Does this count as recanting?

Because after my generous comments below about living here--and I do stand by them--I have just been to pay my electric bill and renew my post office box, both of which require me to "queue up." And I'm not sure I'm ever going to get over what goes on in lines around here. But still...

There are no lines, really. Some people (myself included) do stand in lines. I'm not sure why, though. Take the electric line, for example. I stand in line and bring in last month's bill and they use the code to print the new one, then I get in another line to pay the bill. Really, it's not a big deal. Except that anyone who decides not to stand in line, well, just doesn't. They just go up and stuff their paper or whatever through the slot. And the worker, does s/he do anything? Nope. Except to help the person that's budged up in front of the line.

Really, I glance around to try to gauge the reactions of those around me. If the person at the head of the line that gets budged on is a woman I figure that maybe she can't tell someone (usually, but not always, a man) to back off. I'm a pretty patient line stander and I refuse to descend to the level of those I'm irritated at (at least this particular instance). I don't speak Swahili very well, still (another frustration I forgot to mention in the last post) and I understand less. I've even given considered the fact that an act is not rude if there's not a rule about it. But still...

At the electric line it was just one person in each line. So I take a deep breath, and announce, "Samehane, tume subiri. Tupo kwanza. Lazima unasubiri pale." Translated, I hope, it's "Excuse me, we have been waiting. We are here first. You must wait over there." I get ignored, in which case I repeat myself. Or, they reply, I don't understand, so I repeat myself. The trouble is, if I'm at the front of the line, I can bodily stop the budge. If I'm back a ways, I'm shot, because I'm getting no support from those around me.

At the post office, it was worse, because it wasn't one budger at a time--it was 4-5. There is a small chance that some of the budgers have a small need (like buying 1 stamp) while some of us have longer requests, but still...given the pace at which anyone works here means that whatever is going to get done slowly. Now, it's not just a one-on-one thing. I'm going to go head-to-head with a group and employ the same techniques they're using to budge in to foil their attempt. It was mildly successful--or unsuccessful if you're the type of person who sees the glass as half-empty.

And I want to affirm that I have changed! I have adapted! I no longer assume that a task will take a couple minutes. The length of a line has no bearing on how long it will take. No matter what people tell me I am probably not going to send "someone" (whoever that may be) to do these things for me. I know it'll probably take more time than I think it will (or should) and I plan accordingly. I even bring a book. But still...

I'm not getting over it.