Ring, ring, ring – and the thread of your discussion goes ping! We’re discussing a complex accounting issue with my Haitian colleagues, in three languages (English, French, Creole). Then … a shrill jingle… the phone is picked up. And poof! The thread of thought is broken. On another day I was in a personal 1-to-1 conversation with a Haitian friend … a shrill jingle… the phone is picked up. And poof! A sheepish smile “sorry, I won’t be a moment.”
If I’m honest – after many visits to Haiti, I still get annoyed. For a people who value personal relations so highly, I wondered why is an incoming call given such priority over face to face conversation.