Why the world sometimes sucks?

“Work is either fun or drudgery. It depends on your attitude. I like fun”.-Colleen C. Barrett

It’s been a hard week. Emotionally, physically and mentally but extremely satisfying in every aspect! The harder I work the better I feel, so it is true that more we give the more we get.

Anyway, after the garbage fiasco we have encountered few other challenges like our diving operation on Friday. Wow, the divers jumped into garbage, literally. Our water around the ship was covered with all kind of dirt, dead rats, food waste and some other garbage but we had to clean our intakes. Luckily it wasn’t my turn to dive but I feel sorry for the guys who did it. Good work. 

Also I did some safety rounds and noticed some defects in our Galley which need urgent attention, so that will be next week’s huge challenge. On a ship like this which is in a place like this, the challenges just don’t stop. Everyday some new surprises appear to challenge us but I have notice that people here give up. They stop caring…During this week I have tried to get people understand that they just can’t give up, we have to keep on trying to make things better. People think here that it’s okay to work in dirty conditions with broken tools, we are in Africa. TIA (“this is Africa” from the movie Blood Diamonds). NO!!!! and NO!!! Even the Europeans and Americans think that. If we don’t show example, why we are here then? I thought that we are here to make a difference, to help these people to develop and grow. I know that we aren’t here just to live like them and accept things how they are. We are here to change things!!!!! Nothing is going to happen if we, the people who have come here to make difference, stop caring. We have to pursue for excellence in all areas. Small things make a difference and a several small things make a change.

That is how I think.

“You really can change the world if you care enough”.-Marian Wright Edelman

I have felt frustrated because I feel like I am the only one here with all this big ideas to change things. People are with me but they just don’t have the FIRE in them to make things happen. Why they are here then???? Waste time? Nothing else to do? For an adventure? Maybe, I don’t know. Or maybe they also have felt frustrated and haven’t had enough strength to do anything and they have just stopped caring.

I have noticed that some of the people here just do the minimum hours, complain how things are here and do noting about it. Wow. I don’t understand the mentality that something here is someone else responsibility and noting can be done because it has been always like that. I feel…disappointment. That mentality makes my work harder and it affects the life’s of these people here in Sierra Leone.  The less we complain and more we do, the more we will help. That is why we are here. TO HELP!

Amazing, that is the world what people are doing here so don't get me wrong. So many good things happen here everyday but I just feel that we could do more.

I am privileged to work with these amazing people but sometimes its good to shake things up and that is what I am doing, I am trying to give these wonderful people more strength to do what they do and I think and I know that they are doing amazing work!! J

“Having a positive mental attitude is asking how something can be done rather than saying it can't be done”.-Bo Bennett

Yesterday I needed a break too, so we went on a beach but before we got there we had to take a taxi or kind of local taxi, boda, boda. First we had to negotiate a price which took an hour because some of our group members were not happy about the “service” and the price. I was amazed but anyway the driver didn’t know were the beach was. That was ONE of the first issues and then of course the price. We were fighting over few dollars and we had a group of 14. Funny! How people find energy to fight over things like that but when it comes to work they are tired. J  Finally we found a solution and on our way we were. The next challenge was when the cops stopped us and the driver didn’t have a driving license. J Well, he paid the officer. And on our way we were once again…Smoke started to come from the engine which wasn’t a good sign but we continue our journey and we finally got to the beach. We had a great time there, lovely day. On the way back our driver were having lots of problems with the clutch and the gearbox but we were moving ahead anyway. Also on the way back was funny to see when the driver started drink beer while driving!!! I have never seen that before. So the driver didn’t have a driving license, he was drinking, he didn’t know the directions and the vehicle was falling apart. A great taxi ride!!! J  

I had a blast, what a road trip!!! J  

Experiences like that just give us energy, energy to help. All the challenges give me energy, especially when I get over them. Seeing the positive side of things is energy. What ever happens and if we survive from it and can laugh about it, is like a superpower which helps us to make great things.

“Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what people do or say. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill”.-W. C. Fields 

If you think that the life sometimes sucks it is because of your attitude. Life is amazing.
Positive thinking is the key to a better world. I am doing my part, what about you?