Thursday, November 6, 2008
Houston, we have a problem...
I am in Cotonou right now trying to convince my Country Director to relocate me to another site. Earlier this week I called the office with serious security concerns and after a visit from my APCD and PC security chief I thought I was on my way out of there. That was until yesterday when my APCD called to tell me that the senior staff had held a meeting and decided my problem was a cultural misunderstanding and not a security threat. I obviously did not articulate my site problems accurately and decided I had better come to Cotonou and have a face-to-face with the woman in charge myself. Right now I am waiting for her final decision. It is obvious she is reluctant to reassign me if I'm just going to quit the next time something bad happens...but I'm not. My present site is just TOO DANGEROUS. I think our meeting went well and I'll post an update when I know more. Also, I posted more pictures on my flickr page and I plan on trying to send Kelli's class an example of student's work. I don't know how everyone back home is handling it but all the Africans here think it is great an African was elected president of America...they don't understand that everyone born in America are Americans....and I think they are going to be very disappointed when Obama does not give them all free plane tickets to America (sounds like a joke, but I am serious)
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6 comments:
If they are not going to transfer you then get your BUTT home!!!! You know we will all help out for the plane ticket. This is from the Gault family =)
I really do not want to leave but if they do not have another site for me and they tell me the only option i have is to go back to site i will have to leave...then the US gov will give me an all expenses paid plane ticket home. That is not a problem...I just really DO NOT want to quit. Unfortunatly if given the option between going home coach or cargo, I and going to pick coach!
Son, your safety is paramount tp my peace of mind. Please let me know the outcome of the meeting as soon as you know.
Idk if you are up to date on politics but....Obama won...and you might want to inform the africans that we are going to start having healthcare like great britan and canada
Alex
I know Obama won...thats why I made the comment I did in my post. At schools here they teach the children that people from America are red, people from Europe are white, people from Asia are yellow, people from Africa are black....the people here find it very difficult to understand that a person can be any other than the above colors and hold any other affiliation. I was staying at a fellow PCV's house who happens to still be pretty pale and I could not understand why everyone thought he was French even though they knew I was American and I spoke french better than he did. The answer was that I was tan (red) and thus recongized as American. The people here see Obama as only black and thus only African. There are many here who wrongly believe that Obama cares in the slightest what happens in Africa, and they are eagerly awaiting their care packages. They don't understand that Americans look out for America first...no matter what color we happen to be
Mike, God will protect you when the government fails! Be safe, and though I am praying, say a prayer for yourself.
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