Impresii dintr-un loc ce nu va mai fi

Niger: Kandadji, Tilaberi

Dan N Petrescu

Pina si oamenii in general informati si binevoitori cind sunt intrebati ce stiu de Niger sunt pusi in dificultate sa gaseasca ceva pozitiv, dincolo de peisajul spectaculos al muntior din desertului Air. In rest, mai mult desert decit brusa, cam pe ultimul loc ca cea mai saraca tara, ultima revolta armata a tuaregilor incheiata acum doi ani, lovitura de stat mai de curind, Al Queda care rapeste straini, mai recent seful securitatii lui Gadafi …Nu stiam mult mai mult nici eu cind am ajuns acolo. Iar de vazut: o furtuna de praf limita vizibilitatea la citiva zeci de metrii…La hotel, penele de curent limitau universul vizibil la si mai putin…

Dar am vazut o parte nevazuta si care nu se va mai vedea…problemele si aspiratiile unor populatii inca traditionale si care-si vor parasii satele si cimpurile si obiceiurile si modul de viata ancestral pentru a face loc barajului de acumulare de la Kandadji, pe fluviul Niger.

Pentru un ochi obisnuit mai curind cu vegetatia luxurianta a tropicelor , locurile strabatute sunt de o ariditate extrema, pina aflu ca de fapt suntem in grinarul tarii, in Lunca Nigerului, care suporta si numeroase turme de vite, etc…Unde ? Pentru numele lui Dumnezeu! Si incep sa disting din loc in loc urmele unor culturi uscate de millet, sa vad turmele de vite si de camile care se hranesc cu rarele fire de iarba galbejita…Adevarat insa ca Sahelul se pregateste de foamete, ploile au fost slabe anul asta si mincarea mai ajunge pentru inca doua – trei luni. Apoi : foamete, migratie, moarte. The usual story.

Poza 1 brusa

Am participat la o serie de intilniri in mai multe sate, cu locuitori de etnie sonrae si touareg dar si altele. Seful satului are o autoritate care dincolo de ereditate se sprijina pe un model traditional de consultare si luare a decizilor, impreuna cu sfatuitorii sai. Deciziile sau anunturile sunt difuzate de “cintatorii si povestitorii” satelor, care detin si istoria orala a satului, care poate sa mearga sute de ani in urma… Imbucurator intr-o societate islamica, femeile sunt nu numai prezente in numar mare dar si active si vocale…Ajutat de colegi, disting in functie de locul unde se aseaza , nobilitatile si restul structurii sociale a satului. In special la tuaregi, aceasta structura este inca rigida: sefii ereditari, apoi razboinicii, artizanii, crescatorii de vite, sclavii…( desi sclavia a fost abolita prin anii 70, fenomenul continua, multi oameni ramin inca atasati familiilor unde au fost inainte sclavi oficiali).

Ma astept la comentarii critice, la condamnarea macar partiala a barajului. Nimic. Decizia s-a luat mai de mult la nivelul conducerii satului. Despagubirile sunt considerate rezonabile, satul se muta. Punct. Individul, familia, se supune decizii comunitatii. Marele avantaj al relocarii: satele vor beneficia de apa curenta si terenuri irigate. Si incep sa inteleg, incet, incet, ce inseamna APA. APA insemna stabilitate, deci si scoala pentru copii si o viata mai buna pentru generatia viitoare. Sa ai APA mai insemna si ca pot sa investesc in pamint, in echipamente, in productivitate…APA inseamna si sanatate, insemna sa nu-ti moara copii… Insemna ca fetele se pot duce la scoala in loc sa faca zeci de km pe zi cu magarii sau camilele sa aduca apa…Incep sa inteleg mai bine Dune .

Poza3: Adunare tuaregi Alasane

Intr-un sat de tuaregi, evident, tot fara apa, oamenii nu se pling, nu cer nimic. Nu zimbesc, nu sunt suparati, ceea ce e bine pentru ca jumatate din ei poarta sabii. Fac propuneri pertinente cind li se solicita. Doar la plecare aflam aproape din intimplare ca situatia satului este disperata: o molima a facut sa le moara majoritatea magarilor, in sat sunt mai multe cazuri de holera. The usual story…de ce sa ceara asistenta statului? Ma intreb daca nu e posibil sa fie inca resentimente ale rebeliunii…

Intr-o antiteza totala, cea mai crunta schimbare este cea a culturiilor insulare…Pe multe din insulele Nigerului s-a dezvoltat o cultura specifica…Apa este la iesirea din casa…stabilitate deci…locuintele sunt mai sofisticate, pasaje si bolte, cu alei inguste ce amintesc de aceiasi economie de spatiu a cetatilor, cu finisari si decoratii aproape spectaculoase intr-un univers arhitectural al lutului brut.

Poza4: Gongucare

Desi insulari nu sunt foarte pescari…nu au tehnologii nici macar primitive de pescuit. Cultiva orez insa, spre bucuria hipopotamilor, care nu sunt nici pe departe animalusele rotunjoare si dragalase care danseaza in fustite scurte pe ecran…Sunt animale periculoase, care ataca infiorator daca te nimeresti in calea lor, care distrug culturile oamenilor. Vad doi, din care unul termina o cultura chiar linga sat, in mijlocul zilei. Statutul de protectie ii face invulnerabili.

Poza hipopotam

Acesti oameni sunt intr-adevar ingrijorati: Nu-si imagineaza o viata departe de malul apei…Nu-si imagineza sa fie vecini cu tuaregi razboinici… dar nu-si imagineaza nici sa faca un “camp” pentru turisti sau pentru pescari sportivi …Si ei vor trebui ajutati : sa-i invatam sa pescuiasca…

Plec din Niger mai linistit. Este remarcabil spiritul civic al acestor oameni. Au inteles ca barajul este o necesitate imperioasa pentru stat, ca este singura solutie ca tara sa fie independenta si sa le asigure…APA. Pentru multi, pentru foarte multi…

Ca si in alte locuri, situatia sigurantei este putin exagerata de un UN care si aici face eforturi sa-si justifice primele de risc. Zonele controlate de banditi sint mai la nord , spre Agadez ….M-am descurcat sa nu am escorta militara in Tilaberi si Ayuru, m-am plimbat pe jos prin Niamey, si nu m-am simtit in pericol nici un moment. Aici, singura “amenintare” a fost o fermecatoare fetita peul… obligata sa cereseasca de foametea care la ei a ajuns deja …

Poza fata peul

Scrisoarea a II-a : Sri Lanka

30 noiembrie 2011

295/6 Wijemanne Gardens,

Pipeline road

Koswatta, Battaramulla

Sri Lanka

Dragi prieteni

Iata prima scrisoare din Sri Lanka unde ne-am mutat pentru urmatorii trei, poate patru ani. Am ajuns aici acum zece zile si scriu dupa ce am avut un pic de timp sa ma dezmeticesc si sa vad “in ce ne-am bagat”. Sunt si bune si rele. Am sa incerc sa-ti descriu un pic situatia.

Unde Locuim?

Stam intr-o suburbie a capitalei, care se numeste Battaramulla. Aici stau majoritatea expatriatilor dar si localnici, de la saracuti la mai bogati. Battaramulla are citeva strazi principale care sunt o insiruire de magazine mai nenorocite sau mai bune, si cu un trafic nebun, tot timpul. A traversa o strada din asta pare o aventura pina te aventurezi. Atunci observi ca intr-un mod aproape miraculos, motoretele , masinile si mototricicletele (sau Tuck-tuck cum li se mai spune) te ocolesc sau se opresc sa te lase sa treci, etc. Odata o sa scriu si despre traficul din Sri Lanka. Deocamdata insa nu fac decit observatia ca aici oamenii sunt budisti, si dupa cum am aflat din “The Idiot’s Book on Budhism” editia 2010, ei considera viata sacra. Insa sunt si musulmani pe aici, totul e sa nu te nimereasca unul din astia…

Din strazile astea principale se deschid strazi mai linistite, cum e strada noastra, Pipeline Road si din ele se deschid drumeaguri si mai linistite, cu multe spatii verzi neocupate, cu gradini mari, etc. Asa este si Wijemanne Gardens unde stam noi. Desi suntem aproape de strada principala, nu se simte pentru ca suntem inconjurati de gradini si spatii verzi…

Casa in sine este destul de mare dupa standardele din Romania si cam mijlocie dupa standardele de aici. Avem patru dormitoare sus si doua camere si un spatiu mare, deschis, de living/dining si bucataria. Tot etajul este inconjurat de terase si balcoane. O curte mica in fata, cit sa ne tinem masina si niste flori, dar o curte mai mare si o piscina de vreo 12x8 metrii in spate. Piscina este marea bucurie a Anei ( si a mea, trebuie sa recunosc). In fiecare zi aproape inot cam 30 de minute, si cind ni se face cald mai plonjam un pic! Majoritatea zilelor sunt foarte calduroase ( si inca nu suntem in sezonul calduros) si atunci devine destul de neplacut. Aer conditionat este doar in dormitoare, si refuz sa ma condamn a sta doar in dormitor, asa ca alterantiva deocamdata este sa transpir de cum ies de sub ventilator.

Va trebui sa punem aer conditionat si jos dar putin mai incolo. Deocamdata stam cu toate usile spre gradina deschise (cu plasa anti tintari) si cu ventilatoare. Asa rezistam. Nu este exact foarte cald cit este foarte umed….

Cum e cu menajul?

Aici, unde salariile sunt foarte mici, asta nu este o problema: avem o menajera/nanny pe care o cheama Chitra, un sofer – Rasleen, un baiat foarte bun, iar casa a venit cu un gradinar ( nu stie decit sinhaleza asa ca dialogul este non-verbal) si un baiat care se ocupa de piscina, cam la doua zile fiecare…asa ca nu am prea multe de facut in afara de a da indicatii pretioase….

Cum e cu vecinii?

Suntem inconjurati de terenuri neconstruite, asa ca “my next door neighbor” este un monitor. Adica un varan de 1,5 – 1,7 metrii, Varanus salvator salvator - The Water Monitor. Ma gindesc sa-i zic Gica. El este folositor ca maninca serpi, sobolani si alte lighioane si toate gunoaiele care altfel ar pute…Nu este indicat sa-l hartuiesti ca loveste cu coada si poate sa taie grozav. Cainii care-I latra pot fi raniti rau de tot dar Clara, bracul meu, pare sa-l trateze cu respect. Am si un alt vecin, mai amabil dar mai putin folositor, avind in vedere ca nu-si asaneza gradina care este plina de baltoace si deci focar de tintari – si ceea ce este interzis prin lege de altfel aici.

Unde lucram?

Cel mai important este ca Doina pare fericita in noul loc de munca. Intelege perfect ce trebuie sa faca, ritmul de lucru nu este frenetic, are sprijin in birou, etc. Este mult de lucru dar nu intr-un ritm bolnav si cu responsabilitatea dificila, neacoperita de autoritate, care o avea inainte. Vine senina si zimbitoare de la lucru, nu trasa la fata, obosita si enervata. Si numai pentru asta si ma bucur ca am venit aici. Biroul este departe, in centrul Colombo si pe traficul de aici este cam o ora de mers. Dar oricum, avem sofer, pe Rasleen, si Doina isi ia iPad-ul in masina si citeste sau isi face corespondenta pe drum.

Ana merge la o scoala de tip International school, numai ca acesteia ii spune Overseas School of Colombo. Este ingrozitor de scumpa, noroc ca plateste Banca. Dar este dotata cu toate cele de la bazin olimpic la sala de sport imensa, biblioteca, laboratoare, calculatoare, etc, etc. Sunt cite 12 copii in clasa si au cite un profesor si “assitant teacher” in fiecare clasa…Scoala nu este departe de noi, cinci minute de condus si de afara nu arata cine stie ce dar odata inauntru e foarte bine…Anei i-a placut de la bun inceput si este foarte fericita…

Eu imi continui treaba cu contractele mele pe Niger si pe Moldova. In citeva zile plec in Niger unde trebuie sa-I conving pe localnici ca e bine sa fie relocati in alta parte, sa-si mute catrafusele, vitele si viata fara sa se opuna, etc. Misiunea mea este facilitata de faptul ca daca nu se muta vine lacul de la baraj pe ei. Dar asta va fii alta poveste… Aici in Sri Lanka ma pregatesc in continuare citind diverse. Insa recunosc ca inca nu m-am adaptat suficient sa pot sa lucrez pe caldura asta…

Cum e aici?

O sa mai pun poze pe blog si pe Facebook. Colombo, in centru, este un oras frumos, cu strazi largi cu copaci mari umbrosi cu magazine destul de sofisticate, cu citeva hoteluri absolut luxoase, etc. Se vede ca sistematizarea a fost facuta de englezi destepti…cred.

Week-end-ul trecut am fost la o plaja: Am condus cam trei ore pe 60 de km (traficul este ingrozitor si am mers pina cind Doian era sa faca un nervous break-down) pe drumuri secundare pina am ajuns intr-un loc mishto, cu plaja cu hoteluri si cu restaurante…altfel, plaja sigur ca este mai peste tot dar nu se recomanda ….In locul ala unde am fost sunt doua lumi. Lumea unu este cea a hotelurilor luxoase, cu piscina, gazon, restaurante cu aer conditionat, si cu animatori musculosi care fac aerobic in piscina inconjurati de obeze pufoase rusoaice, nemtoaice, etc venite pe programe all inclusive (nu cred ca animatorul este inclus). Lumea a doua este restul lumii: Aceste enclave sunt inconjurate de o matrice de vilute si casute ale locanicilor care toate ofera acelasi meniu: cazare, masaj aurivedic si seafood… E un fel de 2 Mai, varianta asiatica.

La intoarcere am venit mai bine, pe un drum principal si am facut un timp mai bun. De ieri ma bucur sa-ti spun ca s-a deschis prima autostrada din Sri Lanka asa ca o sa putem ajunge la plaja intr-o statiune mult mai rapid.

Oamenii sunt foarte amabili, asta este un lucru care te frapeaza aici. Pe strada oamenii imi zimbesc si sunt chiar cu gura pina la urechi cind plimb cainii. In general, oamenii vor sa rezolve lucrurile, nu sa puna piedici asa ca, chiar in cazul unei birocratii aproape sufocante, lucrurile se rezolva pina la urma.

Doina considera ca multe locuri de pe aici sunt ceea ce se numeste “slum” sau bidonville, oricum o mahala aglomerata si foarte saraca. Eu nu cred, am vazut foarte putine evidenta de asa ceva, comparat cu Africa unde asta este norma…sigur ca mai sunt casute mici si si uneori este aglomeratie in zonele comerciale sarace dar numai rau decit in unele parti din tirgurile de la noi …

O surpriza placuta: In Bethesda, Maryland, daca aveai ghinionul sa-ti cada curentul ca se rupeau fire, era belea. Acum doi ani am stat patru zile fara curent iarna. Aici a fost furtuna, mi-au cazut firele a venit echipa in 40 de minute si s-au scuzat de intirziere dar mai avusesera citeva interventii. Sigur, nu aveau camion cu brat hidraulic si casti si echipamente futuristice, ca PEPCO ci aveau o scara de aluminiu si o macheta sa taie crengile…

Oricum, ne e bine deocamdata, si suntem intr-o permanenta descoperire. Urmatoarea descoperire este maine, de 1 Decembrie, unde vom descoperii comunitatea romana din Sri Lanka. Alta poveste…

Dan

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[1] Dupa cum spune vorba bancului: “taticu’ a fost urs polar…” nu sarpe…

JOY ON THE BEACH

The beach along the southern side of Freetown is the place for sunbathing, swimming, playing, flirting, taking a stroll and playing football, playing football, playing football….There is one game after another, very often the improvised goal being used by two games at the same time back- to –back. Good games, too, with a lot of energy being spent on the soft sand. Players are friendly, stopping for a hello if not caught in the heat of the game, and posing happily. It is such a pleasure to see so much young, happy, energetic humanity. They are all poor, they eat very little but right now, it doesn’t matter - the king of sports charms us all, players and spectators on this great background…the Atlantic.

This succession was interrupted by the sound of drums. Rhythmic, joyful, the unmistakable, rhythm that urges one to move in rhythm, to engage in dance. I approached. A group of dancers, men and women were engaged in an intricate and energetic dance. At a point the dance becomes a charade and I get the explanation: one man has revealed the secrets of his secret society to the women and now he is punished – killed and the women are paralyzed with fear at what they have seen…the audience surrounds entranced the dancers, the kids dance too on the side… I click my camera again and again and for once I wish I had a video to capture the motion and the sound and he rhythm and the energy. I am not a magician photographer to capture all the “joie de vivre” of these dancers.

They are dressed in casual clothes for the people here, not any fancy costumes. After the ‘show’ they pass a hat, a few Leones are collected. I am in my bathing shorts only but for once I feel the need to give. I go back fast to my hotel and get some money and I catch them as they take a snack of cassava mash, their dinner, before parting, and I talk to them. They would like the get my pictures, none of them has a camera, but one of them has an email account so I will send them some. They are an informal group, amateurs, they don’t give any paid shows but hope to do so sometime in the future when there will be a market for their talent. Right now…they just love to practice on the beach. And I love them…and this is another face of Africa!

Moment in Africa (Rom & English)

Aseara, la Freetown, Sierra Leone, am fost la plaja si am facut baie in valuri si am inotat si apoi m-am plimbat pe plaja pina la un promontoriu foarte frumos, stinci si iarba si cocotieri si ma preagateam sa ma asez pe o stinca si sa meditez la cele profunde ale vietii privind marea ...cind am vazut ca sunt inconjurat de cacati. La propriu...umani, proaspeti, cu toate atributele lor relativ la forma, textura, miros, etc. Aceasta constatare a avut darul de a ma scoate din starea de pre-meditatie si m-a adus intr-o stare mai pragmatica, incercind sa "ies din cacat" la propriu. Dupa ce am reusit chestia asta, sarind din stinca in stinca ca o capra neagra carpatina supraponderala , nu m-am putut totusi sa nu remarc simbolismul acestui episod. Asta e Africa adeseori: un loc superb, care te fura, numai ca sa realizezi ca e plin de cacat de fapt.

Last evening, in Freetown, Sierra Leone, I went to the beach in front of my hotel. I played in the waves, had a swim, and then I took a walk along the shore up to a beautiful rocky promontory reaching out in the sea, with wonderfully green grass and palm trees and spectacular granite outcrops…I looked around for a place to sit and meditate about the more spiritual side of life, while looking at the sea. And I realized that I am surrounded by shit. Literally - human, with all its attributes regarding shape, texture, smell, color, etc. This realization pulled me out of the pre-meditation stage into a much more pragmatic state of mind, prepared to get out of the shit hole I was in. I succeeded in the end, without any “accident” jumping from rock to rock like a graceful chamois…an overweight one…Looking back at the incident I could not avoid realizing the symbolism of it all. This is so like many places in Africa: a magic place which charms you only to realize it’s full of shit …

Book review - Engage by Brian Solis

I just finished “Engage!” by Brian Solis, one of the gurus of Social Media. I should say first of all that the title is very appropriate. If there is one attribute of social media work that stands apart is the need to engage : your internal partners, your stakeholders, your customers, the trendsetters and most of all, your own “comfort zone”. There is no way to get around this. Highly sophisticated monitoring software can help only with pointing out your targets and sometimes, some of the qualitative characteristics of the conversations surrounding your subject. But what Solis points out very vividly is that right now there is no way you can get around humanizing the communication process. Automated replies are suicidal in this communicational environment.

Reading this book I also had the revelation of WHY is social media marketing campaigning such an efficient communication tool. Simply because it allows the best possible targeting and segmentation. The digital track of every conversation or input on a subject can be analyzed statistically and the eventual marketing intervention can be focused literally to the individuals judged/identified statistically to be the most appropriate influencers and trendsetters. And once you identify a limited number of individuals you CAN send out humanized “signals” and ENGAGE in CONVERSATIONS. You can develop strategies and the Social Objects as Brian Solis defines the communications products of Social Media to influence the influencers!! As long as you are serious about engaging them. What a distance from your classic communications approach in which you managed at most to make an audience segmentation of thousands and the message was by default a general, impersonal one and measuring the feed back was something that happened, if you were really professional and had the resources, usually at the end of the campaign when you had no more time and resources for corrective interventions….

Brian also has a very profound sociological approach, with a very interesting networking theory and details the social stratification and social order of the networks. But it is also the book of a practitioner, not a theoretical essay. I was especially impressed by his insistence that all responsible parties in an organization should be on board and again, ENGAGED, when discussing the social media campaign of a brand. Probably, like many in PR, he has had production managers and such like that believe that if they don’t hear criticism, it doesn’t exist !

A very useful book as an eye opener for those, like me that thought they knew something about social media but were not exactly sure…

Trip to Rwanda - impressions

I came in Rwanda on a project to write a story concerning the support to the education sector here. The hospitality and openness of my hosts was remarkable, and I had a chance to see a good part of the country, talk to witnesses of acts of incredible cruelty and courage, to children and peasants as well as to leaders.

You realize there is something special about Rwanda before you actually get there, when you hear an announcement as the plane starts the descent into Kigali: " Passengers with duty free items should be aware that the use and the introduction of plastic bags in the country is forbidden..." Once here, you find out that this is a CLEAN country. None of mountains of garbage which smother other African towns, not even a discarded paper or a plastic bottle in total contrast to the Rwanda of the early 90's. A very visible change but probably one of the least significant of the changes transforming this country. And it wasn't achieved by fining them but by appealing to their civic values.

It all starts from a fundamental goal the country set for itself after the 1994 genocide. THIS MUST NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN !! And it set objectives that initially seemed unrealistic to your cynical westerner observer, long accustomed to African trumpeted political promises which are empty the moment they are made or become so through corruption and inability to sustain any coherent policy . Rwandans started by throwing down the drain the "ethnic" divide between Hutus and Tutsis, an artificial division created and maintained by the Belgian colonial authorities in the '30s: families with over ten cows were Tutsis, the rest here Hutus. Nowadays it is illegal to refer to someone as belonging to one ethnicity or another and any type of discrimination, whether ethnic, religious, gender, you name it, is illegal and it does get punished.

And the population was more than ready to embrace this new ideology, which overturns a vicious circle of segregations and persecutions. The example of the Nyanja High school is so eloquent. I heard it from an old teacher, there, a witness to the tragedy. Three years after the genocide, the evening of March 18, three armed "genocidaires" who still roamed the country in small bands, or came from neighboring Congo entered the classroom where the students, boarders, were doing their homework and asked them to separate themselves, Hutus from Tutsis. The children refused and said they were all Rwandans. Even threatened they refused , so the guys threw in two grenades and shot them and cut some up with the machetes. Seven died and 21 were seriously wounded, left for dead, a few managed to run away. I talked to a few of the students of that high school, members of the school's Reconciliation Club. Smart, nice kids, talking naturally about what they see their country needs. I couldn't detect false patriotism or opportunistic motives. And then they asked me if in MY COUNTRY we don't have ethnic conflict, or reconciliation issues. I couldn't say we have solved everything and they asked me what do I do about it. Well ...I do have a Roma neighbor, isn't it?

But the Rwandans are not satisfied with only reconciliation efforts. They want a new, developed country, and they want it FAST!! Actually, their national slogan is: "Rwanda - a Country in a Hurry!" Which in Africa is indeed uncommon, here only mzungu ( pejorative term for white foreigners) are in a hurry. They decided to introduce 9 grades universal education, starting from a really low enrollment rate. So they built in 5 (five) months over 3000 classrooms and 9000 latrines. They did it by asking the community to participate with the labor and what financial support they could, the rest of the finances came from the budget, and only went to donors for metal sheets for the roofs and some furniture... Enrollment was encouraged and promoted through PTA's who went door to door...their statistics in terms of enrollment are now up to the best standards...They are still building and improving schools and I saw quite a number of villagers were there working! Or today, a Sunday I went to visit a project, a construction site for a center that will host orphaned children during vacations, etc. They were working, and I find out that they work in a day and a night shift, 7/7. WHY?? We want to open as soon as possible!! ...

Sometimes one may think they are overdoing it! Could be…In 2020 they want to be well on their way to become a knowledge economy… And they have a “One Laptop per Child Program”!! I couldn't help smirking and saying in my mind: "Yeah! Sure, my foot!!" Until I saw the kids in a village school, one of the pilots in the rural area, typing and drawing or making cartoons etc., etc. They already have over 150, 000 laptops distributed, they have a budget to buy another 100,000 and then 50,000 a year until they finish. Of course, inexpensive machines, $ 200 a piece and after two years, in secondary school they pass them down, but still, the program is on track with the interconnectivity, adapting it to the local conditions: one server per school, Wi-Fi based LAN, generators and satellite or GSM Modems if they don't have yet wired networks, but...it MUST work!! We have no time to lose!!! By the way, the whole country has been wired by now with optic fiber...

One of the reasons for their success is that the country is remarkably free of corruption. It does exist. In an embarrassed confession I am told that the previous minister in now in jail, convicted of corruption! Goodness Gracious me! I am embarrassed that we don't have any in prison!! Anyway, don't try to bribe a traffic policeman. I understand it's a sure way to get in trouble, and jails are not by western standards, actually I hear complaints they are overcrowded! Well, they have some priorities and prisons are not among the first....So, even if the implementation of projects doesn't always go smoothly, if they still have delays...At least you know these are honest mistakes and problems...

Of course, there are voices saying that: ...yes, but there is no REAL democracy...they don't have parliamentary opposition...the popularity of the president is too good to be true... It is another long story...But for me, as long as this government promotes pluralism and tolerance and transparency and the environment and free trade and development, and everyone is going about in security....You know what? Why would they need an opposition party?

I forgot to mention the roads, the water supply, the free trade zone etc., etc.