How to Live in Africa part one
Posted: Wednesday, January 06, 2010
by Stephen Blanchet
Leicester Square School of English
I am what you would call in East Africa a “musungu" this means European person of some sort!!!
I came to live in a place called Mtwapa on the East African Coast nearly 10 years ago, the reasons were many for leaving the rat race and quite honestly I would never go back. Some people love this place and others find it the worst place on earth. I fall under the first category when I was introduced to Africa some 15 years ago I had a love hate relationship as this place made me sick, very sick I was hospitalized more than I was on the streets!!
To live in Africa you must have a very large sense of humor without this you might as well go home. When we musungus shout an average East African person will immediately stop listening to whatever you are saying until you calm down. Shouting never works here as much as we enjoy it forget it.
To wait is a pass time here, don’t get me wrong queuing does not exist but waiting does. People often say so how long do you want me to wait for you and this can be anything up to several days. This is where your sense of humor comes in do not get mad enjoy the wait find something else to do or just be late yourself and shrug your shoulders, smile and say I was working on African time.
Even in an office or a shop customer care does not really exist, the local people are certainly not being rude they just do not expect what a European expects. If you have to wait while they are chatting to their friend or having tea that is the way it is. No one will jump to attention just because you have entered the shop and if you think that the customer is King forget it. Whether you buy or not will not make very much of a difference to the shop keeper or assistant. No one is being rude or aggressive they actually do not see the issue of customer care.
Government offices are different, we call them tumbo kubwa which means big stomach the bigger the stomach the more important as a general rule. If anybody wants to wait in a government office then good luck to them. This is where public servant mentality really does not exist. You can wait for days or weeks until you are seen, if you do not have any Kiswahili it is much worse. All you can do under these circumstances is smile take a paper or a book some water and settle in. If you loose it you will not get seen maybe ever!!
Next a very important thing to learn is you are not at home, not even close to home. Take all of that hard earned knowledge about London or Europe how things work, how it happens what it’s like, how you expect others to behave, how you expect to be treated and anything else you can think of and just throw it away. This place is completely different, it took me years to understand this fundamental detail and cost me a lot in cash and time. If you can get your head around this then you will survive. Camaraderie and relationships are different here, we live in a totally different world like aliens from another planet. Do not take anything at face value!!
Here, the upbringing and education are totally different from the west. This is why the majority of Kenyans have no savings what so ever and see no need for pension. Today is really today and your life can change at any moment to a totally different one. It breeds independent people who can survive on next to nothing and will see an opportunity and take it before you even get an idea be careful you are not that opportunity. This leads to a rather exciting life, you must understand these issues before you can see and enjoy the country and its people.
Be prepared for no Fire Brigade, Ambulance, Police Force or Doctor on Call, you are alone very alone so get used to it. This is an illuminating time and can teach you so much about yourself and your ability to survive, one of the reasons I fell in love with the place. Total independence is addictive.
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