I’m in Tamale again, this time it is an unscheduled visit(I posted last week using a cellular device my EWB coach brought to Kpandai). I got pretty sick over the weekend, extreme pains in the right abdominal muscles, constriction of the throat, trouble breathing and one hell of a fever. The doctor in Kpandai suggested pneumonia, my coach half suggested, half forced me to come to Kpandai to visit a 'hospital. So I now have some pretty strong anti-biotics running through my system, the first dose was in Kpandai: I’ve never before had a reaction to needles, but having an injection forced into ones thigh turned out to be my breaking point (or close to it). One for each leg the nurse literally forced what must have been 60ml of fluid into each quad, deep into the muscle. Almost puked, almost fainted, took about 10 minutes to get to my feet. Still walking funny two days later, but what the hell it appears to have worked. I’m about to head to Tamale to try to get some work done, I’ll post again in around 10 days when I am scheduled to be here again. There are two items in this posting, one finished(killed me first snake ma, you proud?), the second is how can it be possible for a westerner to accurately perceive and convey the message of poverty. If I have time during the week I’ll do up a proper part 2. it’s been something bothering me since I arrived, if I don’t have time you’ll be left with a simple outline. Sorry, the internet connection is somewhere between dial up and smoke signal in speed and I’ve got a bus to catch, I’ll stick up a picture of a dead snake and some more words in a week.
1.) Green Mambo
I killed my first snake a couple of weeks ago(didn’t mention it in the last posts), I had gone home from work to take a break, and felt a pull towards the toilet (this pull being almost as constant as gravity), I was at the government bungalow which is equipped with a lovely flush toilet enclosed in a concrete structure. I opened the door and saw a meter long bright green tail swish through the water and disappear into the holding tank hole. I decided to take a leak(the need to urinate was stronger than any fear, the fear probably adding to my need to urinate). Out of curiosity I flushed the toilet on my way out and sure enough a 1.5 meter snake came out with the water. I slammed the door and shuttled out to find some assistance, glad that I had chosen to urinate before flushing the snake out.
So Theo and I (Theo being an interesting character, Theo is doing his national service in Kpandai having finished his studies in Business) went back to the toilet and tried to find the snake, it was no-where to be seen. So I flushed the toilet again, low and behold an angry Green Mambo came flying out, Theo went running screaming loudly, I almost lost it, couldn’t control the giggling (maybe it’s part of the culture shock, but an apparently lethal snake seemed absurd at the time, maybe I’m just stupid, who knows. It was funny to see a grown Ghanaian man scream). When we had regrouped (he went about 50 meters behind the toilet, I went out in front) he explained to me how dangerous the snake was.
We decided to kill it, how could we in good conscience leave a poisonous snake in the toilet for someone else to discover? What a pleasant surprise? Our plan was simple, find a big stick and smash the thing. Returning 10 minutes later we found the snake coiled half way up the inside of the door frame, attaching a nail to the end of the pole(around 10 foot long) Theo attempted to squish the snake by slamming the door. Slam, scream, run. We regrouped and cautiously approached the door, the snake had been caught in the door, but wasn’t dead. We opened the door and it dropped down to the floor, open, scream, run. Regrouping a third time and perching on the concrete wall enclosing the toilet structure Theo swore he saw the snake poke its head out from behind the toilet. We sat there thinking for a while and decided to flush the snake out with a bucket of water. So Theo got the water and I kept watch. Throwing around 10L of water at an angry/scared poisonous snake may seem dumb, but boy is it fun. It only took one shot/splash, Theo threw and I squished, killing the snake before it got more than a foot away from the toilet. Splash, squirm, squish, sigh, giggle?
I’m sorry to say that I didn’t have my camera present during our escapades, and the only photo I have is from the night after. I wish I had a video of the second time the snake came out of the toilet, angry at Theo and I for disturbing it during its dip (one needs to keep cool in Ghana). That snake coming out of the toilet bowl at full speed, winding its way up the tank at lighting pace was a sight to behold, unfortunately you’ll have to take my word for it.
2.) Three issues with a westerners view of poverty (especially my own).
2.1) You’re not allowed to see it:
2.2) You are not allowed to experience it.
2.3) Even if you did have the option to experience it would you understand it?
Hey Hasan,
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting post about the snake! I remember my neighbours reaction to finding a cobra in our compound. It wasn't very large, but there certainly were some interesting reactions!
Interesting phrasing on your views of poverty. I was feeling something very similar and consequently have a slightly different take. Poverty is not immediately obvious because it's more about vulnerability than relief. So how can you see it unless you spend time talking to people, hearing what they've experienced and spending some time trying to understand?
ReplyDeleteAs for experiencing it, I think you're right. We are not allowed to experience it, firstly because they won't let us as it would reflect very poorly on them. We will also never be put in that position. Even with our small stipend which is supposed to put us at the same 'level' as locals (which is still more than most people have everyday), we still have the security that will never allow us to understand the vulnerability of the people we're working with.
What do you think?
Thanks, Hasan, just those three lines about westerners' view of poverty point out things I'd never really thought of before.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the responses Matt, Kyle and Aline.
ReplyDeleteKyle: the snakes in Kpandai are nuts, they caught a huge cobra in a house near the bungalows, went into a guys room while he was sleeping. The kids here hunt snakes at their schools, the most dangerous snake is a tiny black one that sometimes falls from trees.
Matt: you know more than you think, I'm looking forward to chatting with you.
Aline: I should have made a caveat that regardless of the accuracy of our depiction of poverty it is needed. The problem with listening to people(most important thing we can do) is that we are limited in our understanding of what they are saying, everyone here knows poverty personally, but they can never get the message across. If people actually understood poverty and felt its power we wouldn't have third world countries, it's pretty disgusting the amount of time it is taking to get things working properly in this world.
To see: limited in our time. It takes a life time to see poverty, to watch others grow rich while you stay poor, to not see the opportunities in a situation we may see, something as simple as our stipend, having that five Cedis to get to Tamale. Many in my community have never been to Tamale, because the five Cedis is too much. We don't see the morning the way they do, but even without the experential 'seeing', to actually see what they see in a day is impossible.
To experience it ties in to seeing it, we don't wake up in the same world, the things we are used to (societly constructs, blah blah blah, I'm not a polysci major) are completely different, even being in a situation where I had no cash and couldn't find water I wouldn't experience it the same way.
It also ties in to the idea of living a simple life being aok, a simple life is rewarding in its own ways. I'm confused about what I am supposed to tell Canada about poverty. I don't mind waking up at 4 am to get water, I like having things to do. I disagree strongly with small girls having to miss school to get water, or to farm, but I don't and won't have an accurate view or understanding of what is going. My view is problematic and flawed.
So yeah, I don't know how to write about poverty or what I see. I just read an article sent out by EWB USA, I thought I was hearing the opinions of drunken three year olds, but then again how do you explain what you see?
I feel limited, stupid, overpriviledged and overwhelmed. Such is life.