I suddenly realised how long it is since i wrote a blog. Last week I went to rolal so another visitor could have my room for a few days. She was a 15 year old girl who had raised a lot of money for educaid and she came with her father who is a supporter.
It is nice and quiet in Rolal but so dusty. Everywhere there is red dust and cars produce a huge cloud that make it hard to breathe.
It is not quiet here in Lumley. For the last two nights there has been all night music playing very loudly. It kept me awake the first night but I crashed out despite it the next. There is a dog in the next compound with a terrible cough, I hope dogs can't get TB, the place is full of posters saying you must go to the doctor if you have a cough for three weeks and that dog certainly has.
I have some horrible fungus infection like athletes foot but nastier. I am now taking some internal pills as well as the cream and sitting with my foot in dettol. Hopefully it will start to go soon.
The boxes of stuff that I sent are still not being released by the docks. Apparently there is suspicion that some of the stuff in the container is for trade and someone is trying to evade the import duty. Maybe Tuesday. Sean has a load of food in his boxes adn he can't wait to get at it.
Jon is coming out on the 23rd march and flying back with me. He is coming to help the IT department. It will be lovely to have him out here.
It is nice and cool out on the veranda now, there is even a breeze. I tend to have an hour's sleep in the early afternoon, its too hot to work. I am surrounded by hills and the black is darker than you ever see in england with all the street lights etc. The blackness is punctuated with lights from the houses with electricity or the occasional fire for cooking. Last night there was a big fire on the hill. The people do it to clear the land, maybe to build another house.
It is mid term break at the moment so no school until Tuesday but I am rewriting a chemistry module at the moment so plenty to do.
Will try not to leave it so long next time,
Pat
Sunday, 27 February 2011
Saturday, 5 February 2011
Sea, sand and sun
after working hard all last weekend training teachers, Ken, Sean and I decided to take a day off. Sean has a friend with a taxi who has taken us befo9re. Unfortunately the nice car he used to have was taken back by the lady he leased it from and noiw he has an old wreck. We were on our way to t he supermarket to stock up on wine for the trip when the clutch cable broke. Luckily w also had Sian with us who used to volunteer here and now lives and works nearby. she phoned her taxi persona and he came and piked us up. We did not g9o as far as river number 2,our ideal destination but went to Franco's which is a resort a bit closer. Sian and I had a swim and we all had the barracuda fillet and chips with plenty of wine. It was a really relaxing day.
Yesterday was really hot and airless. I went up to the primary school I support. It was very hot and sticky. Thern I took a boneshaking taxi into Lumley to collect my photocopying and do a bit of shopping and then taught a practical chemistry lesson to the exam class. Then I fell asleep.
It was very windy today which was refreshing. My fan has broken but we have had no electricity for over 24 hours anyway. They may be load shedding or there may be a break in the line. Who knows? we just wait until it comes back and use the generator in the evenings.
Today was a quieter day. I was cutting and sorting out lots of cards I made of high frequency words to send out to all the womens projects. On Monday it is sex education day so Ken and I are going to write the questions for the quiz afterwards.
In the last week I have treated people for malaria, patched up a boy who fell on the concrete and took great chunks out of his knee and hand and gave antibiotics for a tooth abscess.
One needs to be versatile but I sit outside my room and watch the sun rise most mornings over the hills and that makes it all worthwhile. and of course, the sun and the occasoal sea and sand helps a lot. Am going to fry some rice with an egg for my tea.
will write next week,
Pat
Yesterday was really hot and airless. I went up to the primary school I support. It was very hot and sticky. Thern I took a boneshaking taxi into Lumley to collect my photocopying and do a bit of shopping and then taught a practical chemistry lesson to the exam class. Then I fell asleep.
It was very windy today which was refreshing. My fan has broken but we have had no electricity for over 24 hours anyway. They may be load shedding or there may be a break in the line. Who knows? we just wait until it comes back and use the generator in the evenings.
Today was a quieter day. I was cutting and sorting out lots of cards I made of high frequency words to send out to all the womens projects. On Monday it is sex education day so Ken and I are going to write the questions for the quiz afterwards.
In the last week I have treated people for malaria, patched up a boy who fell on the concrete and took great chunks out of his knee and hand and gave antibiotics for a tooth abscess.
One needs to be versatile but I sit outside my room and watch the sun rise most mornings over the hills and that makes it all worthwhile. and of course, the sun and the occasoal sea and sand helps a lot. Am going to fry some rice with an egg for my tea.
will write next week,
Pat
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Busy. busy
We had science day for the younger students today to try and get them to do science later on. I did three one hour demos on the trot in the science lab. I am quite tired now but Ken, Sean and I are out in an hour to get chicken and chips. I am so looking forward to it.
I found a cockroach in my shower. I saw it out of the corner of my eye and somehow did not feel like a shower that morning. Sprayed it. There was the most enormous spider on my wall last night. I don't usually kill spiders but the thought of it walking on me in the night was too much. Sprayed it. Saw one of the little geckos in my bathroom. Didn't spray it.
We are doing training with all the science teachers in Educaid from tomorrow morning for 4 days so more hard work. I feel a trip to the beach coming on sometime.
The head of science lost his stepmother yesterday so he had to go the the funeral today. There is too much death around. We are going to have a big push on TB at the school, getting them to recognise the symptoms etc.
going to have my shower, ready to go out.
will write again soon,
Pat
I found a cockroach in my shower. I saw it out of the corner of my eye and somehow did not feel like a shower that morning. Sprayed it. There was the most enormous spider on my wall last night. I don't usually kill spiders but the thought of it walking on me in the night was too much. Sprayed it. Saw one of the little geckos in my bathroom. Didn't spray it.
We are doing training with all the science teachers in Educaid from tomorrow morning for 4 days so more hard work. I feel a trip to the beach coming on sometime.
The head of science lost his stepmother yesterday so he had to go the the funeral today. There is too much death around. We are going to have a big push on TB at the school, getting them to recognise the symptoms etc.
going to have my shower, ready to go out.
will write again soon,
Pat
Friday, 21 January 2011
I'm back
I shan't say anything about it being hot, I don't want to rub it in. they actually think it is the cold season, but I suppose by comparison it is a few degrees cooler than usual in the mornings. The Harmattan is blowing and it brings fine dust from the Sahara so it is hazy a lot of the time and everything gets covered in a fine layer. To me it is a warm gentle breeze.
Ken came out with me. He is a retired biology teacher who worked with Miriam. He is out for a month but hopefully we will persuade him he would love to come again. It is nice to have someone to chat to and he has been to interesting places like India nd the Galapogos islands.
when we finally got back to school it was 12.30 and there was no electricity so we had to unpack by candlelight. The mains voltage yesterday evening was so bad we had to turn the generator on. The lights were too dim for anyone to work. Still, at least Freetown has electricity, no-one else much in this country does.
Time to start getting ready for the day, hope there is some water by now.
Pat
I got a nice surprise when I arrived in my room, Miriam had got a wardrobe built with shelves and a hanging rail. It makes me feel much more at home than living out of bags.
We have run out of water in the flat at thie moment. The kids have to fill the downstairs tank from the tap with buckets and then it has to be pumped to the upstairs tank. The pump was turned on this morning but snce there is still no water, someone has gone to check the downstairs tank. Hope there is water for a shower. I have had my coffee so that bit of the morning in OK.
Ken came out with me. He is a retired biology teacher who worked with Miriam. He is out for a month but hopefully we will persuade him he would love to come again. It is nice to have someone to chat to and he has been to interesting places like India nd the Galapogos islands.
when we finally got back to school it was 12.30 and there was no electricity so we had to unpack by candlelight. The mains voltage yesterday evening was so bad we had to turn the generator on. The lights were too dim for anyone to work. Still, at least Freetown has electricity, no-one else much in this country does.
Time to start getting ready for the day, hope there is some water by now.
Pat
I got a nice surprise when I arrived in my room, Miriam had got a wardrobe built with shelves and a hanging rail. It makes me feel much more at home than living out of bags.
We have run out of water in the flat at thie moment. The kids have to fill the downstairs tank from the tap with buckets and then it has to be pumped to the upstairs tank. The pump was turned on this morning but snce there is still no water, someone has gone to check the downstairs tank. Hope there is water for a shower. I have had my coffee so that bit of the morning in OK.
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
At the seaside
It almost seems churlish to tell you about my lovely day by the sea yesterday since you are battling with the colder weather, but I will be back in it myself next week.
I went with the other long term volunteer, Sean, to a fantastic beach with the useless name of river number 2. The river behind the sand bar slowly fill with water which gets as warm as a bath. We rented a beach hut and had white wine and barracuda and chips. The bank opposite has mangrove trees and the hills behind are covered in rainforest.
Back in the noisy city and the last few days trying to get all the resources I am doing photocopied and collated to send out to the other schools on Thursday.
I am going back up to the primary school up the road this morning. They have about 80 children in the nursery. Chaotic. No one in the school is a trained teacher!!
I had a little party for my birthday. I bought a chicken pizza and made egg mayonaise rolls and popcorn and six of the teachers who live near the school went out to the local outdoor bar and I bought the drinks. The Christians drink lager and the Muslims drink Fanta and maltina which tastes like horlicks.
My life has widened out so much since my last birthday, now it is difficult to know which is 'real'. Well back to the real world on Friday so I will make this my last post for this visit. See you soon,
Pat
I went with the other long term volunteer, Sean, to a fantastic beach with the useless name of river number 2. The river behind the sand bar slowly fill with water which gets as warm as a bath. We rented a beach hut and had white wine and barracuda and chips. The bank opposite has mangrove trees and the hills behind are covered in rainforest.
Back in the noisy city and the last few days trying to get all the resources I am doing photocopied and collated to send out to the other schools on Thursday.
I am going back up to the primary school up the road this morning. They have about 80 children in the nursery. Chaotic. No one in the school is a trained teacher!!
I had a little party for my birthday. I bought a chicken pizza and made egg mayonaise rolls and popcorn and six of the teachers who live near the school went out to the local outdoor bar and I bought the drinks. The Christians drink lager and the Muslims drink Fanta and maltina which tastes like horlicks.
My life has widened out so much since my last birthday, now it is difficult to know which is 'real'. Well back to the real world on Friday so I will make this my last post for this visit. See you soon,
Pat
Thursday, 28 October 2010
Back in Freetown
I arrived back here on Tuesday evening. It's noisier than Rolal but the benefits are the loo, the shower and an electric kettle and toaster and far fewer biting insects.
I felt something walking on my face in bed last night. I jumped up and put the light on and saw a cockroach walking up the wall. I tried to splat it with a book but it ran too fast so I got it with a spray. Yuk.
I am going to pick up the boxes of toys and books I sent by ship this afternoon. I am looking forward to sorting it all out and cataloguing it. The idea is to lend the toys to the parents of children and I will give a box to the primary school I have adopted. they don't have anything much at all.
The rainy season is still here and we get some bad rainstorms but they should get less and less over the next few weeks until they disappear altogether.
I am writing some simple stories for the girls who cannot read well based on their lives. Somehow many of them are sad and involve early marriage. Education is their only way out but some of them have a long haul. Most of them only speak the local language Temne. If they speak the everyday language Krio it helps because there are a lot of English words so I learned to speak slowly. I will probably come back and speak in a very simple English to everyone!!
I hope I can go and have a swim later this afternoon in the sea. I have spent 7 weeks wishing for a swim. There was a river locally but bathing in fresh water is not advisable. You can catch all sorts of nasty things.
I was in Rolal to help with the opening of the new senior school. We had the official opening on Tuesday and it went well. The people who put up the money were very pleased. Now we are looking for someone to build the second floor.
Will get on with more work now, so will write again next week.
Pat
I felt something walking on my face in bed last night. I jumped up and put the light on and saw a cockroach walking up the wall. I tried to splat it with a book but it ran too fast so I got it with a spray. Yuk.
I am going to pick up the boxes of toys and books I sent by ship this afternoon. I am looking forward to sorting it all out and cataloguing it. The idea is to lend the toys to the parents of children and I will give a box to the primary school I have adopted. they don't have anything much at all.
The rainy season is still here and we get some bad rainstorms but they should get less and less over the next few weeks until they disappear altogether.
I am writing some simple stories for the girls who cannot read well based on their lives. Somehow many of them are sad and involve early marriage. Education is their only way out but some of them have a long haul. Most of them only speak the local language Temne. If they speak the everyday language Krio it helps because there are a lot of English words so I learned to speak slowly. I will probably come back and speak in a very simple English to everyone!!
I hope I can go and have a swim later this afternoon in the sea. I have spent 7 weeks wishing for a swim. There was a river locally but bathing in fresh water is not advisable. You can catch all sorts of nasty things.
I was in Rolal to help with the opening of the new senior school. We had the official opening on Tuesday and it went well. The people who put up the money were very pleased. Now we are looking for someone to build the second floor.
Will get on with more work now, so will write again next week.
Pat
Saturday, 16 October 2010
The smallest addition to the school
We had an adorable baby goat born a few days ago. a bit premature and very wobbly. the mother was very protectiv3e and squared up to anyone who went near the baby. They were kept separate from the other goats for the night and we had a terrible rainstorm in the night but it was still OK in the morning. Apparently goats are tough which is probably why there are lots of goats and no sheep here.
I visited the primary school again yesterday. I enjoyed the journey on the bike in the morning with the sun on my arms and the wind in my hair but it was spitting with rain and colder in the evening so far less pleasant coming home. For anyone confused by the reference to bikes, it is the only way of travelling on a taxi bike. Or I could walk for one and a half hours of course. I still get looked at as we race along muddy trcks past people's houses but generally everyone is very friendly. This is the politest and friendliest place I have ever been in.
We open the new school a week on Tuesday and there is still much sawing and hammering going on. We have the local MP and councillors coming as well as representatives of the charity that are providing the money for the school. The various clubs in the school are doing preentations and we have been busy making powerpoint prsentations to show the guests.
Looking forward to a hot shower when I get home and a plate of chips. Funny what you hanker after when they aren't here.
Bye for now,
Pat
I visited the primary school again yesterday. I enjoyed the journey on the bike in the morning with the sun on my arms and the wind in my hair but it was spitting with rain and colder in the evening so far less pleasant coming home. For anyone confused by the reference to bikes, it is the only way of travelling on a taxi bike. Or I could walk for one and a half hours of course. I still get looked at as we race along muddy trcks past people's houses but generally everyone is very friendly. This is the politest and friendliest place I have ever been in.
We open the new school a week on Tuesday and there is still much sawing and hammering going on. We have the local MP and councillors coming as well as representatives of the charity that are providing the money for the school. The various clubs in the school are doing preentations and we have been busy making powerpoint prsentations to show the guests.
Looking forward to a hot shower when I get home and a plate of chips. Funny what you hanker after when they aren't here.
Bye for now,
Pat
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