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Published: February 12th 2013
I saw a monkey travelling on the roof of a car today!
And the cutest ickle fluffy puppy yesterday, but I didn't get the rabies jab so I can't play with any of them! Sad times.
The work has officially started now after a weekend of fun birthday celebrations for Marie (long-term Street Child volunteer). It meant I got to meet loads of great people, ex-pats, locals and volunteers. VSO work quite a lot in Makeni, which means there are a few new grads and people yet to start uni. I was really surprised how many international people there were in Makeni, its probably the size of Hedge End and I hadn't seen anyone other than the handful of people I'm working with since I've been here. Then at night they all come out of the woodwork to hang out at The Clubhouse, which is owned by the charity and 100% of the profits go back into the projects 😊 and also happens to be my office!
Every day we can get free staff lunch there which consists of about 1kg of rice and some yummy yet pretty gross-looking saucy stuff with
some unidentified meat in it 😊 Cover it in more chilli and it's delicious!
At the moment, we haven't had gas in our house so I still can't attack my cuppa-soups! Tomorrow is the day!
Major breakthrough for the Centre (where I'm living) we now have 24/7 electricity not from a generator! After years of struggling with candles (a couple of days in my case!) they got a generator which guzzled petrol for 3hrs each night and deafened everyone within a 3 mile radius. Proper electricity has now been installed though which you just have to top up every month with credit. It's great, lovely and quiet and I can now see how dirty my room is!!
Buying some bleach tomorrow.
Oh, and I had 2 guys running around my room upturning everything, armed with a plank of wood and a broom chasing after Billy the Rat yesterday..... alas he is no more. He suffered terrible head injuries in the incident yesterday morning and was unable to be saved. Shame.
I went to the capital of Freetown today to visit the head office and get
a handover for the marathon. Its nuts in Freetown. Chaos everywhere! I'm glad Makeni is much quieter 😊 Every day trip to Freetown will consist of getting up at 5am for the poda-poda (like a Mazda bungo) packed with about 20 people, babies and chickens for the uncushioned and bumpy 3 hour ride. Luckily, we were able to get a lift back in a very nice Dawnus 4x4 so at least we could snooze in comfort on the ride home.
I'm starting round one of a tour of the all the mining camps next week to promote the marathon and sign people up 😊 A bit daunting to go to these all-male camps on my tod but hopefully it will be okay and I'll get loads of sign ups 😊
Good news I got today is that my crutches I brought out are being donated to a child amputee project that we work with 😊 the cast will probably go to one of the local hospitals but I've yet to find a home for that one. There are a few VSO volunteers in the hospital so next time I see them, I'll ask them
😊
Gonna leave it there for now, thanks for reading 😊 please write me a message. I'm getting a dongle today so I can check emails etc more often. Although, don't get your hopes up, the signal is rarely any good by the looks of things! No skype, unless I go to a net cafe.
Hope you had a wicked weekend in Bournemouth girlies and Happy Birthday to Poppy, Jellyfer and Loubee this week, thinking of you all.
Oh and Mum.... I've not seen a single diamond since I got here! Sad face.
Love you all, big hugs all round xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Sue Taylor
non-member comment
Wow Electricity
Hi Em, They obviously knew you were coming so laid on the electricity in your honour!! Love the look of the hotel! I would go there more often if I was you!! All well here, had some more snow, Zippy Zoo sends her love xxxxx