My good luck had to run out...

In the past 15 months I have been very proud of the fact that I have kept remarkably good health here in Sierra Leone.  However, on Friday I discovered what it is to be struck down with a Freetown Tummy.  It was not pleasant.

I'm not sure if my luck ran out or I have become more complacent.  Bottles of hand sanitiser are definitely lasting longer and I have started boiling tap water for my morning cup of tea.  No longer I am back to packet water in the kettle from now on.

I have not become lax with my daily handful of tablets:

1 anti-malarial (I use doxycycline which I have not had any problems)
1 probiotic (to counter the anti biotic qualities of doxy)
1 women's multi vitamin
1 oregano tablet (prophylaxis for gastric issues)

So what do I think could have been the culprit?  Well I had chicken at a bar on Monday night and I wasn't quite right all week.  I think though that an Indian meal on Thursday night may have been the source of my woes.  Luckily it really was only 24 hours of inconvenience. Confined to the house I kept drinking water to flush through my system and topped that up with Oral Rehydration Salts (something I actually carry in my handbag) to replace what was being lost oh so rapidly.

So Friday - death warmed up, Saturday back to my usual self and running around Freetown enjoying that feeling of wellness.

Here's hoping it's another 15 months until I have to deal with that again.

Sights on the road

On Wednesday I made the journey up to Magburaka to collect my belongings.  All packed up and sorted out I headed back on Friday with everything piled into the back of the Land Cruiser.  I thought I had packed in lots but the sights on the road made me realise my mode of travel and experience was pretty mundane.  Here are some of the sights that met my eyes on the final journey from Magburaka to Freetown.

Pulled up behind a poda poda (minibus taxi) to see 4 sheep staring out the back window at me.  The rest of the seats were occupied by Sierra Leoneans – wonder what the smells were like on that journey

Followed a poda with bags of charcoal on the roof and dozing on top of these was a young man as vehicle travelled at 60km per hour along a busy highway

Numerous vehicles with a bunch of people hanging on to the top and sides looking to have varying degrees of security

At every stop we are rushed by people selling water, mangoes, roast meat on a stick (like a kebab).  These sellers chase the vehicles to guarantee a sale yelling out their wares as they run.  In Freetown this is often bags of bread or water

Overtaking that defies logic

Being enveloped in a cloud of dust as we followed lorries across the mountain road

It is mango season and the road appeared to be lined with trays (of varying sizes) of mangoes – the small stringy variety rather than Guinea mangoes which I prefer

Taxis loaded up with 2 in the front, 4 in the back, bundles and belongings poured into open boot and the roof piled high

Back in Freetown

Well it’s one week on since my last post and I’m at the end of my first week back in Freetown.  For some reason the two and a half weeks away felt far longer so  it’s almost like starting over again.  Of course this isn’t the case as I have been welcomed back into the bosom of my Freetown family.

First piece of good news is that I have a new home where I was very warmly welcomed at 7am last Tuesday.  I am subletting from the lovely Jo who has been mentioned before in this blog for her amazing fashion blog – Freetown Fashpack.  Click here to read her musings on the eclectic style of Freetowners.

We have a day guard called Ibrahim who seemed especially excited to meet me and I am transported back to my days in Nashville as he calls me “Miss Lynne”.  We have been bonding as I am around in the day as I start my job hunt. 

So what have I been up to this week?  Lots of catching up with folk as I spread the news that I am looking for a job, that’s what.  Freetown has a small community of expats so my first strategy is to let as many people know as possible that I am looking.  Networking has never been one of my favourite skills but it’s amazing what changes when needs must.

The week ended on a lovely note as there was a party where I managed to see lots of people, dance and generally let my hair down.  Saturday was a time for chilling as a group of us headed to a new guesthouse at Cockle Point to spend the night.  Lovely!  I had heard good things and it really did live up to expectations.  Though it is near River No.2 beach the guesthouse is positioned on the bend of the river giving it a lakeside feel.

Sunset approaches

Banke and Laura wear their shades well

In the morning light

In case we forgot where we were

So rested and relaxed I’m ready for week two and putting those final tweaks on my CV.

Into the unknown

Well here I am, sitting at Heathrow Terminal 5 waiting to board the BA flight back to Freetown.

I have a confession.  I have not been keeping this blog totally up to date.  Truth is that on 27 March I resigned from Concern.  "But you just started" I hear you cry.  Indeed I had but after three and a half weeks I knew this was not the job for me.  A whole host of reasons - mixing the professional and personal.  All that needs to be said is that it is "don don".

However, I am not "don don" with Sierra Leone.  I have decided to return to see what opportunities there are in the area of private sector development.  Given my long corporate career I feel this is where I shall be much more at home and have far more to give.

I have a couple of leads and I shall update you all on my progress.  At the moment I am following the words of Susan Jeffers by "feeling the fear and doing it anyway".  In the last 6 weeks I have been reminded often from a range of family and friends that life is too short to not go out and live life in the way that makes you happy.  I'm ready to embrace my vulnerability and move forward to enjoy a life filled exciting new adventures.

And now a word of thanks to all of you who have listened to me in the last 6 weeks - without you all I would not be sitting here happy and excited about a new challenge.  Sometimes I believe you have more faith in me than I have in myself.  It's time for me to be more accepting of myself and realise I do have all that I need within me.

Following The Work of Byron Katie in the next 4 months I am going to forget about your business and God's business to concentrate on my business.

People come and people go

One thing that I have learnt in the last year is that there is a constant of turnover of people in the expat community in Sierra Leone.  It's hard to get used to saying goodbye so often when you have developed close friendships very quickly.

April is heralding the start of a period of change as a few of my closer friends leave for new opportunities.  The first to head back is Marc.  I have shared a number of memorable Salone moments with him: running the 5km at the first Sierra Leone Marathon, dancing in the rain at Mems after the marathon, being told the story of the West Side Boys on the drive back to Freetown from Makeni, dancing at China House, sitting on a rock at Lakka watching the sunset with the sea lapping while drinking fizz, days at Bureh Beach (see photos below)

Some of the girls from Bureh who arrived calling out "Marc, Marc"

Marc tries out the new sunbeds at Bureh

and most memorable pushing his car along Lumley Beach Road in the dark one evening.

The issue with spending quite so much time with someone is that you may start to think alike.  This was defintiely the case for the photohunt when we turned up in very similar outfits

Twinies

So goodbye Marc.  Thanks for all the memories and I shall see you in London.

Because I'm worth it!

Over the last few years I have kept coming back to the website of the Limewood Hotel in the New Forest.  One day I will go there was my inner mantra.  And you know what this week was the time.

This was pure heaven on Earth. Luxury at a new level for me.  I mean I went out for a run in the New Forest on Tuesday afternoon basking in the winter sunshine under blue skies.  I had no idea how muddy it would be under foot and after 45mins I returned with very soggy and dirty running shoes.  "Can I clean these somewhere I asked?"  "No problem madam we shall clean and dry them for you" came the reply.  Now that's service.

The rest of the stay met this opening high standard.  I ran, I swam , I did Pilates and away from this activity I had a body scrub, destress massage, facial and deluxe pedicure.  All this was balanced by lovely food at the Harnett Holder restaurant - wonderful and best of all topped up with a glass of PX sherry in my beautiful bed.

A dream that when it came true met all my expectations.  I'll start saving now for the next visit - and there will be another visit.

How can you not enjoy this?

Coming up the drive

View from my bedroon

The reception

My lovely bed

A place to chill 

Lovely bath

love when you can adjust temperature with your toe

Enjoying the luxury before dinner

Easter 2013

Hello from the UK!

This year unlike last I have spent my Easter rolling eggs with Kate, Hannah and Eve. Normal service was resumed as I headed to Elgin to spend Easter with the Leonards and the Sauls.

I had landed on the 28th with great worries about my preparedness for the below zero temperatures. I was, therefore, very happy to hear the captain say it was 4 degrees as we landed.  These temperatures have continued and have been joined by bright blue skies and sunshine.  So good is the weather that I have managed three runs where I have not felt the effects of hypothermia and may even have sweated.

However, Duffus Castle was not in the warm category on Sunday.  The wind whipped around the ruined castle as we had a picnic before rolling the beautifully decorated eggs.  There were enough for all the adults too including my mum and dad who were roped in the fun.  I had a special egg to roll as Eve had painted one with me living in a mud hut - perhaps she knows something about my future that I don't.

Eve holding my egg

Here are some images of the day - 31 March 2013 - when British Summertime had officially begun!

View form the castle of the Laich o' Moray

The hill and rolling the eggs

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Happy picnickers

Duffus Castle