So, after 28 weeks in Sierra Leone I have come to the very difficult decision to return home to the UK. I will arrive home on April 7th (hey, that's my birthday!)
I never really settled into the job, and it is so difficult to achieve anything out here. I have become skeptical about the value of NGOs in Salone and aware of the negative impacts created by people who are here to help.
I love being here. Every day is an adventure, my Krio is always improving and I have made good friends who I will be sorry to leave behind. This is not enough though. I have already spent one year travelling for the fun of it, and I cannot justify staying just because I like it.
I am excited about returning home. I have really missed family and friends, good food and drink, music and of course, runnig water and electricity! I have a great life at home, and i will go back to it ready to enjoy it and appreciate it all the more.
I have no regrets about Sierra Leone. If I had never came here I would have always wondered. As it happens, it really has changed me, hopefully for the better, and I think there'll always be a part of me that's a Salone man.
Monday, 30 March 2009
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
Its been a while...
It has been some time since my last update.
I have been here for over 6 months now. All is well in the main, my friend John visited from England, and I took three weeks off work to travel around Sierra Leone with him. We had a great time, covered some good ground, and saw a few of the many faces of sweet Salone.
Here are some highlights of the last few weeks for me:
-Drinking good rum for the first time in half a year.
-Playing in a 2-1 victory over Flamingo FC, giving John an insight into the rough and raw nature of African football.
-Sleeping on Mena Hill with John and Kieran, despite falling into a cave!
-Visiting the relatively cooler climes and sampling the fantastic goat meat of Kabala.
-Swimming at the base of Bumbuna Falls, the coldest water in Sierra Leone.
-Hitting a crazy poyo (palm-wine) bar in Makeni, where I nearly bought a snake to save it from being killed for magic. We also met a drunken member of the 1970 -71 Sierra Leone National Football team, and watched people play draughts.
-Spending time on Lakka beach, my favourite place in Salone, and living a life of sun, sea and amazing food.
It hasn't all been good, but I am in no mood for negativity! Hope everyone is ok at home, watch this space for some major changes in the not too distant future...
I have been here for over 6 months now. All is well in the main, my friend John visited from England, and I took three weeks off work to travel around Sierra Leone with him. We had a great time, covered some good ground, and saw a few of the many faces of sweet Salone.
Here are some highlights of the last few weeks for me:
-Drinking good rum for the first time in half a year.
-Playing in a 2-1 victory over Flamingo FC, giving John an insight into the rough and raw nature of African football.
-Sleeping on Mena Hill with John and Kieran, despite falling into a cave!
-Visiting the relatively cooler climes and sampling the fantastic goat meat of Kabala.
-Swimming at the base of Bumbuna Falls, the coldest water in Sierra Leone.
-Hitting a crazy poyo (palm-wine) bar in Makeni, where I nearly bought a snake to save it from being killed for magic. We also met a drunken member of the 1970 -71 Sierra Leone National Football team, and watched people play draughts.
-Spending time on Lakka beach, my favourite place in Salone, and living a life of sun, sea and amazing food.
It hasn't all been good, but I am in no mood for negativity! Hope everyone is ok at home, watch this space for some major changes in the not too distant future...
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