Initiation

360I like my French and Fulfulde classes and we have really good discussions about African culture – this morning it was initiation ceremonies – which are a taboo discussion here, but Jean Poste knew people who had just got back from the bush on Sunday. Obviously he and the catholic nun think it’s the devil’s work.

If you want to there are opportunities to go away most week-ends. I’ve come to the conclusion that development is just rife with middle class intellectuals so just chilling by the pool you get to hear some interesting stuff. I’ve learnt a lot about Quebec and Canada – 50% of the volunteers here come from there because they are bilingual.

I did my first workshop – stage 1 of the 10 stage process – and it went remarkably well seeing as they’ve only just started talking to me. I’ve worked out who the most powerful man is now, the 1er adjoint, and basically the others just jump if he says so and it was him all along that was supposed to be my boss not the secretaire general who is a bit sulky, mind you I’d be a bit sulky if I’d spent till my mid 30s climbing to the top of the greasy SG pole and then just as I get there some bloody old English woman comes along and steals my thunder.

After the workshop on Monday I haven’t done masses this week, my washing, ironing and shopping, reading up on the next stages and sending a few emails out to get budget approval or ideas from people who are still here and have done this stage before. The heat is just intense. I have graduated from soaking cotton dresses to my entire double sheet which works to wrap round my body toga style and sleep in, but it has ripped and torn in the process. I now know why my lodger from Ghana always washed with soap – it is the only thing that actually works on the acrid nature of sweat in these climates. It is so intense it is building up to a storm, but you get rain that evaporates before it touches the ground.

Eve, the 24 year old got typhoid and has gone to Maroua to the hospital and to recuperate with her boyfriend. Lara, the 32 year old had a show down with her project where 2 of the men said they couldn’t get on with her (these are the same 2 who are top slicing money every month) in front of the VSO boss so she is fed up and going home early and has also gone off to Maroua. I am staying for my French class tomorrow then going in in the afternoon to get my expenses. I plan to spend the week-end by the pool. I can’t walk far without feeling dizzy and my legs wobbly!

The light went in my house and I managed to get an electrician to come and change the strip light for the princely sum of 82p including parts.

I am getting a bit of a chesty cough and very snotty nose from breathing in sandy dust all the time.

During the next month I will be working towards the workshop for the full council, councillors and employees so about 80 people in total. I have been advised to try and get this done before the rainy season starts.

VSO came today and said they would look for a new house for me. They were very kind about everything and said it is not necessary to greet 24/7.