1. Have an Interesting Snippet to Share : Click Here
    Dismiss Notice

why not Africa?

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by strangerrr, Apr 25, 2012.

  1. strangerrr

    strangerrr Gold IL'ite

    Messages:
    175
    Likes Received:
    601
    Trophy Points:
    173
    Gender:
    Male
    I was sitting in the maritime training centre, the cafeteria of which is established on a wooden platform some four feet above a hill. From there one could see the ocean at one side and vehicle ferrying out and in the hi-way which splits the hill. Just a week since I reached this country; all three elements of me are in adaption mode, as during any of my relocations.

    A purring sound of cats there broke my state of thinking and just then I noticed a person sitting opposite to me. He seems to be a tawdry person and I decided to be mum. He was sitting stooped and resting his shoulder weight on the heavy wrought iron table. His eyes gauging me and he was trying to strike an eye contact with me, I was avoiding it. He managed to succeed after a while.

    “New to the country? First time to Africa?” He queried.

    “Not exactly, 7 days old” I replied gently.

    “What is your opinion about this country so far?” he asked.

    I just gave a typical simple smile, which should have indicated him not so good. And I was wondering why this guy trying to interrogate me. He kind of weirdly laughed at me.

    “What does that laugh mean?” I let the words slip of my tongue, regretted after that I shouldn’t be reactive for his laugh.

    “So, you seems one of the typical youth of your country, whose choice of working abroad: first option US, Europe or down under, next some gulf nations, and avoid the so-called-third rated African countries at any cost.” He accused.

    “What the… Hell! See everyone prefers to be at best possible comfort” I said knowingly I m not exactly replying to his point.

    It seemed true in my case to some extend, as I turned down plenty of offers initial years of my career with landing a particular country as my target, which never happened. Then after considerable years few other names added to my preference list and almost after 7 years, I am here as I couldn’t get any better break that I was expecting. May be coz I lack the skill and knowledge to be there in the better countries and deserve only this.

    “Why don’t you guys think the other way?” he broke my background streaming.

    “Which way”

    “These countries need better people like you to contribute than the developed nations” he kind of advising me. “When you leave from this place or when you look back after a decade, you could see your contribution to the development of this country; especially you will have more satisfaction coz of the nature of your job.”

    “Ho mister, could you stop lecturing me” I almost shouted and looked around if I disturbed anyone by my noise. Then I reduced my volume and said “It doesn’t suit my way of living and for me a job is a job and not a social service”. I expected him to close the conversation.

    But, “So what exactly your problem is” he continued coolly, “I can make you understand, better in the way you guys understand" he said with a tinge of sarcasm.

    “You know what? After 4 flights and 38+ hours of travel, this place welcomed me with no water and no electricity; just imagine the 13-16 hours of power cut at a stretch.” I put forwarded him my first concern.

    “Boy, honestly tell me, you don’t know power cuts before? Your home state holds the Guinness record for power cut; you lived at a town which had 8 hours of power cut during summers. Only coz this is not your country, should you blame it” he countered.

    Knowing that if I argue him on this issue, I will be losing my point, “The roads are bad, the traffic is horrible, it takes ages to cover 5 kilometer of one way between office and home.” I complained.

    “Was sir using chopper to commute between home and office while you were working in the metros of your country?” he asked in a quite soft tone but very brutally.

    I thought I should counter him with cost of living as an egg cost almost 18 Indian rupees, but it won’t be valid point on my side as all my expenses are taken care of my employer.

    “The other day my colleague was talking about a rainy day here last year, she had a very miserable time struck up at road for some 5 hours” I put forwarded him a completely different concern.

    He took some time and asked, “May I ask you, where were you on 26th July-2007?”

    “What special about that? My memory is not that good.” I replied, but I very much aware what he has in his stock.

    “Your memory is not that good? He skeptically asked me.

    “Yes, yes, I remember now” I started slowly, “I was in the western metropolis of my country, that day it rained, rained and rained, when I woke up there was neither water nor electricity, when tried to go out for food, I was shocked to have water up to chest high in the ground floor of my apartment” I confessed.

    I realized, I was losing the debate, now it’s more of my ego driving than try and make genuine justification of my complaints. I thought, the next one should be right on; he shouldn’t be able to counter me.

    I started with a much controlled tone, in a kind of explaining one. “Yesterday I met an Indian duo here; they were telling me their miserable experience of shown gun for a 10 dollar bill, now tell me what security is guaranteed me here?” I gave him a hit-this-ball-if-you-can look.

    “Why speak of someone else, just recollect one of your official visits to a Maoist dense state of your country. Didn’t you see a group of gun man approaching you and how they treated the whole bus carrying you?” saying this he threw a did-you-enjoyed-this-shot look back at me.

    “Understand boss understand” I started with a completely defensive mode, “it’s true, the issues you are throwing at my nation exists, but considering the diversity and magnitude of my nation, it’s relatively less, very less” I tried to justify.

    “You are talking about a country which got independence almost half a century before, I guess 64 years to precise, this country has no record of war only in last 8 years, before which they went through almost a half a century of colonial and civil war together” he continued
    “When your country was given independence they followed a well planned road map to build a constitution, gather resources, etc, etc. But here independence was just thrown away with no prior planning, Understand this boss understand” he was completed his statements by imitating me.

    “And but” I tried to speak.

    But he didn’t gave me time & started speaking in a blasting tone

    “and now don’t tell me, the summer will be severe, the cost of living is high, bomb blast, etc, etc.” he further advised “don’t waste the time on complaining and comparing the concerns, I am not telling you don’t have issues here, issues are there everywhere. It’s a life time opportunity for you personally and professionally, look at the positive side - learn what you can learn - contribute, what you can”

    I was least concentrating on what he was telling but wondering how this guy know more about me.

    “It’s time for me to leave” he said.

    “Please make your way, I wish we don’t meet again, Bye” I replied rudely.

    “That is up to your attitude towards this country in days to come, even I wish you don’t evoke me again” he said and smiled. And one last thing he started said;

    I was completely puzzled looking at him “what”

    “You have Sushmita Sen, so as here they have Leila Lopes”
    ---

    I was sitting in the cafeteria of a maritime training centre, reading the draft, my first semi-fiction attempt (a dialogue with me and my inner self). I tried to put as presentable as I could, a contemplation of the direction and words I received from my mentors on my decision to take this job - hard questions asked by family and few other friends on my idea to relocate myself to this country - the answers I managed to find on my past experiences - seven days of personal observations on living here;
    The draft gave me the usual ambivalent feeling on reading any of my writing:

    - Surprise, how I could manage to write this? GOD is great; and
    - A nervousness ‘you, who reading this will like it or not?’


    ~ Oct' 2011
     
    Loading...

  2. upfsabari

    upfsabari IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    3,562
    Likes Received:
    1,918
    Trophy Points:
    308
    Gender:
    Female
    Nice thought..!!! We should never think low about anything. We should learn from everything.!

    You know what, recently my DH got the opportunity to work in South Africa and he was very reluctant to go initially.. Later he agreed to go... He seems to be very happy over there and enjoying nature very much..
     
  3. Pallavi4me

    Pallavi4me Platinum IL'ite

    Messages:
    2,318
    Likes Received:
    4,539
    Trophy Points:
    283
    Gender:
    Female


    First things, first Strangerrr.. I liked it and most of the people who read this will like it.

    And for giving a Like & fb to this I have personal reasons too.. Though the situations & places were not as difficult as you are facing, I have been questioned several times for my choice of field in my career. And these kind of replies i have been given too.

    Initially I thought, its some other person but soon i could get its your own self.

    Especially the summary you made.
    Thats wonderful. Once again it deserves to be a Finest Blog. And if people especially while taking career decisions, could think like this it would so good and can add value to their work & to the society.
     
  4. rgsrinivasan

    rgsrinivasan IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    10,291
    Likes Received:
    9,985
    Trophy Points:
    540
    Gender:
    Male
    I remember singer SP Balasubramanian's quote - "Get the best out of the worst things you face!". Its easy to live in a comfort zone, but very difficult to adapt to a challenging environment. And, its better to try and lose, than not trying at all. Fine blog Strangerrr. Liked it. -rgs
     
  5. SM11870

    SM11870 Silver IL'ite

    Messages:
    147
    Likes Received:
    56
    Trophy Points:
    70
    Gender:
    Female
    Dear Strangerr,

    Liked it a lot.Your blog came at the moment when my DH has been trf to Mumbai and I was against going as I personally dont enjoy fast life and particularly after so many terrorist attack and havoc by rains and other such issues.Moreover we are here at a comfort level which I was not interested to give up but we dont have any option since it is a management decision.
    But your blog helped me think for a while.
    I liked it a lot and as RGS has quoted"easy to be in a comfort zone but very difficult to adapt to a challenging environment"Thanks to both of you for opening my eyes.

    Shruti
     
  6. rgsrinivasan

    rgsrinivasan IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    10,291
    Likes Received:
    9,985
    Trophy Points:
    540
    Gender:
    Male
    Sorry for my cross FB Strangerrr. To Shruti - Thanks for quoting me and perhaps the best quote that matches this situation is [How I miss MSSunitha these days!] "A ship is safe. while docked in a port. But thats not why ships are built for!". Thanks again. -rgs
     
  7. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    13,370
    Likes Received:
    24,115
    Trophy Points:
    538
    Gender:
    Male
    The stone or wood that gets chopped by the Chisel repeatedly becomes a beautiful statue. Strangerrr, you are the stone or wood here and your inner Self is the Chisel.

    Viswa
     
  8. AkilaMani

    AkilaMani Local Champion Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    3,575
    Likes Received:
    3,327
    Trophy Points:
    308
    Gender:
    Female
    Hi Bro,

    A fine blog dear with very apt counters and comparisons!! ur inner self is smart :)
    So how are you finding the colourful continent (the way my 4-year-old calls it looking at the world map:) ) after all the initial hiccups? Hope we get to read lots about the local flavors thru your unique style :)

    All the Best dear!

    Akila
     
  9. strangerrr

    strangerrr Gold IL'ite

    Messages:
    175
    Likes Received:
    601
    Trophy Points:
    173
    Gender:
    Male
    Let me apologize for the late response first and many thanks for your lovely note :)
     
  10. strangerrr

    strangerrr Gold IL'ite

    Messages:
    175
    Likes Received:
    601
    Trophy Points:
    173
    Gender:
    Male
    Thanks for the appreciation; and thanks on behalf of Mr. Innerself too.

    Hmmm.. not so colorful, but kinda settled down expecting what's the next unexpected stuff there.

    Will try to bring at least one post from there each month. Once again thank you, for the wishes & sorry for the late reply :)
     

Share This Page