Frustrations 27.5.2008

It has been far too long time since my last entry in this blog. I have started with some topics, and always rejected them. There is no excuse for that, I admit.

It is winter coming here. Rains that were plenty this year, have stopped. Grass got yellow in few days, as if it knew the year’s job is done, time to rest until new rains wake it up again. Mornings are crispy, evenings cold when winds start blowing at sunset. Day’s sunlight is clear and hot. This is the best season for a campouts. We are planning one weekend soon, can’t wait for that!

Jyri is in Finland at the moment and we others have continued our normal lives here in Iringa. Things are pleasantly busy at work, we have quite a lot of activities at hand but people working for the project are all skilled, reliable, energetic and independent. That is a reason to be grateful about. Thank you everyone involved!

I have had to do some thinking lately. I realise the way I live now in Africa, differs from the past years. I have become less tolerant towards certain issues – I allow myself get angry at times when I come across with certain shameless indifference. I don’t take cultural differences as an excuse any more when I see people deliberately dismiss the work they are supposed to do, for instance. Or what would you say about the fact that I found tens, if not hundreds of parcels at post office store room – parcels that everyone thought had gone missing, parcels that we had been waiting for up to three months, parcels containing long-awaited work-related books, parcels that people were wanting for Christmas, parcels that I made inquiries about everywhere, starting from the sender, up to Dar es Salaam – only to find out that the local post office workers were absolutely ignorant about that fact that what I wanted, had been with them all the time. Craziest thing is that I made a formal inquiry letter, copied it to local post master, who handed it over to one of the workers, who actually contacted Dar es Salaam head post office about my missing parcels– but did not bother to check a store room just behind her own desk.

I have even more examples of that kind, but never mind. The news is, that when I previously swallowed my frustration and anger, and just stretched my patience up to unimaginable lengths, now I just don’t do it. I let people hear what I think of this kind of attitude – and it is not that I snap - I give myself a deliberate permission to react.

What was the result? I am now known by my first name at post office, I am greeted by everyone there, I am asked how things are, how is the work, am I happy - and for sure the parcels are in safe place waiting for me. Let us see how long this goes on.

I am not proud of being so outspoken, it is not reason to boast – in a way I do it for the sake of the progress and development of this country! If I am not happy with a hotel, restaurant or any other service, I give feedback about it – and this is one cause for some discussions between me and Jyri. He thinks it is better just leave it and “never return again”. I think that does not help anyone – least it helps the service provider who probably will never notice that we did not ever return. I believe it is only fair to let the service provider to know hoe s/he is doing. So, it is a favour I am doing here…

Then there are things that I have agreed with – because I know they will never change. They are things that could be annoying at least to some extend if you think it that way, but which I have accepted as truly cultural characteristics. Maybe I have also learnt to like them, not only accept. Maybe, I have found them as source of joy, too? Maybe, they give me something I would not get elsewhere? Maybe, I sometimes miss them?

What am I talking about? I will tell you in my next entry. Which hopefully will appear soon.