On Monday, I went to do a bit of shopping in Port Loko. It was about 2 miles down the road and i ended up with a blister and it was very hot. I got hard boiled eggs, oranges, bread and bananas. To get back we took taxis. That is plural because they are all motor bikes.They usually take 2 passengers but the road was slippery so they refused and Abie and I had to get separate ones. I rather enjoyed it. I will have to take one again on Friday because I am going to the primary school in the village of Maronka each Friday and it takes about one and a half hours to walk. Some of the kids come from the village every day but they walk faster than me.
I have just removed a large black ant from my shoulder, before it had tme to take a bite. There are small balck ants in my room and I think that is what is biting me at night. Obviously the mosquito net does not frighten them. we are going to put kerosine round the outside of the room to try and keep them out.
Tomorrow we are going to separate the girls who cannot read at all and I will start to teach them from the beginning. Some of them have not been to school at all and the local primary seems to be useless. One problem is that the government does not pay teachers for months so they have to find another way of getting money so they don't do much teaching.
The church has already got me in its sights. I've had an envelope addressed to me for money for the collection for the poor next sunday. mass starts an hour later at 10 but I am told it will go on for about 2 and a half hours. O for Fr Tibor's homilies, short and sweet.
Noow it is cooler, I shall get on with some work. Keep watching,
Pat
Wednesday, 22 September 2010
Sunday, 19 September 2010
10th anniversary
Yesterday went well. Despite it being a Saturday, all the children ere expected to attend school and most of them did. we had a play abhout TB, a quiz on AIDS, TB maths and english which sounds a bit serious but the girls won.The girls had a football match aND THEN THE BOYS DID. iT WAS REALLY HOT AND i WENT FOR A NAP IN THE AFTERNOON. iN THE EVENING WE HAD A DISCO FOR THE HOME BOYS AND GIRLS, (THE ONES THAT LIVE IN) Ignore the capitals, must have pressed the cap lock. A lot of the local women came with their children and we all danced energetically despite the heat.
Today I walked a miole to Mass with the school head. I slipped over and my knees nd hands landed in thick red mus (there's a lot of it about) but we went to a house and got water to wash me down. The church is really nice and the service good although a bit longer than I'm used to at 2 hours. Much singing and drumming and clapping. A bit different than usual. the hurch is Our Lady of Lourdes.
I am getting used to the hole in the floor but the loo is about 50yards across the comp9ound and needs a torch at night. The wash cubical is a concrete block behind the loos and someone puts a bucket of water in for me. Everyt5hing here is bare concrete, not very aethetic but functional.
There is fruit around, mainly oranges and bananas. Those golden plums are called lemo9ns here and have a prickly stone inside. My other mainstay is egg mayonnaise rolls and laughing cow cheese. I also have a good supply of cup a soups. Not very African.
We are waiting for Miriam to arrive. She flew in from Kinshasa for the anniversary celebrations aqnd is visiting all the schools.
There are a lot of insects of all types here. Oddly enought he houseflies are the least unpleasant, most of the others bite and seem to love my legs. Itr is just too hot to wear long sleeves and long trousers so I'll keep taking the tablets and trying to scare them away with repellant.
I think it wil rain again soon, its been on and off all day and it is very muggy. Everyone here is very friendly. I may be the only white oerson in the district (this is not a multicultural society) but a man came up0 to me this mo9rnng to thank me for what I was doing. The word for white person is opoto and the little ones point and shout. The babies all cry when they see me but I'm used to that now.
Lets hope this goes. Will post again soon.
Pat
Today I walked a miole to Mass with the school head. I slipped over and my knees nd hands landed in thick red mus (there's a lot of it about) but we went to a house and got water to wash me down. The church is really nice and the service good although a bit longer than I'm used to at 2 hours. Much singing and drumming and clapping. A bit different than usual. the hurch is Our Lady of Lourdes.
I am getting used to the hole in the floor but the loo is about 50yards across the comp9ound and needs a torch at night. The wash cubical is a concrete block behind the loos and someone puts a bucket of water in for me. Everyt5hing here is bare concrete, not very aethetic but functional.
There is fruit around, mainly oranges and bananas. Those golden plums are called lemo9ns here and have a prickly stone inside. My other mainstay is egg mayonnaise rolls and laughing cow cheese. I also have a good supply of cup a soups. Not very African.
We are waiting for Miriam to arrive. She flew in from Kinshasa for the anniversary celebrations aqnd is visiting all the schools.
There are a lot of insects of all types here. Oddly enought he houseflies are the least unpleasant, most of the others bite and seem to love my legs. Itr is just too hot to wear long sleeves and long trousers so I'll keep taking the tablets and trying to scare them away with repellant.
I think it wil rain again soon, its been on and off all day and it is very muggy. Everyone here is very friendly. I may be the only white oerson in the district (this is not a multicultural society) but a man came up0 to me this mo9rnng to thank me for what I was doing. The word for white person is opoto and the little ones point and shout. The babies all cry when they see me but I'm used to that now.
Lets hope this goes. Will post again soon.
Pat
Thursday, 16 September 2010
here at Rolal
Well, arrived here on Tuesday. That was a tiring day, up at 5.30 and lots of bumpy road. Much more peaceful here than in Freetown. It was so quiet, I slept until 7.45 this morning and staff meeting was at 8.
I bought hard boiled eggs, bread and mayonaise on the way here so have been eating egg mayonaise rolls for a bit. We had rice and stewed green leaves, done in palm oil for lunch and I must admit I can't get on with it. I had just rice (called empty rice) but a girl came round with big yelleow stewed plums this afternoon for 5p each so I had 2. Lovely. Latr I saw someone with round slices and thought they were pancakes. In fact they were cucumber, the ones here are very short and fat but nice to crunch so I had 2 slices. These less than 2p a big slice.
I have a mosquito net like a dome tent. My matress fits inside and it zips up just like a tent. Good job, the insects here are many and various and a lot of them bite. but the bites go away if I can stop myself scratching.
I am doing teaching wit the womens project here and write the daily phonics lesson and seend it to the other schools. We have an internet stick so can access e mail so do write and tell me what's going on and I will try to post every week. Haven't had coffee or tea since I arrived, no hot water. They only light the fire to cook at lunchtime. Probably do me good.
best wishes, Pat
I bought hard boiled eggs, bread and mayonaise on the way here so have been eating egg mayonaise rolls for a bit. We had rice and stewed green leaves, done in palm oil for lunch and I must admit I can't get on with it. I had just rice (called empty rice) but a girl came round with big yelleow stewed plums this afternoon for 5p each so I had 2. Lovely. Latr I saw someone with round slices and thought they were pancakes. In fact they were cucumber, the ones here are very short and fat but nice to crunch so I had 2 slices. These less than 2p a big slice.
I have a mosquito net like a dome tent. My matress fits inside and it zips up just like a tent. Good job, the insects here are many and various and a lot of them bite. but the bites go away if I can stop myself scratching.
I am doing teaching wit the womens project here and write the daily phonics lesson and seend it to the other schools. We have an internet stick so can access e mail so do write and tell me what's going on and I will try to post every week. Haven't had coffee or tea since I arrived, no hot water. They only light the fire to cook at lunchtime. Probably do me good.
best wishes, Pat
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