I'm b-o-r-e-d

I'm bored. 

I'm bored of Facebook. I'm bored of PF Consultants. I'm bored of Settlers of Catan. I'm bored of one-day weekends. I'm bored (so over) of international development. I'm bored of Randall Street. I'm bored of stupid idiots applying to work at NATC and then back stabbing us. I'm bored of freeloaders. I'm bored of my own rants. 

I would like to ban Facebook for a while

I'm bored of Facebook because after loving it, I realise it's just a back-slapping, praise-yourself, and self-indulgent forum. You put up random pictures of your boring life and then, people hit 'Like' and say corny things about your weight fluctuations. You whine, moan, pontificate and exclam-ate and secretly hope 'friends' will post comments. You think you are different from all the rest and only post very insightful pearls of wisdom or hilariously witty observations.  In fact, you constantly try to come up with witty things to say and post them as your Facebook status. You scour Facebook every morning instead of scouring the news. People do not e-mail you but 'Inbox' you. Certain pictures and videos go viral and, suddenly everyone is 'Liking' and 'Sharing' them.  No matter how much of an individualist you want to be, you are part of the stupid Facebook herd of cows.  Facebook definitely takes over one's life. Certain key events and happenings are only advertised on Facebook. People form their little snobby clubs on Facebook. Humph!

I was initially quite addicted to Facebook because it was such a fun way to connect with friends, share photographs, share great articles (and start anti-Western, anti-imperial, anti-American hate fests), and find old friends and teachers. Facebook keeps up with birthdays so one could wish one's friends on time. I would eagerly see what friends are up to and, post comments. But, it feels so dumb now. I feel Facebook is for unimaginative, un-bold, and conformist cave men and women. The last thing I want to do now is to see an amateur photograph or read a dumb status like 'Thanks to everyone who made my birthday such a special day. Muuuuaaaah.' 

The hyper active do-gooders of this world

I'm so bored of meeting the young, naive and really annoying aid worker. I discard everyone into the same old 'aid worker' category: the UN, the big fat international NGOs, the really cheap and insignificant international NGOs, the World Bank, the JICA's, the SIDA's, all of them. These young kids are the hyper active do-gooders of this world, who have come to Africa, to save it from poverty, civil strife and disease. They think they are anti-capitalist radicals but all they really do all day is to compare cultures and quickly become cynical about what they are doing and are really in it for money or for adventure. And, they go around saying really cringing-ly embarrassing things like 'I'm roughing it in Africa.' They are an really annoying lot, whom you can find in their throngs at Saaj Restaurant on a Friday night pretending to learn Salsa, at Mamba Point hotel furiously typing away at their laptops, or walking down Randall Street in flip flops and other beach gear. 

I guess I find young people in their 20s really annoying because I clearly remember how annoying I was although I should give them chance. After all, my older and wiser friends indulged me and let me get away with saying a lot of dumb things.

I find it bewildering that 20-somethings are getting jobs with international development organisations in poor countries. I speak from experience: no matter how brilliant you are, by virtue of your youth and lack of experience, you are not trained to live and work in poverty-stricken countries, forget about having any real credentials. You have no idea how to criss cross cultures and be sensitive and respectful. You probably do not even have the faintest historical idea of the post-conflict or poverty-stricken society you are about to go live and work in. And, most likely neither does your organisation give you any orientation. The UN definitely does not. 

It seems like the aid industry is just that - an industry. Everyone is on short-term contracts and are just looking for the next gig. There's very little passion in it. This would be OK if it were any other industry but we are talking about very serious political issues which require more than just job seekers moving from one country to another every two or three years, basically just working for their organisations rather than any country and really only answerable to their organisations who are in turn accountable only to donors. 

As far as real experience is concerned, getting a degree in international development or international politics does not give you the credentials to rock up in 'Africa' and, get to embed yourself in the host Government or write policy or analysis. It's almost insulting! 

I would imagine international development would at least have the courtesy to keep their organisations stocked with experienced, grey-haired, and really-experienced experts. Why do they need to fill up country offices with PF consultants to write reports, conduct monitoring trips and write minutes of meetings? In short, how does international development justify its bloated organisations? Why has it become so bureaucratic and techno-cratic?

The philosophical debates and questions about international development could go on endlessly. 

The main point here is that it's really annoying to try to socialise with the UN/NGO crowd. They live in their own worlds and pepper their conversations with being bored of boring meetings, not making enough DSA, and generally being quite oblivious to anything outside of their big compounds, weekend pool parties, and R&R breaks every two months. 

Settlers of Catan 

I'm really bored of not having won a single game in a year! Haresh and I are kicking ourselves for having created Catan monsters out of his cousins who we taught the game. We go there every week to play and get our asses kicked every single time. 

Haresh taught his first cousin to play and the fellow taught his wife, his staff and now they are all better than us! Week after week, Haresh and I suffer humiliating losses yet, we go back to their house to try to regain our honour but no way! 

So, yes, I'm bored of losing. 

One-Day Weekends

I'm bored of only having Sunday off. Most businesses and offices in Monrovia are open Monday through Saturday's and, so do we. 

I want to go back to two-day weekends. At least for a little while. 

Randall Street Blues

It's ugly, it's got no lilac trees, no larks and it literally stinks. 

Back Stabbers

We are back to where we started which means, I only have about 1.5 technicians in the company who are there to handle 10 clients. It's a frustrating position to be in. After advertising and re-advertising job vacancies, spreading the word by mouth, we are really facing a difficult time in terms of hiring, retaining and nurturing good staff. 

I've had people resign without even a day's notice.

I get staff who say they are going back to school but really, they are going to another job. 

I've had e-mail resignations. 

I get jokesters who only know how to work iTunes and think they know IT. 

The UN and NGO sector is really distorting the job market. They pay above-the-market salaries and churn out so-called IT staff who are using receiving fat commissions from local vendors for IT supplies. These guys are used to spending money rather than making money. They're used to receiving DSA's whenever they go out of town. And, I'm afraid this sector doesn't encourage ingenuity or innovation so I am never too impressed with the former UN/NGO-er applicants. Moreover, the few odd ones don't want to start out at a probatory salary either even though they don't have jobs because their contract expired! 

Freeloaders

These are some of the lowest forms around. I cannot even begin to describe my loathing of this species.  I am shocked that people think they can just free load on your generosity, your couch, your terrace, your electricity, your everything. I am befuddled that one invites people to dinner parties and drinks over and over again and no one reciprocates! I am disgusted that most of the tenants in our building do not really care about keeping their environs clean and neat and don't offer to jump in now that I am trying to give a more pleasant look to the building. 

I can't stand cheapsters. I can't stand free loaders. 

I'm so bored with literally everyone I meet in Liberia. The conservative Indians go around saying 'kaala kaala.' The young Lebanese guys are partying with the PF Consultants and hoping to score some chicks. The UN crowd is so living in its own world of gated compounds, big white land cruisers and vacations every two months. The NGO kids are saving the world. The average Liberian is making ends meet. The polite society of Liberia is really reserved although they are the best bet. 

All in all, I am bored. I wish I had my best girlfriends close to me so I could enjoy some good conversations, sturdy debates, some good gossips, long walks and movie night marathons. 

I really want to meet and interact with some interesting people. 

Rants

I'm bored of ranting about everything and nothing ever changes. 

Actually, I'm not bored of ranting. It's the only thing that releases that pent up hot air and makes me laugh. 

Tail end: I'm feeling so bored and over everything these days. So now that I've counted down the top things which bore me to death, I should say that I am enjoying blogging, gardening and walking these days. I hope to also solve some of NATC's staffing problems and devote some time to that. I hope to get back to my abandoned, tattered, and barely alive still-pending masters requirements so I can close that chapter. I guess there's a lot to keep me busy and inspired for some time. Let's hope I feel less bored.