One of my "I feel dumb" moments in Tanzania occurred within minutes of exiting the airport in Dar es Salaam at the beginning of my trip. I was walking with Mohammed to the GV vehicle and walked confidently to the passenger side door in the front. Only I actually walked to the driver's side door. They drive on the left side in Tanzania, which I *did* know. But apparently after living in a country that drives on the right all my life, it's not one of those things you think you have to think about. Oops.
Namibia and South Africa (where I traveled in 2006) also drive on the left, so it wasn't a new experience for me, but driving (or riding, as the case may be) on the left is really dizzying when you're used to the other way. Something about wide right turns and tight left turns just makes my head feel woozy. But spending time in countries that drive on the left has permanently messed up my ability to know which side of the road I should be on. I don't forget on a typical road, but I occasionally do get disoriented in parking lots. I can't believe I just admitted that. I just have to remember that I want oncoming traffic to be right next to me on the driver's side of my car. I could never drive a mail truck or a British vehicle in the U.S. -- to put the driver's seat on the right and make me drive on the right would be more than I could handle.
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Between the airport and the hotel in Dar that first morning, Mohammed stopped at a bank so he could co-sign some papers with Edward. Upon meeting Edward for the first time, he hugged me through the car window and said "Welcome home -- your new home." I'm sure he tells everyone that, but it really resonated with me. Home. Exciting! I love Africa. (And I can't wait to be back.)
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There are many things I can't wait to experience again in Tanzania. One of them is what I call the African handshake. I experienced it more in Namibia and South Africa than I did in Tanzania, but it makes me feel very happy for it being such a simple thing. It's a 3-part handshake. The first is to clasp hands with the other person like a normal handshake, the second to clasp each other's thumbs as shown in the picture below, and finally to clasp hands in a normal handshake once again. It's very comforting and welcoming to experience. You're just going to have to trust me because, somehow, reading about a handshake really isn't as exciting as I hoped it would be. Sorry about that.
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