Africa Journal September 21

9/6/2013

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9/21/2013

As you can see, my brand new computer stopped working not even a month after I bought it. I took it back to the shop where I bought it. Unfortunately, since I’m not in the U.S., there was no warrantee for the thing. I am ashamed to say that I said some very unkind things to the shop owner. He became much more helpful after that, though. He found me a replacement computer and only charged me for the price difference, which was $100. I was still frustrated, but that’s better than having to buy a whole new computer. Besides, I actually like this one better now that I’m getting used to it. I’m especially glad that it has Windows 7 rather than Windows 8. I have no idea what Microsoft was thinking when they made Windows 8. It is the most obnoxiously complicated operating system I have ever seen. I think I’d even take a Mac over another Windows 8.

Today, I actually had very few projects. I’m still getting over being sick, but I did better today. I actually had energy to make food. Granted, it wasn’t much. I just added some cream of chicken soup to the rice that they gave me. It tasted fabulous, though. The only thing that could have made it better was a bit of extra sharp cheese grated an inch thick on top. Oh yummy! Man, though, I need to stop thinking so much about food. I mean, I really feel like a glutton sometimes because I think so much about it. Every time I read about food in a book, or see someone eating in a movie I get jealous. I miss food so much! I would love nothing more than a nice ham and cheese sandwich right now. Okay, I’m making myself hungry. Stop it Heather!

I started reading Cheaper by the Dozen today. It made me cry a little because it reminded me so much of my own family. There was one part where the dad makes one of the youngest girls paint a whole fence by herself because she promised she would for only 47₵. It took her a really long time, but he made her do it and he wouldn’t let anyone help her. When she finally finished, she cried and he gave her the money. He told her that the reason he made her do it was to teach her about keeping promises. He rewarded her for her persistence by buying her new roller skates that she had wanted to buy with the money she earned. I love this story because it really sounds like something my own dad would do. I mean, he is always trying to teach us to be hard workers and to be self-reliant, but when we really do the best we can and still fall short, he always makes up the difference. It was like my first year in college. I was going to school full time and riding the bus to and from Salem Hills High School where I worked as a tutor. I was not getting paid much and, looking back, I am amazed that I survived so long with such a small income. Anyway, my dad found out that I was spending nearly five hours a day on the bus, since schedules didn’t match up very well and it was a really long route from Salem to Orem. Most nights, I went home on the very last bus run, which was about 10:00. Anyway, Dad found out about this problem and he bought me a car for Christmas. It was a beat up piece of junk, but I loved that car so much. We had to fix it about a thousand times before it finally gave up the ghost less than a year after I got it. Still, that car made it possible for me to get a better job and to be a lot less dependent on others for my transportation. My dad is so amazing!

Today, I watched How to Train Your Dragon with the kids. You know how there’s that old stereotype about black people yelling at movie screens? Well I can witness to the accuracy of that stereotype. It’s really obnoxious sometimes, but it also really adds to my enjoyment of the movie. They seriously get into movies. They yell things like “Catch him!” and “Oh bad man!” It’s kind of amusing. I’m afraid I might pick up on bad habits and start yelling at the screen, too. I’m sure it’ll annoy my poor boyfriend when I get home...though we weren’t really into watching movies together all that much before I left. Maybe we’ll find better things to do when I get home, too. We’ll see.

The van is still broken down. It’s been a week and a half already. Rufus keeps saying that the mechanic is going to come fix it “tomorrow morning”, but he’s said that like four times and it still hasn’t happened. It’s interesting that honesty isn’t really valued so much in this society. I mean, Rufus, I know, wouldn’t intentionally lie to me, but I was taught that when you say you’re going to do something and you don’t, that’s dishonest. Either Rufus has been dishonest by saying that the mechanic is coming, or the mechanic was dishonest when he told Rufus he would come. Were my mechanic to do such a thing to me, he would instantly lose my business. Of course, I could drive half a block down the street and find a new mechanic. I’m not sure that it would be so simple here in Liberia. Anyway, I remember Jana and I having a discussion about this sort of thing. She said that she finds herself excusing unacceptable behaviors and circumstances because “that’s what happens when you’re in Africa.” We discussed, however, the folly of this attitude. People, no matter what country they’re from, will only live up to the standards they are held to. If we excuse dishonesty because we expect nothing more from the African people, then that’s the standard they will continue to live up to. However, if they are held to a higher standard of expectations, then eventually the bar will be raised and the country as a whole will rise up with it. Of course, that takes a lot of patience and time. I, unfortunately, have neither. The best I can do is, try to teach this concept to the kids here and hope they remember and act on it someday.