P Diddy would be very dissappointed
October 19th, 2005 by Sarin
Some people might think that because Cape Verde is a modestly developed country that I shouldn’t have the same problems as other Peace Corps Volunteers in Africa would experience. It’s true, but what will replace those problems are entirely different ones that aren’t obvious. While some problems like insects and bugs are intensified (due to the abundance of lights and water in my house), other typical African problems are replaced with, having a leaking faucet, living with roommates, having sheets that don’t fit my double bed, having to chase chickens out of my backyard, cleaning the dirt off of my white walls, not having batteries for the remote control to my fan. having only 2 working gas burners, having a phone line that can’t dial out, and my favorite, how to deal with the flat screen TV sitting in my living room.
You see, the day I moved into my site, I was surprised to find out that there was a big flat screen TV in the living room of my house. One of my roommates explained that he thinks it is the property of the municipal office and that they might take it back one day. So while I enjoyed the time I had with the TV, I knew all along that one day in a comfortable state, it would be taken away. And that dreaded day finally came yesterday.
I was just finishing up lunch when my neighbor (who works for the municipal office) came by with a man who walked right into my living room, looked at my flat screen TV and looked very pleased. And then I knew the inevitable was coming. This man was going to take my flat screen TV away and that I would be completely miserable from then on. What was I supposed to do?
“N busca!” said my neighbor as he pointed to the TV ready to be unplugged and hauled away. The man who was soon dusting off the TV and carrying it out the door started speaking rapid creole to me and I was such in confusion I understood none of it. But then, I took a guess that this man was a high enough figure to know some English. I wasn’t going to try to understand his creole considering how busy he looked so I asked him to explain in English.
“I am the owner of this TV, and I am taking it back. If you want to buy” while motioning his fingers as if he was thumbing cash, “you can buy from me”.
Aw hell nah I ain’t buying that TV from him. Just take it yo.
I shrugged my shoulders, waited for them both to leave and then asked if they needed anything else. They said no as they both carried the TV to the SUV parked up the street. I shut the door, and then admired the now naked living room.
I was disappointed for about 10 minutes, but then realized why I didn’t put up a fight over the TV. I knew it belonged to either the municipal office of someone who works for them, and that one day they would come and get it back. Second, just having a big flat screen TV in your house is another living problem. What do you do if kids come by just to use your TV and they bring their DVD player, their Nintendo 64 and Playstation 2, while you sit and watch and complain to yourself that even though you are being nice, you feel like you are on house lockdown. It begins to feel that they want your TV and not your attention. While the TV came with some comforts, it was probably not good at sending the message that I am here as a volunteer.
In some ways, I will probably miss the fun of playing video games for hours and hours on Sundays. I won’t forget having to explain to the kids that you have to jack a car to run away from the cops in Grand Theft Auto. I still find it silently hilarious that they might not ever understand the game. It was good fun though… while it lasted. Albeit, it is also best that I get out of the house instead staying inside and playing American video games which is probably very stereotypical of a foreigner like me.
Last night I sat in that now empty living room. Staring at the dust remains sitting on the TV stand. Reminding myself how absolutely bored I was now that the TV did not make my dinner of rice and beans any more entertaining. And then I thought, “yup, this is Peace Corps, Africa style”.
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