Partly in response to Pauline's request here is an update on my work routine.
Work.. hmmm...
Doddle definitely not, but explaining what I do...
My office is a regional education directorate, sort of like a LEA back in the UK...
Typically I get asked to do a small bit of work that after I look at it turns into a 2 or 3 day project, this happens pretty much every day.
About once a week people ask me to look at something that is anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months work, I have 3 of these on the go at present and another 2 waiting for free time to start.
Anywhere from twice a week to 5 or 6 times a day I get requests to help with Facebook, similarly with Skype, and listening to or ripping MP3s.
I have 15 or so computers to look after all but one is in a bad state, and I rarely get time to look at anything before I get interrupted with the next task.
Every machine has viruses, most have loads, I am struggling to keep on top of this, as USB stick use is over the top, and no one scans USB sticks before use. I generally get called to look at a virus scan report most days and clean one or two USB sticks a day too.
Every machine has a anti virus on it, but there are 6 or 7 different brands of AV, none of them up to date, getting an offline update is nigh on impossible as the internet is so slow (generally under dial up speeds, quite often 1-2k per second!), so my plan of installing the same AV everywhere and running one update which I copy to every machine once a week has not come to fruition yet.
Quite often I get asked to help other people with their work which is not technical at all but just an assumption that I can do everything, so I have been asked to interview staff, write project proposals, help write a speech among other things.
So work for me at least is a quite heavy workload, but I have no time to be bored at least.
It is frustrating as everything takes so long and I have so little to work with, but the office staff are all nice and I get on with everyone, who mainly treat me like a miracle worker / tech god...
It is close to what I expected.
And indeed closer to what I wanted, though only I can get on top of things and get some more peace and quiet to get on with things.
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Monday, 5 December 2011
Daily routine
I thought I'd make a nice detailed post about my daily routine here in Kerewan for people's edification... :)
I get up at 6.30am, just around dawn, and use my phone (also my alarm clock) as a torch to find my way out of the mosquito net and open the back door.
I take my bucket, jug soap tray and toilet roll outside and make use of my wonderful pit latrine, the jug is filled from the bucket and subsequently used as my tap/ handwashing bowl.
Depending on how warm it is I take a bucket bath (the last few weeks have been too cold for this). Then go into my front room / kitchen and open the curtains.
I grab a 500ml bag of water from the fridge and drink most of it straight down.
I then fill up the kettle from a bidong (cooking oil 20L plastic container used for holding water), measure a cup full of water into a saucepan, turn on the gas from the canister, and then light both rings on my gas burner.
One ring boils the kettle, the other boils the water for my porridge, as soon as they are both lit I get sugar out of a Tupperware container and add one lump for my tea, two for the porridge, then get some powdered milk, two teaspoons for the porridge, then finally add four tablespoons of Mornflake oats to the pan.
While intermittently stirring the porridge I put a Twinning's Earl Grey tea bag in my mug, and get some UHT milk out of the fridge, ready for my tea (I can't abide powdered milk for tea).
Note: there is no electric at this time of day, and the dawn light is kinda murky.
I then get my two vitamin pills and my Doxycycline out of the medicine drawer, and put them on the table, and I get my laptop out of its bag and switch it on.
By this time the kettle is boiled and my porridge is nearly ready, if I feel the need I add some syrup or cinnamon to the porridge, and put it a bowl. I finish making the tea, and replace the UHT milk into the fridge (which is off btw).
I read my emails, Facebook and BBC news while eating my breakfast and take my pills once its finished.
If I had a bucket bath I put a pair of shorts on, and start my daily chores, the dishes and saucepan go into a bucket of water ready for washing. I sweep the floor with my local brush (made of dried grass), and open my front door. The brushing continues outside, and once finished I go and fill up any buckets / bidongs that need it from the tap about 15m from my from my door.
If there is a need I hand wash my underwear, and hang them on the line in my latrine / back yard area, if there is time I wash my dishes, then get changed into my work clothes (usually just a different pair of sandals and trousers instead of shorts). I aim to leave the house about 9am or when the electric comes on (if it isn't 9am).
It is a 7 minute walk to the office, though sometimes I meet so many people on the way which necessitates stopping for a quick chat, that it takes a fair bit longer. Once at the office I open my room, switch the internet router on, drop my laptop off, then go say hello to everyone in the office, and after 30 minutes or so of that work through to 12ish when I go to get my lunchtime tapalapa (bread with egg or potato filling), I then eat at my desk while continuing work until 3pm when the electric goes off most days, sometimes its 2 or 4pm).
I go round and say goodbye to everyone, then walk home stopping regularly to say hello to people again.
Depending on who is there, I stop to chat to the policemen sitting outside their station, or the nice people at Suarei kunda (kunda is compound it is the place where the Suarei family live), or Ceesay kunda opposite mine.
I usually get mobbed by children on arriving home, and have to stop to greet everyone in the compound while playing with the children. If I'm lucky get into my house and drop my stuff off, otherwise I do a bit of mini mini salo (hold a child by the wrists and turn around and around till I and they get dizzy, then watch them try to stand up), until I can get inside.
I chat with my neighbours, play with the children, and while away the time reading if possible on my Kindle until the electric comes back on around 6pm.
At that point I turn the laptop back on, direct my room fan at the laptop, and consider my evening meal options.
If I wander near any of the houses on the compound near meal times I always get asked to come in and join them, sometimes they even bring a bowl with my food in to my house! If not I make something simple with pasta/ rice or boil some veg/ noodles. The dishes go into the washing up bucket and get washed at some point in the evening.
I occasionally watch a film on my laptop, otherwise I play a computer game or read some more.
Somewhere around 9pm I close my door and curtains, and have an hour or two of peace and quiet before I head to bed. I get my phone, using it as a torch I turn off the lights, and tuck in the mosquito net, and go to bed.
I get up at 6.30am, just around dawn, and use my phone (also my alarm clock) as a torch to find my way out of the mosquito net and open the back door.
I take my bucket, jug soap tray and toilet roll outside and make use of my wonderful pit latrine, the jug is filled from the bucket and subsequently used as my tap/ handwashing bowl.
Depending on how warm it is I take a bucket bath (the last few weeks have been too cold for this). Then go into my front room / kitchen and open the curtains.
I grab a 500ml bag of water from the fridge and drink most of it straight down.
I then fill up the kettle from a bidong (cooking oil 20L plastic container used for holding water), measure a cup full of water into a saucepan, turn on the gas from the canister, and then light both rings on my gas burner.
One ring boils the kettle, the other boils the water for my porridge, as soon as they are both lit I get sugar out of a Tupperware container and add one lump for my tea, two for the porridge, then get some powdered milk, two teaspoons for the porridge, then finally add four tablespoons of Mornflake oats to the pan.
While intermittently stirring the porridge I put a Twinning's Earl Grey tea bag in my mug, and get some UHT milk out of the fridge, ready for my tea (I can't abide powdered milk for tea).
Note: there is no electric at this time of day, and the dawn light is kinda murky.
I then get my two vitamin pills and my Doxycycline out of the medicine drawer, and put them on the table, and I get my laptop out of its bag and switch it on.
By this time the kettle is boiled and my porridge is nearly ready, if I feel the need I add some syrup or cinnamon to the porridge, and put it a bowl. I finish making the tea, and replace the UHT milk into the fridge (which is off btw).
I read my emails, Facebook and BBC news while eating my breakfast and take my pills once its finished.
If I had a bucket bath I put a pair of shorts on, and start my daily chores, the dishes and saucepan go into a bucket of water ready for washing. I sweep the floor with my local brush (made of dried grass), and open my front door. The brushing continues outside, and once finished I go and fill up any buckets / bidongs that need it from the tap about 15m from my from my door.
If there is a need I hand wash my underwear, and hang them on the line in my latrine / back yard area, if there is time I wash my dishes, then get changed into my work clothes (usually just a different pair of sandals and trousers instead of shorts). I aim to leave the house about 9am or when the electric comes on (if it isn't 9am).
It is a 7 minute walk to the office, though sometimes I meet so many people on the way which necessitates stopping for a quick chat, that it takes a fair bit longer. Once at the office I open my room, switch the internet router on, drop my laptop off, then go say hello to everyone in the office, and after 30 minutes or so of that work through to 12ish when I go to get my lunchtime tapalapa (bread with egg or potato filling), I then eat at my desk while continuing work until 3pm when the electric goes off most days, sometimes its 2 or 4pm).
I go round and say goodbye to everyone, then walk home stopping regularly to say hello to people again.
Depending on who is there, I stop to chat to the policemen sitting outside their station, or the nice people at Suarei kunda (kunda is compound it is the place where the Suarei family live), or Ceesay kunda opposite mine.
I usually get mobbed by children on arriving home, and have to stop to greet everyone in the compound while playing with the children. If I'm lucky get into my house and drop my stuff off, otherwise I do a bit of mini mini salo (hold a child by the wrists and turn around and around till I and they get dizzy, then watch them try to stand up), until I can get inside.
I chat with my neighbours, play with the children, and while away the time reading if possible on my Kindle until the electric comes back on around 6pm.
At that point I turn the laptop back on, direct my room fan at the laptop, and consider my evening meal options.
If I wander near any of the houses on the compound near meal times I always get asked to come in and join them, sometimes they even bring a bowl with my food in to my house! If not I make something simple with pasta/ rice or boil some veg/ noodles. The dishes go into the washing up bucket and get washed at some point in the evening.
I occasionally watch a film on my laptop, otherwise I play a computer game or read some more.
Somewhere around 9pm I close my door and curtains, and have an hour or two of peace and quiet before I head to bed. I get my phone, using it as a torch I turn off the lights, and tuck in the mosquito net, and go to bed.
Some pictures II
 |
| Njaba Kunda school, where I went for a visit, and repaired some of their PCs. |
 |
| The river (Bintang Bolong) towards sunset with the groundnut (peanut) conveyor belt on the left |
 |
| Action in the hotly contested Kerewan seniors football final. |
 |
| The cup for the winners! |
 |
| A very interesting ants nest, reminds me of a Tattoine (Star Wars) landscape. |
 |
| Little Fatima looking like an angel (extremely rare for the girl known throughout Kerewan as being very stubborn (naughty)). |
 |
| Omar Ceesay (my i thoma [namesake]) making Ataia (tea). |
 |
| A view of the compound from outside. |
 |
| The Banjul ferry terminal from the ferry. |
Lost in space!
I know it has been while since the last post, so I'll try to make this a big one.
So what has been going on the last 6 weeks? Quite a lot is the short answer.
We had a presidential visit which was minor bit of excitement, then we had Tobaski (Eid_al-Adha), then we had presidential elections.
I also went down to the Kombos (urban coastal area) three times, and Farafenni twice...
The Presidents visit was advertised and everyone in the town had to go to the main road to watch him go past, all the children wore their school uniforms, and everyone else wore their best clothes.
I stayed at home and missed out on it though.
So the story goes is that unfortunate things happen to villages who failed to turn out for the drive past, but that is just hearsay.
I'll leave Tobaski for its own post.
The elections passed without any issues, and everyone had two days off work (well except me who had loads to do). A number of people on the compound and in the office helped out as counters, observers or presiding officers for the vote too.
My kombo visits were for shopping and a few bits of admin. The first visit was to pickup my Alien card ( photo id) and go out for food with some other VSOs I stayed two night and did a bit of shopping too. The second visit I ordered some more Doxycyclines, got my bank book, my residency permit and did a very fast shop (on this occasion I was down and back on the same day). The 3rd visit just this last weekend was for a one night stay and to pickup my Doxycyclines (thanks Lucy for getting them from the office for me), check my mail and do some shopping.
My two visits to Farafenni were both for a half day or so and included a visit to Eddies bar/ restaurant and some shopping.
You will note that every trip out of Kerewan includes shopping, this is because there are limited opportunities to buy packaged goods here.
So what has been going on the last 6 weeks? Quite a lot is the short answer.
We had a presidential visit which was minor bit of excitement, then we had Tobaski (Eid_al-Adha), then we had presidential elections.
I also went down to the Kombos (urban coastal area) three times, and Farafenni twice...
The Presidents visit was advertised and everyone in the town had to go to the main road to watch him go past, all the children wore their school uniforms, and everyone else wore their best clothes.
I stayed at home and missed out on it though.
So the story goes is that unfortunate things happen to villages who failed to turn out for the drive past, but that is just hearsay.
I'll leave Tobaski for its own post.
The elections passed without any issues, and everyone had two days off work (well except me who had loads to do). A number of people on the compound and in the office helped out as counters, observers or presiding officers for the vote too.
My kombo visits were for shopping and a few bits of admin. The first visit was to pickup my Alien card ( photo id) and go out for food with some other VSOs I stayed two night and did a bit of shopping too. The second visit I ordered some more Doxycyclines, got my bank book, my residency permit and did a very fast shop (on this occasion I was down and back on the same day). The 3rd visit just this last weekend was for a one night stay and to pickup my Doxycyclines (thanks Lucy for getting them from the office for me), check my mail and do some shopping.
My two visits to Farafenni were both for a half day or so and included a visit to Eddies bar/ restaurant and some shopping.
You will note that every trip out of Kerewan includes shopping, this is because there are limited opportunities to buy packaged goods here.
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