The next thing this expat encountered in Juba was, of course, other expats. Introductions were made by colleagues to other people inside and outside of the organisation, who in turn introduced me to an ever expanding circle of NGO workers, UN staff and international friends and flatmates. Most of these people have a huge interest in socialising, eating and drinking. In short, people are partiers out here.
The social environment will not be a surprise to any other third sector/aid workers who read this, but it deserves some explanation for anyone new to the subject. The stresses of life and work play themselves out in a slightly different way for expats in a foreign environment. Away from their friends and families, away from the creature comforts of their homes, away from the distractions and past times of their home countries, they need to find outlets through which to vent the frustrations of dealing with life in a country that works very differently to the nations and environments they are used to. Importantly, they need to be with and talk to people who understand. What is the easiest way to find such people?
This last question is easy to answer. Expat workers drink a lot. There is no hiding this fact. Want to relax after work? Beer. Nothing to do? Go out. Easiest place to meet others? Bar or a house that has lots of wine and spirits in it to lubricate the evening. In anticipation of these frequent gatherings, anyone returning form a furlough abroad will bring all the creature comforts of home for personal use and dissemination: Downloaded TV series; Chocolates; Cheeses; Alcohol.
There is a challenge to overcome when dealing with the perennial problem of 'having nothing to do.' Boredom is a danger for anyone placed in a situation where they are divorced from their favourite hobbies or pastimes, and so we fill the space with parties. Want the Gym? There isn't one. Internet? too slow or just does not work. Enjoy cooking? We live in tents and containers that don't have kitchens. If you want to eat you have to eat out. Want to stay home on your day off? It is 40 degrees Celsius outside and we live in tents without air conditioning.
You may ask how I have chosen to deal with the challenge of boredom. I am going to try and take some inspiration from Samuel Pepys, a seventeenth century diarist from England. It turns out that people did all kinds of things in the evenings when television and youtube were not around to distract them. They sang, they danced, they played musical instruments, wrote, whittled and carved. I am going to study Spanish, and practice playing the violin at the victims in the tents next to me. Wish me luck. They will need it...
The social environment will not be a surprise to any other third sector/aid workers who read this, but it deserves some explanation for anyone new to the subject. The stresses of life and work play themselves out in a slightly different way for expats in a foreign environment. Away from their friends and families, away from the creature comforts of their homes, away from the distractions and past times of their home countries, they need to find outlets through which to vent the frustrations of dealing with life in a country that works very differently to the nations and environments they are used to. Importantly, they need to be with and talk to people who understand. What is the easiest way to find such people?
This last question is easy to answer. Expat workers drink a lot. There is no hiding this fact. Want to relax after work? Beer. Nothing to do? Go out. Easiest place to meet others? Bar or a house that has lots of wine and spirits in it to lubricate the evening. In anticipation of these frequent gatherings, anyone returning form a furlough abroad will bring all the creature comforts of home for personal use and dissemination: Downloaded TV series; Chocolates; Cheeses; Alcohol.
There is a challenge to overcome when dealing with the perennial problem of 'having nothing to do.' Boredom is a danger for anyone placed in a situation where they are divorced from their favourite hobbies or pastimes, and so we fill the space with parties. Want the Gym? There isn't one. Internet? too slow or just does not work. Enjoy cooking? We live in tents and containers that don't have kitchens. If you want to eat you have to eat out. Want to stay home on your day off? It is 40 degrees Celsius outside and we live in tents without air conditioning.
You may ask how I have chosen to deal with the challenge of boredom. I am going to try and take some inspiration from Samuel Pepys, a seventeenth century diarist from England. It turns out that people did all kinds of things in the evenings when television and youtube were not around to distract them. They sang, they danced, they played musical instruments, wrote, whittled and carved. I am going to study Spanish, and practice playing the violin at the victims in the tents next to me. Wish me luck. They will need it...
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