Thursday, March 23, 2006
Get Out of The Van
"Get out of the van."
(A string out expletives)
"Get out of the van."
(Another string of expletives.)
Now despondently, "Why don't you get out of the van?"
I turn to man sitting half next to me and half on my lap, and I attempt small talk:
"Sir, Are you comfortable? No, you say? Well, I could have guessed you would have said as much and this shouldn't come as a great surprise but I share your sentiment. Why do you think we find ourselves to be so uncomfortable?"
"Because life in Africa...It's hard"
Now, That is an interesting comment, I don't know that it answers my question - but it is not really that important, because the question was rhetorical. Would you like to hear a list of reasons why I think we are uncomfortable? Again this question is rhetorical. You see - I believe our discomfort has something to do with the inefficiency and incompetency of the people running this transport. I think that it has something to do with the fact that we are sitting 25 people to a van designed to sit 12. I think it could be linked to the fact that carbon monoxide is leaking through the floor board. Perhaps our discomfort has something to do with all the broken windows and the red dirt road, whose dust has turned all of us orange.
"Yes"
"Certainly there are the crying babies and the oppressive heat, but I know perfectly well that you cannot control everything, and I don't want to complain. But now that you and I have been sitting here for the last twenty minutes, unmoved from our original seats, sitting 25 deep with you, still half sitting on my lap while the drivers unload luggage from the luggage rack - I can feel myself slipping into a foul mood and I don't know that I can help but complain."
"I see"
Of all the frustrating moments that we have experienced together over the past hour and a half together, I must say that I am most infuriated by the passengers inability to change their discomfort; now, right this moment. Look! - Just out there, there is shade, people selling cold drinks, space, sweet, spacious space as far as the eye can see. All we need to do is remind people that they are uncomfortable and inform them it is more comfortable sitting under shade drinking cold drinks rather than sitting in a cramped metal van in this hot, hot van. Which brings me to a genuine question of which I seek a genuine answer: Why have we all sat in this parked van for the last twenty minutes?
"Because, In Africa, It is like that."
(String of expletives)
"What? ... What exactly do you mean?"
"In Africa, It is like that."
"Respectfully sir, I disagree. Africa being woefully underdeveloped, lacking resources, having a harsh climate, being put upon: poverty, AIDS, colonialism so on and so on; you can read me a list of all the problems that are espoused by the world bank.- But all of these reasons have absolutely nothing to do with your inability to get out of this hot cramped van. Case and point, there are Africans NOT inside this hot cramped van. There are, in fact, Africans standing less then twenty feet away underneath that shade, being perfectly African. All we have to do is help our selves ... why don't we just help our selves?
"Because, In Africa...It is like this"
The driver enters the van; Starts the van; Drives the Van 500 yards; Stops the van; Passengers leave.
At this point there is no more conversation to be had. I have loved my time in Burkina, I have had many good experiences, but at this point I have nothing but a blank stare of fury and disbelief. It is numbness, a numbness that allows you to stare down a ten year old begger until he leaves.
I am still too close to this event to meaningfully dissect all the thoughts that were running through my head immediately after the event. I hope to do so in subsequent blogs, but let me start be saying I am extremely critical of anyone who is content at explaining away inefficiency as the way it is in Africa. Protocol and Tradition are a product of the decisions that people make and they change as decisions change. Let us be held accountable for our decisions, Let us have higher expectations for ourselves. If the man sitting next to me is correct and "Life, its hard in Africa" and "In Africa, it is like that" Let us see the connection between the two. Lets change the way we do things and maybe Life in Africa will be less tough.
(A string out expletives)
"Get out of the van."
(Another string of expletives.)
Now despondently, "Why don't you get out of the van?"
I turn to man sitting half next to me and half on my lap, and I attempt small talk:
"Sir, Are you comfortable? No, you say? Well, I could have guessed you would have said as much and this shouldn't come as a great surprise but I share your sentiment. Why do you think we find ourselves to be so uncomfortable?"
"Because life in Africa...It's hard"
Now, That is an interesting comment, I don't know that it answers my question - but it is not really that important, because the question was rhetorical. Would you like to hear a list of reasons why I think we are uncomfortable? Again this question is rhetorical. You see - I believe our discomfort has something to do with the inefficiency and incompetency of the people running this transport. I think that it has something to do with the fact that we are sitting 25 people to a van designed to sit 12. I think it could be linked to the fact that carbon monoxide is leaking through the floor board. Perhaps our discomfort has something to do with all the broken windows and the red dirt road, whose dust has turned all of us orange.
"Yes"
"Certainly there are the crying babies and the oppressive heat, but I know perfectly well that you cannot control everything, and I don't want to complain. But now that you and I have been sitting here for the last twenty minutes, unmoved from our original seats, sitting 25 deep with you, still half sitting on my lap while the drivers unload luggage from the luggage rack - I can feel myself slipping into a foul mood and I don't know that I can help but complain."
"I see"
Of all the frustrating moments that we have experienced together over the past hour and a half together, I must say that I am most infuriated by the passengers inability to change their discomfort; now, right this moment. Look! - Just out there, there is shade, people selling cold drinks, space, sweet, spacious space as far as the eye can see. All we need to do is remind people that they are uncomfortable and inform them it is more comfortable sitting under shade drinking cold drinks rather than sitting in a cramped metal van in this hot, hot van. Which brings me to a genuine question of which I seek a genuine answer: Why have we all sat in this parked van for the last twenty minutes?
"Because, In Africa, It is like that."
(String of expletives)
"What? ... What exactly do you mean?"
"In Africa, It is like that."
"Respectfully sir, I disagree. Africa being woefully underdeveloped, lacking resources, having a harsh climate, being put upon: poverty, AIDS, colonialism so on and so on; you can read me a list of all the problems that are espoused by the world bank.- But all of these reasons have absolutely nothing to do with your inability to get out of this hot cramped van. Case and point, there are Africans NOT inside this hot cramped van. There are, in fact, Africans standing less then twenty feet away underneath that shade, being perfectly African. All we have to do is help our selves ... why don't we just help our selves?
"Because, In Africa...It is like this"
The driver enters the van; Starts the van; Drives the Van 500 yards; Stops the van; Passengers leave.
At this point there is no more conversation to be had. I have loved my time in Burkina, I have had many good experiences, but at this point I have nothing but a blank stare of fury and disbelief. It is numbness, a numbness that allows you to stare down a ten year old begger until he leaves.
I am still too close to this event to meaningfully dissect all the thoughts that were running through my head immediately after the event. I hope to do so in subsequent blogs, but let me start be saying I am extremely critical of anyone who is content at explaining away inefficiency as the way it is in Africa. Protocol and Tradition are a product of the decisions that people make and they change as decisions change. Let us be held accountable for our decisions, Let us have higher expectations for ourselves. If the man sitting next to me is correct and "Life, its hard in Africa" and "In Africa, it is like that" Let us see the connection between the two. Lets change the way we do things and maybe Life in Africa will be less tough.
