Monday, February 25, 2008

Big Brother is calling you...

Now there's a post title that could draw some weird Google searches. Hmmm... I might as well throw a conspiracy theory in there as well- and make it really interesting! Anyway- I have nothing to talk about. Well, nothing other than Teenage Son driving, Teenage Daughter leaving for a week long school trip to Yosemite, and Young Son returning last night from his snow adventure in North Idaho- complete with snowboarding lessons.

Yep- I got nothin'.

So instead of sharing the mundane details of my life this morning- I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite sights from our last trip to Tanzania... One of the things that cracks me up there is when business owners there try to be "American" in an attempt to attract their African customers. For example- we once saw a restaurant in Mwaanza which served chicken; on the outside of the painted, cinderblock building they had painted their catch phrase- hand sucking good!

That brings us to this- Big Brother Communication. I'm guessing that the purveyor of this fine cell phone establishment never read this book!



Yes, that is in fact a cell phone kiosk- where you buy pre-paid phone cards with minutes for your phone (there's no cell phone plans with two-year contracts that you can't get out of and 5 lb monthly bills in Tanzania- just buy a phone and a card and you're all set! Definitely one of the things that Africans are doing better...)

One of my other favorites on this trip was the Ikwiriri's Computer's Center- the fact that they don't actually sell, or repair computers is (of course) completely irrelevant...


And then there was the MAC Bussines Center- at least you can buy sim cards (for the ubiquitous cell phone) and soft drinks. No MACs however...


Well- that concludes our brief tour of Tanzania. Anyone want to meet me for some hand sucking chicken or a soft drink at the bussines center later?

LeeAnn

8 comments:

Owlhaven said...

LeeAnn,

I am hoping to use your comment about school in my book-- would that be ok?

Mary

david mcmahon said...

Enjoyed your sense of humour. What wouold Colonel Sanders have said about the chicken place?!!!

katydidnot said...

hand sucking good. makes me glad i'm a vegetarian.

John-Michael said...

I am enjoying this experience of "world shrinkage", with its accompanying "village expansion."

Laura Paxton said...

Very fun...I love those types of things...

Stephanie Wilson she/her @babysteph said...

Oh, too funny... and weird!

Steph

Anonymous said...

Funny! Last time I was in Cambodia, there was a "Rock Hard Cafe."

Crafty Mama said...

Great post! I love to giggle, and you've helped!