Heh. I was accused recently of selling out by showing my conservative establishment-loving streak, and of being predictable by always addressing the topic of the moment in the EA column. I hate to disappoint loyal, supportive and discerning fans, so coming soon to an East African near you is a piece about... you guessed it! May Day. And I treat the government alright, too :)
"I find it hard to say what May
Day inspires in the present, from a heart-felt perspective, probably like many
of my contemporaries. There is a point at which inherited traditions are carried
out by rote, with a large dose of faking it thrown in for good measure. If you
haven’t lived through particular times, embracing the ethos of the age in question becomes
challenging. I fear that as Tanzania
forges ahead into her brightening future, May Day is going to become as
irrelevant as Nane Nane- designed to celebrate farmers and agriculture. And to
a lesser extent Saba Saba, which was intended to showcase local industry and
has now become a yearly festival for the purchase of cheap plastic imports from
China and women’s cooperative handicrafts from the further reaches of Outer
Tanganyika."
Feedback. Like eating your veggies, it's good fer ya. Right? Right.
wasn't saba saba originally in remembrance of the foundation of TANU, 7 July 1954? Either way, it always makes for a fine day out.
ReplyDeleteA fine day out indeed. last time i braved the sevens, i got hit by the same amateur crew of pickpockets twice. they failed. twice. but thanks for the history tip, ama ask my crew of Old Folk Who Know about this. You have a terrible habit of being right.
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