I am really turned off to Africa in general and Ghana specifically, after a particularly ill-fated work event in Kumasi, mis-managed by a staff person to the extent that everyone was adversely affected and the whole project looked bad. These were the doings of just one person, of course, but the overall level of ineptitude and "stupidity" (admittedly a cultural perspective), plus really foreign attitudes and practices, has just sent me over the edge. I feel like some old, complaining, demanding harpie and haven't been able to let go of it.This is exacerbated by having received a copy of a beautiful article that appeared in the Gettysburg Times last week, written by Greg Bowles in Leon, Nicaragua, in memory of Gary's death. So I'm pretty weepy right now.
I am also right now so sick of the traffic, and hawkers in the street, and motorcycles that don't pay attention to traffic laws and police who don't stop them, and garbage (especially plastic bags) all over the place, and open sewers, and public urination and nose-picking, and villages that have no indigenous pride so allow their buildings to be completely painted (and indeed taken over, it seems) by cell phone companies with their ubiquitous logos and strewn with garbage, and men who keep stroking their pants-covered genitals, and the yelling and loud music and omnipresent cell phones with their really irritating loud "rings", and "international standard" hotels where the lightbulbs don't work and there are housekeeping oversights, and everyone moves SO SLOWLY, especially when they're crossing the street in the middle of traffic, and the price-gouging (especially if you're white)...
And then enroute back from Kumasi to Accra, we stopped at a roadside stop -- great idea, except even though you pay to go to the toilet, the stall doors don't close or lock (or there may not even be a door), the toilets don't flush and the water doesn't run. And of course, there's no way to dry your hands. The young people who are selling food are doing so inbetween bites of the food they're eating, with their hands. By the time I got back to the bus, I was so pissed off that I made a remark about Africa being amazing because the toilet facilities don't work but everyone has a cell phone. That did not go over well; not a good choice (and of course I felt badly as soon as I said it). Even though Africans themselves will criticize, and even though we can have a shared laugh about these things on occasion, and even though there are rantings on the radio from Africans about these situations (as there was, in fact, just after I made my remark), you have to know when it's okay to say, and when not. This was a not. But they got back at me. Everyone ignored me for the rest of the trip and our staff admin assistant decided to tell me I should just get a taxi from the drop-off point in Accra, rather than be taken back to the office. I questioned that, and the plans were changed, but not without a lot of attitude from her -- and me, too, I must admit.
It's time for me to change my attitude. I'm not going to change Ghana/Africa,so I simply can't let it stress me out. I'm not here forever, just for the experience (and the money and health coverage, to be truthful). And I have family coming who are going to expect a pleasant visit and new adventure, not an "old" complaining lady having a bad Africa day!
xxooox Grammy
I am also right now so sick of the traffic, and hawkers in the street, and motorcycles that don't pay attention to traffic laws and police who don't stop them, and garbage (especially plastic bags) all over the place, and open sewers, and public urination and nose-picking, and villages that have no indigenous pride so allow their buildings to be completely painted (and indeed taken over, it seems) by cell phone companies with their ubiquitous logos and strewn with garbage, and men who keep stroking their pants-covered genitals, and the yelling and loud music and omnipresent cell phones with their really irritating loud "rings", and "international standard" hotels where the lightbulbs don't work and there are housekeeping oversights, and everyone moves SO SLOWLY, especially when they're crossing the street in the middle of traffic, and the price-gouging (especially if you're white)...
And then enroute back from Kumasi to Accra, we stopped at a roadside stop -- great idea, except even though you pay to go to the toilet, the stall doors don't close or lock (or there may not even be a door), the toilets don't flush and the water doesn't run. And of course, there's no way to dry your hands. The young people who are selling food are doing so inbetween bites of the food they're eating, with their hands. By the time I got back to the bus, I was so pissed off that I made a remark about Africa being amazing because the toilet facilities don't work but everyone has a cell phone. That did not go over well; not a good choice (and of course I felt badly as soon as I said it). Even though Africans themselves will criticize, and even though we can have a shared laugh about these things on occasion, and even though there are rantings on the radio from Africans about these situations (as there was, in fact, just after I made my remark), you have to know when it's okay to say, and when not. This was a not. But they got back at me. Everyone ignored me for the rest of the trip and our staff admin assistant decided to tell me I should just get a taxi from the drop-off point in Accra, rather than be taken back to the office. I questioned that, and the plans were changed, but not without a lot of attitude from her -- and me, too, I must admit.
It's time for me to change my attitude. I'm not going to change Ghana/Africa,so I simply can't let it stress me out. I'm not here forever, just for the experience (and the money and health coverage, to be truthful). And I have family coming who are going to expect a pleasant visit and new adventure, not an "old" complaining lady having a bad Africa day!
xxooox Grammy
Hope to see you up this way when family comes.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you...blogging is healthy-imagine if you kept all this inside....