Tommy and Sammy

Tommy and Sammy

It was a long awaited vacation in East Africa with friends, itinerary beginning first in Kenya and concluding in Tanzania. At Nairobi airport early in the morning a tall, heavy set guy with a wide grin displaying his irregular dental line greeted us with warmth at first sight. Jambo!! Karibu! We would hear these terms for the next 2 weeks. Welcome to my country. I am Tommy and I will be with you for the next entire week during your stay in Kenya.

 As he drove out of the airport towards our hotel our eyes were curious , absorbing every sight of Nairobi city. Simultaneously our ears were attuning to his heavy accent rapidly, knowing that he would be our companion and guide for the next several days. The city was barely waking up. Traffic was light. A few pedestrians were seen now and then. Billboards advertising political agendas and consumer goods were seen at places. 

Just as easily as he had loaded our bags into the vehicle Tommy got it out and helped us check into the hotel. Have breakfast at the hotel, it is the best, he told us. We would meet him again in less than 2 hours for our first formal outing. The hotel staff was genuinely friendly, allowing us an early check in. The impression of Kenyans being extremely soft spoken and committed to service started with Tommy at the airport, reaffirmed by the Nairobi hotel staff and lasted until the very end of our stay in Kenya. 

That first day on arrival Tommy took us on a city tour. First destination was the renowned elephant orphanage followed by the Nairobi National Park. The orphanage, one of its kind, was reassuring to see the rehabilitation of orphaned or injured elephants with best efforts to return them to their native habitats at some point. This orphanage sits adjoining the larger national park. It was unfathomable to see a full fledged national park with wildlife in the heart of a major city. The park is spread over 116 square kilometers and is a natural habitat for lions, giraffes, rhinos, impalas, zebras, elephants and many other animals we would see later during our travels.  It was a perfect glimpse into the larger natural landscape of the country. 

Tommy was informing us about the wildlife on one hand and the Kenyan people on the other. Early on we learnt from him that Kenya had 42 indigenous tribes. More recently the government had recognized Indians amongst these tribes due to their presence in the country dating back several centuries. Tommy hailed from the Luo tribe centered near Lake Victoria, a prominent geographical landmark of the country. These people spoke Luo language. There were as many languages as number of tribes in Kenya though English was the official language and Swahili the national language. Perhaps owing to previous imperial rule all local people spoke English which made it easy on international travelers like us. 

Next stop after Nairobi National Park was Karen Blixen properties, first a club house for a courtyard lunch and then her home that is now converted into a museum by the government. When I had watched Meryl Streep and Robert Redford in the classic Out of Africa I hadn’t paid attention to the fact that it was based on a real life story of author Karen Blixen and adapted from her book. The visit to the site of her home depicted in the movie brought unexpected nostalgia. Several photos from the life of the author were displayed inside the home and I found uncanny resemblance between the real life characters and their counterparts in the movie. We got a sense of profound serenity in the entire campus of the home. There was a warm feeling as I kept walking through the home, her entire life rolling in the mind as if in the present moment.

The next morning Tommy would take us to Amboseli National Park and thence to Nakuru Lake and Masai Mara. Each place had a unique landscape and though there was much overlap of the spectrum of wildlife each place highlighted its own distinct species more than others. 

Exactly a week since our arrival in Nairobi Tommy would hand us over in the care of Sammy, his counterpart in Tanzania at the border crossing between the two nations. The next 6 days Sammy would take us around Tanzania on the safaris. Our Tanzania itinerary began with Northern followed by Central Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater and finally Arusha. Again a different landscape at each destination and prominence of certain species of animals at every place compared to the others. 

I will go into some details about each destination if at all later. But here today what is in mind is the experience we had with these two men from neighboring countries during our journey. They both belonged to the same profession namely safari guides. Both were very courteous to us, the clients. Both had plenty of knowledge about the wildlife, locations and geopolitical aspects. Both had explored a few different jobs before settling for a career in safari tourism. Both were married and raising kids. Yet both had some stark differences in their approach to work and life.

Tommy was in his early forties. He was married for about 9 years and had a six year old and a two year old of his own. Besides these biological children he was raising two orphaned teenagers from his hometown. His philosophy was that God had provided him with much more than many and more than he needed so it was his obligation to provide for those who needed help. He was Anglican. The community church helped with some tuition expenses for the adopted children but no other financial benefits. Tommy was involved in helping out his widowed mother, a retired teacher, who lived in the hometown and had a small family farm that kept her busy. He also helped his wife’s grandmother who had raised her after the early death of the young woman’s parents. He was a devoted son, husband and father.

Throughout our travel he extended a generous hand towards people in general. He would save up untouched food and drinks each day and hand these over to the kids we saw on our way. He seemed to have many friends and stopped for a quick chat with other drivers or a friendly wave to them. He made sure we were comfortable at every step and had what we needed. On one occasion my friend realized she had left her phone at a hotel restroom, a good one hour after we had left the place. Tommy remained composed, called up the place immediately, had the manager locate and confirm the phone was found, then coordinated with his office team to send someone out to deliver it to us at the next stop within the next hour or so! 

During the safaris, he was constantly in contact with his colleagues through the radio and passersby vehicles and determined to take us to the sites where animal sightings were reported. There were several instances when he went back to the places after hearing fresh reports of sightings. He deserved much credit for going that extra mile for us to see a beautiful pride of lions in Amboseli, a mother cheetah with her five cubs and also a leopard in Masai Mara. Always energetic, proactive, funny and soft spoken he was a joy all the way. Right until the moment he put us in the hands of Sammy he was making sure that we had the best experience. He told us that each day he got to work as if it was his first day and worked as if he owned the company. And indeed it showed !

He had set the bar so high, both professionally and as a human being, that it was going to be difficult, even surprising, if another person could match that. I knew very well not to compare one person with another. Yet at the end of the entire vacation it was inevitable to compare the two people. 

Sammy was in his late forties, married and had 3 kids. The oldest was a 24 year old son who lived in Dar E Salaam to study architecture at the University. The middle child, a daughter who was 17 was in high school and aspired to attend university as well. The youngest was 12. Sammy was polite, soft spoken. He was always on time each morning to pick us from our hotel and remained in good spirits all day as he showed us around. He seemed to not rely on radio reports for animal sightings. Occasionally he did ask passing drivers about any reports but none had much useful tips for him. Compared to Tommy he didn’t seem to know many drivers along the way. Whether it was a Tanzania thing or Sammy’s own personality, I’m not sure. But it did impact the productivity of safari sightings each day. The proactive approach of Tommy was acutely missed in the six days we were with Sammy. The latter’s attempts to take us around were sincere, yet they lacked the element of real time tracking and urgency. Ironically Tommy’s efforts to ensure we saw the most animals during our safaris were recognized much more after his successor didn’t display the same zeal. Until then they had been taken for granted. That day I realized the fine difference between being sincere and having total dedication. 

Another notable difference between the two men was that Sammy repeatedly implored us to fill out a favorable survey on his behalf, telling us how it would help him advance his career. Tommy had not even once asked for any favors from us. 

On the return flight there was plenty of time to reflect on the experience with these two men. I found it to be a perfect example of what differentiates between the ordinary and extraordinary. Between average and special. Both as a human being and as a professional. Each of us tries to get through the day, fulfill our duties, raise our children and advance our careers. Yet a fine line differentiates between fulfilling duty and going above and beyond duty. I learned so much from Tommy. Sammy had mostly served well to highlight the difference between ordinary and special.

At every turn each of us must decide if we want to be Tommy or Sammy. If we should just get through the day or leave a mark quietly. Whether to keep an eye on what we get back or live with a complete abandon towards rewards. 

In the concluding post about life in USA I had mentioned about a poem that literally had flowed out of me in my early years. It’s opening line rings in my ears from time to time. It did again here as I thought of Tommy.

भारत समिधा सत्य अहिंसा

एक असे असहाय

Bhaarat, Samidha, Satya and Ahimsa are not exactly distinct from one another. They are also strong by themselves and need nothing to support them. 

असहाय Asahaay is not to be misunderstood here. It is used in this line to imply independence and not helplessness. 

Tommy’s example for me reflects the virtues of samidha. Samidha is the sacrificial grass that is offered in Hindu rituals involving fire as in yadnyas, pujas, weddings etc. It is a metaphorical representation of a conscious attitude of sacrifice for a noble cause. A person committed to sacrifice needs nothing. He has given his all with full understanding and with joy, not out of coercion, compulsion or ignorance. The cause for which he is giving himself up he recognizes as being higher than himself and therein lies his bliss. No amount of money, appreciation or other form of reward can  equal the state of fulfillment he has achieved through the sacrifice. One can fully grasp the power of samidha only when they become one in the metaphorical sense. 

Yes, the wildlife in Kenya and Tanzania were fantastic and will always remain a joyful memory. But meeting Tommy was a greater privilege and highlight for me. And he may never know that. 

It will be hard getting in his shoes. Sammy can’t be faulted for that. One out of millions can grasp life like Tommy has. And for him to come into our lives was a chance more rare than sighting an elusive leopard in the jungles of Africa.