Modern Living

With the economy taking a turn for the worst, it doesn’t seem to be affecting the high rollers and money makers as they splurge on new homes and vehicles. If one takes a walk or down the streets of Njiro or Burka, Arusha or Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam, one is blown away by the finely designed homes that look like they belong on the front page of Oprah Winfrey’s “O” magazine.

They are breathtakingly beautiful as you can’t help but notice the attention to detail, color, design, style, etc.

As you enter into some of these homes, it’s easy to forget that you are still in Tanzania as you take in the Spanish tiled floors, the Victorian styled furniture, the dishwasher and marble countertop, the winding staircases, bathrooms that look good enough to sleep in or live in.

Outside is a perfectly cut lawn, with beautifully manicured grass, fountains shaped like a wild animal sprouting out fresh water, the lawn decorated with little glass animal figurines and on the driveway rolls in the latest Nissan or Toyota model.

In America, many people are giving up luxuries, like owning 2 or more cars, selling their large lavish homes, cutting down on extracurricular activities or expenses like eating out or buying new clothes. However, here in Tanzania people are purchasing new vehicles, increasing on extracurricular activities, and living an even more extravagant lifestyle. The economic crush does not seem to be affecting Tanzania as much as it is affecting other countries.

If you tell a person you live in a certain area, it pretty much insinuates that this person is pretty well off, whether average, or struggling. For example if  you live in Barakuda, Morogorro or Njiro, Arusha, which are some of the upper class neighborhoods, a person from that town or area can already formulate that you must have money to be able to afford to build or rent in that area.

So it is safe to say that Tanzanians appreciate the finer things in life!