I forgot to mention something that really burned me up yesterday. This woman is the conservative columnist who has a more liberal counterpoint. Shaunti apparently stays at home, writes her venom, and pops out babies for her husband because, after all, that IS a woman's role. She has crossed a line with this article though. Seeking equal treatment before the law is in NO WAY comparable to the rise of Hilter's Nazi death machine in the 1930s, but she compares gay marriage to it. Here in Zimbabwe, I must keep the fact I'm gay quiet or risk arrest by the police...and now I'm reminded of the venom I receive at home for daring to ask that I be treated just like my heterosexual fellow citizens. It's sheer and utter madness, but my only hope is that as the venom gets worse the close we get to election day and the vote on gay marriage, the more of a backlash it will create among fair minded people who may not be comfortable with gay marriage, but value human rights even more.
Here is the article from the Atlanta Journal Constitution:
Wage war on gay threat to marriage
By SHAUNTI FELDHAHN
Published on: 07/06/04
The importance of next week's Senate vote on the Federal Marriage Amendment - the proposal that we amend the U.S. Constitution to define marriage as one man and one woman - is difficult to overstate.
It may not seem like such a big thing - just one vote in one chamber about one important initiative among many - but the key pivot points of history often don't loom particularly large at the time. Sun Tzu observed that wars are actually quietly won or lost in the temples of leadership before the battle is joined.
And although you can't see the battle to protect marriage as you can a military war, its cultural ramifications may be just as radical. In his new book, "Marriage Under Fire," James Dobson notes that, "This struggle is not being fought with guns and bombs, but with ideas, with creative uses of the law . . . It is a battle for the very soul of the nation."
Many of us feel discomfort at confronting this issue. I sure don't like writing about it. Shouldn't we live and let live? But as Dobson points out, history demonstrates that initial appeasement just worsens the eventual ramifications.
When the countries of pre-World War II Europe noticed Adolf Hitler's emerging aggression, they said, "It's not my business." But, as we now know, it was their business. How much sorrow might have been prevented had they recognized that burying their head in the sand wouldn't help?
Today, we are facing a Pandora-like threat that - once allowed to escape - can never be put back in the box. With activist judges rewriting the will of the people, it's only a matter of time before gay marriages are declared legal nationwide. And then what are we going to do to restore the will of the people - void marriages that have been solidified during those years? Rip apart families who have built their lives around their legal union? It is one thing to fight out the cultural decision now and prevent gay marriages. It is quite another to rescind that right once granted.
If we are going to confront this cultural decision, we need to do it now. That's why, on July 12, the Senate leadership will bypass the usual lengthy committee process and ask for a vote on whether to begin the process of amending the Constitution. A Senate source recently told me that no one in leadership really wants to tackle this issue: It's too politically costly, too divisive. But because of judicial excess, "We can't not act," he said. "Our hand is being forced."
It is important to note that the danger to marriage comes not from gay individuals (as opposed to gay activists), who just want what they see as a civil right. Rather, it comes from not protecting a definition of marriage that has served as the foundation of society for millennia. In areas of Norway allowing de facto gay marriage, the regular institution has inevitably lost its meaning, so most children live in an unmarried home. And since the average gay marriage among men in Scandinavia lasts 1.5 years, most of their children will experience a broken home many times over.
As I have noted before, nearly all social problems - from poverty to crime to drug use - are caused by family breakdown. As much as we want to be compassionate, and live and let live, we simply cannot afford appeasement. Redefining marriage would not just legalize alternative marriages, but would negatively impact the traditional ones that are the backbone of our society.
• Shaunti Feldhahn of Norcross is the author of several books. Her column appears Wednesdays.
Friday, July 9, 2004
Crumbling Infrastructure
Thursday, July 08, 2004
Driving home from the gym tonight, the roads were very dark. Too dark. The street lights were ALL out, and this was on a major road. The robots (that’s the local name for traffic lights) were working, and I saw some houses had lights on, so it could not have been the electricity unless the street lights are on a different circuit. Not that the pale yellow lights are much help, but it’s better than pitch blackness. Eddie had a hard time seeing where to turn, and traffic behind us was just as rude as you’d see in Atlanta with flashing brights and horns.
Eddie was quite angry about the situation. I’ve noticed that certain things will set him off, even though he is normally quite an even-keeled character. His first diatribe against the government was due to the condition of the roads. Apparently, if Mugabe isn’t going to travel the road, they don’t worry too much about upkeep. Last night was the lights. It was difficult to follow at times, b/c Eddie’s English gets hard to understand when he’s excited. I could gather that lights going out on public streets is not a new thing, and how the government says it doesn’t have money to do anything about it.
One thing that really hits home with me is how vital government is to provide services and upkeep of basic infrastructure to maintain the happiness of the people. The GOP in the US would like to say that government’s only function is to provide for an army with the rest being taken care of by state government or (better yet) private industry, which they conveniently own huge stakes in. Here in Zimbabwe, you can tell that this country was once nice but is now in decay. The only recent building I’ve seen has been the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, which has a huge, modern skyscraper downtown. Everything else is obviously from the 1950s and 1960s and has not been updated since. I know most of the 1970s were spent with guerilla warfare by Mugabe and his African nationalists. Their cause was just, as they wanted to have a majority government. Of course, this has turned into a program to drive out ALL the white people so that Zimbabwe is black only. That extreme is just as wrong as the stranglehold the white elites had before independence in 1980.
Nothing has been done on infrastructure from what I can see since then. It’s really a shame, because this country could be a shining star in Africa. Mugabe’s program of stealing farms from whites who’ve got expertise to squatters who no nothing of farming and have no collateral with which to get started (since the state now owns all commercial farmland) is a direct cause of the coming food crisis. It’s sad to think that people are going to starve due to bigotry and misguided policies.
On the way to the gym, we came to a stoplight, and suddenly the car in front of us opened its doors and raised its hood. Even I could see a scam, and Eddie just drove around and explained how that was a common ploy with robbers. They act like something is wrong with their car to get you to get out of your car so they can rob you. Another reason hiring a driver is money well spent!
I made a small mistake with Richard’s share of the bills, and we caught it when he called me in a panic over why he had no money for the rest of the month. I was confused too until I realized I’d made a mistake in the way I billed him for his share of the mortgage tax catch-up fee I had to pay. The mortgage company underestimated my taxes, so I had to pay them back for what they had covered. I usually spread something like that out for him, and I forgot this time. Luckily, it’s been corrected. I understand too that the porch enclosure should be finished today! I can’t wait to see it. I’m sure it will be very nice.
Otherwise, it’s been pretty quiet. I’m a little sore from the gym but that happens when you slack off from going as I have. I’m about to finish the 2nd of 4 books that I brought to read on this trip. I need to find a social life and soon or I’ll not even have books to read!
Driving home from the gym tonight, the roads were very dark. Too dark. The street lights were ALL out, and this was on a major road. The robots (that’s the local name for traffic lights) were working, and I saw some houses had lights on, so it could not have been the electricity unless the street lights are on a different circuit. Not that the pale yellow lights are much help, but it’s better than pitch blackness. Eddie had a hard time seeing where to turn, and traffic behind us was just as rude as you’d see in Atlanta with flashing brights and horns.
Eddie was quite angry about the situation. I’ve noticed that certain things will set him off, even though he is normally quite an even-keeled character. His first diatribe against the government was due to the condition of the roads. Apparently, if Mugabe isn’t going to travel the road, they don’t worry too much about upkeep. Last night was the lights. It was difficult to follow at times, b/c Eddie’s English gets hard to understand when he’s excited. I could gather that lights going out on public streets is not a new thing, and how the government says it doesn’t have money to do anything about it.
One thing that really hits home with me is how vital government is to provide services and upkeep of basic infrastructure to maintain the happiness of the people. The GOP in the US would like to say that government’s only function is to provide for an army with the rest being taken care of by state government or (better yet) private industry, which they conveniently own huge stakes in. Here in Zimbabwe, you can tell that this country was once nice but is now in decay. The only recent building I’ve seen has been the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, which has a huge, modern skyscraper downtown. Everything else is obviously from the 1950s and 1960s and has not been updated since. I know most of the 1970s were spent with guerilla warfare by Mugabe and his African nationalists. Their cause was just, as they wanted to have a majority government. Of course, this has turned into a program to drive out ALL the white people so that Zimbabwe is black only. That extreme is just as wrong as the stranglehold the white elites had before independence in 1980.
Nothing has been done on infrastructure from what I can see since then. It’s really a shame, because this country could be a shining star in Africa. Mugabe’s program of stealing farms from whites who’ve got expertise to squatters who no nothing of farming and have no collateral with which to get started (since the state now owns all commercial farmland) is a direct cause of the coming food crisis. It’s sad to think that people are going to starve due to bigotry and misguided policies.
On the way to the gym, we came to a stoplight, and suddenly the car in front of us opened its doors and raised its hood. Even I could see a scam, and Eddie just drove around and explained how that was a common ploy with robbers. They act like something is wrong with their car to get you to get out of your car so they can rob you. Another reason hiring a driver is money well spent!
I made a small mistake with Richard’s share of the bills, and we caught it when he called me in a panic over why he had no money for the rest of the month. I was confused too until I realized I’d made a mistake in the way I billed him for his share of the mortgage tax catch-up fee I had to pay. The mortgage company underestimated my taxes, so I had to pay them back for what they had covered. I usually spread something like that out for him, and I forgot this time. Luckily, it’s been corrected. I understand too that the porch enclosure should be finished today! I can’t wait to see it. I’m sure it will be very nice.
Otherwise, it’s been pretty quiet. I’m a little sore from the gym but that happens when you slack off from going as I have. I’m about to finish the 2nd of 4 books that I brought to read on this trip. I need to find a social life and soon or I’ll not even have books to read!
Thursday, July 8, 2004
Gym and Dinner Conversation
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
What a day! First, it remained cold as the thick, gray cloud cover remained. I almost shivered on the way to the car in the morning! Then I had to be sure that everything was ready for the Measles Partnership call, which is really the most important part of my job while I’m here. I had a couple of good updates, but I had heard nothing from the West and South blocks. Pascal got the South block report in just an hour before the call. The West block report didn’t arrive until the call the had started, and by that time, I’d been forced to send the report with no update from that region. What I didn’t realize was that most of the partners on the call would not receive my update until after the call was over. So much for the lightning fast Internet. Apparently, when it’s coming out of Africa, it can be delayed. It took almost 90 minutes for my update to reach Atlanta. That was a bit surprising, but at least I know now. From now on, I’m going to have a firm “send time” of 1 hour before the call.
The call was interesting. When I went to Robert’s office, he was not there. Leo called to patch me in, and I was still by myself. The call was getting ready to start, and there I was, alone. I couldn’t believe that Robert, after making all that noise last week about whether I’d be ready for this, would leave me to handle my first partners’ call solo. There are technical issues that I have no business discussing that would come up. Finally, Balcha, our surveillance guy, came in. At least I wasn’t by myself anymore, and he could handle all the technical questions. Robert ended up sashaying into the room about 10 minutes into the call.
The call went long by 20 minutes. It’s only supposed to be an hour, but there were some controversial issues regarding Sudan and Kenya that took a while. They’re also a little upset that more hasn’t been done with the laboratories to adopt a filter paper standard to capture viruses from outbreaks. They especially want to capture virus from the outbreak in Malawi to see if it’s a failure of program or an importation from Mozambique. Anyway, the call ended, and I was relieved. Robert said I’d done well, which I suppose is a good thing.
After work, I joined the gym that Casey and Yinka belong to, the one that David said was gay owned. Well, I would say it’s gay owned, all right! What is it about gyms and gay dance clubs that they place the same music? The gym actually was nice, which surprised me. It was smaller than gyms you’d find in the USA, but otherwise, it was quite comparable. They don’t have lockers, though, so people just leave their stuff out on the benches and hung on racks. Amazing amount of trust for a place supposedly known for theft. The equipment was what you’d expect to find any American gym, and it was in pretty good working order. Again, this seems to be a place where a lot of white people go. I also believe the gym is still gay owned. It was very funny to see one of the staff members just flame out in his short-shorts. I had more gaydar pings than anytime since I left the states too. I wasn’t paying too much attention, but I got the feeling certain men were checking me out. I suppose they clocked and wondered who this new boy was. LOL. Gay communities are the same everywhere…new “meat” in town piques a lot of interest. Won’t they be disappointed to find out I’m taken? Please. My stuff was fine, but I did lock up my valuables in my gym bag. I had a decent workout for my first day, and then waited for Eddie.
Driving on the road after dark is a different experience. Zimbabwe doesn’t use reflective paint on their roads, and their road lights are really weak sodium lamps. That makes it difficult to see on the road at night. I also found out the answer to my question about those fires at the side of the road I saw the other day. They were for keeping warm, and they are used by the homeless. It was very sad to drive home from the gym and see at almost every intersection a makeshift fire with 4-5 people huddled around it for warmth.
I was invited to a family dinner with Morris’s family. One of the children was home from his first year at the University of Cape Town. He kind of looked like a Shaft-wannabe with his lace-up shirt, earrings, and big afro. His family was shocked at how he looked, because apparently he was very conservative looking before he left. They lamented about the decline of the University of Zimbabwe, which apparently was one of the best universities in Africa at one time. Unfortunately, it’s a center of unrest, so Mugabe is slowly strangling it. They didn’t like that he was so far away, but I told them that going away to college was a good thing, and offered that I had done it.
This was a braai, or BBQ as we Americans know it. They have a braai pot where the meat goes for cooking into a fire. It was pretty good, but I’ll never understand why Africans seem to like to leave bones in with the meat that has been pulled off already. We also had sudza, which is that maize meal that Pet introduced me to earlier in the week. One of the sisters-in-law was pleasantly surprised that a white American would be civilized enough to eat sudza. The after dinner drink that Pet gave me that tastes like Kahlua is called Amarula, and it’s made from the fruit of a tree native to Zimbabwe and South Africa. It’s very good, and I wish they had it in the US.
The after dinner discussion at the men’s table (the women were sitting in the living room and chatting) surrounded economic issues. One of Morris’s brothers thinks that Zimbabwe’s economic situation is fine. He likes to wheel and deal and get what he can. He doesn’t understand that inflation eats up whatever profit he thinks he’s making by inflated prices here. He thinks that people in western countries are stupid b/c they work so hard for so little profit. He doesn’t understand why someone would spend $40K for a $2K profit. So they argued about market forces, chaos, and the status of these “bearers cheques” that really act as $5000, $10K, and $20K dollar bills. The difference is that the bearer bonds supposedly have an expiration date which makes it not legal tender. The difference is that the expiration dates on the bills are ignored! Interestingly, they brought up Enron as proof that western systems were also rife with corruption but only for people at the top. At least in Zimbabwe, the average man can get in on the graft. I had to correct some misassumptions about the Enron scandal, which they weren’t aware of. Like the fact that the employees had no choice but to buy company stock if they wanted to invest. Anyway, it was very interesting to see someone defending the status quo in Zimbabwe.
Richard called me on the way home. He was about to panic because he couldn’t reach me at the cottage. I hadn’t thought to tell him that I was going to this dinner, and I had honestly forgot until I got home. Luckily, he got through on the cell phone. He got the flowers I had sent from the Internet, which was good. He was pleased, and so was I. It was nice to get home around 10pm rather than having been in bed at least an hour by that time. I’m still having no luck finding weekend getaways, but I’ll keep trying.
What a day! First, it remained cold as the thick, gray cloud cover remained. I almost shivered on the way to the car in the morning! Then I had to be sure that everything was ready for the Measles Partnership call, which is really the most important part of my job while I’m here. I had a couple of good updates, but I had heard nothing from the West and South blocks. Pascal got the South block report in just an hour before the call. The West block report didn’t arrive until the call the had started, and by that time, I’d been forced to send the report with no update from that region. What I didn’t realize was that most of the partners on the call would not receive my update until after the call was over. So much for the lightning fast Internet. Apparently, when it’s coming out of Africa, it can be delayed. It took almost 90 minutes for my update to reach Atlanta. That was a bit surprising, but at least I know now. From now on, I’m going to have a firm “send time” of 1 hour before the call.
The call was interesting. When I went to Robert’s office, he was not there. Leo called to patch me in, and I was still by myself. The call was getting ready to start, and there I was, alone. I couldn’t believe that Robert, after making all that noise last week about whether I’d be ready for this, would leave me to handle my first partners’ call solo. There are technical issues that I have no business discussing that would come up. Finally, Balcha, our surveillance guy, came in. At least I wasn’t by myself anymore, and he could handle all the technical questions. Robert ended up sashaying into the room about 10 minutes into the call.
The call went long by 20 minutes. It’s only supposed to be an hour, but there were some controversial issues regarding Sudan and Kenya that took a while. They’re also a little upset that more hasn’t been done with the laboratories to adopt a filter paper standard to capture viruses from outbreaks. They especially want to capture virus from the outbreak in Malawi to see if it’s a failure of program or an importation from Mozambique. Anyway, the call ended, and I was relieved. Robert said I’d done well, which I suppose is a good thing.
After work, I joined the gym that Casey and Yinka belong to, the one that David said was gay owned. Well, I would say it’s gay owned, all right! What is it about gyms and gay dance clubs that they place the same music? The gym actually was nice, which surprised me. It was smaller than gyms you’d find in the USA, but otherwise, it was quite comparable. They don’t have lockers, though, so people just leave their stuff out on the benches and hung on racks. Amazing amount of trust for a place supposedly known for theft. The equipment was what you’d expect to find any American gym, and it was in pretty good working order. Again, this seems to be a place where a lot of white people go. I also believe the gym is still gay owned. It was very funny to see one of the staff members just flame out in his short-shorts. I had more gaydar pings than anytime since I left the states too. I wasn’t paying too much attention, but I got the feeling certain men were checking me out. I suppose they clocked and wondered who this new boy was. LOL. Gay communities are the same everywhere…new “meat” in town piques a lot of interest. Won’t they be disappointed to find out I’m taken? Please. My stuff was fine, but I did lock up my valuables in my gym bag. I had a decent workout for my first day, and then waited for Eddie.
Driving on the road after dark is a different experience. Zimbabwe doesn’t use reflective paint on their roads, and their road lights are really weak sodium lamps. That makes it difficult to see on the road at night. I also found out the answer to my question about those fires at the side of the road I saw the other day. They were for keeping warm, and they are used by the homeless. It was very sad to drive home from the gym and see at almost every intersection a makeshift fire with 4-5 people huddled around it for warmth.
I was invited to a family dinner with Morris’s family. One of the children was home from his first year at the University of Cape Town. He kind of looked like a Shaft-wannabe with his lace-up shirt, earrings, and big afro. His family was shocked at how he looked, because apparently he was very conservative looking before he left. They lamented about the decline of the University of Zimbabwe, which apparently was one of the best universities in Africa at one time. Unfortunately, it’s a center of unrest, so Mugabe is slowly strangling it. They didn’t like that he was so far away, but I told them that going away to college was a good thing, and offered that I had done it.
This was a braai, or BBQ as we Americans know it. They have a braai pot where the meat goes for cooking into a fire. It was pretty good, but I’ll never understand why Africans seem to like to leave bones in with the meat that has been pulled off already. We also had sudza, which is that maize meal that Pet introduced me to earlier in the week. One of the sisters-in-law was pleasantly surprised that a white American would be civilized enough to eat sudza. The after dinner drink that Pet gave me that tastes like Kahlua is called Amarula, and it’s made from the fruit of a tree native to Zimbabwe and South Africa. It’s very good, and I wish they had it in the US.
The after dinner discussion at the men’s table (the women were sitting in the living room and chatting) surrounded economic issues. One of Morris’s brothers thinks that Zimbabwe’s economic situation is fine. He likes to wheel and deal and get what he can. He doesn’t understand that inflation eats up whatever profit he thinks he’s making by inflated prices here. He thinks that people in western countries are stupid b/c they work so hard for so little profit. He doesn’t understand why someone would spend $40K for a $2K profit. So they argued about market forces, chaos, and the status of these “bearers cheques” that really act as $5000, $10K, and $20K dollar bills. The difference is that the bearer bonds supposedly have an expiration date which makes it not legal tender. The difference is that the expiration dates on the bills are ignored! Interestingly, they brought up Enron as proof that western systems were also rife with corruption but only for people at the top. At least in Zimbabwe, the average man can get in on the graft. I had to correct some misassumptions about the Enron scandal, which they weren’t aware of. Like the fact that the employees had no choice but to buy company stock if they wanted to invest. Anyway, it was very interesting to see someone defending the status quo in Zimbabwe.
Richard called me on the way home. He was about to panic because he couldn’t reach me at the cottage. I hadn’t thought to tell him that I was going to this dinner, and I had honestly forgot until I got home. Luckily, he got through on the cell phone. He got the flowers I had sent from the Internet, which was good. He was pleased, and so was I. It was nice to get home around 10pm rather than having been in bed at least an hour by that time. I’m still having no luck finding weekend getaways, but I’ll keep trying.
Wednesday, July 7, 2004
Coffee Break
I always forget to comment on the coffee situation here. Apparently, Zimbabwe grows very good coffee, and I've brought some back home. But you must percolate it, and I don't have access to a perculator. They have these water heaters with heating coils in the bottom that uses electricity to boil water pretty quickly. So, every day around 10-10:30am, it's coffee time. Put in bottled water (since the tap water is not potable due to the government running out of money to buy chemicals to clean the water) and press the button. In about 2-3 minutes, you have boiling hot water!
Instant coffee is popular here. However, the traditional brands in the US are missing, except Nescafe. That only comes in decaf, which defeats the purpose of coffee breaks if you ask me. However, there is another type of instant coffee that is extremely popular and available in many different brands. It's called "Ricoffy", and I bought the brand made by Nestle, mostly b/c I know the Nestle brand and trust it more than something more local.
The box is big and yellow with a cup of coffee on the front with the banner "Fresh PERCOLATED taste". Then the bottom says, "Choice Coffee and Finest Chicory Extract". What's chicory, you ask? I had no idea either until a few minutes ago when I did a search on it. The site I found is: http://www.herbalmusings.com/chicory.htm It's a flower whose roots are often ground up for a caffeine free coffee substitute. It's supposed to have a bitter taste, though. However, the Ricoffy tastes good, which is what matters to me. It also has caffeine from the coffee beans! You likely will not find this product in the USA, but it is an interesting part of my Zimbabwe experience.
Instant coffee is popular here. However, the traditional brands in the US are missing, except Nescafe. That only comes in decaf, which defeats the purpose of coffee breaks if you ask me. However, there is another type of instant coffee that is extremely popular and available in many different brands. It's called "Ricoffy", and I bought the brand made by Nestle, mostly b/c I know the Nestle brand and trust it more than something more local.
The box is big and yellow with a cup of coffee on the front with the banner "Fresh PERCOLATED taste". Then the bottom says, "Choice Coffee and Finest Chicory Extract". What's chicory, you ask? I had no idea either until a few minutes ago when I did a search on it. The site I found is: http://www.herbalmusings.com/chicory.ht
Brrr! It's Cold!
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Eddie’s replacement was pretty punctual this morning. I thought I might be late for the subunit meeting at 8am, but of course, we didn’t have one. Robert didn’t even show up until around 9am. Robert’s an interesting guy. He’s Ugandan, and apparently once wanted to be part of Idi Amin’s army. Yes, that’s the Idi Amin who was a dictator who used to EAT his rivals. Anyway, he apparently had trouble getting into the army, and suddenly an opportunity to help out in a cholera outbreak appeared. He took it and fell in love with public health, went to medical school, and eventually joined WHO. Of course, now he’s ready to move on from measles, but he doesn’t know to what. He threatens that he’ll become a goat farmer. I’ll refrain from comment.
Last night, the power went out at the Highlands complex where I work. It messed up our internet and email servers. Within WHO, emails were going fine. Outside of WHO, nada. Even the web wasn’t working. I’m having trouble with some attachments that are forwarded. They get pulled from my emails, and I don’t know why. If I make a fresh email, it works fine. Strange.
Word leaked out about midday that John Kerry picked John Edwards as his Vice Presidential running mate. I’m pretty pleased with the selection. Edwards has amazing ability, and white southerners like him. Whether they like him enough to not vote for their god Bush, who knows? I think it will work out in the end. At least I hope so. A wise friend remarked to me via email, quoting Bill Maher, “Bush: I wouldn’t vote for him, but I would bet on him.” Very astute observation of a GOP that will do anything to maintain power, commit any dirty trick, violate any law, and generally do whatever they must to maintain power until the USA is turned into a far-right Christian theocracy.
Yinka took me to lunch today to the same fast food court we visited on Saturday. This time, they had chicken pitas, which were really good. She’s had an interesting life. Most of it has been spent overseas. Her parents were long time USAID people who lived all over Africa and Asia. Yinka is a Nigerian name which is where her parents met. She’s blond haired, blue-eyed all-American type. Yet, she feels uncomfortable in the states. She says she can go into any foreign country and have a vibrant social niche within two weeks, but in the USA, she feels isolated and alone. I can’t say I understand, but I find it sad that someone is so alienated from her native country. Of course, she really doesn’t have a native country as she’s never spent more than 5 years in any one nation. I can’t imagine not having roots anywhere yet having them everywhere. I like having a place where I grew up, and I like the USA. Traveling and living overseas is cool, but I can’t imagine not wanting to live in America.
After lunch, things were slow. I managed to get my passport back with the extension visa stamped into it. That happened pretty quickly, so I was impressed. WHO may be this incredible bureaucracy, but just like the US Govt, it can MOVE when it wants to. There’s a contractor WHO is bringing on to be the measles contact in Cote D’Ivoire. His packet must be copied before I hand it over, as the lady who is supposed to process it is notorious for losing things. The weird thing is that I can’t make copies on my own. There’s a guy who’s sole job is to run the copy machine. I’m not kidding. In my little office section, there are 4 secretaries. I’m not sure what some of them do. I can’t imagine such things happening in today’s federal government. Shoot, Bush is looking to get rid of all support staff for programs, as if they can just run on their own.
It was cold today too. I woke up to a cloudy sky, which really made the temperature plunge. I couldn’t laugh at the Zimbabweans talking about how cold it was…it had to be in the low to mid 50s. I could see my breath this morning! Certainly not Atlanta July weather :) On the way home, I saw several large brush fires being set along the road. I wonder if it had to do with keeping warm, which would mean they were homeless. I haven’t seen any homeless like you see in the US. No cardboard boxes or men who look like they haven’t showered or shaved in weeks. I wonder how they keep the fires from burning out of control.
It’s a quiet night otherwise. I cooked some butterflied steak I bought on Friday. It was pretty good. I cooked it with soy sauce which made it pretty good. It’s kind of cold in the cottage, so I’ll probably take a hot shower (if the damn water pressure doesn’t give out!) and get under the covers with my remote control. How sad…barely 8pm and I’m ready for bed.
Eddie’s replacement was pretty punctual this morning. I thought I might be late for the subunit meeting at 8am, but of course, we didn’t have one. Robert didn’t even show up until around 9am. Robert’s an interesting guy. He’s Ugandan, and apparently once wanted to be part of Idi Amin’s army. Yes, that’s the Idi Amin who was a dictator who used to EAT his rivals. Anyway, he apparently had trouble getting into the army, and suddenly an opportunity to help out in a cholera outbreak appeared. He took it and fell in love with public health, went to medical school, and eventually joined WHO. Of course, now he’s ready to move on from measles, but he doesn’t know to what. He threatens that he’ll become a goat farmer. I’ll refrain from comment.
Last night, the power went out at the Highlands complex where I work. It messed up our internet and email servers. Within WHO, emails were going fine. Outside of WHO, nada. Even the web wasn’t working. I’m having trouble with some attachments that are forwarded. They get pulled from my emails, and I don’t know why. If I make a fresh email, it works fine. Strange.
Word leaked out about midday that John Kerry picked John Edwards as his Vice Presidential running mate. I’m pretty pleased with the selection. Edwards has amazing ability, and white southerners like him. Whether they like him enough to not vote for their god Bush, who knows? I think it will work out in the end. At least I hope so. A wise friend remarked to me via email, quoting Bill Maher, “Bush: I wouldn’t vote for him, but I would bet on him.” Very astute observation of a GOP that will do anything to maintain power, commit any dirty trick, violate any law, and generally do whatever they must to maintain power until the USA is turned into a far-right Christian theocracy.
Yinka took me to lunch today to the same fast food court we visited on Saturday. This time, they had chicken pitas, which were really good. She’s had an interesting life. Most of it has been spent overseas. Her parents were long time USAID people who lived all over Africa and Asia. Yinka is a Nigerian name which is where her parents met. She’s blond haired, blue-eyed all-American type. Yet, she feels uncomfortable in the states. She says she can go into any foreign country and have a vibrant social niche within two weeks, but in the USA, she feels isolated and alone. I can’t say I understand, but I find it sad that someone is so alienated from her native country. Of course, she really doesn’t have a native country as she’s never spent more than 5 years in any one nation. I can’t imagine not having roots anywhere yet having them everywhere. I like having a place where I grew up, and I like the USA. Traveling and living overseas is cool, but I can’t imagine not wanting to live in America.
After lunch, things were slow. I managed to get my passport back with the extension visa stamped into it. That happened pretty quickly, so I was impressed. WHO may be this incredible bureaucracy, but just like the US Govt, it can MOVE when it wants to. There’s a contractor WHO is bringing on to be the measles contact in Cote D’Ivoire. His packet must be copied before I hand it over, as the lady who is supposed to process it is notorious for losing things. The weird thing is that I can’t make copies on my own. There’s a guy who’s sole job is to run the copy machine. I’m not kidding. In my little office section, there are 4 secretaries. I’m not sure what some of them do. I can’t imagine such things happening in today’s federal government. Shoot, Bush is looking to get rid of all support staff for programs, as if they can just run on their own.
It was cold today too. I woke up to a cloudy sky, which really made the temperature plunge. I couldn’t laugh at the Zimbabweans talking about how cold it was…it had to be in the low to mid 50s. I could see my breath this morning! Certainly not Atlanta July weather :) On the way home, I saw several large brush fires being set along the road. I wonder if it had to do with keeping warm, which would mean they were homeless. I haven’t seen any homeless like you see in the US. No cardboard boxes or men who look like they haven’t showered or shaved in weeks. I wonder how they keep the fires from burning out of control.
It’s a quiet night otherwise. I cooked some butterflied steak I bought on Friday. It was pretty good. I cooked it with soy sauce which made it pretty good. It’s kind of cold in the cottage, so I’ll probably take a hot shower (if the damn water pressure doesn’t give out!) and get under the covers with my remote control. How sad…barely 8pm and I’m ready for bed.
Tuesday, July 6, 2004
Holiday? WHAT Holiday?!?
Monday, July 05, 2004
Another day of work for me; a holiday for my countrymen. It went by fairly well. I was not deluged with requests or details like I feared. Things trickled in, and the two major items presented to me today I took care of pretty quickly. Robert even paid me a compliment by saying he noticed I was coping. Guess that’s better than just falling apart at the first request. J
I have received some feedback on this journal. I would like to state unequivocally that my friend Mike, who thought Pet’s place was too small for me, is not a snob. For all he knew, Pet and her family were wealthy landowners renting out cottages for expensive liquor money. J Had I known how big Casey’s house was, I would have stayed at her place, cats be damned. But living here on Pet’s property has its advantages, and I’m learning a lot from them. So, if you read this and think Mike is a snob, you’re wrong. He has high standards for himself and others, but that a snob does not make. Our friendship wouldn’t last long if he was a snob.
Casey’s computer has the wrong time by about an hour. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that and tried to knock off at 4pm. I wondered where Eddie was, but I decided to call Richard while I waited. I had written a kind of harsh email to him earlier about the cell phone bill. Overage charges blow, and I let him know it. But email is not as good as in person, so I called to be sure he knew I wasn’t fuming or anything. I also wanted to be sure he wasn’t mad at me for the tone. He had not read it yet, so I think I made amends before the fact. Anyway, he mentioned the time in Atlanta, and then said it was 4pm. I thought he was wrong, until I looked at my wristwatch. Ooops! I had to go back to the office like an idiot and re-log in and take care of a few other things.
Eddie will be getting his car fixed tomorrow, so he’s sending someone in his place. I guess that’ll be OK. I doubt Eddie would send me someone unreliable. I may need to give the guy directions though. I hope not. I kind of know how to get to work, but I’m not sure I could lead someone with confidence.
I had tea with Pet and her husband. We then had a traditional African dinner. It’s made of maize meal, and is cooked into this doughy ball. It’s almost like too-dry grits, and they served this sauce with it that was delicious. You eat it with your hands, tearing off chunks, rolling into a ball in your hands (to cool it off, b/c it’s HOT and it holds heat really well) and then mix it with your side dishes. We had collard greens (who knew that was served in Africa?!?), and a really tough pork chop. I don’t tear all the meat off the bones, so I think Pet believes I don’t like the meat. I do, but I never eat all the meat. I don’t eat gristle either. Pet finished the meal off with a couple of shots. I think it was called Amerito, but it tastes like Kahlua with perhaps a splash of amaretto. She put it in a fancy shot glass with an ice cube. It was really good, but powerful. Apparently, you sip it, b/c when I finished mine too fast (wasn’t sure if I was supposed to chug it or not, so I just drank it in 2-3 swallows), she had her husband get me another one.
Pet’s husband Morris is a really neat guy. He knows several African languages, although he apparently doesn’t teach Pet or their son very many of them. The meal we had tonight has its own word in every language of Southern Africa. They are making sure that I experience some cultural traditions while I’m here. It’s very cool.
I’m not sure how I will be able to travel. The site that Casey had referred to didn’t have many package deals that I could find. I need a total package deal, transport, lodging, etc. I want to be able to travel on some of the weekends while I’m here. It would be a waste to come all this way and never leave Harare. I hope I can find a good travel site soon.
Another day of work for me; a holiday for my countrymen. It went by fairly well. I was not deluged with requests or details like I feared. Things trickled in, and the two major items presented to me today I took care of pretty quickly. Robert even paid me a compliment by saying he noticed I was coping. Guess that’s better than just falling apart at the first request. J
I have received some feedback on this journal. I would like to state unequivocally that my friend Mike, who thought Pet’s place was too small for me, is not a snob. For all he knew, Pet and her family were wealthy landowners renting out cottages for expensive liquor money. J Had I known how big Casey’s house was, I would have stayed at her place, cats be damned. But living here on Pet’s property has its advantages, and I’m learning a lot from them. So, if you read this and think Mike is a snob, you’re wrong. He has high standards for himself and others, but that a snob does not make. Our friendship wouldn’t last long if he was a snob.
Casey’s computer has the wrong time by about an hour. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that and tried to knock off at 4pm. I wondered where Eddie was, but I decided to call Richard while I waited. I had written a kind of harsh email to him earlier about the cell phone bill. Overage charges blow, and I let him know it. But email is not as good as in person, so I called to be sure he knew I wasn’t fuming or anything. I also wanted to be sure he wasn’t mad at me for the tone. He had not read it yet, so I think I made amends before the fact. Anyway, he mentioned the time in Atlanta, and then said it was 4pm. I thought he was wrong, until I looked at my wristwatch. Ooops! I had to go back to the office like an idiot and re-log in and take care of a few other things.
Eddie will be getting his car fixed tomorrow, so he’s sending someone in his place. I guess that’ll be OK. I doubt Eddie would send me someone unreliable. I may need to give the guy directions though. I hope not. I kind of know how to get to work, but I’m not sure I could lead someone with confidence.
I had tea with Pet and her husband. We then had a traditional African dinner. It’s made of maize meal, and is cooked into this doughy ball. It’s almost like too-dry grits, and they served this sauce with it that was delicious. You eat it with your hands, tearing off chunks, rolling into a ball in your hands (to cool it off, b/c it’s HOT and it holds heat really well) and then mix it with your side dishes. We had collard greens (who knew that was served in Africa?!?), and a really tough pork chop. I don’t tear all the meat off the bones, so I think Pet believes I don’t like the meat. I do, but I never eat all the meat. I don’t eat gristle either. Pet finished the meal off with a couple of shots. I think it was called Amerito, but it tastes like Kahlua with perhaps a splash of amaretto. She put it in a fancy shot glass with an ice cube. It was really good, but powerful. Apparently, you sip it, b/c when I finished mine too fast (wasn’t sure if I was supposed to chug it or not, so I just drank it in 2-3 swallows), she had her husband get me another one.
Pet’s husband Morris is a really neat guy. He knows several African languages, although he apparently doesn’t teach Pet or their son very many of them. The meal we had tonight has its own word in every language of Southern Africa. They are making sure that I experience some cultural traditions while I’m here. It’s very cool.
I’m not sure how I will be able to travel. The site that Casey had referred to didn’t have many package deals that I could find. I need a total package deal, transport, lodging, etc. I want to be able to travel on some of the weekends while I’m here. It would be a waste to come all this way and never leave Harare. I hope I can find a good travel site soon.
Monday, July 5, 2004
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.
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.
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