Goodbye Rain ..... Hello Beach

The rainy season is slowly coming to an end.  It is still raining but the amazing downpours seem to now be consigned to the hours of darkness.  This is great for sleeping as they usually bring a breeze which cools my bedroom no end as the windows are never shut so I can enjoy the natural fan.

The days are now warming up again and temperatures in the 30s are not unusual.  Warm days equal beach days.  The Peninsula Road is slowly improving too as the rains fade and a world of opportunities for sand and surf has opened up.

In the last two weeks I have managed three trips: Tokeh, No2 River and Lakka.   For these I am very grateful to Marianne, Tommy and Ed for driving.  I had forgotten how warm and soft the water is and it is tempting to spend the day bobbing about in the waves. Wouldn't you?

Tommy and Carolyn take a rest from frisbee

Perfect place in the sun

New bikini!

Time at the beach also means fish.  My favourite is Baracuda Kebab with chips – lovely.  Vegetables may be lacking but always worth asking for extras if they have them.

The beach you’d think would be free of shopping opportunities but no, as the shopping comes to you in the form of sarongs, bags (of all shapes and sizes), hammocks, country cloth blankets, hairbands... the list goes on.  Here are a my recent purchases

Clutch bag and ipod h

Acronyms – you can never have too many...

Well not in this country!

At work I am constantly falling over acronyms as they appear to be the cement that binds the building blocks of development together – I mean NGO, INGO it starts there.   I suppose the most obvious ones are the UN Family, as my boss calls them, UNDP and UNFPA being two.  We have UK funding through DfID and more obviously from the US USAid. 

People are not immune from this shortening either.  It must be said it did take me a while to work out who this H.E. was that kept coming up in meetings.  His Excellency the President – oh a light bulb went on. At work I am constantly battling against my boss being referred to as the PA (Principal Accountant) as he is officially now the DFR (Director of Financial Resources).

Groups of people are then known by them too.  Who’s that you’ll ask and often a response may be that he’s an AGI or an ODI, or a VSO.  There is one group that seem to have missed out on this and that will be - oh he/she’s Craig Bellamy.  Not sure how that happened.

However, they are sneaking into my life outside work too.  So in my diary you’ll find I regularly run at AWC (Aberdeen Women’s Centre) and have been to a couple of Hog roasts at BHC (British High Commission).   When the power goes the cry is "No NPA".

The funniest one for me is that people become initials – Dr ABC, ABK, SAS on it goes.  It even affects me as one of my colleagues calls me MBT as a shortening of Mabinty.

 So TTFN...

Changing Rooms Salone Style

There have been times in my past (14 years ago) when I have been  told that I bear a resemblance to Carol Smillie who presented Changing Rooms on BBC1. I personally never saw it myself but I was separately stopped on the tube and bus to be informed of this likeness.
 

Anyway, Changing Rooms was a programme where couples would swap houses with friends or neighbours with each pair doing up one room in each other's homes.  Some of the ideas were interesting, to say the least, and the highlight of the programme was the reveal at the end.

Why this reminiscence? Well, a few Fridays ago there was a hive of activity in the office next to mine.  Nosey as ever, I had to have a look and discovered a major revamp job underway.  I grabbed my camera to take the before picture.

Before

Back in the office on Monday I rushed to see what transformation had occurred over the weekend.   I opened the door and was speechless at what I beheld

After

I have truly never seen an office that fancy in all my years of working – and that includes my time in Nashville where an office was not complete without a sofa.

Inspired by the difference a bit of redecoration and reupholstering can make I have set about updating my balcony.  How do you think I’ve done?

Before

After

 All ir needs is a good lick of paint now - but that maybe for another day.

Half way there

Today (18 September 2012) marks the half way point in my VSO journey.  I touched down at Lungi on 18 March and a whole new chapter opened up for me.  It’s been a great experience so far with it’s ups and downs but one I would not change for anything.  So what helped me reach this point in such good spirits? Well,  in no particular order.

1. Sitting on my balcony at the end of the day taking time to reflect on each day’s events
2. Weekly run/walk on the beach followed by dinner and a hot shower at Aberdeen Women’s Centre – thanks Carolyn, Tommy and Jude
3. Living by myself for 5 months (that is going to change!)
4. Sharing the ups and downs with my fellow VSO volunteers who arrived in March – thanks Aofie and Deborah
5. All the good wishes and love from family and friends at home
6. Trips to the beach – thanks Ed
7. A bed in a house with lovely thick mattress, air conditioning and no barking dogs where I can have a blissful night’s sleep – thanks again Ed
8. My Sierratel Dongle – it’s internet access but not as you know it
9. Meeting such amazingly welcoming people in Freetown – you know who you are!
10. Entertaining on the balcony  and seeing how to co-ordinate dinner for 6 using only 2 gas rings and an assortment of crockery, pots and other cooking equipment
11. My daily supplement and anti-malarial regime – I have been ridiculously healthy, sore toe excepted
12. Checking  http://freetownfashpack.blogspot.com/everyday to enjoy Jo’s wonderful fashion insights – click on the link, it’s a hoot
13. Reading my Guardian weekly – especially doing the quick crossword.
14. Finally, my three week break to UK in August – recharging is good!

So let’s see what the next six months brings.

Footnote:  I wrote this before Friday's events - but it doesn't change the fact that I am thoroughly enjoying this experience.  I am now wiser and will change my behaviour to avoid taking silly risks again.  You live and learn!

A Freetown Friday Night ..... and the bad

I hopped out of the car, keys and torch in hand, to cross the road after it pulled away.  I was aware of three youths coming towards me which isn’t too unusual as most locals approach you wanting to be your friend.  This was different, they surrounded me pushing me to grab my bag.  I am old enough and ugly enough to realise that possessions are not important so let them take it without putting up a fight.  A last push and I was on the ground watching them run down the road. 

Fight or flight?  No, for me it was freeze as I couldn’t quite grasp what was happening.  I shouted my guard’s name as I pulled myself to my feet to start walking down to the house.  He came up saying he had seen the 3 boys run past.  I thought they may ditch the bag after they’d found the money so walked with him around the two possible routes they may have taken but found nothing.  Reflecting on this I think I just had to do something to try to take control again.  

There is always a positive somewhere and mine was that my house keys were in my hand so I could let myself in.  At the end of the day I was unharmed and safe in my own room, though I must admit there were tears in my eyes.

One of the annoying parts of this incident is that my new London 2012 Team GB umbrella was in the bag – if you see anyone in Freetown using it let me know.  I’m also going to the second hand market to see if I can find a genuine navy Mulberry satchel – I know it will be genuine!

Please don’t worry about me reading this as it was an opportunistic theft and I will always be dropped at my door from now on.  Six months in I became more complacent and pushed your luck. So, lessons to be learnt and confidence to rebuild but you all know me – I’ll be fine!

A Freetown Friday night - the good…..

Friday is the night when it all happens in Freetown.  The bars and clubs are full as people winding down at the end of the working week.  So Friday is a night for a plan and this Friday I had a night of new experiences – not all of which were welcome.  The plan? Dinner at a Korean BBQ in Aberdeen followed by drinks and some dancing at the newly opened Adeladore Wine Bar – yes a wine bar in Freetown!

It started out as a small group but expanded so that in the end we filled the restaurant. A mix of expats from a diverse range of Freetown based organisations.  Korean BBQ is a communal experience as meat and fish are cooked in a central hotplate with everyone sharing the salads, sauces and lettuce leaves.  A great way to become acquainted with new people and it was a happy bunch that headed off in convoy to Main Motor Road.

Scarily I was in charge of directions but it all went well.  Some of the group were sceptical that anything resembling a wine bar could have opened but they were ready to be shocked and surprised.  It is a super wee place with a bar serving wine by the bottle or glass and beers. Friday night is dancing night and as the night progressed more people took to the floor to our favourite Salone tunes – Chop My Money always figures highly on the list.

About 1.45am time came to leave and arrange the transport  home.  I shared a lift with a couple of others who were heading up my street.  My road is notoriously bad following the rains (and before) so I often ask people to drop me at the top and I walk down.  I never meet a soul and with my guard at the gate I feel safe doing that.  Well I did feel safe as Friday night changed all that.