Monday, November 24, 2003
Well the municipal elections went off peacefully, though with a dreadfully low turnout, despite the fact that none of the major opposition parties boycotted the process this time round. There were certainly some shenanigans in the overall process but nothing major - the current 'partido em poder' won 29 out of 33 places.
To encourage people to vote, the day was in fact a holiday, as I found out almost by accident on tuesday afternoon while inducting some new recruits:
"So have a go at making sense of this manual and then we'll pick up again tomorrow"
"Tomorrow - isn't that a holiday?"
"Er, no, its a wednesday"
"No but the elections..." (genuine concern creeps into voice at thought that crazy foreign boss might seriously be thinking of working on a holiday)
"You what? Hang on then, and let me check with the team..."
So I have a quick run-round (we have now spread into two offices) and sure enough there is a chorus of good-natured insistence that nobody ain't doin' no workin' tomorrow no way Jose. Given the rather chaotic nature of things at the moment we have received no official guidance about this from on high, so Luiz and I decide to give in gracefully.
Come thursday, very few people have the blackened forefinger which means they actually made it to the ballot box - so most of them weren't doin' no votin' neither that day. Still everyone makes up for it by voluntarily staying so late on thurs and even friday that I have to politely suggest they go home before they start making mistakes. Our team is certainly beginning to kick arse if I do say so myself.
To encourage people to vote, the day was in fact a holiday, as I found out almost by accident on tuesday afternoon while inducting some new recruits:
"So have a go at making sense of this manual and then we'll pick up again tomorrow"
"Tomorrow - isn't that a holiday?"
"Er, no, its a wednesday"
"No but the elections..." (genuine concern creeps into voice at thought that crazy foreign boss might seriously be thinking of working on a holiday)
"You what? Hang on then, and let me check with the team..."
So I have a quick run-round (we have now spread into two offices) and sure enough there is a chorus of good-natured insistence that nobody ain't doin' no workin' tomorrow no way Jose. Given the rather chaotic nature of things at the moment we have received no official guidance about this from on high, so Luiz and I decide to give in gracefully.
Come thursday, very few people have the blackened forefinger which means they actually made it to the ballot box - so most of them weren't doin' no votin' neither that day. Still everyone makes up for it by voluntarily staying so late on thurs and even friday that I have to politely suggest they go home before they start making mistakes. Our team is certainly beginning to kick arse if I do say so myself.
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