| I have a list of topics on my phone that I want to write/think more about in terms of the developing world. Here's one that's been rattling around in the back of my brain for a while.
From talking with other expats here and simply through my own experiences, I've noticed a streak of what seems like overconfidence in Ethiopians. In many situations in which I would say something like "I think this is right", the comment I typically here is "this is right." From what direction to go on a Hash run to the cost of something in the market, the answer is given with absolute conviction. Even if the speaker has no frame of reference for knowing it. In some cases I could see this being a language issue... the speaker simply not being aware of or comfortable with the construction "I think." But many of the people in whom I see this behavior speak excellent English. So is it cultural?
When talking about Ethiopia, my dad uses the term "stratified society" quite a bit... the idea that there are very distinct levels of status, achievement and ability within the culture here. And those levels are very important for one to maintain, particularly if you are educated, wealthy or powerful. You see this in the importance of appearances (I've seen men in suits asking for alms), the formality of business interactions and in comments made by "higher class" people about "lower class" people. Admitting that you are not 100% certain about a particular point might come across as a sign that perhaps you're not in the level that you're supposed to be in.
So what does this mean for me? In some ways, I'm less trustful of others' statements because of this trend. It's not that I'm normally gullible, but I like for people to take what I say at face value, and so operate on the assumption that others will talk straight with me. In a more positive light, it could be said that I'm becoming more "street savy." But if the cost is a general distrust of peoples' answers, I'm not sure it's worth it.
First, a couple more pictures from Zambia:
At work, we're working on building a new workshop for prototype building and testing. So far we have a compound with a house for offices and space for a workshop. I'll keep updating with photos as we get everything put together.
We had a few consultants in town to do some surveys for us in potential project areas around Ethiopia. On their last night, we all went out to an Ethiopian restaurant with traditional food and dancing...
Movies
Man dancing (10.2MB) | Woman hair-swinging (8.3MB) | Music (9.0MB)
There is a new motorcycle club in town, the Gelada Riders! I had planned to rent a bike for their inaugural ride, but then was told it wasn't available after all. I ended up riding along in a car... frustrating, but at least I met a few people who are looking to sell their bikes. ;-)
Parting shots...
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