The big shopping spree!

Yesterday was an eventful day!!! I started it by playing with some kids by the Dr.'s office waiting for Mama Sada to come along. A girl who comes to school in her pyjamas was trembling with cold. I didn't know what to tell her nor did she talk to me. She just kept staring in my eyes. I think she was ill as she seemed to have a cold sweat on her brow. I didn't know what to say or do. Then remembered a word 'baridi?' I asked - '(are you)cold?'. She didn't reply but raised her eyebrows in acknowledgement. Ok, I thought how can I relief her off some pain for a while. I pulled out my camera and started to take pics of us both. At least that seemed to put her mind off the cold for a while, and well, some other kids' too!!!

Sada arrived I called Moses to make sure he gets the cement bags at the house. When we got there the fundi and co were there wondering around having no cement. Luckily Moses came around some time later with it. The electrician needed more wiring to connect to the neighbour's house so we took measurements. Then I asked the fundi to take measurements for the drain pipe and was about to set off to town for the big shopping spree when Moses started pleading me to pay the workman some money as he had none having promised them TZS50,000 as deposit for their work and only given them TZS10,000! He was testing my limits! I lectured him infront of others; you never promising anything especially money when you don't have it! And a deposit is a deposit so you should have given them the money before they started. He agreed and apologised but still pleaded. I told him get the rest of the cement - at least to that - then we talk about it.

I really wanted him to live up to his words or rather bla bla bla. I almost wanted him to see him sweat for every tremble the little girl shuddered. He had committed himself into a job which was beyond him. But I think he can learn his lesson, well, I'll make him especially when he's just at the beginning of his own new business!!

Sada, Musa and myself went off to town and first got the stuff for the electrician. Good bargain! Sada got a 20% discount on the wire cause she asked for it having bought stuff from the same shop just the previous day. Then I budged in and asked for another discount if I bought the light bulbs for there too. And so we were all happy! The art of negotiating and bargaining I think my skills are improving.

Well, they definitely did when we hit the hardware store and got a good price on the ceiling boards, nails, drain pipes, toilets and flushings! I left Musa to find some transport to carry the stuff to the house. I told to stick to around TZS4000. In the meantime, I went to fetch an ATM to withdraw some more cash. I might as well get the paint since we're hiring transport and get all in one batch, I reasoned.

When we got back Musa had found a mago! Basically, a wooden cart on wheels.

It was fun and funny at the same time, seeing the men load it up carefully and sticking a red wrapper to the long pipes at the rear!!! We paid TZS5000 in the end, but according to Patrick with that load and distance from town to the house, that was a bloody good bargain!!!! We left Musa to lead the muga and it's drivers to the house while mama and I got a daladala.

Oh, it was so nice to see all that at the house, even the workmen were pleased like kids being given toys to work with. Only that they were hungry and still not pleased with the money situation. The Doc took me back to the office abd she cooked some ugali with some green stuff which was good. I ended up sharing my late lunch with 2 kids (prob children of one of her helpers). She then made some for the fundi and co and took it to them while I left for home, tired but smiling :)

Back at home I couldn't help thinking of the problem; if they don't get paid they will move on to some other job. I can't afford that, yet I'm not the one to blame. Well, I have a day ahead of me and need to figure out how best to go about it....at least those workmen had a good meal for the day!