It Was Parliament To Be

On our way home from Mafia, a friend and I got a ride to Dodoma from a member of the Tanzanian parliament, Bunge. He asks us where we were staying and we say that we are able to find a guesthouse for the night. He insists on us staying with him. Being cheap PCVs, how could we turn down the idea of free food and lodging?
At dinner he says if we stay an extra day we can come to work with him and check out parliament. So we get up early the next morning and head over to the parliament building. We get to the door and get refused entrance. No, not because we are white, but because we are too dirty! Apparently our shabby Peace Corps wardrobe of unwashed cargo khakis and Teva sandals wasn’t quite up to snuff. So since we were not dressed appropriately, they wouldn’t let us inside. My friend and I ran over to the local market and buy some used clothes that we think would work. I actually ended up working my magic and borrowing shoes from the parliament man and pants from his driver, but my friend needed a couple things. Anyways, we change clothes and are granted entrance. We get escorted up to the top booth and sit VIP next to members of the Ugandan parliament! Just hobnobbing with the elite, no big deal. The whole thing was pretty boring; as would any government proceedings I’m sure, but still it was very interesting to see nonetheless. Very glad we stayed. Unfortunately there were no cameras allowed inside so I didn’t get any good pics.
The man we stayed with had a satellite that received a couple American channels. So here we are, a 70-year old Tanzanian man and two strange Americans, watching Will and Grace on T.V. You just can’t make this stuff up!