In Which Things Are Semi, Sort Of, Maybe, Kinda Moving Forward
on Zoe Page (Sierra Leone), 16/Nov/2010 07:55, 34 days ago
There’s no sugar left, but just as I’m about to tell Alex it’s fine, and I don’t need any in my porridge, she suggests adding chocolate instead. Hell yeah. We shun the Lindt (too dark to be sweet) in favour of peanut butter Dove and though it sounds crazy, it’s one of those wonderful things that just simply works.Everyone leaves for work, and I catch a cab to VSO. It's 8.15am and Theresa is there but there’s a team meeting at 9am so can’t see me until after that. Luckily their electricity and internet at working, so I ensconce myself in the spare office and catch up on things. Theresa summons me, and what follows is a convoluted discussion (to which my contributions are nods and thoughtful looks)about Kenema and VSO and the MOHS, and I wonder whether we’ll ever get on to what I want to know about, which is if there’s the chance of a placement in Freetown. Just as I’m giving up all hope, the topic comes up. Long story short, there is a chance of moving me to the Directorate of Hospitals and Laboratory Medicine in the Ministry, in a role that would see me supporting various hospitals and training them up to manage themselves more effectively. I agree to consider it, but want something in writing, and suggest I go to the Ministry to talk to the people concerned. This is clearly ashocking suggestion, and Theresa will have none of it, but says she’ll take me to meet them...soon. She then writes down exactly what we discussed in her notebook, and then we go in to see Yohannes so she can read it out to him. We’re in there for a while, since certain people much prefer to use50 words when 5 will do, and there’s a rather snide comment implying I am wholly responsible for what went wrong in Kenema, but eventually we are done and have a sort of plan involving me going to Kenema on Thurs to collect my stuff, since a VSO vehicle is going up country then. I’ll come backwhen it does on Saturday, and move in with Theo and Beth. At some point next week we will meet with my new director and develop a proper plan.I go off to meet Beth and Amie for lunch and further placement discussions (it never hurts to have multiple options). I stand at the corner of Congo Cross and wait for them to swing by, then jump in the taxi as it winds up the hill past the UN. Round and round and round it goes, up towards the Country Lodge hotel. It’s way up in the clouds, and looks like it might warrant the $200/night rates, not least for the view from the pool. The menu is surprisingly small, but I get a Greek salad that has a huge dollop of liquidy ‘Feta’ on top. Salads tend to be touch and go here, but this places looks like it’s worth the risk.After we drop them back at the MOHS, the driver takes me to Congo Cross during which time I fend off offers for him to be my‘friend’ by engaging him in a debate about the merits of Arsenal over Man United, having spotted his allegiance plastered none too subtly all over his cracked windscreen. I go to Mono Prix (which said driver delightfully callsMono Pricks) and then to St Mary’s because I’ve nothing better to do and need ingredients for tea. Randomly St Mary’s have a 10% discount on their whole range. This means their Wispas (Wispas!) are almost reasonably priced, though their magazines (magazines!) are not since they’re 14000 or more each and, the real decidingfactor, all from August. Doesn’t really work when the rags in question are Heat or Hello. I doubt any of the stories would still be true (if they even were back then).We cook tofu chilli for tea, and by we, I mean I, in the dark but with Alex’s texted instructions as she’s stuck in traffic. It’s pretty darn good, as is the uber fancy berry and peppercorn chocolate Alex has been keeping for a special occasion. I’m glad by stay here suffices.