ACF kicks ass...

25 Oct 2006
I have created a monster. One of my guards accused me of being ‘dynamique’ if you can believe it. I am no Spiderman but one would think that the guards could be a little more strategic in their search for sleep. Now the two guards who work at the house do nightly callisthenics starting about 01H30 – presumably to chase away the drowsies. The running around the house in rubber boots and rain jackets is just a bit noisy. A friend of mine continues to remind me ‘be careful what you ask for!’

Turns out the fellow who got ‘disappeared’ found his way back from the dead. Interesting but nobody is talking.

This is the week before the election, and while everyone seems concerned for our wellbeing out here in the bush, there is a concomitant lack of thinking going on. We received 4 visitors and now have to host them throughout the election period. Sure hope we don’t have to evacuate – we have no evac plan (I have tried to institute one but with communications being so bad I am still waiting to hear the feedback – whoops too late!) and so I guess if we evacuate I will leave our visitors behind. Sorry I have no contingency plans for ‘extra’ uninvited persons. Clearly, it would have been beneficial to have some warning/discussion beforehand.

I have arranged a football match between ACF and Concern on the Saturday before the election. There is lots of trash-talk these days but be sure ACF sera frapper nos amis! Jo, from Concern, and I have arranged a post-match fete chez moi. This should help the spirit of the crews here – there are 6 cases of beer and 5 litres of palm wine coming. This is a serious doo. Sunday will be Election Day and on the following Monday, I have given a day off for the non-critical staff. If something blows up we don’t need to be at work. This should give a bit of a breather to assess the post-election security situation.

I hope to have my new paiotte – an open air sun shelter finished today to give me a bit of a relaxation zone during the evenings and weekends. How nice is that? Now I will be able to move off the stoop and onto a proper lounge. Voilà. We will start upgrading the storehouse in Kato for the mobile CNS this week maybe… and since one of our new visitors is actually destined to be a long-term staff dealing with Watsan, his first task is to connect the office and house to the water system. Inshallah.

PS ACF won over Concern 1-0 except the timekeeper failed to call the game and then the ball dribbled in and THEN the game was considered a 1-1 draw. The cochon/chevre fete apres etait tres bien. Tout etait egal, voila