Chapter 169: Fischer's Work
After Layton gave that lesson on chopstick usage to the European immigrants lacking their own utensils, he went on to other duties. Whether they grasped it or not wasn't his concern.
Some had picked up the trick and were playing around with the chopsticks. Many more scratched their heads, unable to use them. As soon as they sat down to eat, the mishaps began. Many found the little sticks too unwieldy and, giving up, clenched both sticks in one fist, lifted the bowl, and shoveled food straight into their mouths. Those who'd gotten the hang of it looked quite at ease, picking up their rice and side dishes with neat precision. Another group included those who'd memorized the motions mentally but whose fingers wouldn't cooperate, so any attempt to pick something up slipped right off.
Unlike these new arrivals forced to use chopsticks in the public canteen, Fischer and his family were eating on their own at the house they'd been assigned. In their first few days in East Africa, they, too, ate in the canteen, but since Fischer's family was better equipped – city folk at one time, and familiar with knives, forks, spoons – they brought their own. Before leaving Stuttgart, Fischer sold his little home and its furniture, making little but at least some sum, since the place was small and rundown, the furniture old and worn. Still, "even a skinny mosquito is still meat." As advised by the staff in charge of immigrants, Fischer deposited that money into the Hechingen Development Bank, which also operated in East Africa.
Aside from the house and furniture, there wasn't anything else of value, just some kitchenware, cutlery, and a few construction tools. Everything fit in a single bundle, so with that on his back, Fischer led his family across the seas to start life in East Africa.
Here they were assigned a house in Dar es Salaam—formerly a civilian residence under the Sultanate of Zanzibar. Its original owner had returned with the sultan to the island of Zanzibar, leaving the property to the colony. The structure was brick-roofed, decent, and spacious enough for Fischer's family of four. Just that dwelling alone made him feel the trip was worth it – bigger and newer by far than their cramped place in Stuttgart.
As for other East African benefits, like free education, Fischer considered them negligible. He himself had never gone to school, and most folks he knew were illiterate. In this era, people of the lower class hardly believed knowledge could transform one's fate—especially in a noble-dominated Germany.
In terms of wages, he was surprised: East Africa offered few ways to spend money. He didn't smoke or drink, so his expenses were minimal. He could only stash more money in the bank. Dar es Salaam, being a major commercial node on the Indian Ocean, had a branch of Hechingen Development Bank that handled colonists' payroll. It also catered to foreign merchants and sailors passing through. Among sailors, quite a few dabbled in side hustles—bringing goods from all over. Dar es Salaam's location let them sell those items without needing to sail back to Europe, saving time and steps.
…
"Careful there; you must stir the cement thoroughly. Don't rush adding water—dribble in bit by bit, and each time, keep mixing until it's fully absorbed. No, that's not right—throw in more sand, or it won't bond," Fischer called out at the construction site. They were near the port in Dar es Salaam, having demolished the old Zanzibar architecture and planning to build a hotel and brewery for incoming ships.
Once the Sultanate of Zanzibar pulled back to its island, the harbor's original laborers followed—finding new livelihoods on Zanzibar. That included lodging, dining, gambling, or liquor services for traveling merchants. At first, the colony had little expertise in such matters, missing out on a chance to turn a profit. Now, as they renovated Dar es Salaam, the colony aims to revive commercial activities. It will emphasize European style, letting visitors from overseas feel a taste of home. With Western architecture in a tropical setting, the look will be distinctive. The Indian Ocean coast is already rife with Arab influences, so those merchants might also experience the allure of European design.
The plan is to court two sets of customers, each partially overlapping, hopefully boosting consumption. Meanwhile, with the Suez Canal not open yet, Dar es Salaam still holds a decent geographical advantage. Next year's trade business is bound to do well.
European building styles follow more or less uniform lines—Baroque or Gothic. Of course, there's also "Romanesque," "classical," etc., often borrowing from or evolving each other. Stuttgart, in central Europe, has a bit of both Baroque and Gothic influence.
Fischer himself doesn't truly know those terms. He works by inherited experience and the client's wishes. But he has enough practice dealing with owners who want things done just right, so he's encountered many designs, blending his grandfather's craft with Germany's current architectural trends.
"Dig the foundation deeper—by at least another 30 centimeters. It's going to be three floors. If the foundation's not firm, we're in for trouble," Fischer said, measuring with a yardstick. He was in charge of building a hotel—no room for sloppiness—checking each step personally, failing and redoing as necessary. Many East African laborers had begun as farmers with no building skill.
Although Fischer was "just" an ordinary German construction hand, to them, he was highly advanced—one who not only "had seen pigs run but also eaten pork," so to speak. They were farmers turned day laborers, with the best of them only having built a cottage or two back home. Dar es Salaam, however, is a city. You can't just erect rudimentary rural huts, especially for lodging seafarers—you need something with a professional look.
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