DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 15 -- DEAR Nephew Milambo,

Greetings to you, my dear nephew, from this confused and noisy city of Dar es Salaam, where buildings grow faster than trees, people walk as if they are late for meetings they themselves scheduled, and everybody seems to know where they are going even when they have absolutely no idea where they are going.

I greet you in the name of all our great Nyamwezi ancestors, led by the valiant and fearless Chief Mirambo, whose very name was enough to make warriors check whether their spears were still properly tied to their waists. May the spirits of our ancestors continue to watch over you there in our beloved village of Ukumbisiganga, where the soil still remembers the footsteps of our forefathers...