Sydney Gould, famously called “Syd the Don”, is living his American dream as a young black man living in Atlanta, Georgia, a southern state in the United States.
Atlanta has been called the new black wall street for its vast population of wealthy black people. And Syd is doing great as a 33-year-old black homeowner, an Airbnb super host, a recent Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and soon getting into filing taxes for people.
“My main purpose is to earn my CPA so I can start my tax practice,” he said. It’s a lucrative business that is even better with the accreditations he currently has. On the other side, Syd is a travel content producer with a popular YouTube channel that goes by his nickname, and there he documents all his expeditions. Across the world, his YouTube channel Syd gained traction after his travel video while in Europe went viral with over five hundred thousand views. “Before I travel, I research the place I am going; I look at the food, the culture, and the people; that’s a big factor,” Syd said.
And it was only right that he chose Tanzania as his next destination to celebrate his birthday. Syd had only one dream in mind: to celebrate it in Tanzania and Zanzibar. He filmed his experience from the time he touched down in Dar es Salaam, showing the people the culture of Tanzanians.
His two good friends had been to Tanzania, and they recommended it to him, saying ‘it’s their favourite country’. “I had been to South Africa, but I felt like I got more African cultural experience in Tanzania,” he said. Travel is a passion for Syd. He has friends who have money, but they have never been outside the US. “I have friends who would rather buy designer shoes and clothes, like Gucci belts,” he said.
His birthday in Zanzibar was epic. The people were very nice to him. He stayed at Nungwi Beach, met some friends there, and even went for ‘the full moon’ party held periodically in Zanzibar. “Kendwa Beach is the most beautiful beach I have been to in all my life, and I have been to many beaches across the world,” he confessed.
He invited a few friends to the villa he rented for his birthday, with the help of his friend Henry. The party was organised by Henry, the guy who assisted him throughout his trip to Tanzania. The house with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a swimming pool was blasting Bongo Fleva music featuring some songs by the most famous Tanzanian musician, Diamond Platinumz. “I had never heard about Diamond before coming to Tanzania, but when I heard his music, I fell in love with it,” he said.
Syd also introduced his guests to the music of some of the best artists from Atlanta, from Ludacris to T.I.
The dining table was full of Tanzanian cuisine: tilapia fish, mishkaki, Zanzibari burgers, and chapati. No expense was spared for his special day. The chocolate cake written “Happy Birthday, Sydney” was brought to the table as everyone was singing to him as he was blowing out the candle and making a wish.
The party went to the swimming pool, with his friends singing and introducing him to many other local Bongo Fleva artists. The most popular song “Enjoy” by Jux and Diamond was played with the popular dance moves danced by everyone in Tanzania, and Syd had to get help from the ladies at the party to learn his moves as well.
The “full moon” party was great. As he continued to celebrate his birthday on the island, from the entrance, Nicki Minaj music was blasting through the speakers, and relievers from across the world were enjoying their drinks and food. The little Kiswahili words he had learned along the way came in handy as he manoeuvred through the crowd and ordered food at the festival.
The dance and music were top-notch. He got to witness the vibrant African culture in the middle of this spicy island, and Tanzanians didn’t disappoint. He also got to learn a few new dances himself. “I realised that in Tanzania, like most of Africa, dance is part of their culture. “It’s something you should try once in your life,” he said.
His celebrations were far from over; he also went to a pub and restaurant known as Cocobello, which was a vibe he was looking for with more locals in the mix, and made friends there as well.
He bonded with a few guys during the pool table game and even showcased his few skills at the game, but it was more about bonding, drinking, and having fun.
To Syd, the most memorable thing about Tanzania is how genuine and nice the people are and how they embraced him as a foreigner, from the taxi drivers to everyone he met. Everyone welcomed him with open arms, and as far as his favourite place, he spoke highly of the Samaki Samaki restaurant in Oysterbay, Dar es Salaam.
“I went to that place at least twenty times in my short stay in Dar,” he said, laughing. “The food at that place is so good,” he added. Syd would prefer the restaurant because it would also be open late by the time he was done working.
“I would be working on American time; by the time I am done, it’s late at night, but the restaurant would still be open,” he said. From the chicken, seafood, potatoes, and the music, he enjoyed it all.
“I would like to welcome all Tanzanians who would love to visit Atlanta as well. We have good food and music, and Atlanta is also home to black excellence,” he concluded.
Sdy will be going to the Philippines in a few weeks as his travel blogs continue, but surely there is no place like Tanzania, and he plans to come back.