The pace of life here in Tanzania is very different that back home. In the military, we had a phrase for it: “Hurrry up and Wait…” My mind set to date has been one of getting things done, efficiency, and accomplished goals by the end of the work day. When I set out to accomplish something, it is done by day’s end, come h*** or high water.
After just over two weeks in Tanzania, I have come across a very important phrase to help me through each day – “Hakuna Shida” – “No Worries”. Everything seems to take more time here. I am learning that “to do lists” have to be constantly changed as each new event unfolds. What i THINK I will do each day may not exactly go as planned. Scheduled meetings may occur hours, days later… or not at all. That important meeting may be changed several times before it actually occurs… Hakuna Shida.
What I am slowly learning is that “time” carries a different significance here than back home. In North America, we are glued to our watches and clocks. “On time”, “On-the-dot” and exact measures of time rule our every waking moment. Time is valued differently in Afrika. “Time” is a measure which is meant to be played with and worked with… It is not the golden rule by which we measure our very existance. This is not to say that time is not important here — only that time does not rule our success or failure.
Today was a perfect example of how time plays out here. We have waited for several days now to get set up in our space to begin the job(s) were were sent here to do. Each day has passed, and, time and time again, we were told “not today – perhaps tomorrow”. My frustration grew yesterday, as I felt that my “time” was being ill-spent. I finally decided, as once again, I was told that we had nothing to do – “not today – perhaps tomorrow”.
My anxiety grew – thinking that I would never accomplish what I had set out to do. As I sat before a computer screen in my room, unable to access my emails from school, I finally remembered that phrase from my Swahili lessons: “Hakuna Shida”. I closed up my computer, grabbed the first Bajaji to the beach, and sat watching the scenes unfold before me. Several Ibises searched for food along the sea edge, as a crab scuttled on by – carefully avoiding the Ibises standing in wait. I realized then that this was “time” as it was meant to be – taking every moment to prepare for things to come.
Today, this realization came to fruition. We were called at precisely 9:00 am that we should come to set up our office spaces and computers. By 2:00, we had a comfortable space to work in, and all the software we needed to do what we needed to do. One of the students we are working with finally had the meeting with a high official they needed, and we are ready to begin our work for the next 2 1/2 months.
“Hurry up and wait” is not a bad thing… it simply means that things can (and will) happen in their own time. Everything we do is a means to an end. What we do today prepares us for what is to happen tomorrow. Our “time” is never wasted, as long as we work toward our ultimate goal.
I do not know what will happen the rest of this week. Maybe I will be mapping. Maybe I will go to a Nature Reserve. Maybe — I will…. See. All I know is that everything I do will ultimately end in success.
If I learn nothing else from this experience, I think it will be… Do everything you need to to accomplish your goals, and…
Hakuna Shida…
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