The story of my life so far, just last week while browsing shoes at a store after work, the woman undeniably believed I am indian and there for a foreigner which meant she can point out how ridiculous I am for not buying her overpriced shoes. The amount of times I point out I am not a foreigner is unbelievable.
In a country like Tanzania, as soon as your recognized as an outsider prices change and people either move toward you or date you because of money or they treed far from you because of language disabilities usually imagined.
Anyhoo one of the assistants did believe me when I mentioned my tribe and the pigmentation pyramid which started with my great grandfather being an Indian, (Punjab and sigh).We both educated her on how genetics can be a tricky thing to determine how future generations will come out and often some bloodline are stronger than others. He defended me by saying that in our African culture (Tanzania) the great grandfather since he is far genetically from me does not concern me but concerns my father and above.
That sorted, I walk off with my bags of newly purchase mitumba (second hand clothes) to the Bajaji station for my ride home but since I am in Mwenge mitumba and bus station area its a longish walk past crowds of people, this is when I was accosted by a man in midst of bus chaos and as if for show he blasted out are you chineese!!arab!!!!or indian!!!
Ignoring the stares directed my way, I walked past him as though I couldnt see him.
It has occured to me that the older I get the more Indian I appear, to others arab which proves difficult in the fasting season because Arab are associated with Islam and if I look Arab people including muslims believe I am muslim. But so far since I have returned to Dar-es-Salaam I have been branded an indian, ethiopian by my co-workers, Indians by the local general population and friday night when I went out for drinks, Brazilian by one person which made a difference but still not what I am.
What term is there for me? I am not half Indian as so many people point out, I am not even a quarter and how come my siblings don't get called that? only my cousin gets called a Somalian but why only us two when I have over 20 cousins all sharing a piece of the same Indian gene from out great grandfather.....
In a country like Tanzania, as soon as your recognized as an outsider prices change and people either move toward you or date you because of money or they treed far from you because of language disabilities usually imagined.
Anyhoo one of the assistants did believe me when I mentioned my tribe and the pigmentation pyramid which started with my great grandfather being an Indian, (Punjab and sigh).We both educated her on how genetics can be a tricky thing to determine how future generations will come out and often some bloodline are stronger than others. He defended me by saying that in our African culture (Tanzania) the great grandfather since he is far genetically from me does not concern me but concerns my father and above.
That sorted, I walk off with my bags of newly purchase mitumba (second hand clothes) to the Bajaji station for my ride home but since I am in Mwenge mitumba and bus station area its a longish walk past crowds of people, this is when I was accosted by a man in midst of bus chaos and as if for show he blasted out are you chineese!!arab!!!!or indian!!!
Ignoring the stares directed my way, I walked past him as though I couldnt see him.
It has occured to me that the older I get the more Indian I appear, to others arab which proves difficult in the fasting season because Arab are associated with Islam and if I look Arab people including muslims believe I am muslim. But so far since I have returned to Dar-es-Salaam I have been branded an indian, ethiopian by my co-workers, Indians by the local general population and friday night when I went out for drinks, Brazilian by one person which made a difference but still not what I am.
What term is there for me? I am not half Indian as so many people point out, I am not even a quarter and how come my siblings don't get called that? only my cousin gets called a Somalian but why only us two when I have over 20 cousins all sharing a piece of the same Indian gene from out great grandfather.....
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