I Know, I Know, I Know...

I haven't exactly been so on target with my blogging goal for this month.  Does it help at all that I spent last weekend wiped out with a headcold?  Then, I had to play catch-up from being totally unproductive for 3 days.  I slept for about 34 hours from Friday night to Monday morning.  Not that being awake would have allowed for much blogging anyway...our electricity took a little sabbatical for most of the weekend.  That means I had limited internet access, since our router requires "lights" as my African friends call electricity. 

I'm not trying to complain about the electricity.  Really, I'm not.  Right now, in Ghana, we're supposed to be experiencing a "load shedding exercise."  That's the Ghana way of saying that the lights are going to go out.  Everyone is supposed to get 24 hours on and 12 hours off.  That seems fair enough, I suppose.  If there's not enough electricity to power the country, I guess that taking turns without makes sense.  Of course, part of my American brain wants to ponder why we can't maintain things in a way that would allow us to not need load shedding, but that's a pointless exercise.

So, Tuesday morning, we were all prepared for our 12 hours without electricity.  Computers were charged.  E-mails were answered.  Mentally I was ready for a day of sweat with no relief in sight.  We were there.  But the electricity never went off.  It's now Thursday night and we're still uninterrupted with our electric.  Which, don't get me wrong...I'm loving it.  But, it bothers me because my African friends are not having the same experience at their house. 

They told me it would be this way.  When the load shedding was announced, I was voicing my lack of enthusiasm and they told me not to worry, that where I live, I won't be experiencing it as severely as other folks.  You see, I live in an area with lots of embassies and ex-pats and other niceties. I logically explained to them that the authorities had announced that everyone was going to be part of it.  We would have to do without too.  They politely agreed, but I knew they weren't convinced.  And now, 96 hours into our "turn" I'm beginning to realize that once again...they were right and I was wrong. 

I don't think I'll ever understand the way things work here.  Why is it okay for the big man to always beat down the little man?  Why is it okay for such obvious discrimination to happen?  My "all mean are created with certain inalienable rights" mentality just doesn't get it.  And the thing is, my African friends totally accept it.  Or at least they seem to.  It's just the way it is and the way it will always be. 

Of course, it can go the other way too.  Today, when my office assistant came to work, she said, "Mom, we have a problem.  The trash people came and they said that the prices will be going up next month.  You will now be paying more.  Here is the letter they left." 

Here's the way it's going to work.  Beginning next week, if we are going to continue with trash collection, we will pay 250% more than we did this week.  Apparently, according to the letter, trash pick-up is divided into 6 categories.  In each of the categories, you pay a different amount per 240 liter can.  So, though you all use the same size can, the cost will vary.  I found out today that I live in "first-class residential."  I will pay 5 times as much for my can as the people living in 3rd class residential.  Of course, if I was an industry, I would pay 10 times as much, for the SAME size can.  And they wonder why they're having a hard time attracting industries to our city?!?

For just a minute, I ranted and raved and gave Charity my exact opinions on why this was absolutely absurd.  She smiled and nodded and gave words of support in all of the appropriate places (just like she did when I assured her that I would share her electricity woes.)  Then I realized that if she were to pay what I am now expected to pay for her trash pick-up, it would be 25% of her monthly salary.  Hmmm, that doesn't seem fair either, does it? 

I don't know what the answer is.  I do know that I just don't get it.  Don't know if I ever will.  And, I'm pretty sure that I'll be slipping my guard an extra 10 cedis a month next week so that he can burn the trash and we can send our 240 liter can to someone who will appreciate it more.  C'est la vie!