Well, it couldnt all be easy could it?

I thouroughly enjoyed the rest of my time in Freetown and was a little sad to leave all told, after making some great friends and getting to know the city pretty well. I was more excited about seeing Makeni, and getting into my new house... which isn't there!

So it turns out the council have not organised a house for me, which was a condition of the placement. So i have been living in a strange hotel for the past five days. It is a nice enough room, but the hotel itself is always full of rowdy men drinking on the porch, then sleeping in the common areas and corridors by night. I am very disappointed, as the other VSO guys in Makeni have pretty decent digs (some even have generators and running water!)

Well, at least it was going to be exciting to start work... or not. On my first day no-one was there to greet me and I spent the afternoon being driven around town on the back of a motorbike by a man who I suspect was drunk. I have at least met "His Worship, the Major Moses Sesay" who I will be working under, who earlier presented me to a full meeting of the council with great ceremony and adieu. This was a little over the top for my tastes. but people love formalities here, and I had to sit through the four hour meeting to learn that the hard way.

So the job is leading the development planning. This is going to be difficult as I have half a desk and no equipment whatsoever. The council does not even own a map of the town. There is so much to do but I have no idea where to start. They also want me to do a lot of fundraising. I am going to sit back and build some informal bridges before I make everyone else look bad by being too pro-active. The main focus of my work this week is finding myself a place to live, as they have not done it.

So, rant over.

The town itself is really nice. Surrounded by beautiful green hills, always hot, and home to some very friendly people. Everywhere I go, children shout "OPPORTO!" (The Temne word for "White Man"), but it is done in a very affectionate and friendly manner. The only way to get around town is by motorbike. Soon, I will probably have my own bike, but until then, all I have to do is go outside and shout "BIKE" and a bike taxi will coem out of nowhere to pick me up. There are a few other VSOs and NGO workers in town and I have settled nicely into the social circle.

So, I think once I have settled more into the job and have a place to live, I will be happy here. Until then, I am off to one of the three eateries in town for some cassava leaves with rice washed down with a Star beer.