I thought Canadians were super friendly (in addition to being "nice" and "polite") but the Kenyans put our passing "hey, how's it going? Good, you? Good." to shame.
Everyday, each person that walks into the office greets everyone else with a "Habari!" and a special kind of handshake/high five. It's a gesture that's so full of genuine emotion and happiness. And when they look you in the eye and ask how your evening or weekend was, they really want to know. Imagine that!
Even people you are first introduced to hold your hand for a REALLY long time while they ask you many questions about yourself. And they remember your name when they see you again!
I really lucked out with my office and my flat. In the office, there is so much laughter with everyone teasing each other (including me!) - regardless of where in the country (or out of the country) you come from, religion, gender, title or level. The other day my flatmates amused themselves for a quite a while talking about Celine Dion.
I really appreciated the welcome I've received and the camaraderie that's developed at work and at home.
On the flip side, I've also seen many people, especially in the service industry, with a look on their faces like they couldn't care less to be there and "here comes another "muzungu", complete with *eye rolling*. This got me thinking about how we foreigners treat the local people we come into contact with every day. You know, the people working in the cafeteria, supermarket, petrol station, restaurants, our housekeepers and numerous security guards. Sad to say I've seen quite a few people, mostly Americans and Brits, being "polite" in a "I'm paying you so you'd better do it exactly how I want it, when I want it" kind of way. In a word, rude.
I don't know if this is more apparent to me because I'm Canadian or because of how my parents raised me. How I saw them interact with EVERYONE in Mauritius seemed quite normal for me but now I realize that it's quite special. That is to say, they treated all people, foreign and local, like...people. This is accomplished by being genuinely nice and polite, joking around with them, when they scratch your back you scratch theirs, paying/tipping fairly and not trying to nickel and dime them to save, literally, a dollar. For those that you see regularly, taking an interest in their lives - knowing their names and maybe even the names of their family members.
I know there is a lot of talk about crime here and people ripping you off, and I'm sure that does happen in some places (actually I paid way too much for a jacket already but I love it so I don't mind) but for the most part I think the old adage "treat people how you would like to be treated" still holds true.
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A few pics from the past two weeks for those not on Facebook or Instagram.
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| All day meeting at the Tribe Hotel...very swish! |
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| Memorial service for our fallen colleagues :( |
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| Topiary at the UN Complex |
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| Sunday hike up to the top of Longonot crater |
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| Zebras! |
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| Harder than it looks |
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| Worth every step! |
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| Now you want to walk AROUND the crater?! No thanks |
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| Selfie! |
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| Spot the giraffes |
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| Education for All meeting with my boss and colleagues |
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| With the President and Speaker of the Children's Government |
Thanks Tash. It's all thanks to my parents who taught us there are no "smaller " or "lesser" people than you. So the lesson was to treat everyone with dignity and respect and in return, their love and blessing was yours. A lesson that has served us well.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tash. It's all thanks to my parents who taught us there are no "smaller " or "lesser" people than you. So the lesson was to treat everyone with dignity and respect and in return, their love and blessing was yours. A lesson that has served us well.
ReplyDelete