Frustration

11-3-2013

Dealing with cultural differences is the hardest part about the Peace Corp life. Some of most frustrating moments is dealing with the nonchalant attitude regarding what people say and what they do.

For example, there is a person who calls me up and says he has been to my house three times that day to pay me money he owes me and use my camera. I said I was home all day. He said you weren’t on your porch. I said then why didn’t you come up and see if I was home. No reply. Then he says I am on my way to your house now. That was three days ago. He still hasn’t come.

It is continuous. A time is posted. Means nothing.  Flyers are posted everywhere with announcements, usually with the words “NEW” or “NEW NEW” or “THIS IS REALLY NEW” handwritten on them in red marker. No dates as to when new is new. Once up, they remain.

Excuses are really meant to be forgiveness’s. So you sit around waiting for someone who tells you the meeting was changed because no one planned to come. Well, what about me? I not only was planning to come, but I came and nada, nothing, no one, nowhere.

I imagine how frustrating it must be to Liberians when I say I accept “No Excuses” and mean it. How about class starts at a certain time and if you are late you get a zero for the day. I must seem like a tyrant. No wonder Liberians have trouble adapting to American work or school routines when they come to our Eden.

There really is no need for me to vent my frustrations today, except I am hot and sticky, ants are biting at my ankles, it is Sunday and what little happens here during the week doesn’t happen at all today, plus the electric is operating normally which means it is shut off for most of the day, and I think I have a bad case of gas from my spicy “cow? meat” stew.