Utrecht-Moshi

Arrival in The Netherlands!!!

I must say it is great being back in The Netherlands. I had a very warm welcome at Schiphol airport from Hanneke and Anass-Meine. We took the train (which arrived and left on time) and took a taxi (which was the first in line, no negotiation with different drivers, and the price is fixed). The first couple of days I have walked around town with this great big smile of being able to participate in a familiar environment but still having the outsiders overview.

Some of the differences of Utrecht versus Moshi

The Air smells so different! In Utrecht I was surprised by the smell of cold, cleanness, spring.
Moshi has a smell of earth, dust, fire (cooking on fire and burning of garbage), heat, people.

Of course there is a big difference in roads and buildings, but that is obvious. Only I realised while in Moshi that in The Netherlands we have public garbage bins everywhere…in Moshi you can throw your empty bottles or candy papers away on the streets.. but being brought up as a citizen in The Netherlands I refuse to do that and I kept all my trashes within my bag, to throw in a garbage bin at home….

Walking around town. In Moshi you seem to be everybody’s friend, most welcome to talk to everybody and to visit all the shops. Karibu sana (Most welcome). Children yelling at you, Mzungu (European)!!! Sometimes followed by: Hujambo (how are you)? In Utrecht I walk along the streets without being exotic, strange or interesting (unless someone seems to fancy me of course ..haha), it is quiet.

I realise how the definition of friendship is for a great part shaped by culture. In Moshi meeting somebody and shaking hands, I made a new friend, exchange numbers and sending each other sms is something you do daily. In Utrecht, I hardly ever exchange numbers straight away, and when you do not reply to messages people will know you are busy (mostly with work), in Moshi people say you were “lost” (the excuse of family business is more common). Friends in Moshi tell me I am very direct, not always appropriately dressed (very casual/sporty) and I ask a lot of questions. I am forgiven for my strange behaviour because “I am from Holland”. Okay I must admit in Utrecht people also say I am direct and I ask a lot of questions…but I can find people that have the same “behaviour” (that I understand very well). It is strange people in Moshi warn me for having friends that “might want to take advantage of you”. It is not nice to have the doubt whether somebody is interested in me as a person, or maybe interested in me as a European. A white friend gives some sort of status, maybe some opportunities for life (going abroad, money). But since I am back in Utrecht at least I noticed I start to miss some of my Moshi friends!

Going to a café or restaurant. In Moshi most people at a bar are men, drinking and enjoying chatting or playing pool. Beer is something people drink at any time of the day. There are not many women that visit a bar, most are bar-workers. In Utrecht you can find men and women in the bars and restaurants. During daytime, having lunch, talking or reading magazines while having tea or coffee (so many choices in coffee and tea flavours!) and at night-time women go out together as well as men, and so many couples going out together! In Moshi I go out with groups of friends, but the women are European, the men are African. To meet African women as friends to go out with is very hard. It seems for women it is not respectable to go out for dancing. When you are single you risk the reputation of being “easy or cheap”, and when in a relationship it is not appropriate to go out anymore unless accompanied by your man (which they hardly ever do!).

SALSA…I missed dancing Salsa every week. Being able to go out for Salsa dancing and to find myself in a bar where there is a dance-floor full of great dancers, twisting, turning on the rhythms of Latin-America…great.

Time…It is really true in Moshi time still has a different meaning. People never run to catch a bus and never eat while driving/reading/working. To eat is something you take your time, to move from one location to another is something you take your time (and true…you sweat a lot when you try to run), when you meet friends on your way, you take your time. Doing your work, you take your time, THERE IS NO HURRY IN AFRICA. That must be beneficial for your health!!!

Work spirit. I must (maybe unnecessary) say the work ethics are very much culturally bound. I hope I will learn not to be in a hurry, because now I noticed the frustration from time pressure can be detrimental for my health!!! In Moshi people feel I am very fast, I am strict and punctual, and I feel to much responsible for the work I do (maybe I am!). In Moshi I seem to almost blame people for a lack of involvement in the work you do, and not to see the challenge from teamwork. It is not very common to give or receive feedback. Of course this should not be overestimated, also many individuals in The Netherlands lack motivation for work and there are also people in Moshi that communicate a lot about the work they do…but cultural definitions can make it very hard to adjust to a new working environment!

I hope to learn more and to come to understand more the dynamics that underlie differences…
To be continued…