Special Announcement.

Dear readers,

It has come to my attention that some of you may have inadvertently got the impression that I am as miserable as sin in my life in Africa.

I want to apologise to all concerned who have taken my facebook entries entitled, “Reasons I hate my job #.......”, literally. Obviously the fact remains that I do have some slight reservations about our (garlic stinking,) cousins from across the English Channel. However I can confirm that only gruesome acts of homicide, never suicide have occupied my thoughts.

I wish to also assure those who were able to detect the ever so subtle and discreet comments on this Blog, indicating slight negativity about the conditions in Africa, that all is in fact OK.

I admit that phrases like “Its all a little bit shit really”, may well give the impression that it is all a little bit shit to the more sensitive among you, but I can confirm that although it is most definitely all a little bit shit, this is not all shit!

In addition it is true that my plea for donations of 20k may have confirmed my desperate desire to escape, and indeed I would still be most grateful to receive the 20k should we manage to fundraise this amount, but mostly because I’m a lazy cow and would like to sit on my arse for a year eating pie.

And finally having been back in Blightly for nearly 3 days now, I think I have demonstrated top class adaptation and emotional stability through the spending over a grand on essentials such as Frizz Ease and blusher brushes. I am clearly functioning just fine and am obviously unaffected by the disparity between the world I left and the one I find myself sitting in now.

So just to smooth any furrowed brows out there, here are some positive statements about my life in Africa:

Have I mentioned that at long last, after searching high and lo, I am finally betrothed??

It is to the immigration officer who has admitted and released me from the country several times now but would only let me out this time round if I agreed for him to be my boyfriend. As I think he was actually being quite serious on the matter, I managed to placate him by agreeing that after he stamped my passport 10 times we would marry. I think I will make a lovely bride…. I must ask his name.

Apart from my fiancée, I enjoy watching (at unnatural) length other men at work:

I also have to admit that being a community worker at heart, I am enjoying the travelling around the country doing visits.

 Even better I am learning new skills along the way, such as this lesson from driver Yayah on ‘how to engage the wheels on a 4x4 vehicle’, to get up this main road in the Eastern Province.

Who’d have thought it eh, these 4x4’s were in fact made for use in Sussex, Leicester, Gloucester & Waterloo but in Sierra Leone NOT maybe England!



The Main Road linking Leicester to Gloucester -4x4 required!



And these are the other things I like:

• Crain Crain (food)
• Cassava (food)
• Potato Leaf (food – yes they cook with the leaf from the potato plant!)
• Plaintain (food)
• Gari (food)
• Jallof (food)
• The men (have I mentioned them??)
• Groundnut soup (food)
• Pega Packs – Brandy (alcohol)
• Pega Packs – Gin (alcohol)
• Pega Packs Whiskey (alcohol)
• Local Guinness (alcohol)

So there you have it. No need to worry at all my dear disciples. My entire essential needs are being met; food, alcohol, love, learning opportunities and most important most of all...... a trip home.

Its great being back!