Devon Whittle » Funny

Five Stereotypes of ICTR Interns

devonwhittle — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:42:54 +0000

Sitting in the ICTR office for the past six months I’ve got to see a lot of interns come and go, and for all sorts of reasons. I’ve been thinking, and sometimes we fit into some pretty good stereotypes. I’ve listed some of them here:

There’s the Human Rights Majors: first year (hopefully no later) law students who’ve discovered human rights and want to help lock up the “evil genocidaires” as quickly as possible and for the longest time possible. Usually completely oblivious to the fact that the accused has human rights too. They are relatively unharmful as long as they stick to the Office of the Prosecutor and aren’t found working in Chambers.

Then you have the Here for the Safaris intern who come for two months tops (and sometimes less), spends most weekends on Safari, most Thursdays at Via Via and most Fridays complaining about their Via Via hangover. Happy to fix typos for their entire internship, as long as they only have to work three days week. They are only really annoying when you need to compete with them to get a spot on the free UN flight to Rwanda.

Next are those that are Here for the Long-Haul, one of my favourite types of interns. They come for three months, extend their internship to six months, and now, nine months later, might leave…as soon as their trial finishes (or they manage to snag a paid job here). These interns quickly become the veterans who know everything there is to know about the Arusha/ICTR/UN/Rwanda and learn to resent the coming and going of all us ‘newbies’ (and our constant questions).

There are also the interns who were Expecting New York and didn’t realise that Arusha is not New York City, even if we are working for the UN. They enjoy complaining about power outages, lack of hot water, lack of internet, bad food, dust, dalla-dallas, AK-47s, hot days, cold days, cramped offices and the pole pole pace of things. Also liable to have a paranoid fear of being robbed, being ripped off, using taxis, walking, dalla-dallas, getting food poisoning from fish/milk/the locals or contracting malaria. It is also almost guaranteed that something awful will happen to these people.

Finally there’s the interns that Would do Anything for a Job at the ICTR. These interns really, really, really, really, really, really want to work in international law and willing to do anything to make that happen. Unlikely to share work, tips or food with you, very likely to work overtime and most weekends.

I’m not sure which stereotype I am. After five months I’m probably leaning towards the crotchety old long-hauler complaining about all these newbies ruining my office and front lawn. But I’ve done enough complaining about the internet and offices that I must have a streak of New York-envy in me.

Five Stereotypes of ICTR Interns is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

Wait, so the taxi driver paid you?

devonwhittle — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:59:06 +0000

Lots of crazy things happen here in Arusha, we have constant cleaning of dirt roads, three people not doing the job of one person, the security guard with the mirror he uses as a metal detector under cars, but the funniest story so far has to be the drunk taxi driver who paid interns to drive them home.

After the usual festivities at Via Via a few weeks ago, a few interns called their regular taxi driver for a lift home. After dropping off one of the interns, the rest realised that the driver was more drunk then they were, so they offered to drive his car the rest of the way home (a not unusual occurrence here).

IMG SRC: grooble

When they arrived at their place, the intern driving turned around to the driver, who’s in the back seat, and says “That’ll be TSH3,000″. The driver, being so inebriated, actually paid him the money!

It gets better.

Once everyone left the taxi, the driver realises that something wasn’t right and says to them “Wait, wait, you need to pay me.” So the intern then replies to him “How about TSH3,000?”. He agrees and accepts the TSH3,000 that he has just given to them as payment!

I think this story could only be better if it happened with a Dalla-Dalla.

Wait, so the taxi driver paid you? is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

Overheard in Arusha

devonwhittle — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:56:51 +0000

I heard a school kid singing this song this week in Arusha.

Slave, slave, slave in America.

Working hard day and night.

Planting sugar, sugar and tea.

When I was in America.

See my hand, which is broken.

Working hard day and night.

Planting sugar, sugar and tea.

When I was in America.

If only I had a recording to share with you too. He says it’s a song that all the kids at his school sing. It’s quite catchy, but one wonders about the implications for international relations…

Overheard in Arusha is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

When international law and religion goes horribly wrong

devonwhittle — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:31:56 +0000

Slacktivist has a great post on the ludicrous views espoused and believed by some Christians in the USA. Their obsession with the all-powerful UN would be almost laughable if they weren’t so influential in stymying the development of international law. I particularly find it amusing how they like encouraging some ‘end times signs’ (eg. encouraging war in the Middle East) but then try the best to ‘limit the powers’ of the UN over the US. If they really thought one world government was a precursor to the end, and the UN was the route to that government, surely they’d be the biggest proponents of regional co-operation, merging of currencies etc?

When international law and religion goes horribly wrong is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

UN bureaucracy begins at the entrance

devonwhittle — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 10:21:41 +0000

Alex Evans has a very funny post over at Global Dashboard on the difficulty of (literally) entering the United Nations. UN bureaucracy begins at the entrance is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com. Related posts:Why are we holding governments to the 0.7% GNI aid target? Newstopia getting better Tanza-noise-ia

UN bureaucracy begins at the entrance is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

Great Rodrik quote on financial crises

devonwhittle — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 07:48:55 +0000

Great quote from Rodrik: “When developing countries get into a financial crisis, the problem must lie with their venal politicians and lack of financial discipline. When it is U.S. that is in trouble, the fault must lie with the system. Of course.”

Great Rodrik quote on financial crises is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

Somali pirates acquire Citigroup

devonwhittle — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 02:48:45 +0000

I found this very funny. A fake Bloomberg piece on the Somali pirates “negotiating a purchase of Citigroup”. Somali pirates acquire Citigroup is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com. Related posts:Pirates versus nuclear waste For a bailout, press 'one' Now tweeting live from Arusha, Tanzania

Somali pirates acquire Citigroup is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

Can't sell it? Raffle it!

devonwhittle — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 02:47:32 +0000

This story is from a while ago, but is still quite funny. In the current economic climate people are finding it hard to sell their house, so instead they are running “prize draws”. Of course, now their getting in trouble for running an unlawful lottery. Very clever economics though.

Can't sell it? Raffle it! is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

Good money, bad money

devonwhittle — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 23:49:35 +0000

I’ll have to remember to get some recent money if I ever get to Sierra Leone or Tanzania, given Blattman’s recent post on old money in Uganda, Somalia and elsewhere. Turns out 20th century money is so…last century?

Good money, bad money is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.

What can you get through airport security?

devonwhittle — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 07:10:04 +0000

Jeffrey Goldberg has an hilarious article in the Atlantic on smuggling things through airport security. It just goes to show what a sham this ’security theatre’ is. What can you get through airport security? is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com. Related posts:ICC, Jurisdiction and the Security Council Limits of UN Security [...]

What can you get through airport security? is a post from: Devon Whittle. You can contact the author at devonwhittle@gmail.com.