I never thought I’d learn another language, never mind at 50 when I learned Haitian Creole. And that was that. Or so I thought. During my 5 months here I have learned yet another language and some dialect. Some small dialect, I have to say, just a couple of phrases which make the team here… Read More »
For a range of reasons, I hadn’t booked my flight home. It seemed so far away and I didn’t want to think about leaving. I was busy. I was ill. Anyway I got around to it. I got my fingers burnt once booking through a third party, so I always go direct with the airline… Read More »
So not quite myself Monday: figured I’d been overworking (which I had) and took too much heat on the Saturday whilst doing DIY (which I probably had). Symptoms fever and thirst, classic dehydration I figured. Lots of water and paracetamol to try control my temperature. Drugs worked mostly but despite all the water my… Read More »
I went to France to an event organised by the charity. It was work, really, but I also made the most of the time eating a lot of good food, and drinking a lot of good wine. And I got an upgrade on the flight back (I’m not laughing at Rwandair now). It was 10… Read More »
So you run a small cafe/restaurant in a small border town. Though actually relatively speaking it’s not small. Four or five streets lined with market stalls, a couple of banks, half a dozen mobile phone kiosks and miscellaneous shops. I am waiting for one of the team to buy a bunch of stuff for our… Read More »
I went to France for a week. It was a retreat for the Charity. I was hesitant, there is lots to do here, and it was a long way. But I was thinking of some sort of holiday, and it was France! The food! The wine! The pastries! The wine! The wine! The wine! I… Read More »
I find myself in France, sitting just inside a classic French café in the Paris suburbs, people-watching whilst tucking in to the ‘plat du jour’, almost exactly 44 hours after leaving the settlement in northern Uganda. 53 hours since I got out of bed on Thursday morning. After work, our security guard took me… Read More »
I went to a training last week. It was another NGO (who shall remain nameless, to protect the innocent), who specialise in Gender Equality in education. They have a very interesting (genuinely) methodology, through the medium of art; anyone can draw, especially children, right? I was there to observe (though I took full part) with… Read More »
I went to the capital Kampala to get a visa for South Sudan, where I travel fairly often. It is possible to cross the border without one; you simply pay. A lot. So I took the overnight bus (I want to say never again, but really you should ‘never say never’) from the town close… Read More »
A little trip out to a school this afternoon, an hour each way, and hour there. No worries. All is well until on the way back, a metallic sound, crunching maybe, and then off comes our front wheel, spinning away into the bush, as we grind to a halt on in the middle of the… Read More »