This government in unbelievable…

... but at the same time so normal for this country: a combination of good intentions and poor planning and worrying execution: the public mourning day in honor of the victims of the helicopter crash.

So this government decided to announce a public holiday Wednesday in the late afternoon – for Thursday! Initially the rumors were that the holiday would be today. So on Wednesday, not being sure, what to believe, I asked everybody when I went home, whether the rumor was true. When I called my boss, he confirmed that the GTZ had received a memo from the ministry announcing a public holiday for Thursday, thus I went out[1] and at like close to midnight, I was told that it was not a public holiday. Great. So apparently, the government cancelled the holiday at around 9 p.m.

What is this? Is it a test to check, whether people believe and do whatever the government tells them? And what is about the people who went upcountry to their kin in the villages? Who is to blame them to believe the first official announcements? If the real public holiday is tomorrow, they have two days off. Hm. That makes me thinking. Neither do I have a radio and nor a TV. How am I supposed to know that I should be in the office yesterday? So, I should have stayed in bed and kept quiet.

So this government decided to announce a public holiday yesterday in the late afternoon – for today! I went home, asked everybody, whether the rumour was true, called my boss, he confirmed, I went outand at like close to midnight, I was told that it was not a public holiday. What is this? Is it a test to check, whether people believe and do whatever the government tells them? A reaction speed test?

And what is about the people who went upcountry to their kin in the villages? Who is to blame them to believe the first official announcements? If the real public holiday is tomorrow, they have two days off. Hm. That makes me thinking. Neither do I have a radio and nor a TV. How am I supposed to know that I should be in the office today? So, I should have stayed in bed and kept quiet.

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[1] Actually, that other French speaking lady wanted to meet me. But then she cancelled it and postponed it for three weeks. Interestingly I keep on reminding me on my friend, who met this French lady in Atlanta ten days before we all left the U.S. and now they live together in Frankfurt. Isn’t that cool?