Tossing around the blame is a big, big thing here. As a Westerner it's hard to come to terms with it: a person believes they are absolved if they are able to explain away their involvement in something not-ideal. All over the place it happens. "Madame, it is not my fault o!" And they think that forgives them. I was talking to my family about culture and how it probably does mean something here - but I wonder, then... do they ever try to pursue the blame to its root and punish the original sinner? Or is it enough for everyone involved in the last step to shrug off the guilt?
There are many viruses floating around the technology here. When a friend at CEPEHRG asked me to give him some files on his USB stick, my anti-virus popped up as soon as I plugged it into my computer and informed me there were two viruses on it. "It's not from me!" he cried, shocked. "Those are from THAT machine!" and he pointed to a colleague's laptop. To which I replied, "It's also not your fault if you have HIV, but that doesn't mean I'll take the risk with you!"
At the seamstress (yes, I've had two dresses made) last week, I overheard an interview on the radio. It was the chief of the local waste-removal company, and the interviewer asked him, "So, why has rubbish been piling up on all the street corners? Why are the trucks not running?"
The Zoomlion executive answered, "Well, the Environmental Protection Agency has closed two of our three dump sites. So there's no place to bring the waste, and trucks find it hard to dump their waste when the landfill is already full. You see, it is impossible when we only have one dump site."
A Westerner would have at least assured the audience that they were working on a solution.
Then another waste-related executive spoke up. "We are trying to implement recycling and composting programs. We think they are the future. However, it's very very expensive and we won't be able to do it without a lot of external help."
You could have read his comment two ways, so it was either "We have hope, as long as some other countries can help us out...." or else, "We have this plan, but it's impossible. So that's why we're not implementing it at all."
Is this a culture clash? Should it be okay for people to write off absences, failures, missed deadlines, and lack of effort to external factors? Traffic, rain, illness (is it me, or do a lot of people take sick days here?)
Is this the inner American-workaholic in me shining through? The accountability-holic?
I had an interview for a job on Wednesday, and while I'd appreciate y'all keeping your fingers crossed for me, I don't want to share more for fear I'll jinx it. I believe it went well but I am not sure. If anyone is available to help me beef up an application for USAID which is due on Thursday, let me know. I'm still sticking with the "reach" jobs for now, but am happy that I've found the drive to be looking.
I should also mention, we have our own PO box now, rather than sharing with Jens's boss's mother! A PO box is hard to get because numbers are so limited. I was lucky to pass by our local post office at the right moment and see a sign advertising reallocated PO boxes.
If anyone wants to send letters or packages, address them to P.O. Box OS 2755, Osu, Accra, Ghana.
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