Country X (part two)
Eli 21.6 told me two stories in particular.The first was that when the civil war in Country X ended (twenty years ago), ex-combatants were given ID cards by the United Nations. They look like a driver's license, with a name, a picture, and some basic information. Also, at the bottom, were four small squares.
Each square represented a payment from the U.N. to the cardholder for $150. When the payment was received, a square would be punched.
Ex-combatants still carry these cards around today, and during their interviews, they showed them to Eli. They still carry the cards because the U.N. never made the last two payments. Every card has two squares unpunched.
The second story involves the road signs. In the remote county he was visiting, Eli said there seemed to be a rusted sign every mile or so along the road touting a U.S. or U.N. development project. The projects were all abandoned, and all that remains are the signs.
There were rumors among the inhabitants of the village before Eli arrived. Some people believed he was from the U.N. and would be making the final two payments. Others believed he was from the Hague and was coming to prosecute them for war crimes.
Like I said yesterday, when they found out he was a student, they were tremendously kind.
While the official language of Country X is English, there are many different dialects. Among the more educated, the English is heavily accented but comprehensible. The rest require a translator, because the dialect is unrecognizable.
Eli said the experience was life changing. He also said he now fully realizes how much courage is needed to be doing this for a career. Situations can become unpredictable very quickly.
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