Ping-Pong

The very first trip to Musoma today. Scorching hot day. Three months have passed since I was in Musoma and already I noticed many changes here and there. Task force put in charge to lay tarmac in the new bus stand area (I wrote about this phenomenon in one of my first posts since the inception of this blog into the virtual world) started to pour first layer of asphalt when I was leaving for holidays in September. I came back and there i no trace of asphalt there (sic!). A mystery of faith...


In Isaba area, some 13 kilometers from Kiabakari en route to Musoma, when the weighing bridge facility has been constructed recently, I saw two sizable construction plots under development, most probably motels or guest houses for truckers who will be forced to spend a night or two queuing to get their vehicles weighed and registered....

On the Musoma outskirts, in Bweri area, the main bus terminal looks the same as I left it in September, same dust and heat and red Coca-Cola roofs...

Another fuel station sprung up in area where the crasher was located beforehand. The number of fuel stations from Kiabakari to Musoma simply amazes me. Kiabakari has three fuel stations already with the population of around 20 thousand inhabitants. Then Mmazami Junction one fuel station and another one just a kilometer down below at Zero-Zero area...

In Musoma itself there are some 8-10 fuel stations! What is going on? When I was traveling from Quebec City in Canada to Montreal, in the span of some 300 kilometers there were only like two fuel stations, withe first one located some 100 kilometers from Quebec City...

When I finished the shopping and ticked the last item on the list, I went to a stationary shop as I remembered to buy paper reams and carbon paper for our offices as we ran out of supplies. I noticed some Chinese made stuff with prominently displayed ping-pong balls and rackets.

I asked the owner, Mister Patel: 'Mzee Patel, looks like we have a growing Chinatown in Musoma with all these must-have items!' He chuckled to himself along with all the people who were in the shop nodding in approval that I was in fact correct in my cheeky question...

So, our Chinese brothers and sisters seem to be everywhere now in Tanzania. Even in such remote places as Musoma and Mara Region... From the construction of the Terminal 3 at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam via construction of guest houses in unassuming village of Isaba that happened to be blessed suddenly with the location of a weighing bridge which will become operational soon - to petty traders trodding streets of Tanzanian cities and towns, plying their trade...

Africa and Tanzania along with it is becoming more and more another area of a rapid Chinese expansion and growing Chinese population. This phenomenon will bring changes in the society fabric, daily life and job markets for sure. The question to be answered is this: is it for good or for bad for those whom I serve in the villages? For their struggle to make ends meet, to sell their farm produce, to enhance local manufacturing power and businesses?