay 21, 2014

    "Mister Master M": love it!
    Andrea

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  6. brilliant. And totally frightening! (it's like a window in my future....)

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  7. AnonymousJune 04, 2014

    The Tufty Club comes to mind...

    Mind you, in the late forties it was Constable Plod...

    (I know, so old.)

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