…Another nice chap I got to meet in Dar Es Salaam was Ibrahim. He was one of those tout-hustlers who parasitized the tourists. I, however, as a Greek, ought to have been a sailor and not a tripper. So I wasn’t a prospective client. I had known him since the very day of my arrival. He constantly shuffled around the neighborhood, and I bumped into him all too often.
One evening, as I desired some company, I came across him sitting on a curb and scanning the surrounding area for tourists.
“Hey, Ibrahim! How’s it going? What are you up to?” I said.
“Aw, nothing really. Just waiting here to see if any Mzungu passes by, perhaps make some shillings, you know. But nah, I think I’ll get going soon. It’s been very quiet today,” he responded.
I invited him for a beer, and he, of course, accepted.
Various interesting things I heard from that guy that day. He was the first to explain to me the meaning of the term Mzungu. It is a Kiswahili word widely used in many east African languages to denote a European or a white person in general. It etymologically means the one who wanders aimlessly.
He also disclosed lots of curious details regarding his profession: the various methods he employs to earn money from a visitor; the multiple tactics he can follow to succeed… he also analyzed a bit the psychology of the Western tourist… etc. I found him quite an expert in his craft, I must admit.
“Ibrahim, said I to myself when I was a kid, someday a Mzungu will change your life! So I have twenty years of working with them already… But I still hope,” he concluded.
The story you've just read is a part of my "Real Stories of Real People" collection, wherein I narrate my encounters with various remarkable characters I've run into while traveling around the world. The entire collection is published on my blog and may be read here. But if you'd like to get them with you to the beach in your ebook reader or as a physical book, and very appreciatedly support my creative activity, go ahead and grab your copy from Amazon for the cost of a cup of coffee.
