Mwenge

On the day of my flight to Europe, usually I go to Mwenge, an area of Dar es Salaam, which years ago was on the outskirts of the city and now is considered one of the most prestigious locations in Dar, almost a downtown Dar es Salaam, such is the expansion of the city. Mwenge is famous not only for the St. Maximillian Maria Kolbe Catholic Parish, which parochial church was built by a Polish Salesian missionary, Fr. Karol, in late eighties and early nineties, but also for one street where the small shops of dealers in African art of all sorts are lined up...

There is where I am about to go now...First and foremost, to satisfy my thirst for art and beauty of African ingenuity in expressing feelings and ideas about life, world, ots mysteries, people, animals and flora. I like to wander around with no particular goal or item in mind...just feeding my eyes ans senses...

Second, I don't like to go home empty handed, so apart from Florian's art which I will always support and publicize, I like to buy a thing or two for my relatives and friends I am intending to visit. Unfortunately, the weight limit on the plane hinders me from purchasing more things I would wish, but anyway, at least a few light (in weight) items must do...

I have made friends with some of the shop owners there and they already know my particular taste for art and unwillingness to overpay! Bargaining is the part of the art here, so people iusually are disappointed with tourists who pay straight away, taught back home in Europe or America, or Asia that the price is fixed. Nothing like this here though. And something that is sold initially for 100 thousand shillings, can go for as little as ten or twenty thousand... You must be patient, cunny and funny, so making this bargaining a little play full of smiles, surprised faces, or sometimes offended by the price, but eventually it all ends positively...

So...let's do it...a little play of bargaining everybody loves here!