Wanted: Ruby Slippers

Must be in good, working condition, i.e. when I click my heels 3 times and repeat "There's no place like home", I'll end up back in Samoa.

It's time for the semi-regular homesick blog post, so tune out now if you're sick of it.

You know what really grates me? When some middle-class people from NZ visit another country where things don't run at the standard they expect and services may not be as good as they expect (or are just downright crap ... or non-existent even), then they return with "horror stories" about how awful it was. I turn double-Hulk especially when those people are Christians. (By the way, those "other countries" include but are not limited to Samoa).

I hate, hate, hate it when I see people so eager to pray for the lost, the less fortunate, the poor, etc and yet when dumped into a situation amidst those poor unfortunate people and all that is really reflected is self. I had a terrible time because the service was slow. I couldn't understand anything because no one spoke English. I didn't get what I want. I complained about their standards. I'm so glad I left. You had to pay to swim at the beach!

Pisses. Me. Off. Listen up, I've got a few things to say, and I'm gonna say it real nice:

If you voluntarily decide to buy a plane ticket and visit another country for recreational purposes, please do not expect everyone there to learn your language so they are able to understand you and cater to your every whim. If you really wanted to understand and be understood, learn their language. That country is their home, they have the right to speak whatever language they choose to.

You are no longer in your country. Whatever standard of service you receive here does not count for anything. Without having the full picture of the standard of living, cultural differences and economic situation (amongst other things) in that country or area, you don't really have a basis to determine what is an "acceptable" standard of service for what you are paying.

Have you ever considered that the unappetising food you received at the hospital, the long waits for whatever approval processes, the corrupt officials and the mosquitoes are what the locals are faced with. Every single day. Can you honestly tell me that your anger and complaints were for the "better good" so that the standards can be "raised", or were they really out of self-pity, or your expectation of what you think you deserve from life, or a misconception of what hardship can really mean? Did you take time out from drowning in your sorrows to bless someone? To put yourself in the shoes of those around you? Oh wait, they probably didn't have shoes. How unhygienic of them. Maybe that's why they couldn't run as fast to fetch the silver platter.

I miss home. Warts and all.