Nenya.net

Mood swings

I originally sat writing this in the middle of a rain storm, on a computer that had the potential to lose power any second, with no internet connection, with the possibility that rain would again start pouring through the ceiling (slight exaggeration), while smelling the sickly sweet smoke that drifted overhead in several very artistic rings as one of the strip lights decided that it no longer wanted to provide us with light. However, by the time you read this (and now as I am editing to put it online), the sun is shining, work is suitably busy, the generator is working and the internet too, the lights have been fixed and I’m looking forward to heading away for Christmas in the hear future.

An update from my (fairly) recent trip up country is probably in order- we returned in the pouring (unseasonal) rain, although the rest of the trip was warm, dry (except for high humidity) and sunny. I was even privileged to stay in a room that had air conditioning and power from dawn to dusk. There was a lot of travelling around, but otherwise the supervising role we had for the meetings was pretty routine-oh, except for the money issues- as the civil servant in the Incredibles would say, while shaking his head sadly, it’s ‘money, money, money, money, money, always the money.’ Which in a country as poor as Salone is very true and it does overshadow everyone and everything, particularly when it is lacking (or just not as much as people expected they would receive). SL has now slipped back down to 177^th out of 177 in the human development index (Afghanistan and Iraq aren’t included due to a lack of indicators)- probably partially due to the fact that- despite the calm quiet of the elections- the country basically stopped operating for the five (optimistic assessment) months leading up to the elections. Things still happened, but no one invested, the government went quiet, very little money was entering the country and everyone held their breath until it was seen that the new administration was calmly elected with a peaceful handover of power. The newspapers still scream wonderful headlines everyday- either of a witch hunt going on through the civil service, or a power struggle in the opposition leadership, or (as ever) at the donors (for various things they have or haven’t done).

Life here is a totally set of contrasts, particularly as an ex pat; everything can seem to be going to pieces one moment and then suddenly you find yourself mixing with people and going to events that would seem as distant as the stars when at home- all somewhat confusing. A friend of mine had a particularly stark experience as she spent the afternoon working with children on the floor of a mud hut and ending up with maggots in her hair and then drinking cooled white wine and G&T’s with high flying members of the diplomatic set in the evening- definite extremes.

Labels: elections, electricity, money, rain, travel

posted by Nenya @ 2:54 pm