Corruption; that's how it starts @anomadsoul. It is a culture in my country to brag about who you know or who you are not what you know. There are people who have no qualifications to speak of, whether in education or in character, who occupy positions of responsibility just because their father knows the governor or something.
A person who expresses aversion to accepting opportunities not merited like you is in the minority these days. In fact, you get taunted and mocked for being that way.
People have in recent years found ways to remove the blame for how their lives have turned out from themselves. If it's not their parents, it is their society, or their religion, or God. No one wants to take the blame for their mistakes anymore. This is why gifts and corruption is embraced. After all, they feel that it is their right and as such it is not wrong.
It is good to see that you like to take stuff based on merit, I do too. That is something I learnt from my father. I love to know that I got it as a result of my sweat not because my dad went behind my back to talk to someone.
Lovely picture of the waterfall there. I hope you had fun?