We were in a training session yesterday morning talking about compelling writing with a group of about 25 journalists. One of them went out to get something and came back saying the CEO of the newspaper was making a major announcement to the whole staff. We wondered if some big issue was at hand, until suddenly the CEO burst in on our session, then began to summarily chastise the group.
“You must stop destroying the toilets,” he said. “It is costing too much money!” He proceeded to say that people should stop standing on the toilet seats, and using the centerfold section of the paper as toilet paper. Reporters loudly responded that “outsiders” were coming in and messing up the seats, and sometimes there wasn’t TPin the stalls, etc.
Bill and I stood there, kind of taken off task, so to speak. This CEO is a Big Man in Uganda, very sophisticated and in charge. He huffed out, shaking his head and acknowledging, “For the CEO to have to make an announcement like this …”
Later, I asked a couple of women what this was about. “People do not trust communal toilets,” one said. So apparently they’d rather stand on them, as if in a hole-in-the-ground latrine, instead of sitting down. And the centerfold of the paper? Well, when in need …
Having seen latrines, and having seen some communal toilets here – it’s a toss up. But I am not exactly sitting down these days … And Bill says standing on the seats isn't all that bad.
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2 comments:
Just the other day, Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff was yelling at us about standing on the toilet seats in our Zillow offices and, oh, never mind.
It's so good to read your stuff! And please stay safe, as always.
P.S. Photos! Especially of the pot holes - not the slaughterhouse.
And I thought Luxembourgian TP was rough and scratchy!
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