Patience is a virtue

…one which I’m gaining in heap loads every second of every day.

I’ve heard it said that PCVs in different regions of the world gain different perspectives based on their regions. Volunteers in Asia become more philosophical, those n Central and South America become more political, and those who volunteer in Africa gain a sense of humor and an immeasurable amount of patience. When I first heard this in training, I laughed, but I’m beginning to believe it. My friends in Peru, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, etc. will have to tell me about their experiences in the rest of the world, but the Africa part is true. While I’m sure all volunteers gain all of these things, I truly believe Africa gives one both humor and patience. Without these, no one would survive here. Sometimes, to keep myself from crying or screaming in frustration, I just have to laugh and chill.

Like when I get on a bus packed with 5 times as many people as seats and my bags become scattered in whatever nooks are open, and I have to stand in the aisle squished against 5 other people, some women with crying babies tied to their backs and others carrying 4 squawking chickens in my face, for 2 hours on a bumpy dirt road, stopping every 3 minutes to pick up or drop off furniture, luggage, children, people, and animals (including but not limited to goats and chickens) just to get home from a day trip to town. How can you not cry from the stress? You just laugh. And you say “Hakuna shida,” one of the Tanzanian forms of hakuna matata- no problem, no worries. There are plenty of other ways to say this based on region and dialect.

(In fact, someone said “Hakuna matata” to me the other day, and I understood but was confused as to why he said “matata” instead of the more common “matatizo.” A few minutes later, I recognized the line from The Lion King and realized the man deals with tourists all the time and probably uses the phrase often with white people. A sign that I’m really getting used to Kiswahili and I’m no tourist.)

Or when an immediate, emergency transport to town (usually two and a half hours by bus and 45 minutes for a private car) for a visit to the doctor turns into a day long trip followed by two full days waiting for people and broken machines to produce results of tests, each followed by calling the PC medical officer to inform her of the results and ask which tests to get next. I was surprised at how calm I was. My stomach sure hurt, but I sat and waited for African time to pass, sure that things would get done and we’d find the right treatment at some point. After all, Peace Corps has great medical assistance. So you chuckle and chill out because worrying just won’t help.

So rest assured that Africa makes me laugh every day. Have you ever watched a rooster crow? Or little children in primary school march in droves giggly and giddy, imitating the mzungu (white person, or technically, European) that they’re following and shyly asking questions and sneaking smiles? I’m gaining plenty of patience in order to face any situation imaginable.