So the previous entry was completed by the indescribable, endlessly entertaining Raf who is the owner of my wild African ride. I like how he said that I "lent" him my computer. He really actually nicked it off me when he saw I was attempting to update my blog and his need for attention and constant resort plugs got the better of him. I was actually quite surprised at how well composed the entry was. I've yet to hear a full sentence out of him that didn't contain at least three f-bombs and two racial slurs. He is absolutely hilarious. No, no, no, racial slurs aren't funny, I know, I know, politically correct blah, blah, blah. But seriously, if you get offended easily, stop reading my blog. Anyway, you now have a local's eye view of where I am living, we'll see how it compares to my own.
I know I'm a chatter box and really rather wordy so I'm going to try to condense the drama that has unfolded over the last few days as quickly as possible. Before I start, yes, I am staying (for now) and yes, I am okay. Here we go...
THE SCANDAL\
You don't really need the details of who's who in the zoo but a few key players... Brad, an Australian DiveMaster who has been here for a few weeks leading dives, and Scott, a random unconnected Aussie who is living and working with a VSO in Namimbia and showed up out of the blue as he has been riding his bike around the island and decided to stay and dive. Yes, riding his bike around Africa. WTF. New Year's Eve, lots of fun, lots of drinking to be had by some (the above mentioned particularly), and both Brad and Scott attended the festivities wearing "kangas", traditional Tanzanian sarongs. Originally the two boys were wearing the kangas over their jeans and shorts but as the alcohol continued to flow, clothing was shed and they were more comfortable in their newly found "skirts". They simply dropped their drawers and left them in a heap on the floor near the bar. We all moved down to the beach for dinner and ate our way til midnight.
After 2010 was joyfully but quietly rung in, some of us moved back up to the bar area. The two boys and an interesting female "friend" disappeared to the beach and I didn't see them again until about 3pm the following day. Darn that alcohol. Before I went to bed at about 1:30am, sober and exhausted, I mentioned to the general manager, a dive instructor and her student, and a guest that were all hanging out in the bar / sitting area that we should hide their knickers to see how they make out in skirts the next day. There were some suggestions to throw their things in the pool, leave them on the beach, etc, but not wanting to be a complete cow and fully aware of the sketchy life in Africa, I tucked the shoes and bottoms under a bench in the dive shop area which is guarded all night long, as it's close to a fuel storage shed, and went to bed.
When the partiers greeted the day later in the afternoon the next day, I was teaching. Somewhat later, Scott was asking around about his shorts. I let him know where they were last placed in my lame attempt to be funny. As the day wore on, the drama wore on. Brad, the DiveMaster, had words with me letting me know how inconvenienced he was by the fact that without his pants, he could not get into his room, no key, and did not have his cell phone to wake him up so he was late for the dives. Ummm... okay, then sleep somewhere else, there is an open area full of couches, and don't get so drunk that you can't wake up in the morning. Sorry, but really. Did I mention that Brad is gay and seems to have a tendency to be a bit moody? wow. Anyway, as the story unfolds, Brad found all of his belongings but they had been moved. Scott found his stuff as well but said his wallet was missing. I walked through with all of those to be involved exactly what happened and when and said that I do remember feeling Scott's camera in his shorts when I picked them up but nothing in the other pocket. Nothing. And yes, his camera was still in his pocket. Scott handled this all with laid back, take it as it comes grace however I walked into the office and in on Brad having a nice little hissy fit with Raf and the GM, Mac. I of course promptly placed myself in the middle of the conversation because, primarily, it was about me.
Brad's arguement essentially consisted of the fact that if things had gotten stolen from where they left their belongings, then yes, they would just have to suck it up, but because I moved their stuff, it is my fault the wallet had gone missing. Raf and Mac went at Brad hard with the following, 1. this is Africa, don't leave your stuff lying around, EVER. 2. there is no way to know that the wallet wasn't taken from the sitting area that was left empty for 2+hrs while we were all eating and drinking. and 3. I actually moved their belongings to a much more secure area than the open sitting area. Raf and Mac stood their ground stating that I was not at fault, Brad maintained his arguement and insisted that it was. My thought process at this time... holy s**t... 4 days in and I am now being accused of what? being a thief? being an idiot? being untrustworthy? it's going to be a long 6 months if this is the case. I offered to replace whatever money was in Scott's wallet. Raf and Mac immediately said no, Brad said I should. Raf asked Brad to leave.
So the remaining three of us chatted. I went over the deal again, and Raf and Mac laughed, thinking it was a great idea to hide their pants and wished they would have thought of it first. They both felt that something was fishy about the whole deal, there was no way to prove that Scott hadn't really lost his wallet before he even arrived as he knew there was a safe on the premises but didn't lock anything up, and they didn't think I should have to do anything. I, being the new girl, knowing I have to continue to work with Brad, feeling that STUPID ancient Catholic guilt, and wanting to do something to make it right again said I would do what I could to replace what I could. Raf sent me to ask Scott how much was in his wallet - he did some hemming and hawwing, said he had just been to the bank, had several currencies in there, blah, blah, blah and it was somewhere between $500-$600US. F.*.*.K.
Went back to Raf, he said bullshit and the three of us proceeded to chop through weeds and jungle looking for this "stolen" wallet. All the while, Raf and Mac are killing themselves laughing at who they can play this prank on next, how I can improve my technique, and telling me that I will fit in nicely here. Me? I'm just getting sicker and sicker to my stomach.
A few back and forth conversations involving Raf, Scott, and me and it was agreed that Raf would allow Scott to stay a couple more days and dive for free and I would cover whatever it would cost him to get back to Namimbia. All said and done, he came up with $250. A smaller f.*.*.k. but one nonetheless. I've been here four days.
The ensuing drama consisted of Brad and the very sexually liberated female friend deciding to no longer talk to me and me feeling a little bit like ninth grade again. Scott, however, continued to approach me and try to make convesation with me, but I made sure I backed WAY away. No more socialzing. The more unfortunate part in the rest of this is our little kiwi. Remember the sweetheart I mentioned in an earlier blog? The smile that plopped down beside me in the airport? SUCH an interesting guy and just a very happy, appreciative soul, but he was kinda out of the loop, I think, on all of this. So he would be diving all day with the peevedsome threesome then any conversation he tried to have with me when he returned eventually lead to the others separating themselves. I, of course, didn't want anything to do with the whole childish mess so I became "staff". Ate with staff, sat with staff, and chatted with staff. The best way to go about it, really. But I was sad to not have had more of a chance to visit with this dear kiwi and I'm afraid that I may have given him the impression that I wasn't interested in spending more time chatting with him when that wasn't the case at all. I simply didn't want him to be pulled into the middle of the crap. He left today and I was very sad to see him go. Andrew, if you're reading this, I do hope our paths cross again someday...
So that was the $250 scandal that the shop feels I really shouldn't pay but I already committed so it's done. Excellent. (so much for not being wordy. and I haven't even gotten to the BIG stuff yet!)
Actually, I really have to pee and have a shower so I'm going to post this and finish the second half in a bit. I shall title the next blog entry... "The Screamfest". (Now I know you'll definitely check back in.) :)
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