American Independence Day

Wednesday, June 30, 2004

Another day at the office. I had breakfast served earlier than normal so that I wouldn’t have to choke it down before Eddie arrived. Good move on my part. Unfortunately, the omelet I had contained peppers. Yesterday, my scrambled eggs had green peppers in them too. I can’t stand peppers! Hopefully it won’t happen again as I’ve asked that they not put peppers or onions in my eggs.

Work was a bit slow today. We spent most of the time finishing up the Measles Partnership update. There were also apparent issues with Robert, my soon-to-be temporary boss. He has a tendency to not tell his underlings things and then thinks he has! It’s like he has conversations with himself that he thinks he has with others. And the money moving! My goodness, they move money around at WHO like nobody’s business. It’s not illegal per se, but it certainly felt like we were laundering money. It’s like we move it around so that it serves whatever purpose is at hand. The US Govt has nothing on this organization! We’d never get away with the stuff they do at WHO.

I have to get to work earlier tomorrow for some meeting with the regional advisor for VPD at AFRO. He has the status of an ambassador, I think. Nice man; I met him this afternoon. But he’s a stickler for time, so I have to leave extra early to get there in plenty of time. Casey only has two more days; hard to believe I’ll be on my own then. But I think I’ll be ready. I hope I’m ready, anyway.

The Partnership call went fine. I got to hear all the voices of people back home just starting their day. I must say that a 3pm call is much more productive for me than a 9am call. I should be able to put together these country updates. I want Leo and Peter to be proud of what I do. I told Casey about the conversation I had with Robert yesterday when he dogged her. She wasn’t happy, and I don’t blame her. I’m sure I wasn’t supposed to repeat what was said, but if I were in her shoes, I’d want to know. Also, I think the criticism that Casey doesn’t do more than admin work is unfair. They drown her in it, and they won’t let her go out in the field even when she asks. Problem is they view her as a WHO employee to do with as they please. CDC can do little to help her either. I’m not sure I’d want to work in that sort of environment full time. I much prefer Leo as a boss. If he moved to somewhere else at CDC, I’d consider following him.

I figured out that I could link my hotmail to my outlook, and download email. This way, if I get a backlog, I can respond to email at night and sync up in the morning. Much more preferable, especially with as slow as the internet can be at WHO. Daily emails from Mike, Richard, and even Pat help make it seem less lonely. Thank God for the internet! I need to start looking at what I want to do on the weekends. The Saturday party at the Marine house was cancelled, due to lack of interest. There goes my Saturday night. Oh well, at least there is Friday evening. I hope I make some friends at the Embassy party.

Time for some more reading…

Thursday, July 01, 2004

My goodness, today was boring! I had to get up early so that I could be there before 8am for this section meeting with the Regional Advisor, Deo. That was an eye-opening meeting. Robert and Deo had an open argument in front of the entire staff. They talked about one of the ladies in the room like she wasn’t there. This type of meeting would be considered HIGHLY unprofessional at CDC. Arguments and personnel discussions should happen with management meetings only, not in general staff meetings. I was almost embarrassed for them. Apparently, though, this type of thing is typical at WHO.

The rest of the day was spent doing absolutely nothing. Casey had some work to do that had nothing to do with my future duties, so I got to read magazines all day. I also played card games on my PDA. Part of me really just wanted to go home if I wasn’t needed, but I stuck it out. I did have some time at lunch to do some email, but not much. Casey brought back a pizza with brown tomato sauce that wasn’t bad. I don’t know what I’m going to do for lunch the next six weeks. I have nothing to pack a lunch with, and it doesn’t look like the mess hall at WHO has much to desire. Oh well, weight loss is a goal for me while here. No lunches will fit into that.

When I got home, I came in and had some tea. They turned on Days for me on the South African channel. It was funny. I can’t remember if they are 2 or 3 years behind. But right now, they are on the Paul Mendez, tropical island, ruby story. That was the story that started Jan’s whole pregnancy with Paul’s baby after he raped her. It was very funny to see it, especially knowing all that takes place from then to now in the States.

I got to visit with Pet some while waiting for Eddie to pick me up for dinner with Casey at Arabian Nights, which is a Pakistani restaurant. It’s amazing how some things are really universal. We talked about race relations in our countries. Here, they have three designations. It’s black, white, and “:colored”. Colored is what mixed race people are called. Pet and her husband are both colored. Their son Kirk is adopted, but has more “black” features. However, all his friends are white, and he likes white girls. Pet is a bit worried about that with the culture of Zimbabwe being what it is. We talked about segregation, reverse racism, etc. It was a great discussion. Pet is so friendly and open, and I feel like I learned a lot. I get a lot out of all our talks. I’ll definitely have to visit them more.

One thing I’ve noticed in the past week is that my visible minority status doesn’t particularly bother me. Being gay in America is minority enough for me, but people usually can’t tell you are gay by looking at you. You can hide it if you want. You can’t hide skin color. Only 2% of people in Zimbabwe are white. With the exception of Casey and Yinka, I’m the only white person I run into at WHO. There are no white people in positions of influence or power at this WHO office. I know there are whites in power in AFRO at various locations, but not in Harare. I don’t feel intimidated though, or uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel being about the only white person around. I do wonder if it has something to do with my loneliness. Constance went to Botswana and totally bonded with all kinds of Africans who took her places, showed her things, and introduced her around. I wonder if the fact she was a black female had a lot to do with that. I’m a white guy from America, so people don’t generally warm up to me. At least so far. It’s something I’ll have to watch. It could end up being a lonely 7 weeks until I return.

The dinner was nice. It was funny to be in a room full of white people who were eating out. I think it’s the first time I’ve been a majority here! Casey told me Robert is concerned that I won’t be capable. Not sure why. There’s nothing I’ve done that makes him think that, but he is just going into panic mode with tomorrow being Casey’s last day. If he wants to think I’m going to be an incompetent boob, so be it. He’ll find out I’m neither incompetent nor a boob. Sure, I will not understand or master the complicated financial system, but I’m not supposed to. It’s taken Casey two years to learn this stuff. I hope I won’t be unfairly attacked, b/c I will defend myself. I’m sure I’ll be yelled at or something, but all I can do is my best. It was the first time I’ve felt uncertain about how I’ll do. I think I’ll be ready. I won’t be perfect, but I will be able to do a passable job.

I’ll be glad to have Casey’s phone and stuff so that I can summon folks to call me from time to time. Tonight’s a lonely night, and I wish I could just hear Richard’s voice. If I felt like I was making friends and going places, it would be different. But I do feel somewhat isolated, especially without a car. I’d like to go places too, but there’s a safety issue to consider. I don’t mind traveling alone, but I have to be mindful of safety. I still need to explore some traveling company websites.

Greece is playing the Czech Republic in soccer on TV. It’s all the rage here. I think Greece is the underdog, but with 5 minutes to go, the score is tied at zero. Tomorrow is the Embassy party; should be interesting. At least I can meet some more Americans.


Friday, July 02, 2004

Before I recount tonight’s Embassy part in celebration of the 4th of July, I’ve got some gripes. First, water pressure. My shower lost all water pressure tonight JUST as I had completely soaped up. Luckily, turning off the water a minute or two put the water pressure up for a minute or two. A few cycles of that, I managed to get rinsed off. No one else is showering, so I don’t know what happened. It’s annoying as hell though. Next is the toilet. The damn thing NEVER flushes ALL the material. I can’t take a dump without leaving a floater or two AFTER I flush…and I will flush more than once. Leo said to hold the handle down, and I do…but it doesn’t make a difference. It’s disgusting. I’d give anything for a toilet that would flush ALL my turds the first time.

Sorry for being so blunt. The rest of my day was better. Working only 2/3 of a day on Fridays is nice. I think we made Robert feel better by going over everything that Casey was leaving me. I also showed that I’d been paying attention, so his crisis of confidence seems to have passed for now. I’m sure it will come back, but oh well. I told Casey she should tell Robert that I’m only mildly retarded J

Eddie took me to the grocery. I bought some meat, some more pasta, and some other items. Could not find any spaghetti type sauce, only ketchup. I’m not putting ketchup in my pasta. I ended up owing Eddie $70 for the week of driving. I only had 20s, so I now have a $10 credit with him for next week. Not bad, if I do say so myself. I almost felt bad giving him just $80, but that’s the equivalent of $380,000 Zim.

Richard also called. I was just wishing I could talk to him, and he called in the afternoon. It was great to hear from him. I do miss him. He seems to be doing well, and he said time is going by fast. Our porch enclosure is going well, which is good. Emma got her shots for the year, and she’ll be having her biopsy on Tuesday. You know, I might be able to do a foreign post, but I couldn’t do it without Richard. Unfortunately, with the way the government is, they wouldn’t move him. He wouldn’t be recognized as part of my family. It’s highly unfair.

The embassy party was nice. The Sheraton is a pretty cool hotel, very American. We really didn’t have to work much. We were to greet folks and lead them to food and drink. Most people just said, “I know where I’m going.” I found out who the hottie was on my plane to Harare. He’s the new foreign service officer, just arrived for a two year stint. I think his name is Michael. Still yummy. And the marines who were there…oh my God! Dress blues, be still my heart. I didn’t drool or anything, but it was definitely an eye candy feast. The only Marine I clocked as gay was the black Marine there. The others I think were definitely all about poontang. I met some of the army guys who were nice. They were older guys who were friends with Casey.

Someone from USAID thought Casey and I were married. There’s a rumor for you J I got to talk to some foreign service guys who were pretty neat. Also met some contractors who were definitely family. As we were leaving, I made a comment about the now-civilian clothed marines (still yummy) and a plate of biscuits. I think they got the point. Of course, I’ll never see them again. It was fun to watch though. Those marines are fine. I know I sound like a complete horn-dog, but I behaved. I may be virtually married, but I’m not dead. I’m also not going to cheat. But I sure can look!

I got a table display of roses and brought them back to my cottage. I think I might give them to Pet. I bet that would go over pretty well. I have to go into work tomorrow around 11am to do some last minute things with Casey and Yinka. Sucks to work on a Saturday, but what else do I have to do? If I had been thinking at the party tonight, I would have brought cards with my local number on them. Oh well, my mistake. I wish I could find a group of friends to hang out with and go places with. I’m not sure it will happen, though.

Saturday, July 03, 2004

I had to get up this morning to go to work. Yes, work. On a Saturday. Casey had some things to go over with Yinka and myself. It’s not like I had anything better to do on a Saturday morning, but still. We were there a few hours, but I think we’ve got everything squared away. I have all the files I should need in one spot, and I have plenty of notes. We then went to lunch at what passes for a food court here. Interestingly enough, they don’t have any of the chains we have in the USA. I ended up having a chicken burger with fries. It was OK.

I came back to find Pet and Morris sitting by the pool. Morris was napping, and Pet was drying her hair in the sun with big curlers in it. We sat and chatted a while, and Pet mentioned she had errands to run with Morris and would I like to go? I said, “Sure, why not?” We got in their new truck and went on a journey.

They took me out of town to the country where Morris works. They showed me farms that once had been productive but had been reclaimed by the government and given to the people for subsistence farming. The land is totally going to waste. None of the farmland is being used for crops and most just sits, growing weeds. The new farmers grow food to just survive, not to sell. They live in clusters of shanties that look like nothing I’ve ever seen before. They live in these 1-2 room shacks that are only about half the size of my cottage. Even Pet’s servants live in nicer digs. There was only one commercial farm left, owned by Jews, but it was not taken over because it provides about 1/3 of all the chickens consumed in the country.

We stopped by a dairy training center where the government tries to teach the new “farmers” how to dairy farm. They sell fresh milk products. Some pasteurized, some not. Pet was not impressed with the place, but Morris is apparently a farm boy at heart. We got some “sour milk” which I think is like buttermilk in the USA. We then stopped by the Jewish farm to get eggs. The women were walking alone the street, carrying stuff on their heads. Some women carried several crate layers of eggs on their heads without holding onto it or spilling it. Totally bizarre; I don’t know how they do it. They must have excellent posture.

They took me back through the heart of Harare, which seems like any rundown downtown area in any city. I’m kind of glad to living here in the cottage rather than in a downtown hotel. Certainly more pleasant and safer. Pet is also so welcoming, and makes me feel right at home. She bought pastries for tea time today. At this rate, I won’t lose weight!

Richard called just a few minutes ago. It was wonderful to talk to him again. I told him about the Embassy party. He’s going on with his routine daily, which is good. At least he’s not brooding or anything. I wish he was here, though. It would be a fun adventure to have together. Not much else to report for now. Tomorrow is the big craft fair. That should be interesting.

Sunday, July 04, 2004

Today is the 228th anniversary of the USA. I had to get up early this morning in order to reach Yinka’s house by 9am. I was the first to arrive. As it turned out, most people wanted to sleep in. Just another girl from Canada who’s working here with an HIV/AIDS organization came over. Yinka had some nice blueberry muffins, and I had a couple. I also go to meet her dog, Sasha. What a great dog!!! She’s a mastiff, which is a close relative of the boxer. She’s only 2 years old, so she still has plenty of puppy in her. She bounded around just like Jackson, jumping up when I arrived. Of course, I immediately crouched down and gave her a huge hug and let her lick my face. She gave the big, slapping kisses that Emma likes to give, with her big paws on my shoulder. It really made me homesick for Jackson and Emma, especially with the mastiff being so similar to boxers in body and face.

The fair was at the Old Georgian Sports Club, and I immediately noticed that most of the people going in were white. It’s odd when suddenly that are more than a handful of white people. It does put you at immediate ease, and I wonder if that is the sensation of black people back home when they are in a predominantly black crowd. It didn’t feel as “foreign”, even though many of those people could have been white Zimbabweans. I still haven’t figured out how it is that you get these majority white crowds at odd places.

After being a small fee to enter, we just shopped around. There were a lot of stores that sold traditional things you’d find in a mall: blankets, linens, clothes, etc. They had boys walking around with snacks to sell. I managed to find many different knick knacks for gifts back home. I’m not sure who’s going to get what, but I think I have enough to give everyone. I got some sun too. It was warmer than it has been…probably mid-70s. Of course, it was sunny and clear. So I got a little burned as I had nothing on my face. We had some lunch with a guy who’s a STOP data manager for the Southern ICP. His wife is 5 months pregnant with their son. We walked back to Yinka’s house as it was only a few blocks.

We ended up chatting for a while at her house about love, dating in Harare, etc. Yinka’s 36 and feeling her biological clock getting ready to ring the alarm. Yet, she still like the lifestyle of partying hard and working hard. She has fun going out till 4am and meeting different people. So it seems to me that she’s not ready to settle down, but she may be getting there. I’m not sure I’d be husband-hunting in Africa, but that’s just me. An American guy just burned her emotionally, so she’s not crazy about American guys at the moment. I don’t know what I’d do in her shoes. The lifestyle of being an overseas assignee doesn’t exactly make you the most attractive dating prospect. You are time limited, and that means you generally attract those who are living in the here and now, not worrying about the future. I know that were I a single gay man, I would not be looking for a serious relationship overseas. The US govt wouldn’t respect my partnership were I to have one, and my love wouldn’t be able to follow me back to the states like a heterosexual spouse could.

Not long after that, Eddie called to say he had Casey’s phone for me. So Yinka had him come over, and I went back to the cottage. I was sleepy and wanted a nap. I ended up being asleep about 4 hours, so now I’m out of sorts. I guess I got the hours I would have slept in. Hopefully tomorrow I can post the entries from the last several days. No more disappearing from email!

I also called Mom. I had to call Richard to get the number, but I caught her before she went to church. It was good to talk to her, and I hope it lifted her spirits to talk to me. She sounded pretty good, better than earlier in the week in her email. My spaghetti dinner is getting cold, so I will sign off for now.