In a developing country with a per capita GDP of $1000, where unqualified and often uncaring teachers quite easily make that in a month, I start to wonder if this isn't all some sort of cruel joke. Sure, you're making a difference. Tell yourself that if it helps you sleep. You ride in on your white horse with the gift of white man speech. You're giving them opportunities. Maybe. But are you really doing it for them? How much impact can you have if you don't even really want to be there? Instead of caring, you work your 2 hours a day and spend the rest of the time eating, drinking all night and trying to corrupt the locals. If you're decent enough, you might make an effort to keep the madness out but there's plenty of people here who don't bother, spreading their particular brand of lechery across the town in a frantic effort to suck as much life and love out of people as possible. Then there are those who try to stay a step above the meaning of life here. Who adopt a colonialist attitude and swagger about with their air of superiority draped about them like a cloak that will keep the dirt off their fresh chinos. But that's impossible. The very act of trying to remove yourself from where you are, of denying the existence of the reality around you, is like branding yourself across the forehead - "I do not get it". There are good people here. Great people, too. People who care about what they're doing and what they're giving. There are people who are constantly trying their hardest to improve the product they're selling. There are also people who are only trying a little bit to improve and that's alright too. Just make a goddamn effort.
The idea of being paid relatively large amounts of cash, for relatively little work is an undeniably appealing prospect, but in an industry where the product is the possibility of someone's future, it wouldn't hurt you to try a little harder. Goddammit.
No comments:
Post a Comment