Sunday, after a week without internets, some exciting developments

Blog 28/02/10

Well, I haven’t updated for a while. Mainly because we have not had internet at the Guest house since about Tuesday I think, possibly Monday. Anyway, I’ve had to go to Java and places like that to check emails, and as I’m been uber busy with trying to do museum stuff I haven’t had the chance to update. Not that there has been much to update about really.
I’m staying longer, that I think we knew already. Well, technically coming back anyway. I have to pay for my flight as I’m coming home, because they can only pay for one return flight. So I’m thinking end of March or beginning of April I’ll be coming back over here. I’ll have a lot to do to get ready for the opening of the museum, so I’ll need a couple of weeks. As for going back to the UK afterwards, well, that’s anyone’s guess! :) I’m going to be an attachee until the end of May, after which I will go off and do my own research for a couple of weeks. Quite looking forward to planning that. Then I’m not sure really. I’m trying to see if I can stay to do fieldwork. Ignacio is going to Olduvai in July, and if he can get money to fund me then I’ll be going there. I think if that happens then I’ll go back to the UK when that finishes, be around for August, and then go off to Spain if I can afford it. Otherwise, I met Daryl Stump last week, and he’s digging in Engaruka (Tanzania) in July/Aug and might have money for supervisors, so I just have to send him my CV and hope that I come across as supervisor material. And then Ceri Ashley is excavating in August, so I might be able to go and work on that. It all depends really. Hopefully I should have a better idea of what I might be doing and be able to book a flight before I go back to the UK this time.

Right now I am in Makutano again. I caught the bus up to Kitale yesterday and was so glad I had decided to stay in Kitale for the night already. Otherwise I would have had to find somewhere to stay with no preparation as we arrived near enough to 7pm. For a start we were meant to leave Nairobi at 8.30 and we didn’t leave until nearly 9am. Then we seemed to be going really slow a lot of the time, and we ended up sat in traffic, I think because the road was closed, and as it had been raining there was a huuuge puddle on the dirt diversion road which meant only single file traffic, and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone had been stuck at some point as well, making it an even longer queue. Then we stopped in Nakuru and Eldoret along the way. We didn’t arrive at Eldoret until quite late so I figured it might still be a while, and then at about 4.30 we stopped on the side of the road. I didn’t know what was going on for a while, but in the end my legs needed stretching and we’d been sat there for a while so I got off the bus (quite a few people had already). It seems that we had somehow hit a car. Well, there was a car parked in front of the bus, with a large red paint smeared dent in the side at the back (the bus was red & white). It seemed that the car passengers were rather angry, and neither party wanted to admit it was their fault. Finally they exchanged details and we got on the road again sometime after 5.15pm! I was contemplating catching a matatu, and one had stopped and picked up one guy and still had space so was waiting around to see if anyone else was going to join him when it was all sorted and we were being ushered back onto the bus.

So that was a fun journey. When I arrived in Kitale I was offered a taxi, and I didn’t even haggle on the price. Probably should have done, it was about right by Nairobi standards but I believe it probably should have been cheaper up here. Anyway, it got me to the Karibuni Lodge, which is a charming backpackers place run by an English lady and a Kenyan guy. Oh arse, low battery and now the power has gone. Anyway, as I was saying, lovely place. I had a single room which was 1300ksh including breakfast. Fairly pricey, but it was beautiful. They do have dorms and I think camping too so next time if I’m on a tight budgie I might stay in the dorm or camp. My room was off down a little dirt track. It was like a banda, but made from a wooden frame with woven matting walls, and I think bamboo or something like that for the roof, but I can’t really remember. It was lovely, really nicely decorated with lots of calabashes and lanterns and stuff. The bed was a double and had lovely cushions and a really nice warm looking blanket over the duvet (it did get a bit nippy at night). It had lamps on either side, and a light switch for the overhead lights dangling above the bed so you didn’t have to go all the way to the door to turn it off. It had a decent mirror and a hanging space with hangers for clothes, and this was all cordoned off in the bedroom compartment through a door. The main door to the room led into a little area with tea & coffee making facilities (if I’d stayed longer and had milk I would have taken advantage) as well as drinking water, all on a little desk with a plug socket which already had an adapter there in case of different plugs! It had a chair, big open windows which you closed with blinds made from matting as well as curtains, and a nice wicker sofa which was small but could probably still have sat 2 people. Then outside was an adjoining bathroom with composting toilet, large bucket of sawdust, magazines (awesome) and shower area with electric shower and huge soft towels. There was also a shower block just across from my room, with 3 wood fired hot showers, more eco-friendly that electric I presume, which was where I showered this morning. Apologies if I am gushing, but you just don’t get this in Kenya. Not for that price anyway!!! Then I was shown into the main building. There was a kitchen where they would cook pretty much anything you liked, a dining room, a large living room with tv and huge bookshelves (containing all but New Moon of the Twilight books – I might bring my copy up and donate it when I come back – as well as the Dark Towers series by Stephen King which Leila, Dave, James and I had been talking about on Friday night, as well as loads of other interesting titles) and a gorgeous veranda with a large dining table as well as a comfy seating area which overlooked the garden and is where you take breakfast. They have an assortment of animals, dogs, cats, and three pet sheep which I think are in addition to some sheep they keep for eating, and countless creatures, and birds, that made scritching scratching noises all through the night.
Anyway, it was a lovely place to stay, and I will definitely be going back, even if I did have to tie up a hole in the mossie net, and even though there were spider webs in the composting toilet (sit down and hope that the spiders don’t feel like crawling up onto your bum!) and at the corner of the mattress (tuck mossie net between me and web). Theresa made me soup when I arrived, which was delicious, and apparently Ibrahim was a chef for the Sheraton in Nairobi or somewhere equally as impressive, and his food is delicious.

Sadly I had to leave the lodge this morning. Ibrahim called me a boda boda, although I was tempted to walk but it’s 2kms and my bag was feeling heavy and the boda boda was only 50bob. So I did that instead. He was very good actually, I was a little nervous as it had obviously rained during the night and the majority of the roads were dirt roads, but he drove so slowly and carefully so I tipped him an extra 10 when I got off. I was also wearing a skirt (I hadn’t planned for the boda boda) so trying to get on and keep as much of my legs covered as possible was interesting! So anyway, I went to a supermarket and bought some toothpaste – the tiniest tube I’ve ever seen. Then I wandered back down the road to the Kitale Museum. I was meant to be looking at the Pokot display, but there was actually only about 2 pokot items there, which was a little disappointing. Leila had seemed sure I should go and have a look! But the crocodile pit and the snakes outside were fun. And I took photos of the early man part of the museum for my future interest. The dinosaur part was funny as well, I’ll have to wait until I get back to the UK to put the photos up tho as I didn’t have the memory card with me so had to put them on the camera memory, and I don’t have the cables with me.
Then I walked back up to the matatu stand, thinking I’d seen all the market there was, and then as the matatu left I realised there was a whole other section the other side of the stand. Darn. I might see if I can check it out some other time. I caught the matatu to Kapenguria and got off at Makutano. I suppose I could have gone on to Kap and had a look at the museum, but I didn’t. I came to the hotel instead and got given 106 which has a nice hot shower, which would be great except there doesn’t seem to be water. Ha, inside at least. So I went for a wander around Makutano market and bought a couple of gifty things, and then walked along to the gift shop I had seen on the way into town on the matatu. It had started to rain rather a lot by this point, so I reached a gift shop, although it wasn’t the one I saw from the matatu, and went in and bought up a load of stuff to give as presents. I really liked the stuff I bought actually, but I don’t think I can carry much more with me so I might just wait and get more things for me when I come back. Look! How selfless, presents for other people first. :)
I came back to the hotel and have been meandering around the room ever since. The power went, and the laptop battery died, but the power is back now so now I can get some work done. The rain is quite constant though, and it’s a bit colder than I expected! When it’s not raining it’s quite warm, when it’s sunny it’s blimmin hot, but it just seems to be raining at the moment. And I didn’t bring my raincoat. And I’m getting peckish and really fancy some tea. Brr. Ah well, I shall eat my last little packet of biscuits and hope that Matt arrives back soon.

As for the rest of last week, well, not really much happened. I rushed around trying to get things done, getting frustrated! I made macaroni cheese weds evening when Sarah came round for dinner, which everyone (apart from Leila who thinks she has a wheat allergy) ate, including ‘Dave-Ugh no not macaroni cheese, can’t stand the stuff, tastes and looks like vomit –Conway’. Ha. [on a separate and rather off topic note, when I first realised Dave’s surname was Conway after knowing he went to uni in Oxford, I had a brief thought process whereby I thought that Leo also had a brother called David (I think) and wondered if they were related, until I realised that Dave actually from Oop North. Silly Jessica]
We also had a rather good night on Friday night. Dave, James & I went to Upper Hill campsite for dinner and a few beers, and had a rather good evening. Met some really nice people :) and a crazy American lady who was really just rather annoying. Heh. But yes, very good evening. :)

Now, I suppose I should get something work related done as there is power and I have nowt else to do. I won’t connect to the internet now though. Maybe later, but I’ll probably just post this in a couple of days time. I have a dongle, but to connect to the internet I have to put my phone sim card into it, and it’s such a palaver. Also I want to preserve my credit for the moment. Gosh, I don’t half ramble don’t I!

Update 28/2/10
In a fascinating development.... or possibly not, we moved hotels. I had a call from Matt at about 5.45 as the car had broken down just outside makutano, asking if the water was back yet. It wasn’t, so he asked me to check out the lodge down the road next to the place we have dinner. Very convenient. Turns out they had 6 free rooms, all with hot showers and running water, and some with interesting interior design (the woman who is taking core samples whose name I can’t remember, has a room with an animal print blanket and a fancy multi-coloured crystally lightshade. Mine just has a bare bulb!). So we moved all our stuff from one hotel to the other, and then I waited around while the others had showers and a plumber tried to fix my toilet, flooding my room in the process. Then we went for dinner (such a long way to walk, all of two paces between the doors) and then took a random short-cut and tried out a new pub which had very loud music.
Anyway, long boring story, cut slightly shorter. I spoke to Matt about Nacho’s question about funding applications. He said it isn’t too late, but that he wouldn’t be at the top of the list for funding a second time around for the same thing because he got it last year, but that the likelihood of the other applications not being very good and so his being picked anyway was quite good. And then when I said it was so I could go Matt said, well, first he said that he would block the application if it was for me. And then he said that actually he could probably push it through on the grounds that it is a good investment and a continuing investment in one of their attachees. So yay! I might be going to excavate at Olduvai Gorge this summer! Oooh, the possibilities.

Right, I should probably send an email now, and then get to bed. I am so so tired. Not too early a start in the morning though. I only need to get up at 7.30. Oh, and then after our meeting at the museum, or, well, my day at the museum. I’m going to get up mega early on Tuesday morning to catch a matatu to Kitale to get me there in time to get a ticket and get the bus to Nairobi. Although part of me thinks it might actually be quicker to catch matatus. Lets just hope I don’t have a crappy slow bus like last time, although I think the rain may have slowed things down a bit. Which, by the way, it is still doing. Raining that is, not slowing things down. Although it might be doing that too.

times they are a changing

Well, looks like I may have time to travel around East Africa after all. I emailed DA (Dave Anderson) about whether it would be possible to come back to Kenya so that I can do more 'stuff' and do my own research. I was trying to meet up with Matt on Thursday but he disappeared off to Kakamega forest with Laura (his wife laura, not palaeolithic laura) which incidentally is one place I would love to go. And then today I wasn't around in the morning, and by the time I got into the office he was locked in Dave's office with James and Humphrey doing interviews for the new IT post. Been a hectic day for them I think. I remember having a full day of interviews, can be quite tiring, especially when the majority are, well, lets just say 'not right for the job'. So anyway, I saw DA before I had the chance to speak to Matt. And then DA ended up whisking Matt off before I had a chance and he mentioned it to him instead. Argh! So then Matt seemed a little hurt that I hadn't come to him first. Anyway, I still only managed to talk to him in passing. But he did say he would be have me stay all year if he could *blush*. I think we may get a chance to talk about it tomorrow morning. But then he's going off on a mega trip up to Turkana (wanna go there too) so I had better corner him first thing. So ANYWAY, I just have to come up with the flight back out here, which could be tricky, but then I do have credit cards. erk. Not ideal really, and they're way more expensive now than they were. But they're really only allowed to pay for one flight per attachee. So, dis da plan. I just have to come up with money and sort out dates. Anyone know of any temp jobs going for a few weeks in March I could do?

Other than that excitement, last night James, Leila and I went to meet Jacob at Nibs down the road, and then because there was football on (amazed at how transfixed I was by Man city vs Liverpool) James and I decided to stay for food instead of coming back here to cook macaroni cheese. Which I may do tomorrow night now. Anyway, we all had fish, but lei & james had it with Ugali, whereas I had it with rice. It may have been slightly reheated rice or something, because I had a mild case of food poisoning from something. I woke up at about 5am. Poor Leila, she'd only got to bed at 1.30 and then I woke her up again. She did not want to get up this morning. But then I wasn't getting up at all, still trying to lie motionless when my alarm went off. I soon felt better though, and got up at about 9am. I felt quite rough until after lunch, and then felt loads better again until I finally finished work and then I suddenly felt rather feak and weeble again. James bought me some ginger anyway, so I might go have some ginger tea.

Oh, and this morning I managed to get my ahrc application put into a word doc altogether and sent off to the right place. So that is all sorted.

Now, gonna go help James make dinner. And make sure he doesn't put too much chilli or curry powder in my portion!

weekends almost over

I can't believe I have yet again not done any of the things I wanted to do this weekend. The most adventurous I've gotten was a walk to the Sarit centre, but because I've been going nowhere apart from the office all week it damn near killed me walking at James pace. It's very humid here at the moment as well, which really doesn't help.

My ahrc funding application is done, and I just need to send it to Lisa tomorrow morning. James is going to put it together as a pdf for me on his supercool mac. Then I just have one other funding application to do and all will be well. The other one can wait until I get home though, as the deadline isn't until the 15th March.

I'm going to have to have a talk to Matt tomorrow though, about the Kap Museum stuff. I don't think I'm going to be able to get all the information together in time, partly as I am having trouble getting people to get back to me with whether they have the info and photos I need, or if I'm going to have to search for them myself, which is not the easiest thing to accomplish. I have figured out the basics of how to use indesign though, which is great, only actually using it on the computer in the computer room is a pain in the arse as it is slow slow, a lot of the time it just makes it crash because it seems incapable of running it properly.

I'm also going to talk to Matt about if there would be the opportunity to come back. Partly to finish the Kap stuff before the 'Grand' re-opening. Also to do any other arch stuff that comes along, as well as to do a bit of my own research.

I've spoken to Sarah again. She'd texted Leila a couple of times but I don't think got a response, so she called me. She'd had a crap day up in Eldoret, with 5 hours in the company of people speaking nothing but Nubian, and waweru asking her for money again, which she refused thank god. She really needs to learn to say no more. She's hoping to be back in Nairobi on Tuesday, so hopefully she'll be around before I go to Kapenguria. Otherwise hopefully I can convince her to come for a girly day before I go back to the UK.

Dave is coming back from Nanyuki tomorrow with Kerry, and kimeu who only went up there today. Hopefully he'll be back in time to come with us to the cinema, although it wouldn't surprise me if we don't make it AGAIN, because everyone always has too much to do.

I'm probably going to make a macaroni cheese for dinner this evening, although I'm slightly concerned about what I am going to make it in, as the casserole dishes are all huuuge, but I might just make a huge one and then have it for lunch for days.

Aaanyway, I should probably get some work done. Seeing as that is why I am not off doing exciting things this weekend. Or shopping. I quite fancy a nap though. *yawn*

Weds, Thurs & Fri....

I think it was Tuesday that I wrote my last proper update. I couldn't really tell you anything interesting that has happened between now and then. On Weds I met up with Michelle and someone she met at the backpackers place she was staying. She couldn't remember his name, and I was useless in finding out for her, but he was from the UK and had only been here a couple of days. They went to the coast on Weds evening, so I took some time out of my busy & frustrating work to go and see her for a java in town. I accounted for my time by buying a laminater on my way home. Great fun.
The Kapenguria stuff isn't going so great really. I can't find it in myself to be bothered any more. It's just annoying and everything I try and do works against me. So I am trying to decide whether to do as much as I can this morning and a bit of the afternoon, and then catch a matatu to Nanyuki for the weekend. I could even just stay the night and come back tomorrow with James & Matua. But I would like to have a nice weekend away. The question is how much of my money do I want to spend on it. I really want to go to Lamu, but I don't think I can afford that! I would have to fly, and I haven't even looked but I think it would be too much. And then next weekend, my last weekend, I am likely to be up in Pokot. Which just annoys me, especially as I've had an idea of what I want to do for my own research. I might talk to Dave Anderson about that today.

My main piece of news is that I had my interview with Tim & Gabe for the Public MA yesterday evening, and I got a place. Tim said at the beginning that my application and references were excellent (thanks Karen, for help with the App, and Matt, Norah & Nacho for the refs!) and that he was really only interviewing me because I was applying for funding. So that's cool. He also said that I needed to get my funding application in as soon as possible. So yesterday evening I decided not to go for the 'quick' drink with Leila & Reynolds, because I knew it wouldn't just be an hour and I wanted to get stuff done. Leila eventually came back at about 11.30. I hadn't got as much done as I had wanted, but I did have a lovely chat with the lovely Ceilidh. I did the statement, but I had also wanted to apply for a job that has a deadline of today. The deadline is 12pm tho, which gives me the whole of my lunchtime to do it in. I love the 3hr time difference sometimes. Now all I have to do is try and make Indesign work. I now pretty much know how to use it (love online how-to guides) but it's not actually working properly on this computer. It's just taking forever. I've been trying to create a new document for about half an hour. But the screen has just completely frozen now. *sigh* I'm never gonna get this done.

Leila was really sweet last night tho, I was a little pissed off, for reasons I won't go into, and she gave me a huge hug and apologised for not coming back sooner. Bless.

Right, in the absence of constructive things to do I shall go and look for the funding form I filled in a couple of months ago. And I might go update my other journal. Something to do. :)

food and interviews

Haha! I am currently listening to my iPod while typing up biographies. I was happily rocking away to Korn, when the track suddenly ended and Billie Piper came on. Made me laugh. Anyway, this will become a proper update later when I have time to write it and we have power and internet back to post it! Love Africa. :)

Mmm, I'm hungry, and it's not lunchtime yet. I've been thinking about foods that I'm craving.... Baked potato with bacon and avocado, which I could technically have here as we figured out how to get the oven working again last night. Same with a bacon sarnie, but it'll never be the same as at home. Macaroni cheese, also could be made here now!
Roast chicken (or any roast beast - except goat, I've had enough goat) with all the trimmings (including pigs in blankets. mmmm)
Nachos, which I could make but would cost a small fortune to do so.
Twix - I saw one on Kampala and foolishly didn't buy it. How I want one now!
Houmous, this is a recent one, I was thinking of snacking on the carrot I have leftover, but it just wouldn't be the same without houmous. I must be able to find it somewhere tho.... Hmmm. *tummy rumbles* gah.

I have an interview this afternoon btw. With Tim & Gabe for the Public MA. 5pm here, which is after the office shuts. I've given the office landline though, as my mobile reception can sometimes not be very good, although with the weather as it is any phone line probably won't be very good. (it's quite rainy atm) So, I should probably get finishing with my bios so I can do some swotting up to be at least a little bit prepared. Any tips anyone? What kind of things might they ask?

xxx

mouses, Sunday night and the start of the week

And here is the second part of my update, but I missed some stuff out about me and Hannah going on travel related missions and finding a yummy organic cafe where we had funky smoothies.


right, so in case my update about the weekend has survived on the other computer, I shall just do a brief update about yesterday and today. So, Sunday night Hannah was packing her bags for Kampala until about 1am, so I was still awake as well. And then at 3am we were both woken up by a very loud scratching noise. I was most perturbed as I felt like I had barely closed my eyes when I was being rudely awoken by... well, what? It was coming from somewhere near the bathroom, so Hannah got up and checked behind the mattress & cot bed which are still standing in the corner of the room. She couldn't see anything and the sound had stopped, so she got back into bed. Then it started again. So this time it was my turn, so I found my glasses and torch and scrambled out of bed. I had a brief look in the corner but I thought it was coming more from the dressing table which sits inbetween the bathroom door and the main bedroom door. So I went and shone my torch all around it, and behind the mirror, but I couldn't see anything. So I got back into bed. A few minutes passed, all the time I was tense waiting for it to start again. And start again it did. Slowly this time. There was a little 'scritch', a pause, and then again 'scritch scratch'. Another pause, then 'scratch scratch scratch scratch...' So I very slowly put my foot on the floor, but it stopped, so I paused and shone my torch over the dressing table trying to figure out where it came from. Hannah said something, and then all of a sudden this medium sized brown rodent dashed from one column of dressing table drawers to the other. Hannah squeeled quietly while I gasped and automatically pulled my feet up off the floor as the mouse, not finding a way out, dashed back across to the drawers it had come from, and then back again to the other ones, and there was a slight pause and then is dashed from the dressing table over towards the wall and across the door, at which point my sight was obscured as there is another big bureau thing in the way, against which was leaning Hannah's bag packed and ready for Kampala. Neither of us were willing to step out of bed to go and investigate where it might have got to. Hannah joked about waking James up next door, but I said (and he agreed the next day) that he probably would have been up on the chair and no help whatsoever. Anyway, we eventually decided it was gone and so settled back down, but at 4.30 we were both still awake. I finally managed to get to sleep, probably around 5am, and Hannah's alarm went off at 5.30am so that she could get ready to catch her bus. I was still awake while she was bustling around getting things together, and then at about 6am she took her stuff out of the room so I sat up to say goodbye. We won't see each other again in Kenya! I go back to England just a couple of days before she returns from Kampala, but she's back the week after me so we'll see each other again in London. We joked on the way home from town at the weekend, that if we all get to our preferred universities (me UCL, Han & Lei at SOAS) then we should move in together and it would be just like Kenya only with our own rooms and without someone having to sleep on a mattress on the floor!

So anyway, I probably managed another hour, maybe hour and a half of sleep before I dragged myself out of bed and got ready for work. I wasn't really capable of much that involved thinking yesterday so I didn't get much done in the morning. Dave arrived at the offices, having returned to Kenya Sunday evening and stayed the night at Matt's. He was quite jet-lagged still. So in the afternoon James, Dave & I drove to Westlands to buy some stuff. They were going to get things for Laikipia and I needed a laminater and print cartridge, but nowhere in westlands had them so we went on a tour to Nakumatt UKAY and the big one in Westgate. No luck on any front for me. But it was an interesting afternoon out anyway, and it was good to catch up with dave along the way. I am very jealous of the two of them going up to Nanyuki together, they're gonna have a great time.

So I didn't get a whole lot done after that. I installed In-Design on a computer in the computer room which I will use to design the boards for the Kapenguria Museum. And then gave up when it got to about 5.30 and it was insisting on installing updates after going to a blue screen following the main program installation. Dave went back to Matt's to do some stuff and get an early night, and James and I went to Upper Hill campsite and had a drink (mmm, wine) and the biggest burger I have seen for a long time. Delicious but I could only eat half of it.We came back on a matatu at about 8pm, and then I relaxed on the sofa with my book for the rest of the evening before getting an early night. No mouse disturbances during the night, thank goodness.

Today I came into the office to check on the computers and check my emails, gave dave a hand with a few bits for Laikipia, then said farewell to him and James, got distracted by tea.... oooh, it's teatime again! *sits back down with a nice cup of tea* erm, oh, and I borrowed James's speakers, and said hello to the girl who was here a while ago, but whose name I've forgotten so I may have to go back and see if I mentioned her here!
I went to the archives, but didn't have much luck. The guy I need to speak to about photos wasn't there, and basically it could take forever to do a comprehensive search for all the info I need. So I'm gonna go back tomorrow with a list of photos & newspaper articles I need. If I can ever get anything done today. It might have to wait until Thursday if the internet doesn't come back. On the plus side, on my way back from the archives I found several places that sell laminators. So I'm gonna go back when I go back into town, to buy one. Fun. Then this afternoon seems to have been taken up with not getting much done!

James & Dave have gone to Nanyuki, with Joe and the new research assistant, Kerry. Hugo has gone off somewhere for a few days. Jacob has also gone away with his parents until tomorrow. But Leila arrives back today, and there is also the other girl whose name I can't remember. So I'm going to find pancake recipes and ingredients and at least I can make pancakes with people tonight! I'm gonna have to work this evening as well though, especially if I want to justify being able to go and do things I want to do next week. Hmph.
Ah, and the computer is now ready for me. Fab.
I'll hopefully post this later then! When the internet comes back.
xxx

Sudan photos & yesterday's update

Here is the link to my Sudan photos, which are finally up just two weeks before I return to England.
Southern Sudan Oct-Nov 09

And here follows a post I started on this computer yesterday. I finished it on my laptop, which I will post later, and there may be some stuff missingfrom the middle that I need to write about. But here you go...


How frustrating. I can’t actually do anything at the moment. I have to wait until my hard drive is scanned and cleaned before I can open anything, and there is no internet to do research on. Humph.
So I shall write up instead. Now where did I get to? I think I had updated on Laikipia, so this weekend then. Gosh, it’s Tuesday already.
Saturday was obviously incredibly interesting. I don’t actually remember any of it. I think mostly over the weekend I just chilled out, planned to do things but never got round to them, sat in the sun, read books, browsed the internet and cooked lovely meals with Hannah & James and had some great evenings. So days pretty quiet and not done a lot, and then in the evening we would all cook together, open a bottle of wine, and then sit down to dinner and conversation. It has been really really nice. Hannah & I went into town on Saturday. We met up with Ruth, a Kenyan girl who we met in Tot when we went before Christmas. She is the sweetest girl ever. Tiny and with a high but not annoyingly so voice. She’s studying banking and investments at uni, i think in her last year. And she’s also one of Henrietta’s research assistants on FGM (female genital mutilation) in Tot during the circumcision ceremonies. So we had tea with Ruth and her friend from uni, then Hannah and I went off on a wander to find the Akamba bus station so she could buy a ticket for her bus on Monday...........

album & apologies

Firstly, here is where I'm going to upload photos. http://jestive.jalbum.net/
I have uploaded a test album from Uganda so far, it ain't amazing but there are cute kittens.

Secondly, apologies for the posts that I do via email coming up wierd and awkward to read. I will try and edit at some point.

Now I must work. Which is difficult because I didn't sleep very much because of Hannah and a mouse. Story later.
xx

Laikipia

Well, I don't actually remember what my last update said, but I feel as
I can't go to bed yet because hannah is on the phone to her man, and
then James disappeared and sounds like he is also on the phone, that I
should do the same. But I'm far too tired, I could barely walk in a
straight line even before a couple of glasses of wine.

So yesterday morning I woke up at about 5am so that I could get packed
and ready for me, Matt & Joe to go up to Laikipia to work on a British
army base. We were basically just doing fieldwalking of an area that has
been planned out to build a training base on. So that was the
archaeology, of which there was very little. Also we were meant to be
being taken in a helicopter, but there turned out to be a load of NMK
people too so I guess they decided just to drive us all up there. We
were staying at Archers Post, and the site we were doing an impact
assessment for was about a 40 minute drive. We arrived in the afternoon
yesterday and go to work doing a smaller area, and then moved onto the
bigger area today. I met a guy called Frenchie who is a young member of
the engineering peeps. He was basically our babysitter for the two days,
although I'm not sure if this was a role he voluntarily took on or if he
was assigned too us.
We all sat around last night, me, Matt & Joe, and a load of the army
guys. They were chatting and telling tales and messing around, and
drinking a lot of beer. It was good fun. Then us three archaeologists
went to bed. Only as we had found out earlier in the eving we should
have been told to bring bedding, which we hadn't been. So we got someone
to go and buy us some blamkets, but blimey was that not enough. I was so
cold during the night. I was basically sleeping on a camp bed thing with
no padding or mattress, with nothing but a blamket and my jumper for a
pillow. At some point during the night I decided it was too cold and
that I could do without the pillow, and so I put the jumper on. I think
I did sleep a bit better after that, but still barely got any sleep,
which is why I am so tired now. I would go to bed if hannah weren;t in
the room.

So today we were surveying the bigger area, which was incredibly boring
until Frenchie found us (he'd been looking for us for about an hour) and
then he walked with me and we chatted for the last hour and a half of
the time. I'm not sure I would have noticed anything on the ground
anyway because I was nattering so much, but noone else found anything
either so I think that area was quite clean of any archaeology. The NMK
guys there were doing the environmental survey, and there was definitely
nothing left there that could e harmed by the MOD building their base
there as the nmk guys killed everything apparently. They were collecting
specimins or something. So I think there is nothing left for the army to
destroy! Anyway, they left before us and so frenchie drove us back to
base. The road has been recently graded and so is quite sandy in places,
so there were parts where you could lose control a bit if going too
fast. We lost control a couple of times. I was in the passenger seat.
The first time was ok, we just swerved a bit. Then the second time we
did a little off roading! Heheh. I asked him to slow down a little after
that! So we got backt to camp and signed off so that they could build on
the land. And I will hopefully be keeping in touch with one or two of
the guys if they come to Nairobi (I'm terrible, if anyone mentions
they're coming I tell them to call me and we'll all go for food!).
Anyway, I got back to Nairobi a few hours ago, have showered and eaten
and nattered with James and Hannah. And now I really want to go to bed.
I think I will finish this and then just go and get ready for bed.
Hannah can come dowanstairs to be on the phone.
Night
xx

Laikipia! In a helicopter!!!

How awesome. So Matt just rang me, he wants me and Matua to come with
him to Laikipia to do the first phase in a project of which the second
phase Dave is going to be running (oooOOOOooh!!!) about which I have
many things I would like to say, but never mind. So I have to pack up
all the equipment and go and buy some food stuffs for us to have one
dinner and one breakfast camping. Oh and all the camping stuff as well.
So that should be pretty cool. Oh and we get flown up there in a
helicopter. *squee!* How exciting.
So, suggestions on what tasty and easy treat I could cook with a couple
of pans and a gas burner in reply please!!! :)

Otherwise, the last couple of days I have spent reformatting the BIEA
computers. I'm pretty much done but there is one computer which hasn't
finished windows updating, and another which I have been unable to set
up on the internet as it doesn't work in the computer room. I'm going to
have to have to finish installing the virus software when I can connect
it, as well as all the other programs which require an internet
connection to install, and also make sure it is running all the windows
updates and stuff. Hmph. But I should get about 5500 - 6000 ksh for all
of it, so that is good. That will help with all the pressies and stuff I
want to buy before I go back. I'm also debating insisting on going to
Laura's site in Western or not now, because if I go to Pokot with Matt I
will insist on a day at either Sigor or Lomut market, or whichever is
the best according to Leila. Cos I want to get a fair amount of shopping
done there. Where things are much cheaper!!!

So, umm, yeah. Last night I didn't do much, just chatted to a load of
people online which was very lovely, for the most part! And then today,
as I couldn't do much more on the computers, I went to the Sarit centre
at lunchtime to send all my postcards. Apart from two, one of which I
somehow forgot to write the address on, and the other I had to buy in
town as I had run out. So I'll probably just do another trip in tomorrow
afternoon to post those two. Cost me a fortune though. Crikey!! I had 11
which I sent today, and then another 2 tomorrow. But luckily they are
small ones so they shouldn't be too expensive.

So, tonight I'm going to make spag bol again. I have some spaghetti
left, and mince isn't too expensive so I figure i should have some meat
in my diet. Arse, my laptop seems to have a virus. Where it came from I
don't know, I just checked it this morning!!

Best get that sorted then, and then go and charge the GPS-es, and write
this blimmin report on the Uganda Museum.

Internet shminternet (7.02.10 9pm)

So I went all the way to the Sarit centre to go to Java and use their internet, but it turned out that their internet wasn't working. Argh!!! So I had a wander around, I went to the health food shop and bought sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and muesli. They were all rather overpriced, but muesli is expensive everywhere and they had it in big tubs which meant I only had to buy a little bit, just for occasional mornings. And the seeds I haven't really been able to find anywhere,
except in huge bags or still in their husks. Anyway, boring. I bought them to have with rice, mmm, seedy rice. I haven't had it for ages. So I was going to have seedy rice and garlicy mushrooms for dinner, but then I felt really queasy so I only had plain rice instead. So, anyway, I
also had a look around the bookshop and found several books I want to buy. I might buy them before I go home, depends on if I have the money left. I wrote down what they were anyway.

So yeah, I ended up in Java, and I ordered food cos I felt like splashing out, on a salad. I know, doesn't sound incredibly awesome, but I haven't had a decent salad for ages. It was a greek salad, with feta and olives and a blue cheese dressing which was divine. Yums. Java was busy, so I ended up sitting with another lady who came to sit at my table. I was doing my Uganda accounts at the time, so that in case their internet started working I could email it to Humphrey. Glad it didn't in the end as I then spent another hour trying to work it out this evening, so that it wasn't so confusing with my allowance money as well. I managed it in the end, but it took a while. Things didn't add up right so I had to go through the receipts twice, and then I realised I'd forgotten to put the Kenyan taxi fare on as well as a couple of other bits, and all was well with the world. I still ended up with very little left but it doesn't matter so much if I'm going to be paid for the work
I do tomorrow.

Oh, I do ramble don't I. Anyway, the lady who sat down at my table was a 40something lady possibly from Iran, I never actually asked. Once I'd put the laptop down and started eating we struck up a conversation and it was really nice. We were chatting for over an hour, and we probably both stayed longer because of it. She's here in Nairobi having just accepted a years contract for this NGO, but she's not really looking forward to it now as while she was here about 4 months ago she was burgled in the place she was staying. She was actually in bed at the time. It sounded quite frightening, although they didn't have weapons and they didn't hurt her at all. Such a shame though. Anyway, we chatted about burglaries, and when I told her about the one we had at Cavendish she asked which part of London. When I said Harringay she told me about a news story that she'd heard in the run up to Christmas where all the wreaths and outside decorations had been stolen from a whole street of houses. Somehow more amusing than actually breaking into people's houses. So yeah, evidently she's lives in England, in London somewhere near to south crowdon but I can't remember the name of it. But she's lived in Juba for a few years, in Nairobi for 10 years, but left in the 80s I think she said, and I have no doubt that she's lived many other places as well. She'd been flat hunting for a place to stay while she works in Nairobi this time, but was finding it so difficult she had a flat hunting headache. Not surprising. I think it was nice for her to have someone to chat to, and I hope I helped ease her stress even in a
small way.

Anyway, I'm still writing updates, and will attempt to send them in order when I finally get to use the internet. I was going to watch a film, namely the Core because Sean's a geologist and was talking about it (how bad a film it was) but I quite enjoy bad films so it made me remember that I wanted to watch it. We did discuss how some bad films are funny, but this was just awful, but I think he just thinks that because he's a geologist, in the same way that we archaeologists get annoyed with films that feature awful archaeology. Although I may have laughed during the most recent Indy film it was a laugh of pain and the use of alternative theories in such a way. Hmmm, I really do need to do this alternative arch idea as a dissertation. *has ideas*

So yes, I was going to watch a film, but now it is nearly 10pm so I might as well just get ready for bed. I've been wanting to go to sleep since I got back from westlands at about 4pm, but managed to find enough things to keep me occupied, although the only person I saw was french guy Oogo (Hugo) very briefly, and his English is not perfect. It's fairly good in itself, but his accent is so strong that I often have to get him to repeat things.

Right then, I shall pretend you are actually going to be able to read this tonight and say goodnight!
xxx

Back in Nairobi again (07.02.10 AM)

Right, well I'm back in Nairobi. To find there is no internet at the moment. The BIEA computers were all virussed up so they've taken the network down until it is sorted. And guess who gets to sort it... yes, me. I don't mind though, it's one of those jobs I can do while doing something else, and I'll get paid for it, so that's quite good. So right now I am writing this at home while my first load of washing goes round and round in the machine. And then I'm going to nip to the Kasuku centre do buy a couple of bits before heading to Java at the sarit centre to use the internet. I might also have lunch or something. Something warm. I'm so cold. I'm actually wearing a jumper today and I plan to layer up to go out. It's really rainy as well today, but I don't really want to take my raincoat with me, so unless it's raining when I leave I'll just keep my laptop in a plastic bag and hope I don't get too wet. So Friday night I said goodbye to everyone. Claire sent big hugs back to Sarah with me, and I even got hugs from all the guys as well. Will hopefully be able to keep in touch with them all. I didn't get much sleep because of shenanigans going on around me during the night. The new member of staff at the hostel spent the night in the Swedish guy next door's room. And there was a bit of an argument going on at about 2.30 in the morning about it. I was woken up pretty much every hour by something or other going on. And then I had to get up at 5.30 to get myself ready and out. I was fleeced by the taxi driver as well, I might email the hostel and complain as they booked him for me. But it was paid for by the BIEA so I don't mind too much. The bus journey was just long. I don't think I want to do a long one like that again. The rest stops just weren't enough to stretch my legs properly in, and my knees were killing me by the end of it. I also had a very annoying Congolese man next to me who insisted on taking up more space than he should have done. Anyway, I read quite a bit, and stared out of the window a bit, and slept quite a lot, and made it back to Nairobi by just about 8pm, which wasn't too bad at all.

Once back at the guest house I met Laura who was eating downstairs. If Hannah hadn't been on the phone when I got it I would have just stayed upstairs, but I'm glad she was as Laura is a brilliant woman. She's a palaeolithic archaeologist, and is off to dig up a site in Western Kenya, right by Lake Victoria. She was also a graduate attachee back in the day, and met Ignacio while she was here when he was just doing his phd I think. Anyway, very lovely, we had a really nice chat and she invited me to come to western with her on the dig. I would absolutely love to but I do want to get this museum stuff done, so I'm really going to go at it and then just tell Matt I'm going up either next week or when they go up for a third visit in a couple of weeks. Hopefully they'll find lots and I can go up for the third visit as I would like to get the Kap museum stuff done first. But she's a lithics person and she's into the MSA, so she's really just the perfect person to get to know. She's really my kind of person as well. Completely no nonsense. She said that if I want to go then I should just tell them I'm going, and she was horrified at some of the stuff I did before Christmas, and what I'm doing now actually. She was appalled when I said what I had been doing the last couple of weeks. She's really made me see things in a new light. It think I had been fooled into thinking that this was just the way of it, which I suppose it is sometimes, but it doesn't have to be. So, I'm going to stop gushing now, even though she managed to give me a new confidence and courage in just around an hour. I think also being in Kampala has made me think quite a lot, and also made me a lot more confident and, I don't know, just more assertive I guess. In my head at least. Now I just need to put it to practice, which I intend to start with straight away.

So, I have much to do, and it's going to start with having cheese on toast, both items kindly donated by Laura this morning. And then I will go to Java. I had things planned that I wanted to research, so as soon as I remember what they were I'll get on it.

Note to self: Try and improve memory more.

Note to self 2: Try to improve my memory

Gosh I'm so funny. *headdesk*

Later edit: Hee hee, I just had a lovely long phone conversation with Sarah. It was so nice to catch up. She's still in Eldoret but only going to be there for another week or two, so hopefully I'll see her soon! She also decided to nickname a certain person which amused us both. Can't wait til she comes back. Anyway, time seems to have slipped away from me again. Better get going!

And another edit. It's now 1pm, I am in Java, but I can't connect to the internet. I think it must be something to do with my laptop, because other people have their laptops out. Anyway, I may have changed my mind about the nickname mainly because there may be a helicopter ride involved. Oooh. On Thursday or Friday, so I shall keep you updated. Providing I am ever able to connect to the internet. Darn it.

last day in Kampala

This morning I said goodbye to Michelle, she's planning on being in
Nairobi in the next couple of weeks though, so she's gonna get in touch
and I'll try and show her around a bit.
I got into the museum and we kinda couldn't do much until Pretty (yes,
one of the girl's name's is Pretty) came back with the bags from Uchimi.
She bought 200 and we still ran out before the day was done. I left at
about 12.30 to go and exchange money and get my bus ticket from the
Akamba office. I was gone over 2 hours by the time I got back to the
museum. I met a guy called Prince who sat next to me on the matatu. He
was from Canada but he's working over here and all over Eastern Africa
at the moment, and looks totally thrilled about it all. Anyway, I had to
give him my email address before we parted. I was also planning on going
to an Indian place that Michelle had recommended but I went in and it
was too expensive, so I just caught the taxi back to the museum. Took
over half an hour though. They just kept stopping for ages trying to get
people on board. So when he asked for 700 when I got off (way after the
museum where I was supposed to be dropped) I laughed and gave him 500.
He wasn't surprised. Some other guy got so pissed off with the waiting
that he got off without paying halfway thru his journey and caught a
boda boda instead. I did not blame him.
Anyway, I returned to find that we were almost out of bags again, so
while a couple of the girls were finishing them off the rest of us moved
the empty boxes to the storeroom. Then I gave Pretty my email addy and
took a photo of them all. Then I went and spent some time in Jackie's
office typing up the catalogue until she came back. Then we discussed
stuff, and I promised to visit and try and return to Uganda soon, and
then I came back. It was gone 6.30 by the time I got back, so I went
straight to the market to buy my rolex. I also bought a couple of
chapatti for tomorrow's bus journey. I have tons of snacks and stuff to
eat along the way now. I also bought bananas, so I can have some for
breakfast too.

This evening I gave Sean my hard drive so he could steal some more
fillums, had a shower, played some pool, had a chat to Ceilidh on
bookface, and have generally been enjoying my last evening here. I also
found out that Claire is also doing her international politics phd from
Aberystwyth, and she's a good friend of Sarah's! So I'll have to call
Sarah tomorrow when I'm back in the country and tell her, as well as see
how she's doing. I've been a bit out of touch since being over here!

Argh, and now it's almost 11pm, and I think the internet is down again
so this update might also be a day delayed in posting.

4 weeks until I fly home!!

I'm not sure if that is the reason for my supremely good mood this
evening, or if it's because I have finally embraced Uganda, but I have
been pretty damn smiley. I think it started with the rain. Now I know
that last time I was here the rain was just a catalyst for a bad mood,
but now it is the opposite. Mainly because I can be dry and warm and I
don't have to worry about having dry clothes to put on. And it's been
hot here since.... damn it, got distracted. A guy came up to Chris and
I, who were happily busying ourselves with our laptops, and started up a
very animated conversation (some of it about animations) with us. Most
distracting. He's a londoner, but he's lived here for 6 years. Some
interesting conversations, but I was really enjoying my alone with my
emails time. Although there is no internet here at the moment, probably
won't be at all tonight either. I hope there is tomorrow morning.
Ah well, I don't think I'm gonna get much written until I get off to bed
and have alone time.

Right then, it's now past 11pm and I have to be up at 6.30. Which isn't
actually that bad, but I kinda left as I ended up sat next to Ritchie
getting a back rub from one of the dutch girls and decided it was either
vomit or call it a night. Ritchie was the londoner I mentioned earlier.
He's very outgoing and it seems as though he has the same conversations
with everyone, about insecurity and some pulling method seminars or
something. How to get girls lesson no. 1 appears to be to tell everyone
this kind of thing anyway. He's quite a player, really knows how to
manipulate people, but hey, he's good for a laugh and an upbeat
conversation of an evening anyway. I was eventually saved when another
British girl, Claire I think, came along and they were going to play
pool, and then Sean finished playing pool and came and sat with me,
which I was most surprised about as he'd barely said hello all evening.
Anyway, more good film convos with him before he suddenly disappeared
again (he does that a lot) so I decided to head to bed.

Work was ok, although we were there all day today we still didn't get a
lot done. I have noticed that africans generally tend to walk quite
slowly when they have work to do, and things tended to move at a snail
pace in the afternoon. Hopefully tomorrow will be better, although we
ran out of bags again, after we had to send henry out to get another 100
this morning, they had all gone by 3.30. So that was frustrating. Not
sure what is going to happen in the morning. Jackie had disappeared,
well, most of the day really, she seems to barely be around at all, and
so I couldn't get anything done about it and i wasn't about to go and
buy a load with my own money again. Not at 4.30 in the afternoon anyway.
Too much hassle. So I came back to the hostel, getting lost while
walking through town again, but I think I am more used to Kampala now.
Just in the way that I'm getting more chilled out, and not letting
things bug me as much. I had a piece of pineapple that I bought at the
New Taxi Park, and ate on my taxi while I waited for it to fill up. I
also bought an apple, which may not sound exciting but I had a cheerful
chat with the guy selling it to me, however brief. The lady I was sat
next to threw the bag my pineapple had come in out the window for me
because she got fed up with me holding it. She said that I might not
feel right about throwing it like that, but that's just how they do
things here. Then I had a cheery conversation with the other dutch girl
and Michelle while I was in the shower and was invited out for dinner
but decided to stay in and get another rolex instead, which I thoroughly
enjoyed. And they ended up paying about 13000 for their meals anyway so
it was good that I stayed behind. I ran into Christine on my way to the
market, she was on her way back with chapatis and put her hat on my head
as we met on side of the road. I think the thing that has made me so
cheery is realising that actually, everyone is really friendly, there
are a few who are mocking with their mzungu shouting, but the majority
are nice.

Anyway, my back is aching typing with my laptop on my lap, and i want to
scratch my arm off my mossie bites itch so bad.
Night peeps.
xx

Aliens are built by pyramids, or possibly the other way around

Ooh! And I forgot to tell you about Zimbabwean guy, so while I remember,
just before I go to bed, I will tell the story. Ok, so it's not really
that interesting, but there's this guy staying here, he left this
morning to go find out about a job or something, but he's coming back on
Friday. I met him the other night when I met Christine and most of the
others. He was wearing short shorts, matching vest top and a bandana
thing over his head, and he sounds like the 'annoying' guy from The Boat
That Rocked (if you don't know who I'm talking about you should watch
the film, excellent film) with the same annoying nasal voice. Anyway,
the first time I was talking about having studied Egyptian Arch he was
asking if I'd heard about some experiment or something where they
covered a sarcophagus in some kind of animal skin, and then put sound
waves or something through the sarcophagus, and at a certain frequency
hieroglyphs appeared in the sand ("oh yeah, they scattered sand or dust
or something over the top") so "there's obviously some deeper meaning to
these things that we just don't understand yet". Oh here we go "no I
hadn't heard this, where did you read about it? Who did the
experiments?" "Oh I dunno, some place, not sure really" then he wandered
off as there were many conversations going on around the place. Then
this morning I for some reason engaged him in conversation (I was trying
to place his accent) and then we had a huge discussion about how there
is no evidence to show that the pyramids were built. At one point I
asked him if he'd read Von Daniken, and yes, he had. Hee hee. I
snickered a little. He seemed to think that at uni we are told how to
think like little schoolkids and can't make our minds up for ourselves,
so I had to explain that we learn the evidence, and the theories and
stuff, and work out for ourselves that stuff like that is a load of
bollocks, but without being rude of course, just generally a little
patronising maybe. Anyway, a real life believer in all that crap. Made
me want to do my original dissertation idea again, so maybe I'll get his
contact details in case I ever want to get in touch about it. I think he
lives in the UK generally. Funny.

Also there are small ants living in my laptop. I presume. I keep finding
them crawling around on it anyway.

Also just had a great evening. Michelle & I went to get a rolex from the
market, and then we bought bananas and came back to the hostel. Then I
lent her my book and she was immediately engrossed, so I ended up
hanging out with Sean and James outside, who were both waiting for texts
from laydees. James got his, some Ugandan woman who thinks he's older
than his (bless) 19 years, and who has a child. Sounds like he's already
spent the night at hers. And I don't know whose Sean's was, I never got
around to asking. I think I promised to play pool one night though, as
long as I've had a couple of drinks. Oh dear, i've not played for so
long. I do miss the old Hole in the Wall days though. :)

Also it's really windy tonight. Not very interesting but I felt like
another also.

Right, night folks.
x

what day is it today?

So, the last couple of days I've not had much chance to update. It's all
been much of a muchness. And the power keeps going off, so I'm going to
update quickly while I have the chance. I've met some interesting
people, and now that I know a few faces whenever I am here I end up
surrounded by people. I spend a lot of time chatting to michelle, she's
australian and very nice and friendly.

The museum stuff is going okay. I've only really been doing mornings in
the museum as the uni girls are volunteering to give up their time, but
I've been running errands and stuff in the afternoons. Yesterday I had
to go all the way to Garden City to buy finds (read: freezer) bags and
that was the only place I could find them. Also it rained. I got quite
drenched but although the rain was cold as it fell on me, it also felt
like at the same time someone was training a fan heater on me because of
the hot wind. Very strange. So yeah, ummm, I've been trying to write
this while talking to Michelle, and it's not going well! I can't
concentrate. So. Yeah.

Some things that have amused me in the last couple of days, during the
rain a girl got in the minibus I was on with a black plastic bag over
her perfectly quaffed hair. Some guy today was carrrying some metal pole
things that were about 5 meters long, possibly longer, sticking straight
up in the air as he negotiated his way around the traffic. There are
loads of mannequins around showing off clothes and stuff, and mostly
they are white. There was one shop this afternoon which had two male
mannequins dressed up outside, held in place from the awning thing with
rope that was tied around their necks. Made me chuckle and nearly fall
down some steps.

I'm getting more used to Kampala now, finding my way around, and finding
places to buy fruit and stuff. I have bought two dresses so far, one of
which I'm not too sure about, but the other one is lovely. The only
thing I am not enjoying is the mosquitos. There are tons of them at this
bloody hostel, and my mossie repellant, and the one I took from the
guest house which was left behind by someone, are both running out. I
just got bitten while I was talking to Michelle and within minutes it
was swollen about an inch in diameter, vaguely yellow and surrrounded by
a big red patch. I've put stuff on it straight away so hopefully it'll
calm down. I'm going to take many anti-histamines tonight.

Oh, also, an african guy got run over just down the road from the hostel
yesterday, apparently one side of him was completely messed up, and he
was dragging himself along and asking for help but the car that hit him
just drove away, and the passers by just didn't do anything. This
according to the hungarian guy who was walking past at the time and who
told James which is who I heard it from. Apparently he died, but I'm not
sure how true that is. When I walked past there was a policeman and his
police bike, surrounded by lots of worried looking boda boda drivers
while he took notes. I was telling the girl I was workign with today and
she said she had seen about it on the news last night, but she didn't
know if it was true that the guy had died. I was uber worried when I had
to catch a boda boda so that i could quickly go and pick some things up
this morning. I tried to catch a taxi-bus but they were all full and
none were stopping for ages, so I was walking and a boda boda offered,
so I took it. He was very good actually, felt quite safe even though it
was a long way. I still have this odd high, wibbly, feeling for a while
after I get off them though.

Anyway, Michelle and I are about to go down the road to buy rolexes (not
the watch, an omelette wrapped in chappati - rolled eggs - rolex) for
dinner in a minute so I shall send this now and maybe actually get
around to doing some work later. Ha, like that will happen.

1 feb 2010

*yawn* Good evening, or possibly good morning as the power is now off
here so I don't know if I'll be able to post this tonight.

So this morning I was a little late getting up, but I was catching a
boda boda so I wasn't too worried, but I still didn't get there until
8.45. Which was a bit late. There were some university people there who
were there helping.

Ooh, it's now Tuesday morning and I never got around to finishing
writing up, and now I have to write and drink my coffee mega quick so
that I can get to the museum. So the reason I haven't written is
because... I made friends! Yay! Sunday night a girl called Michelle and
Chris came and sat at my table, so I got chatting to them. And then
yesterday I was comfortable sat on the sofa reading my book when
suddenly I was talking to a Ugandan girl called Christine who was here
looking for someone to translate a fairly simple Visa letter from german
for her. I did the best I could but then an actual german turned up
later and completely convinced her that what I had said it said was
actually what it said. So I chatted to her about stuff, and then there
was a guy called James, quite nice, with dread, probably going back to
Nairobi the same day as me, which would be ace if I had someone to share
a taxi with. Then there was a couple of other guys, one who had just
arrived from Sweden who is in the single room next to me who I was
chatting to once Sean left me. And so of course there is Sean, who is
the Irish guy and very easy to chat to, he's one of those people who
fills silences easily. Among other things we had an animated discussion
about sci-fi films (or fillums, love it) until he got called off to play
pool. So yeah, more friends, which is ace.

With the museum I basically lugged around a lot of boxes with the uni
girls, there is a lot of Ntusi, so I think today we will be going
through the boxes and sorting out the materials. So not looking forward
to it. Especially as we don't have half the stuff we need yet.

Anyway, must go drink coffee, brush teeth and skiddadle.
x