Maajabu Dar City Centre

KUMBUKUMBU ZA KUMBUKUMBU KATIKA KITUO CHA DAR CITY


Ni nadra kwenda katikati mwa jiji la Dar es Salaam siku hizi. Lakini ninapotokea kwenda huko, kawaida ni kwa vituko na sauti za jiji linalopiga moshi ili kurudisha kumbukumbu za zamani.

Kama mwanahabari mchanga, nikifanya kazi kwa The Express - gazeti la kila wiki lililochapishwa na Media Express, nilikuwa nimezoea misukosuko ya jiji, lakini kama Mwandishi wa habari mwandamizi anayefanya kazi kwa machapisho ya kimataifa ya mkondoni, sitoi hoja nyingi kufukuza kuvunja hadithi.

Wakati uso wa jiji-nyumba ya wenyeji milioni sita, umebadilika sana kwa miaka; na vifaa vya kung'oa angani na huduma za kisasa zikibadilisha miundo iliyochakaa iliyojengwa mwanzoni mwa miaka ya 1950, baadhi ya alama za jiji hilo pamoja na Jumba la ukumbusho la Askari bado halijakamilika.

Alfajiri Jumamosi asubuhi, nilienda kwenye Daladala ya Bunju-Morocco kufika kwenye kituo cha UDART, nikielekea katikati ya jiji. Safari hiyo ilikuwa ya kupendeza na ya haraka sana, shukrani kwa rais wa zamani Kikwete ambaye alipata wazo la kumaliza mji wa Dar es Salaam.

Kituo changu cha kwanza kilikuwa Kisutu. Nilitaka kutembelea duka la K.T - tearoom ya zamani maarufu na wateja wa asili ya India iliyoko kwenye makutano ya Chagga na Mtaa wa Libya.

Ilikuwa kutoka kwenye chumba hiki cha chai, msichana wa ofisi yetu, Mama Angela alikuwa akileta chai, samosa na kebabs kila Jumamosi, na tulila wakati wa mikutano yetu ya kawaida baada ya kufa ili kutoa maoni ya hadithi za dhoruba za ubongo kwa toleo la karatasi linalofuata.

Niliposogea karibu na mgahawa, gombo la mvuke la moto liliondoka kama Chef, aliyevaa apron nyeupe na kofia ya Torque Blanche, alitupa vipande vya Samosa safi kwenye sufuria kali ya kukaanga.

Ilianzishwa na Wahamiaji wa India mnamo 1968, duka la K.T huvutia wateja kutoka kila aina ya maisha na asili anuwai ya kitamaduni.

Mkahawa huu unajulikana kwa chai yake yenye maziwa yenye kunukia iliyochanganywa vizuri na vitafunio vyenye crispy - kawaida huliwa na chutney ya nazi iliyokauka yenye baridi na tamu.

Baada ya kunywa kikombe changu kizuri cha chai na vitafunio, nilitembea kwa miguu kando ya barabara ya Morogoro iliyosokotwa sana hadi Samora Avenue.

Nilipokuwa nikisogea, nilitazama kuvuka barabara na nikaona minara miwili ya mapacha nzuri katika upeo wa macho. Majengo haya yamekuwa ishara ya katikati ya jiji.

Minara ya manjano, iliyo na mlolongo wa vyumba vya makazi na nafasi ya kukodisha kibiashara hutoa panorama isiyo na mfano, lakini pia inaonyesha mgawanyiko mkubwa kati ya matajiri na masikini wakazi wa jiji.

Katika Samora Avenue, niliona maze ya mabanda ya mbao yaliyojaa vitabu vya zamani na rundo la Magazeti ya zamani. Ni mahali pekee ambapo unaweza kupata nakala za zamani za 'The Economist', 'NewsWeek', 'jarida la Time', NewAfrica na safu anuwai ya vitabu vya uwongo na vya hadithi za uwongo.

Kutoka kwa Mazoea Saba ya Steven Covey ya Watu Wenye Ufanisi Sana, hadi Kimya cha Susan Cain: Nguvu ya Watangulizi Ulimwenguni ambayo haiwezi kuacha kuzungumza, kwa riwaya za James Hadley Chase, vibanda viko kila mahali na vitabu bora vya nyakati zote.

Nilizungumza na mmoja wa wachuuzi - mtu aliyevaa vizuri sana labda katikati ya miaka ya 50 lakini akiwa na ngozi nyeusi, ambaye alijipaka nywele zake kumfanya aonekane mchanga, na nikamwuliza kwa ufahamu, ni kwanini mtu atapoteza pesa zao, kununua vitabu vya zamani ambavyo maoni yao yanaweza kuwa ya kizamani?

Aliniangalia kwa kutamauka kwa kina na akasema kwa utulivu, "Ni yaliyomo muhimu, vitabu hivi vingi ni vitabu vya historia ambavyo ukweli wake haubadiliki milele,".

Kama msomaji mwenye bidii mwenyewe, sikushtushwa kabisa na jibu lake. Kwa kweli ilinikumbusha juu ya msemo maarufu "Usihukumu kitabu kwa kifuniko chake"

Wakati nikiendelea kuelekea PPF-Tower, nilitaka kusimama chini ya mti mkubwa wa Jacaranda, ili kufutwa viatu vyangu.

Kwa mshangao wangu, ilikuwa ile ile ya kutengeneza viatu ambayo nilikuwa nikiona miaka mingi iliyopita. Bado amezuiliwa kwenye benchi lake la kifahari la mbao, anasugua kwa nguvu viatu vya ngozi na brashi yake iliyosokotwa. Ingawa hakuonekana kukumbuka mimi ni nani, tuliongea kwa utani na mara kwa mara kupasuka utani, wakati tunasubiri cream ya polish ikauke.

HIZI NI BAADHI YA KUMBUKUMBU ZANGU ZA KUMBUKUMBU. NATUMAINI Umefurahiya kusoma.

NB:HII TAFSIRI NI KUTOKA GOOGLE KAMA HUJAELWA JIONGEZE
 
At Samora Avenue, I saw a maze of wooden stalls replete with old books and a pile of old Magazines. It is the only place you can find old copies of ‘The Economist’, ‘NewsWeek’, ‘Time magazine’, NewAfrica and a wide array of fiction and non-fiction books.

From Steven Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, to Susan Cain’s Quiet: The Power of Introverts in the World that cannot stop talking, to James Hadley Chase novels, the stalls are ubiquitous with best books of all times.

I spoke with one of the hawkers— a smartly- dressed man possibly in his mid 50’s but with blackened scalp, ostensibly applied on his hair to make him look younger, and asked him with a blinding insight, why would anyone waste their money, buying old books whose ideas might be obsolete?

He looked at me with deepening disillusion and calmly said,“ It’s the content that matter, most of these books are history books whose reality doesn’t change forever,”.

As an avid reader myself, I was not entirely startled by his answer. In fact it reminded me about a famous adage “Don’t judge a book by its cover”
Nimependa hiki kipande hasa jibu la muuza vitabu. Huyo Mtu yupo hapo kwa miaka nyingi hapo Samora avenue. Sijui huwa anapata wapi hizo old books
 
Ndiyo kazi yake kuna wahindi na wazungu huuza vitabu walivyosoma
 
I saw a maze of wooden stalls replete with old books and a pile of old Magazines. It is the only place you can find old copies of ‘The Economist’, ‘NewsWeek’, ‘Time magazine’, NewAfrica and a wide array of fiction and non-fiction books.
Here I have never figured out why this guy sells these old magazines and he has his customers that's why all years back he is there.
 
Wazungu wenye lugha yao wakiongea au kuandika; Kiingereza chao kinaeleweka vizuuuri kwa wepesi kabisa!

Hawajikamui!
 
Hii ni creative writing ni kwa intellectuals si kwa ajili ya kila mtu. Hivi jarida la The economist umewahi kulisoma?
 
My first stop was at Kisutu. I wanted to visit K.T shop— an old tearoom popular with customers of Indian origin located at the junction Chagga and Libya Street.

- I do go there in K.T Shop several times...
 
Hii ni creative writing ni kwa intellectuals si kwa ajili ya kila mtu. Hivi jarida la The economist umewahi kulisoma?
Your art of storytelling is impeccable. Having spent the last 5 years reading scientific literature, business reports, legal documents, and skimming through news on current affairs; I had forgotten the excitement of reading something creatively crafted, and with great character development.

You have reminded me the beauty of creative writting, and sparked my interest on reading books as a temporary way of distracting my mind from the perils of life amidst these uncertain times, and for that I am thankful !
 
Many thanks indeed. I really appreciate it. Writing is an art, the craft improves with extensive reading and experience in writing. As a cub reporter I really struggled to write a sentence. I also draw a great deal of inspiration from creative writers such as Chimamanda Ngozi and John Grisham among others!
 
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