Come Fly With Me

This is an official announcement:

The rainy season is shit!

Seriously shit.

I am living in a cloud.

Literally.

It’s wet.

And grey.



What was once my wonderful seaview :'-( 



I am wearing a cardigan.

And Socks.

I don’t like it.

I saw a slither of blue sky today for almost a full 30 mins. But by the time I had gathered all the cushions and unshackled the wicker furniture from its protective weatherproof tower, I only benefitted from 20 mins of diffused sunlight.

I promise you, I am as pale as when I arrived. And God only knows what vitamin D deficient illness I’m going to get – cos you just know I’m going to get it!!

So, as the most sunburnt I have gotten this year was in Birmingham my ticket is booked for a holiday back to the UK next month.

Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, how cool is that eh!!!!!

I also need a break as I’m almost beginning to think I have now been here too long. I’ve stopped reacting like I think I should. I mean I didn’t even blink when I realised that everyone, even the most educated of my National colleagues, believe that witches use peanut shells to fly at night. I understand they mostly go to the USA. I’m not sure why.

Nor did I get particularly upset at the amount of Mmmmmm, shall we call it, ‘reallocating’ the Ministry have clearly done with funds that I gave them.

And even though every bit of mail that does get through to me leaves me with a much needed sense of being loved, I haven’t freaked that the man at the post office is now holding all my post hostage until I buy him phone credit. “Aye Bo” as the local expression goes!

So what’s going on?? Is this adaption? Apathy? Desensitization? Or dare I say it – has old age and maturity started to creep in?!!

Or is it just this confounded rain dampening my spirit once and for all!!?!!

But the rain isn’t just tempering my emotional reaction to life. Sadly it is having the more serious effect of compounding the Cholera problem.

Over 8000 people have now contracted the disease, it being most prevalent here in the capital, amongst the slum dwellers. But it is spreading, despite the desperate attempts of the Ministry and charities to contain and manage it.

Part of the problem lies in local people not changing their beliefs, attitudes and behaviours. So in the same way that the witches use the peanut shells to fly, other traditional beliefs are also hard to shake.  Therefore no matter how often a ‘do – gooder’ explains about clean water or handwashing, people do not change their practices, and when they get sick – well, it is the curse of that same witch wasn’t it!

And while on the surface the ‘re-allocation’ of a few $ meant for rehab hasn’t made me explode with rage, when people are dying due to drugs not being in the store because the money to buy them found a different destination, I find that I do have a little spirit left in me after all!

So I think time for a flight to the UK is in order.

Now where did I put those peanuts…….