Well, home this evening. I am looking forward to coming home and seeing everyone again but it really is like another world here and I shall miss it terribly, and not just the heat, to which I am now fairly acclimatised.
I will be working right up to this evening to finish the last bits of writing but leave to get the water taxi about 5.30 to go across the river to the airport.
I am bringing home a suntan, quite a few photos and lots of memories of all the lovely people I have met here. I think my e mail will be busy for a bit if I get all te messages promised.
Not looking forward to the weather in England but you have all had it for weeks so I don't expect I'm getting a lot of sympathy.
When I get home, I will try and post some of the photos so keep looking.
Pat
Friday, 15 January 2010
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
nearly home
Well, Tuesday already and coming home on Friday. I am going in to the city centre tomorrow to see the sights. There is a huge tree called a cotton tree that has loads of fruit bats that live in it.It is a famous landmark of Freetown.
When I was in Rolal last week I heard a load of twittering noises in the trees but I was told they were fruitbats not birds. There were some beautiful golden birds nesting in a couple of trees, darting around their small nests.
I haven't seen much wildlife here, only a few lizards but there were some kids (the goat variety) and some lovely piglets, that played with a bag just like a toy, in the villages.
Two gap year girls came back with Miriam, they are going to Magbeni for three months to work with the woman's project. I will be going with them in the car on Thursday to show them to their new home. The conveniences are a small hole in a tiny cubical with little light so that will take a bit of getting used to, as will the washing facilities which come as an enclosure with a bucket of cold water.
I was telling Miriam today that I am really looking forward to a long HOT shower. We went to the beach this evening and I sat in the breakers and came back and had a cold shower but it takes more getting used to at 7.30 in the morning.
I am working hard getting all my work collated and ready to be photocopied and turned into teaching booklets but I have managed to rewrite almost the whole of the integrated science course now and am quite proud of my work.
I'm hoping the worst of the freeze will be over by the time I get back on Saturday morning. Getting off that plane at 6.30 am will be a big shock to the system.
Will try and tell you about the fruitbats before I sign off.
Best wishes, Pat
When I was in Rolal last week I heard a load of twittering noises in the trees but I was told they were fruitbats not birds. There were some beautiful golden birds nesting in a couple of trees, darting around their small nests.
I haven't seen much wildlife here, only a few lizards but there were some kids (the goat variety) and some lovely piglets, that played with a bag just like a toy, in the villages.
Two gap year girls came back with Miriam, they are going to Magbeni for three months to work with the woman's project. I will be going with them in the car on Thursday to show them to their new home. The conveniences are a small hole in a tiny cubical with little light so that will take a bit of getting used to, as will the washing facilities which come as an enclosure with a bucket of cold water.
I was telling Miriam today that I am really looking forward to a long HOT shower. We went to the beach this evening and I sat in the breakers and came back and had a cold shower but it takes more getting used to at 7.30 in the morning.
I am working hard getting all my work collated and ready to be photocopied and turned into teaching booklets but I have managed to rewrite almost the whole of the integrated science course now and am quite proud of my work.
I'm hoping the worst of the freeze will be over by the time I get back on Saturday morning. Getting off that plane at 6.30 am will be a big shock to the system.
Will try and tell you about the fruitbats before I sign off.
Best wishes, Pat
Saturday, 9 January 2010
back in touch
Hi everyone.
Sorry for the long delay, but the wireless e mail has broken but I have got the use of one of those sticks that connect to your computer. I have just got back from a trip upcountry to see the other three educaid schools.
Well, first my New Year. It was quite low key, but everyone in Freetown goes to the beach so it was very crowded, far more than at Christmas. I went swimming in the sea though, then walked home and bought a bag of popcorn on the way.
School started on Tuesday but I left at 6.00 am for the upcountry run. I spent a lovely afternoon at the primary school in the village of Maronka. After school, I was shown round the village, which is very small and took some photos. Everyone loves looking at themselves on the image on the digital camera. I took one of the chief's three wives. The first wife seemed to be doing all the cooking. Had a meal of rice and stewed cassava leaves and some palm wine and then walked with some boys to the other junior secondary school. It took one and a half hours. they assured me it was only 2 miles but that was African miles. The first part was lovely, through the trees on a path the chief had had built and he walked with us to see some of his other villages. The next bit was not so nice. All the roads in the area are made of the bright red clay that is everywhere. Whenever a vehicle passes, there is a massive cloud of dust that covers you in red. Anyway it was nice when I arrived, everyone is so friendly.
On thurdsay morning, one of the junior staff came with me to the bus stop. That was in Port Loko and at least a mile away. Then we got a minibus to the junction for the next school. We had to wait three quarters of an hour for the bus to fill up. The roof rack was loaded in and the chickens came inside. The first part of the journey is on a very bumpy road but it did get better when we joined the 'main road'.
When I got off the bus, it is five miles to the village so my first companion, Anthony went back and I was met by someone else from the school. The only way to the village is by motor bike taxi, and one had been chosen because he was more careful than some of the others, so I was in the middle and off we went down the dirt and bumpy road. I loved it!! The warm air on my face, great stuff.
Magbeni is a bigger village and by the river Rolal which is just about tidal at that point. Yesterday I went for a swim and some of the girls joined me in splashing about, very few here can swim at all. This morning I did some science demonstrations for some of the home pupils (those that live in)and then the car came for me about 1 o clock, so here I am back.
Will sign off for now but I have kept up with your weather on the BBC world service.
Will write again soon, now I'm back.
Pat
Sorry for the long delay, but the wireless e mail has broken but I have got the use of one of those sticks that connect to your computer. I have just got back from a trip upcountry to see the other three educaid schools.
Well, first my New Year. It was quite low key, but everyone in Freetown goes to the beach so it was very crowded, far more than at Christmas. I went swimming in the sea though, then walked home and bought a bag of popcorn on the way.
School started on Tuesday but I left at 6.00 am for the upcountry run. I spent a lovely afternoon at the primary school in the village of Maronka. After school, I was shown round the village, which is very small and took some photos. Everyone loves looking at themselves on the image on the digital camera. I took one of the chief's three wives. The first wife seemed to be doing all the cooking. Had a meal of rice and stewed cassava leaves and some palm wine and then walked with some boys to the other junior secondary school. It took one and a half hours. they assured me it was only 2 miles but that was African miles. The first part was lovely, through the trees on a path the chief had had built and he walked with us to see some of his other villages. The next bit was not so nice. All the roads in the area are made of the bright red clay that is everywhere. Whenever a vehicle passes, there is a massive cloud of dust that covers you in red. Anyway it was nice when I arrived, everyone is so friendly.
On thurdsay morning, one of the junior staff came with me to the bus stop. That was in Port Loko and at least a mile away. Then we got a minibus to the junction for the next school. We had to wait three quarters of an hour for the bus to fill up. The roof rack was loaded in and the chickens came inside. The first part of the journey is on a very bumpy road but it did get better when we joined the 'main road'.
When I got off the bus, it is five miles to the village so my first companion, Anthony went back and I was met by someone else from the school. The only way to the village is by motor bike taxi, and one had been chosen because he was more careful than some of the others, so I was in the middle and off we went down the dirt and bumpy road. I loved it!! The warm air on my face, great stuff.
Magbeni is a bigger village and by the river Rolal which is just about tidal at that point. Yesterday I went for a swim and some of the girls joined me in splashing about, very few here can swim at all. This morning I did some science demonstrations for some of the home pupils (those that live in)and then the car came for me about 1 o clock, so here I am back.
Will sign off for now but I have kept up with your weather on the BBC world service.
Will write again soon, now I'm back.
Pat
Monday, 4 January 2010
Can somebody put a shilling in the meter?
Pat has sent me a message letting me know that she is having difficulties in getting online at the moment.
Not exactly sure why, but lack of power is a good bet.
So if you were wondering where the latest blog was, or expecting an email, now you know!
SteveP
Not exactly sure why, but lack of power is a good bet.
So if you were wondering where the latest blog was, or expecting an email, now you know!
SteveP
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