After an usual Weekend in Kampala...
Why do people commit shoplifting?
Some might have already guessed that I am alluding to the poor chap who happened to find some panties and a pen in his pocket, when he left a local supermarket, which unfortunately were not paid for when he passed the check-out. However, since I do not know the facts, you may follow-up the case in the newspapers. And since one daily is even threatened to be suit, it might become even funnier…
No, I am wondering why anybody might be tempted to put some panties into his trousers’ pocket and take a pen, if he or she could easily afford buying those cheap things. What can be the driving force to commit shoplifting? Maybe the panties were ugly and the person might not want to see others using him cheap office supplies… Honestly, I would mind if such a person be sacked.
Does it make any difference who steals? Is someone who is less favoured more eligible to steal a pair of underwear and a pen than someone who belongs to the social/political elite? Is it appropriate to “sentence” them to pay ten times the amount the stolen (and recovered) items cost and leave them going without formally suing them? Isn’t that a discriminating against poor people who may deserve the right to steal certain things in order to survive? And what is the ethic answer to that question anyway: Are people allowed to steal, when they are hungry? What about the needy in general? Where is the limit of ethically sanctioned stealing?
Completely unrelated to this:
Rumours go that I had a girlfriend. Depending on whom you believe it is either a French or a British girlfriend… But obviously this is not true, why should I change my usual status shortly before I leave? I just have a couple of female friends – nothing more and there are no further intentions. Moreover, I still like that American lady. But whenever, we talk to each other it is always about her pair of glasses or we talk about her boyfriend or to be more precise male friend – he was not very clear, when we talked about her recently and since he showed more intentions I had backed off anyway several weeks ago. Nevertheless, she is nice and I like to give her shit :-) (which was by the way the only colloquial expression that she ever used when we talked with each other). But would fulfil most of the list of requirements: she has a beautiful outward appearance (bei der sich Mutter Natur nicht in ein paar Jahren rächen wird…) she has the right profession, can behave in public in general and at official functions, does not have this terrible North American voice, and does not seem to be as superficial as one might expect.
And for those who might wonder, what happened to the 1l-bottle of Jägermeister. It is empty. We emptied it this morning. It was a funny birthday party and I was happy to be able to offer an alternative to Sambuca or Tequila. I had to drink Sambuca at the Irish pub on Friday. That was tough enough. The have now white waitresses, of which one can speak German. This was partly conducive to their turnover, I have to admit and I think it was also in favour of her tips…
So another weekend is almost over and there are only seven left until I will head back to our headquarters in Frankfurt, unless I get an extension. But since I am not sure, I will take all remaining leave days and go to some national parks.
It is just so unfair. It always takes me so long to find friends and to settle down in a new environment and then I have to leave again. Maybe, I should settle down somewhere. I thought about applying at a bank in Uganda. That would be fun and I could start playing golf ;-)
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that I stood just two meters away from the President on Wednesday evening. He was also in Munyonyo and his guards did not let us pass to our reception because we would have crossed his way. I was talking to a friend on the phone and when I was spotted by one of the presidential guards he signalled me to switch off the phone. So I hung up and turned to some colleagues asking them what would happen if I tried to take pictures – “Don’t dare that! And turn around”, our country director said and there he was: The President of the Republic of Uganda. I was surprised to see that he was not as tall as I expected. And in contrast to his speeches I heart, his small talk was clear and fluent. I was indeed surprised.
Some might have already guessed that I am alluding to the poor chap who happened to find some panties and a pen in his pocket, when he left a local supermarket, which unfortunately were not paid for when he passed the check-out. However, since I do not know the facts, you may follow-up the case in the newspapers. And since one daily is even threatened to be suit, it might become even funnier…
No, I am wondering why anybody might be tempted to put some panties into his trousers’ pocket and take a pen, if he or she could easily afford buying those cheap things. What can be the driving force to commit shoplifting? Maybe the panties were ugly and the person might not want to see others using him cheap office supplies… Honestly, I would mind if such a person be sacked.
Does it make any difference who steals? Is someone who is less favoured more eligible to steal a pair of underwear and a pen than someone who belongs to the social/political elite? Is it appropriate to “sentence” them to pay ten times the amount the stolen (and recovered) items cost and leave them going without formally suing them? Isn’t that a discriminating against poor people who may deserve the right to steal certain things in order to survive? And what is the ethic answer to that question anyway: Are people allowed to steal, when they are hungry? What about the needy in general? Where is the limit of ethically sanctioned stealing?
Completely unrelated to this:
Rumours go that I had a girlfriend. Depending on whom you believe it is either a French or a British girlfriend… But obviously this is not true, why should I change my usual status shortly before I leave? I just have a couple of female friends – nothing more and there are no further intentions. Moreover, I still like that American lady. But whenever, we talk to each other it is always about her pair of glasses or we talk about her boyfriend or to be more precise male friend – he was not very clear, when we talked about her recently and since he showed more intentions I had backed off anyway several weeks ago. Nevertheless, she is nice and I like to give her shit :-) (which was by the way the only colloquial expression that she ever used when we talked with each other). But would fulfil most of the list of requirements: she has a beautiful outward appearance (bei der sich Mutter Natur nicht in ein paar Jahren rächen wird…) she has the right profession, can behave in public in general and at official functions, does not have this terrible North American voice, and does not seem to be as superficial as one might expect.
And for those who might wonder, what happened to the 1l-bottle of Jägermeister. It is empty. We emptied it this morning. It was a funny birthday party and I was happy to be able to offer an alternative to Sambuca or Tequila. I had to drink Sambuca at the Irish pub on Friday. That was tough enough. The have now white waitresses, of which one can speak German. This was partly conducive to their turnover, I have to admit and I think it was also in favour of her tips…
So another weekend is almost over and there are only seven left until I will head back to our headquarters in Frankfurt, unless I get an extension. But since I am not sure, I will take all remaining leave days and go to some national parks.
It is just so unfair. It always takes me so long to find friends and to settle down in a new environment and then I have to leave again. Maybe, I should settle down somewhere. I thought about applying at a bank in Uganda. That would be fun and I could start playing golf ;-)
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that I stood just two meters away from the President on Wednesday evening. He was also in Munyonyo and his guards did not let us pass to our reception because we would have crossed his way. I was talking to a friend on the phone and when I was spotted by one of the presidential guards he signalled me to switch off the phone. So I hung up and turned to some colleagues asking them what would happen if I tried to take pictures – “Don’t dare that! And turn around”, our country director said and there he was: The President of the Republic of Uganda. I was surprised to see that he was not as tall as I expected. And in contrast to his speeches I heart, his small talk was clear and fluent. I was indeed surprised.
posted by Torsten at 3:31 pm
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