According to dictionary.com: efficient (i-fish-uh nt), an adjective, means performing or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort; having and using requisite knowledge, skill, and industry; competent; capable.
When I think of the African way of living these ideas aren’t the first to come to mind. However, there are some things that I just love about Africans and their efficiency…
Africans know how to pack stuff in. Driving hazard perhaps?
Lets hope there are no sharp turns!
Need a place to sleep? No worries – you’ve got the hammock under the truck
Banana Anyone?
They women carry babies on their backs everywhere - even while bowling
Construction efforts involve local branches – how resourceful!
Or doing hair
But my all time favorite event in regard to African efficiency occurred just this week
My friend Scott, whom I know from Phoenix, was working here as an anesthesiologist. We went out to dinner and had the most inedible chicken I’d ever attempted to consume - skinny chicken as they call it here. The waitress came over, took one look at our plates (which were as far as you could get from the clean plate club) and asked if we were done. We replied “yep, we are full” (translation: we couldn’t even cut the chicken let alone ingest it!) She then proceeded to compile our leftovers including our chicken bones, meat, mushy fries, and ketchup, putting half in a to-go box and the other half on one of our plates. Here’s where the African efficiency comes in….she then served the compiled leftover dish to the table next to us, and gave our mushy, half-consumed fries to some guy walking down the street. Only in Africa! =)
I'm loving the view on efficiency. It looks like you're having an amazing time in Africa, thanks for the updates!
ReplyDeleteBrandon