The arguing match English vs. French- Athens

June 26, 2012

                What is more entertaining at 5 am then a Chandian man and an American women having a yelling match in front  of all the patient in the ward? Nothing, the patients loved it. It probably wasn’t the most professional moment in my nursing career and probably would have got into trouple if I did it back in the states but luckily here in Africa it doesn’t really matter. I could have used the conflict resolution skills I learned in nursing school but at 5 am I wasn’t using that part of my brain.

                Here the only way to get these lazy African nurses to do anything is to yell at them and threaten them. And that’s just what I did. The fact that culturally men here give the orders and women do what they are told otherwise they get beat probably took Jo off guard when I yelled back at him. I thought about being culturally sensitive and keep my mouth shut but then again I’m not one to get walked over or feel like I don’t have any say. So I showed him just how Non-Chadian I am. And gave him just a small portion of my mind. I don’t think he could have handled the whole thing. He probably didn’t understand even half of what I was saying but when I left him to finish up the last of the patients by himself he got my point and tonight when I went to work he was more than helpful and did his share of work. Mission accomplished.