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Published: November 25th 2012
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My posh hotel
I thought I'd share with you a picture of my posh room before I get chucked out. It's not a four poster - it's a mozzy net! SMILE: I've had a much needed rest this weekend! I was clearly suffering heat exhaustion and now I've started to eat again thank fully. I reckon I've lost at least half a stone as my trousers are just hanging in there!
CRY: the hotel contact me to tell me I can't stay after Thursday as the hotel is fully booked. They didn't tell me this when I checked in and told them which dates I wanted. So back to square one. Rather than focussing just on work tomorrow, yet again I have to go hotel hunting. Plus I have to withdraw my daily allowance from the bank machine to pay for this hotel before they chuck me out. I PRAY the machines are working!
I'm going to remain positive though. This weekend I've spent typing up the report for AfID and typing up accounting procedures as agreed last week. Also so templates for them to use. This week my my aim is for the team to use the procedures as they work to ensure they are accurate.
We prepared a rough budget on Friday to illustrate their core costs. I think tomorrow I'll propose making that more accurate
by going back through all the expenses for the last year. The more I think about it the more I think this will be reasonably achievable in the time I have left here.
Also next week I have requested a meeting so that I can encourage them to start thinking of strategies to cover core costs and attract more donor funding. I think I'll be sharing some business and marketing tips to encourage them to be much more proactive. Let's see how it goes?
If you have any marketing or fundraising ideas, please let me know by commenting 😊
I thought of some funny things that happned this week. I was gasping for a drink so went to the local shop with Gentry. Surprise, suprise no water, so I got a bottle of Fanta. Gentry said something but I didn't quite understand what. I purchased my drink and was told I had to sit outside and drink it and return the bottle! Apparently I've only bought the content, not the bottle! So I did as I was told and then all the gentlemen in the street start laughing at me. Gentry said, they find it amusing that a lady is sitting outside a shop drinking out of a bottle!
Apparently because Blessings has been spending so much time with me this week, he's started speaking in English to his colleagues too! They're saying 'have you forgotton how to speak your national language'. Blessings said, I'm like a camelion, when I'm with Sonya.....and I said 'well I can safely say Blessings, you won't be turning white'. Thankfully my humour was well received!
So this evening I just had to cry with laughter in the end... I just ordered my evening snack. I asked for soup to start and the gentleman says 'I'll see if we can make that for you' and put the phone down. Nothing! I call back and he said 'I'm going to bring it to your room'. I asked if he knew which room to which he replied no! And then I suggested I might finish placing my order before they bring the food to my room. When my food arrives, I bet there will be a spoon missing (for the soup) and the bill missing too! Just like last night.
But, they are such wonderful, kind, polite people you can't possibly respond in any other way than smile 😊
p.s. I'll apologise now for mistakes as I'm rushing so I don't use all of my Internet allowance!!!
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Sarah
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Thinking of you
It sounds like you're suffering at the moment but you being you, you're coping with it all with great strength. I do think it's quite a drastic way to lose weight before Christmas though but each to his own :-) You're doing a great job, keep smiling.