say what you mean

The VV chickens had not been as productive as was hoped so I took in some google, and then took expert advice and we butchered a sideboard found wanting.  We sliced it in half created sides, walls and a removable roof.  Then added legs (OK, so it was a sideboard in a former life).  We used dead palm leaves as straw and installed it in the coop and waited.  Monday came and there were two eggs.  Awesome!  My first ‘contribution’ to village life!

Monday was also ‘Christmas season’ eve (30 Nov).  IE the day before the tree would go up in our house.  So I had made a tree, and got the guys sorting out the new kitchen to make me a stand…aka bucket of concrete with a strategic hole.  The only problem is the stand now weight 40kgs, so is not exactly portable.  Anyway I got the stand back to the Village, erected and decorated the tree.  The lights are a double edged sword.  Beautiful addition to any tree, of course, but the worlds worst Christmas music.

The new kitchen was wired up to the hospital supply today.  By which I mean their solar, batteries and stand-by generator.  The hospital, like much of the rest of the country, has not had mains power for nearly three years.  Anyway part of the work was to put the cabling in a trench.  So my oppo agreed a fee with the grounds staff for this ‘additional’ role; their role is gardening and tidying and clearing up.  So, he dug the trench and the electricians laid the cable.  Then, the guy then came back and requested a further fee to fill the trench!  In part this is the literal nature of Haitian culture, in part trying to have one over on the ‘blanc’.  Now there is no blame here, but a lesson to be learned; have your requirement absolutely clear!  But it is the literal Haitian culture which is the biggest problem.  I can only describe it as a ‘jobsworth’ approach, but it isn’t exactly that.  Jobsworth suggests to knowingly refuse to co-operate, in a grey area, or slightly outside the normal.  This is about conditioning and servitude.  My job is to do ‘this’ (tightly defined), I don’t do anything but ‘this’ (even if it is obviously a good thing and broadly fits my job role).  And if I were ever to do anything else it would be with the express approval of my boss…