Question (2) Guests
 

For Nyamera

Perhaps you did not understand my message properly or perhaps you have only done safaris to one country. Let me try again:

1. My last paragraph gives you an indication of where I am from.
2. I worked with illiterate guides a long time ago (before I became a specialist) I had no problem with that at all in fact it was a wonderful time in my life as a guide.
3. Who says I don't have the job I want, I traded guests for conservation years ago - probably on some subconscious level I was over exposed to narrow minded people like yourself?
4. The toughest part of my current job is having to do the work of several colleagues because they are under qualified. If their posts were filled by people who were judged on their ability and qualifications and not on "something" else then my life would be simpler and I would have more spare time to lead my botany field trips!

As you say no job is perfect.

Seems we both did not want this topic to die.

Your title says it all.

I have no doubts that what daltond and burntout are telling is true. I made similar experiences during my safaris though in a more subtle way.

Nyamera, there are differences between East and southern Africa, also differences between the different kinds of safari markets.

What burntout mentioned with '"something" else' has already been told in several posts on Fodors, but it's a little bit of a
'delicate' topic.

Who reported the “questions to guests” thread to the editors and why?
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35099493

Burntout,
Your post makes me feel you haven’t even read what I wrote in the thread that was blocked. I reacted to several things in that thread, but mainly to your attack on me for not feeling sorry for you, the talented expat who has put up with guiding when you really deserve to work in conservation.

Dantond’s first post was very cryptic, South Africa isn’t the centre of the world, I (and other Fodorites) haven’t been there and I’m not the only one who didn’t understand. Dantond could just as well have been a Kikuyu complaining that guests “feel more sorry for” Maasai guides or an expat (as you) complaining that guests “feel more sorry for” citizens. There were several issues discussed, but reading your latest post I suppose, for you, everything is about being discriminated against because you’re not black and I’ve only heard about that occurring in South Africa. I still don’t know where you’re from and how you were fortunate enough to get jobs in Africa. There are many countries that a “non-white” expat could be from. I suppose you’re not black either as you seems to be sharing daltond’s problem. As said, I haven’t been to SA and I don’t know how real your problem is, but knowing the recent history of that country with <b>very</b> extreme discrimination in the other direction I think you shouldn’t be too surprised if people have problems feeling sorry for you for being discriminated against because of your skin colour.

I don’t know if any guides have been burnt out by their job because of me, but I do know that if that is the case it’s certainly not because of any narrow mindedness of mine.

Nyama, I didn’t think you had problems with delicate topics. If that’s what Southern Africa does to you, I’ll keep to the East.

BTW, ann-nyc wrote a cryptic post about lower tips for the wrong demographic while working at a resorts at the Catskills. I’d never heard about the Catskills and sometimes I’m curious, so I googled. Am I right if I say that ann-nyc is not Jewish?

That would be my guess but it's only a guess as I have no first hand experience with the area. My response is based on the historic make-up of the resorts in region which was known as the &quot;borscht belt&quot;.

Bob

Thanks Bob!

You'd be surprised how many non-Jewish resorts there are in the Catskills. But as ann-nyc mentions it appears she was at a Jewish resort. Considering that staff and guests at all these places come from every ethnic and religious group, as well as those from states outside of NY and countries outside the US, such comments are never called for.

It always comes down to the individuals involved. Strange lot! People!

I just want to add that the white South African ex-guide “Dantond” and the neither black nor white expat conservationist and ex-guide “Burntout” are the same person. I suppose they’ll just have to spend their lives together if an operation isn’t possible.

Why did the first thread get locked? And at least I m not running around with 2 screen-names....I am who I am.

Scott

Scott,
The answer is in this thread http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35099844

Maybe burntout and Dantond are different people but using the same computer, Nyamera?

I actually imagine them as two buddies using different terminals with the same email address in some dull office in Johannesburg, like that guy in Lost - the loser in the wheelchair who mysteriously morphs into an outdoors-type action hero after the plane crash. Have you seen Lost?

Just thought I'd mention that - not that I imagine anyone really wanted to know!