Bloggers of the World Unite

I was sneakily trawling through the archives of a fellow vollie's blog. I suspect all of us Tanzanian vollies keep an eye on eachother's writing: for entertainment, empathy and a bit of kiwiana nostalgia. My friend's blog is far more erudite and thoughtful than my poor man's gonzo-lite raving.

I was struck by a passage in the blog about how your ego has to die a bit out here. All the vollies have come from NZ, dare I say, from some measure of success in our chosen fields. Yet, out here, you gotta start all over again as an outsider. And on tasks that are literally life and death. No pressure. Managing unrealistic expectations of achievement and the guilt when things go haywire as well as learning to enjoy the little wins/fun times more, are all valuble learnings I will take back for my own development.

I'm going to finish by shamelessly ripping a piece from my friend's blog (don't tell him, he gyms a lot, I don't want another beating). But it neatly sums up my experience here for me:

it’s just that in africa the rules, realities, and norms of the so called developed world do not apply. furthermore, in most cases even the laws of the land do not apply. you have to rely on your self and the kindness of strangers. there is no AA to come to your rescue. there is no 111 in emergencies. the wildlife here comes looking for you, not the other way around. in short, your sensors are heightened, you see, feel and think more (being outsiders, you have to). more importantly, i feel that we are not bound by perceptions of people who are familiar…. here we have the freedom to re-invent ourselves everyday.