Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.94.961219150920.6387A-100000@acy1.digex.net> Date: Thu, 19 Dec 1996 15:30:35 -0500 From: Tu and Bob Myers <mailto:tuandbob@ACY.DIGEX.NET> Subject: Re: Culture adjustments To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
On Thu, 19 Dec 1996, J.C. WANDEMBERG wrote:> On Wed, 18 Dec 1996, Tu and Bob Myers wrote:
>
> > What does work is setting a good example instead of complaining and
> > pontificating.
> My guess is that most people are not ready, willing or able to be weaned
> of from our *representative* democracies whereby government paternalism
> and citinzenry dependency have been profoundly established.
That's why us "damn furriners" have to employ a little gentle persuasion by asking "What do you think about" or "Do you think anyone would object", and then getting off the back of ones lap and doing something instead of complaining.
I was in one of the southern of the two Negros PI provinces (can't remember whether it's Oriental or Occidental) in the mid '60s. Everybody bathed and washed in a mountain stream. There was no place to work around with water deeper than 8-10 inches. Everyone thought it would be a nice idea if there was a pool area, but the land didn't belong to anyone, so...
I started a small dam. Then the kids joined for a couple of hours. At the end of about three weeks, the dam had been reenforced, big rocks for washing had been moved into place, people would add a rock or two when they came to wash or bathe... It wasn't planned, it just "sorta happened". It just took a little nudge.
Bob