New UN Tribunal

Go figure.

If you live in Arusha you can't help but be affected by UN/ICTR, The United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. The UN have various tribunals for crimes against humanity all over and this particular one is smack dab in the middle of Arusha, and their cars and staff are all over Arusha.

Living in Arusha, despite the fact one comes to sort of dislike the UN, one can't help but have friends who work there. Over lunch with Stephane he mentioned there is a new tribunal (and he would like to work there), that investigates the injustices of the UN against its employees, something like that.

"You mean there are employees who aren't treated well?"

That brought out a good laugh from the others UN staff at the table.

I guess the problem is big shots don't want to give that tribunal any money so Stephane is not able to work there. Instead he lives in a container in Juba and rides his bike around the UN compound for exercise.

We went camping last weekend. We had fun swimming in the pools at the big springs and sitting around being lazy.

Here is Erik Zweig swimming into the source.


We left to come home and thought we were done swimming. The Toyota stalled in 3 feet of water, it was coming in the doors. I had walked though and it was up to my waste. Here is me going back to see what is happening. We pushed the Toyota out with help from 10 locals. The Friberg boys were swimming in the river coursing down the road.





After we got it out of the deep part we pushed for 500 meters up the road to get out of the water.

Finally someone has some answers

An answer from Erik Zweig:

We are not crazy. We do not have answers to this messed up world. We only have our answers. Your answer is different from my answer. Clive’s answer is different from our answers. I also love the Lord’s Prayer. One thing I love about some Buddhist teachings is that nothing is constant. Everything is changing always. Detach. Do not hold on to anything. That includes “answers.” My answer today may not be my answer tomorrow. In fact, it most likely will not be my answer. This is one reason, for example, why I could never become part of a hippy community where people grow vegetables organically and live according to specific values that they feel are superior. I would much more prefer to be part of a community living how I wish to live as long as I’m not hurting anybody and be able to communicate with others via the Internet regarding life in general. Communication is a wonderful thing.

“Talk less,” says Mehul. That’s his New Year’s resolution for 2008. I believe in that. Talking is different from communicating.

Last night was amazing. I was sitting in my hammock, looking at the moon and listening to the insects and neighbor kids and cows and donkeys and loving it. Sometimes I sit on my porch and imagine that I am steering our planet around the sun. With the breeze in my face and the moon rising and clouds and stars moving overhead, it feels like it.

I’d like to read Bluebeard. I’d like to read more. I’m ready to retire, but I need a legitimate/ official reason to stay. At this point, I need some perspective. I am a bit nervous about immigration causing problems.

Last night, I also had a disturbance from Doto. I was deep in thought and just enjoying the evening, when Doto came by. I said hello, but then just kept staring to the East.

I don't think I need to say anything but AMEN, and maybe that hippy is not a word, but we get the idea.

Confessions from the garden at 8:32 AM

First a question for Erik Zweig.
Are we a bit crazy or do we have the answers to this messed up world? Or do we only have our answer?



Read this book, maybe
I could of started to get ready for work 20 minutes ago but I was at the end of "Bluebeard" by Kurt Vonnegut. Maybe you need to read it, maybe not. It is a suggestion, not an exhortation like how you should ride your bike more or have a bigger vegetable garden. Anyway the book tells it all, like the Lord's prayer covers everything.

Kurt Vonnegut
I started to read him at Oldonyo Sambu . There was a cloth bound copy of "Breakfast of Champions" at Oldonyo Sambu. I liberated the copy for good from the shelf in 1980. I had come to read parts to people, like when he would define an asshole. When I told the nun I was stealing it she thought I should do that as I was the one who was devoted to the book and would take care of it.


Radio
For years I did without radio and sometimes even a tape player. So I am feeling good listening the classic rock station from Texas USA in my garden while procrastinating going to work.


Disturbances
I am in my private secret garden finishing "Bluebeard" and listening to Chicago sing 25 to 64 (or whatever the name of the song is) and the first disturbance is Andrea the gardener. He is on his first day back from leave taking a walk around the garden. I want to be alone and he wants conversation. Long story, poor guy. I should give him some attention but I am selfish.

Five minutes later the phone chirps, and I roll my eyes as I dread any call. A number not in my phone book, but instead of complaints or bad news it is a seldom seen longtime friend Samuel Wilson in my office wondering if I am on my way.

(Wow, what is a guy who commutes to work by bicycle doing with a gardener? )


Book seller
Massawe who sells used books should get a medal from the mayor of Arusha. He has a couple of crates of books by the post office and has given me and others countless hours of joy and edification. Sometimes I am walking past and he yells me over and smugly plops down a paperback and knows I will like it.

Everyone should commute by bicycle. (at least sometimes)

There I have gone and said it.

Everyone should decrease the frequency of their commutes by personal vehicles. Statistics in the USA show that 40% of car trips are under 3.2km. That is walkable and ride able. I am sure it is the same in my home town of Arusha. Lots of people in my area, Sakina, work in town and it is 3-5km into town. It is ride able.

Kent Petersen ( kentsbike ) says it maybe better, but I want to give a personal touch to anyone who might read this from Arusha.

Is it realistic?

Bikes are okay to use.
First we have to change our mindset in Arusha and think of bicycles differently. They are not only for lower income people. They are just the same as a car, a means of getting from here to there. We shouldn't feel embarrassed to ride bicycles to work, errands, and school. Everything is relative. Everyone can just change the way they look at bikes. It is okay for rich and middle class people to commute by bicycle.

Maybe that is my role. Slowly try to make it okay to use a bike to get around some of the time.


Safety.
It is not as dangerous as you think. How do you know it is dangerous when you have not tried it.
It is dangerous when bicyclists do stupid actions and don't ride defensively. I have ridden to work over ten years probably 1-200 times per year to work and had one accident and I was not being attentive and some pedestrians passed in front and I locked up the brakes and slid and crashed bruising my ego. Wear a helmet. Be aware. Don't trust anyone. Assume they are trying to knock you down. Don't assume anyone sees you. Pedestrians are actually worse. Look for paths and lightly traveled roads. Have fun. Ring your bell alot. Use lights day and night.

Smile

Smile when you commute. Have personal interactions with people and arrive at work happy. Well I can't smile but at least i can smirk.


Start slow
Be realistic and start slow. Two days a week. Ride slow to work and make it exercise on the way home.

What to do when you get to work.
Shower at home before you leave. Don't use a backpack or pads in the helmet. change clothes at work. Maybe a wash cloth bath. Cool down the last 5 minutes before getting to work.



I still use a car.

See ya, Just now I am going to see my friend Pete's a bit past Usa River, by bike. I could drive but I will go by bike. It would probably take me 60 minutes to drive and it will take me like 90 by bike. Just trying to do my part.

Another time I will tell you how biking to work cured my bad back.

Arusha's first traffic light

Arusha installed and turned on its first traffic light this week, just one mind you, at the top of EAC road. Arusha is town of unknown population but it must be over 500,000 people with serious traffic congestion (bordering on complete mayhem) during "rush" hour. There are certain areas that traffic crawls all day long. We even have grid lock at times.

(picture)

A crew were working for the past week, diggin under the road and putting some foundations in the ground. Then on Wednesday after work as I approached the intersection there the colored lights were, waiting for me, suspended over the road, on poles on the left, on poles to the right, all over the place, pedestrian walk lights, and left turn, right turn, and straight ahead lights.

I have to admit I was a bit concerned I would know what to do as I approached in the left hand lane . I also had no idea that the 200 pedestrians standing around were feeling the same way about drivers.

I was turning left (we drive on the left) so I move into the left lane with a RED left arrow and pulled to a stop, the first car in the left turn lane. I was the one who will decide when to go, a big responsibility. They had painted a white line 10 meters back. That made me a bit nervous to stop that far back as in Arusha you keep inching into traffic until you force oncoming traffic coming from your right to stop. That is the only way to get anywhere. So I worry that drivers behind me will start honking and yelling, as they won't know there is a white line painted on the road signalling where cars should stop and wait for a light. Man!!! I know I am doing the right thing by TRAFFIC RULES in the book, but in reality I am breaking the norm for Arusha.

So there I am worrying, and I notice there are more pedestrians then usual on every side of the road. I think they must be stranded or confused about what procedures.

Next the pedestrian light to my left went to green. I expect a rush of people to cross. But not one of the 30 people on both sides of the road cross. Hmm. I thought about that for a bit until I realize they were just plain watching the novelty of traffic lights.

the green walk light flashes red, and soon after my left turn arrow turns green. I move ahead but have to almost stop for a traffic policeman who has started to cross the road to tell the driver on the other side of the road ahead of me to get going!

I drove on home and forgot about the traffic lights until I got an SMS from
AnnaJoyce saying "Have you seen the lights? It is hysterical. Hundreds of people directing,watching, yelling instructions to drivers when the lights change." I figure she is exaggerating.

The next evening I again "fossil fueled" and drove home 30 minutes after dark and found she had made an understatement. There are literally 1000's of people lined up ten deep watching and yelling directions to drivers. There were traffic policeman running around trying to tell people what to do. It was the biggest crowd draw at this corner since they reinstated safari rally races in Arusha in the late 1980's.

If you are really bored keep reading.

Now remember Arusha is a boom town, with unknown population, I think it is officially 350,000 but probably greater Arusha is half a million. We have traffic jams and gridlock every day during 8am, lunch and 5-7pm and some sections all day.

Add to this the fact that some drivers will overtake in your lane on either side, so when it backs up on a two lane road you can see one lane become three, until the one direction blocks the other direction.

If it were up to me I would of put in a round about. However yesterday I was heading in the east bound direction to the traffic light and it did indeed make it go faster. At peak travel time when my group went through that intersection we were going at 30kmph. that never happens.

Babu Eriki

Babu is grandfather in Kiswahili. On the 26th Amber and Seth had a boy, Gavin David Simonson! Nashesha is an auntie at 8 years old and loving it.

Something changed about 4 months ago and I have NO depressions and moodiness. Wonder what is different?