It is seriously looking like I will be going to Mozambique on Tuesday!!!
Just for one week, then HOLIDAYS!!!!
Unbelievable!
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Thoughts of Algeria
I miss the dunes! I miss the desert.
I will try to go to Djanet in either September or October depending on what rotation ends up being.
I will try to go to Djanet in either September or October depending on what rotation ends up being.
I have to say something about SA
I have been in Johannesburg for well over a month and I haven’t said a thing about South Africa. It is not so much because since I spend so much time working I haven’t seen anything of it and it isn’t because there is nothing to say. It is just that I really do not even know how to start or what I should say to be fair. So remember that this is coming from somebody who is white, maybe a bleeding heart socialist but still white, spends all of her time in the office where most people are white and most of all this is coming from somebody who is staying all expenses paid in the Hyatt hotel in Johannesburg where a night cost what a person, let’s say who works at the cash register (always my personal point of reference) makes in one month. You can see why I am reluctant to say much. Also not helping is the fact that the other geologist is an old racist Brit who says things like “From my observation, the darker the skin the worst the driving” (or have I mentioned that already?!). But let’s just say that in South Africa if you are not a poor person you are stuck in what I call the Golden Cage. There are entire parts of town where you cannot go. If you are poor of course you can go anywhere as long as you don’t offend the rich or you are there to work for them -OK surely you can hear the sarcasm in this.
Rate of unemployment in South Africa is through the roof. I am not sure what the number is but it is well above what any western country experiences. The difference between the haves and the have-nots is huge. Of course the haves are mostly white and the have-nots are mostly black. Though the percentage of white to black at the hotel has to be about 50/50 and one of the magazine you get in the room is “enterprise – where black business lives” (www.entreprise-magazine.co.za).
Typically the Afrikaans are unanimous about things being better before 1994! I can't say that I am surprised at them saying that! They were living on the back of the black population!
Other typical and very common comment is about the fences. I would say that today if I had to describe one thing that would allow you to recognize Jo’burg from another practically instantly I would have to say that in the rich neighborhoods it is the high walls with the electric fences and mean looking razor-blade-type barb wire. The comment is about how “before 1994 you never walls and fences like this”..Well again here is a shocker. Before 1994 if you were poor you were black, you had no rights and stealing from the rich white elite would really not be one of the available options. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying stealing is generally alright, but really when people wear watches that cost as much as you make in a year etc, stealing sounds like redistribution of wealth, doesn’t it?!?
I don’t really want to say much more until I get a chance to travel.
Mozambique's bad luck
Just over two months ago Mozambique had some major floods, even before the cyclone, and 7,000 people died. I remember seeing on the news something about a train somewhere in Europe where over 20 people were hurt but nothing about Mozambique.
A few days ago in the Maputo Airport a military bunker blew up and an estimated 90 people died. I know because this is where we are supposed to land in Mozambique when I finally get there and a few people from the office were there when it happened. And again nothing in the news, not even in the South African news!
I realize that my view of the news is as distorted as anybody else’s. I know about what is close to me and I know nothing about the rest, but 7000 people is a lot, 70 people dying in an explosion in an airport seems newsworthy.
I guess I can conclude that no Americans, no Brits, no Canadians, and no whites of any nationality died in Mozambique over these events.
I am really getting bitter and twisted.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Biomes map of Southern Africa
Here is a cool map of the biomes in southern Africa...
The original is at: http://www.sanbi.org/vegmap/images/biomes.jpg
from the South Africa National Biodiversity Institute.
The Limpopo area where I am planning to go is pretty much the orange area in the northern part of the map.
Orange stands for Savanna.
The green in grassland
the red is Nama-Karoo...and I have no idea what it is...I guess I should go and have a look one day.
The gross yellow is succulent-karoo.
The original is at: http://www.sanbi.org/vegmap/images/biomes.jpg
from the South Africa National Biodiversity Institute.
The Limpopo area where I am planning to go is pretty much the orange area in the northern part of the map.
Orange stands for Savanna.
The green in grassland
the red is Nama-Karoo...and I have no idea what it is...I guess I should go and have a look one day.
The gross yellow is succulent-karoo.
Wizard of the Crow
Last Sunday things changed for me. I am still in Johannesburg! But last Sunday I started to live my life as if I lived here...The big difference with what I was doing before is that now I do not concider that since I am to work all I do is work and I only eat because I have too, I only sleep so I can work. Now I work because I have to. It makes fairly little difference in my daily schedule apart from a little less work (less than the original 12 hours a day) but it makes a GREAT difference in the way I feel.Last sunday I went to Bushmen Rock Art Museum (it is called the Origin Centre) and instead of being organised and going in the morning etc as any good tourist would do, I ended up going in mid afternoon, whenever the thought came to me.Today I started with a late breakfast in a comfortable place with the newspaper. Those of you who know me when I am home will know that I love the weekend edition of the newspaper. I was sitting in a nice restaurant eating at the only coffe table spot sitting on a sofa (it is really meant to be the place where you wait for you table while it gets ready but the owner let me take it over) reading the newspaper...it felt like home.
Anyway here is one thing..only one don't worry...I read about.
Ngugi wa Thiong (no idea how you pronounce it!) has a new book out "Wizard of the Crow". Ngugi wa Thiong is a Kenyan author who now lives and teach in California. He writes in Gikuyu his native tongue but also translated the book into English himself.I've seen the book here in the book stores, and I wonder if it is available in Canada, here books are VERY expensive. The newspaper just says that the book "Speaks about the ravishing effect of globalisation, of corporolonisation and the corruption that keeps the beggars at the skirts of the rich. In a desert of exploitation, here is a voice speaking for the growing prison class, the homeless, the voiceless"...may I add: and those who will not be able to buy the book.Ok so it does not sound like a light read but here is a stupid point about it: I like the title!...Crazy I know but in a sea of African writing that I am trying to sample while I am here this is just as good a criteria as any.On a totally different subject, one interesting point that Ngugi (I am just going to type his first name from now on) makes about "Out of Africa" the ever so famous book by Karen Blixen is "it is one of the most dangerous books written about Africa because she misuses her brilliant gift (writing) and misrepresents her racist ideas as love, perniciously equating her Kenyan manservant's gestures with those of a pet dof"...I haven't read the book and now I feel re-inforced in my resistance to read it. I don't know if in it she does compare this man to a pet dog, but if she does it bet you she does it in the same way men "look after the poor poor weak females around them" and this gets me always so angry...so I bet you I can relate to what Ngugi is saying: people meaning to be nice but really keeping other people down with their daily subtle but never ending behaviour. I think we should assume that I can rant and rave about this one for just about ever and I should just skip the ranting and raving.
One funny anecdot (spelling?) that came out of the article for me is the one about Daniel Arap Moi, the Kenyan president, sending out a warrant for the capture of the revolutionary Matigari in 1986, in Nairobi, when in fact this Matigari is the main character of Ngugi's book "Matigari" written in 1967.
Other authors and other books were mentioned in hte article and I think I will cut the article out and stuff it in my address book (the onlyplace where things like this do not get lost).
Anyway here is one thing..only one don't worry...I read about.
Ngugi wa Thiong (no idea how you pronounce it!) has a new book out "Wizard of the Crow". Ngugi wa Thiong is a Kenyan author who now lives and teach in California. He writes in Gikuyu his native tongue but also translated the book into English himself.I've seen the book here in the book stores, and I wonder if it is available in Canada, here books are VERY expensive. The newspaper just says that the book "Speaks about the ravishing effect of globalisation, of corporolonisation and the corruption that keeps the beggars at the skirts of the rich. In a desert of exploitation, here is a voice speaking for the growing prison class, the homeless, the voiceless"...may I add: and those who will not be able to buy the book.Ok so it does not sound like a light read but here is a stupid point about it: I like the title!...Crazy I know but in a sea of African writing that I am trying to sample while I am here this is just as good a criteria as any.On a totally different subject, one interesting point that Ngugi (I am just going to type his first name from now on) makes about "Out of Africa" the ever so famous book by Karen Blixen is "it is one of the most dangerous books written about Africa because she misuses her brilliant gift (writing) and misrepresents her racist ideas as love, perniciously equating her Kenyan manservant's gestures with those of a pet dof"...I haven't read the book and now I feel re-inforced in my resistance to read it. I don't know if in it she does compare this man to a pet dog, but if she does it bet you she does it in the same way men "look after the poor poor weak females around them" and this gets me always so angry...so I bet you I can relate to what Ngugi is saying: people meaning to be nice but really keeping other people down with their daily subtle but never ending behaviour. I think we should assume that I can rant and rave about this one for just about ever and I should just skip the ranting and raving.
One funny anecdot (spelling?) that came out of the article for me is the one about Daniel Arap Moi, the Kenyan president, sending out a warrant for the capture of the revolutionary Matigari in 1986, in Nairobi, when in fact this Matigari is the main character of Ngugi's book "Matigari" written in 1967.
Other authors and other books were mentioned in hte article and I think I will cut the article out and stuff it in my address book (the onlyplace where things like this do not get lost).
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Human Rights Day
I am still in Johannesburg!
Probably for another week or so...as mentioned before the news is always thatwe should be going to Mozambique "the middle of next week"...so no changes in other words.
Today is "Human Rights DAy" here in South Africa, a day of National Holiday, so I only worked half day for a change.
I think I might have said already that last Sunday I went to an Anthropology Museum specializing in San's rock paintings. The sans are the original Bushmen of southern Africa. The people who include tongue clicking in their language...anyway, I bought a book of "Ancestral Folklore Stories", here is one short one for you....I copy it straigth from the book.
====================
A man - I do not know his name, but he was one of the "Early Race" - once hunted the Rain, as the Rain was grazing there. The Rain was like an eland. He hunted, approaching the Rain, and he came and lay down. He shot the Rain, and it sprang to one side. The Rain did this: it ran away, as he walked on.
He went to pick the arrow. He intended to go and put it back. He went and picked up his bag, the bag which he had taken hunting with him. He had put it down. That was the bag that he picked up. He put in hte bag the arrow with which he had shot the Rain. He returned. He lay down to sleep.
Early next morning he told the people that he had shot the Rain. And they follow up the Rain. They went to track its footsprints.
They were following them when a mist came up. They cnotinued to follow the Rain's footprints. They followed the footprints right up to the Rain. They caught sight of the Rain lying down, and they went up to it.
They cut the Rain. They kept cutting off meat. They kept putting it to roast, but the meat kept vanishing, being burnt up in the fire. This is what they did: they went to take out hte meat. They turned over the ashes looking for the meat at the place where it had been roasting, but it was burnt up. They went on roasting, and all the meat vanished from the fire. The fire burnt out; thefire died down.
Then an old man said. "I thought I would go whenthis eland's meat was finished, butI have not eaten it, even though I roasted it. So now I will go while its meat sits here."
And another answered, "We will all do so, because we did not know what sort of eland it was. Let us go, because it is an eland whose meat we do not eat."
As they walked away, the Rain shut them in. When the Rain saw that they were preparing to go, it shut them in. The Rain's navel shut them into the hut, and they sat waiting for the Rain' navel. And they worked at a pond. They worked. They became frogs. They hopped at the hut, the people who had followed the spoor hopped away. He made a pond; he had been on hte hunting-ground; he worked, making a pound.
===============
As you can see an unusual way of telling stories.
Of course these people have a very specific set of beliefs with a strong relationship to the rain and the animals they hunted.
Enough for today...I'll try to find on the internet some photos of some of the painting that show the ways of the rainmakers and I'll pass on some of what the museum exhibits explained about those paintings and the ways of the rainmakers.
Probably for another week or so...as mentioned before the news is always thatwe should be going to Mozambique "the middle of next week"...so no changes in other words.
Today is "Human Rights DAy" here in South Africa, a day of National Holiday, so I only worked half day for a change.
I think I might have said already that last Sunday I went to an Anthropology Museum specializing in San's rock paintings. The sans are the original Bushmen of southern Africa. The people who include tongue clicking in their language...anyway, I bought a book of "Ancestral Folklore Stories", here is one short one for you....I copy it straigth from the book.
====================
A man - I do not know his name, but he was one of the "Early Race" - once hunted the Rain, as the Rain was grazing there. The Rain was like an eland. He hunted, approaching the Rain, and he came and lay down. He shot the Rain, and it sprang to one side. The Rain did this: it ran away, as he walked on.
He went to pick the arrow. He intended to go and put it back. He went and picked up his bag, the bag which he had taken hunting with him. He had put it down. That was the bag that he picked up. He put in hte bag the arrow with which he had shot the Rain. He returned. He lay down to sleep.
Early next morning he told the people that he had shot the Rain. And they follow up the Rain. They went to track its footsprints.
They were following them when a mist came up. They cnotinued to follow the Rain's footprints. They followed the footprints right up to the Rain. They caught sight of the Rain lying down, and they went up to it.
They cut the Rain. They kept cutting off meat. They kept putting it to roast, but the meat kept vanishing, being burnt up in the fire. This is what they did: they went to take out hte meat. They turned over the ashes looking for the meat at the place where it had been roasting, but it was burnt up. They went on roasting, and all the meat vanished from the fire. The fire burnt out; thefire died down.
Then an old man said. "I thought I would go whenthis eland's meat was finished, butI have not eaten it, even though I roasted it. So now I will go while its meat sits here."
And another answered, "We will all do so, because we did not know what sort of eland it was. Let us go, because it is an eland whose meat we do not eat."
As they walked away, the Rain shut them in. When the Rain saw that they were preparing to go, it shut them in. The Rain's navel shut them into the hut, and they sat waiting for the Rain' navel. And they worked at a pond. They worked. They became frogs. They hopped at the hut, the people who had followed the spoor hopped away. He made a pond; he had been on hte hunting-ground; he worked, making a pound.
===============
As you can see an unusual way of telling stories.
Of course these people have a very specific set of beliefs with a strong relationship to the rain and the animals they hunted.
Enough for today...I'll try to find on the internet some photos of some of the painting that show the ways of the rainmakers and I'll pass on some of what the museum exhibits explained about those paintings and the ways of the rainmakers.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Guess where I am!?!
I am still in Johannesburg!
Yep! unbelievable!
Working in the office and getting a day off (Sunday, today) per week. Even though I have been here for a month I cannot really say that I know South Africa, too much office time and not enough free time to go places and see things for myself. One thing is for sure, it does not at all feel like Kenya, not at all! I was in Kenya for 3 days before I rented a cheap car and drove half way across the country to the tea plantations of the West. South AFrica is much more about who is white and who is black....and/or who has mmoney and who diesn't. The difference between the "Haves" and the "Havenots" is too big. It is so big that it stops making sense. And there are racial tensions....undeniably so!!
On a totally different note: This afternoon I went to a anthropology museum about the rock paintings in South Africa. Great museum and a great chat with the taxi driver who drove me there and came back to pick me up.
More later. ALl is well though I am getting antsy to go to Mozambique.
Yep! unbelievable!
Working in the office and getting a day off (Sunday, today) per week. Even though I have been here for a month I cannot really say that I know South Africa, too much office time and not enough free time to go places and see things for myself. One thing is for sure, it does not at all feel like Kenya, not at all! I was in Kenya for 3 days before I rented a cheap car and drove half way across the country to the tea plantations of the West. South AFrica is much more about who is white and who is black....and/or who has mmoney and who diesn't. The difference between the "Haves" and the "Havenots" is too big. It is so big that it stops making sense. And there are racial tensions....undeniably so!!
On a totally different note: This afternoon I went to a anthropology museum about the rock paintings in South Africa. Great museum and a great chat with the taxi driver who drove me there and came back to pick me up.
More later. ALl is well though I am getting antsy to go to Mozambique.
Monday, March 12, 2007
I am still in
Last night I caught on the local TV a news program on the situation in
So here I am in Jo’burg all the time with the other geologist who will be my back to back and honestly it is starting to drive me up the wall especially since he is an old fat racist brit.
You'd think that people who work overseas would realize fairly quickly that people are the same where ever you go.
Monday, March 05, 2007
still in Jo'burg
Amazingly enough I am still in Jo'burg.
Two weeks already. In a way it feels like I just arrived since all I have really done is work (apart from yesterday), but on the other hand it feels like I have been here for ever...I think that the tedious routine of sleeping, going to the office, eating and back to the office results in this sense of being here for ever.
Yesterday (Sunday) I did go with three guys from the office to one of the many National Parks and we had a great time.
We saw all kind of wildlife: rhinos, hippos, giraffes, zebras, jackal, many different types of antelops and birds and an elephant.
I was a great day.
Right now it looks like we might be going in the field (ie to the rig) next week around the 14th, then I will stay at the rig for just three days or so until I get things started with the other geologist. After this I am still planning on going to the Limpopo River....time will tell!!!
Two weeks already. In a way it feels like I just arrived since all I have really done is work (apart from yesterday), but on the other hand it feels like I have been here for ever...I think that the tedious routine of sleeping, going to the office, eating and back to the office results in this sense of being here for ever.
Yesterday (Sunday) I did go with three guys from the office to one of the many National Parks and we had a great time.
We saw all kind of wildlife: rhinos, hippos, giraffes, zebras, jackal, many different types of antelops and birds and an elephant.
I was a great day.
Right now it looks like we might be going in the field (ie to the rig) next week around the 14th, then I will stay at the rig for just three days or so until I get things started with the other geologist. After this I am still planning on going to the Limpopo River....time will tell!!!
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Jo'burg
Thanks to cyclone Favio I am not in Mozambique but still in Jo'burg working in the office.
No complaints from me even though I am really looking forward to Mozambique and the beach etc.. The weather is absolutely gorgeous around 25C-35C in day time and probably around 18C at night. The food is excellent and cheap. The company isd paying for absolutely everything and I am staying in a GREAT hotel less than 5 minutes walk away from the office.
I probably will work in the office till the end of this week (so around March 2nd) and then I am planning to go to see the north part of South Africa somewhere around the Limpopo River.
Of course after the FCP "we promised you could but now you can't travel" fiasco I am still waiting to hit the road before I believe it, but so far everybody is just giving advice on where I should sleep (in the town with the hot springs), where to rent a car etc. Hey, those guys live here they find living here normal. They are not a bunch of Canadian who send people where they wouldn't go themselves.
No photos so far....I'll add them later.
No complaints from me even though I am really looking forward to Mozambique and the beach etc.. The weather is absolutely gorgeous around 25C-35C in day time and probably around 18C at night. The food is excellent and cheap. The company isd paying for absolutely everything and I am staying in a GREAT hotel less than 5 minutes walk away from the office.
I probably will work in the office till the end of this week (so around March 2nd) and then I am planning to go to see the north part of South Africa somewhere around the Limpopo River.
Of course after the FCP "we promised you could but now you can't travel" fiasco I am still waiting to hit the road before I believe it, but so far everybody is just giving advice on where I should sleep (in the town with the hot springs), where to rent a car etc. Hey, those guys live here they find living here normal. They are not a bunch of Canadian who send people where they wouldn't go themselves.
No photos so far....I'll add them later.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Mozambique
If I ever make it to Mozambique this is where I am supposed to go.This is what The Lonely Planet has to say about the weather: "Mozambique's south coast offers a pleasurable expanse from April to November of consistently little rainfall and pleasant temperatures between 20 to 29°C (68-85°F) days. Temperatures rise somewhat as you go further northwards, and are downright unpleasant in the northwest around Tete city, though refreshingly cool in the higher country around Lichinga, near Lake Niassa."
Note how they do not say anything about the rainy season. I can't find any information about how much rain falls during the rainy season.
http://www.southtravels.com/africa/mozambique/traveltips/weather.html says:
"SUMMER: October - March
WINTER: April - September
The average temperature for Mozambique is around 28ºC all year round. The climate varies slightly according to the regions of the country. The coast experiences a sub-tropical climate while the northern parts of the county are tropical. Generally, the hot rainy season is from October to March. The average temperature along the coast is 31º C (88º F). Inland, temperatures are slightly cooler, but conditions are more humid. In the dry season, April to September, temperatures along the coast average 27ºC (80ºF).
What to Pack:
Generally, casual comfortable clothing is suitable throughout the year. The most practical items to pack are:
Khaki, brown, white and beige colours. (Ok this is hilarious! they even tell you what colour to wear!)
Light cotton tops and cotton trousers/shorts in summer.
Long-sleeved blouses/shirts for game drives, which will protect you from the sun and from mosquitoes.
Safari trousers for evenings and cooler days.
Fleece or sweater and a warm jacket for game drives.Yeah but what colour?!?
Swimwear, snorkel, mask, fins, sun lotion. Always good on a rig!
A hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. I didn't even use sunscreen in Algeria!!
Sandals, especially to protect feet against razor clams on Bazaruto Archipelago. Steel toes sandals of course!
Comfortable walking shoes.
Camera film and batteries (these are not easily found in Mozambique) "Film"? who uses film?
Where To Go:
The best time to visit Mozambique is during the winter months from April to September. The southern parts of the country are generally dryer and less tropical than the north. The best months for game viewing are August and September, towards the end of the dry season. The best time for bird-watching is usually November and December, which is the hot, rainy season. A wide variety of fish are attracted to the warm waters of Mozambique, with larger fish populating the waters in summer, and small to medium sized fish in winter, making the coast a good fishing and diving destination."
But remember: I will not be traveling in Mozambique. I think I will go to Cape Town and Madagascar, then of course I have to go back to Kenya.
snow
It is snowing snowing snowing snowing !
White is grossly over rated! everything is white including the sky!
How about some yellow? Yellow would be nice.
I am now getting busy after the original "I just got home I don't want to do a thing". I guess I know how to work, I know how to prepare to go to work, but I am not great at the in between especially when it involves staying home.
Now I know (well, I think I know!) that I am going to Johannesburg February 19th or something like this (actually now, a few hours later, it looks like the 20th). Leaving from Johannesburg on March 8th and after this working 28 days off (first) than 28 days on.
I think I may try to go to Cape Town on March 8th. Apparently Cape Town and Jo'burg are quite different. I wouldn't know since I've never been.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
the passport nightmare
Just a week after I got home I thought I would work on getting a new passport since my old one only has 2 pages left.
First attempt after four and a half hour in line I was told that they would not rush a new passport without proof of travel. I tried to explain that it is a new contract for me, that the client buys the ticket etc etc,..but no go. The guy suggested that if I couldn't get either an itinerary or a ticket I should at least get a letter saying that I have to go.
Second attempt, yesterday monday, The line was expected to take about 6 hours and I had an appointment in 5 hours so I didn't stay.
Third attempt was today. I went there an hour before the offices even open and I was number 89. In the line up of course people talk. One kid two persons in front of me had a printed email saying that the company in the States "would like" to have him start on the 15 of February. I had a letter saying that I need to travel for work between February 10th and February 16th.
As he went through he got his passport rushed and came to talk to me to tell me "the woman didn't want to do it but the guy that came to relieve her, did it. Speak of lucky". So I knew it was a question of WHOM I talked to. ...And I got the young grumpy woman. She, of course, refused and weren't on and on about how she was trying to help but her hands were tied. And as much as I know that getting people upset never gets you what you want I did end up saying that "I would feel better if I didn't know that a young guy with a printed email saying that they would like him to start on February hadn't just gotten his passport rushed". She of course assumed that I was lying...why is it that they always assume you lie!?!? So she challenged me to tell her who did it. I told her "booth 4" she went there and instead of coming back (because I was right) she sent her manager. So back again to explaining the entire thing... We argued back and forth for nearly a half hour, then he said "I have to go talk to my manager" and came back agreeing to give me a rush passport for February 14th at 15:00hrs.
Of course I get home and there is an email saying that I will have to be in Johannesburg on February 20th, could I please send my passport number etc..
What a day!!
First attempt after four and a half hour in line I was told that they would not rush a new passport without proof of travel. I tried to explain that it is a new contract for me, that the client buys the ticket etc etc,..but no go. The guy suggested that if I couldn't get either an itinerary or a ticket I should at least get a letter saying that I have to go.
Second attempt, yesterday monday, The line was expected to take about 6 hours and I had an appointment in 5 hours so I didn't stay.
Third attempt was today. I went there an hour before the offices even open and I was number 89. In the line up of course people talk. One kid two persons in front of me had a printed email saying that the company in the States "would like" to have him start on the 15 of February. I had a letter saying that I need to travel for work between February 10th and February 16th.
As he went through he got his passport rushed and came to talk to me to tell me "the woman didn't want to do it but the guy that came to relieve her, did it. Speak of lucky". So I knew it was a question of WHOM I talked to. ...And I got the young grumpy woman. She, of course, refused and weren't on and on about how she was trying to help but her hands were tied. And as much as I know that getting people upset never gets you what you want I did end up saying that "I would feel better if I didn't know that a young guy with a printed email saying that they would like him to start on February hadn't just gotten his passport rushed". She of course assumed that I was lying...why is it that they always assume you lie!?!? So she challenged me to tell her who did it. I told her "booth 4" she went there and instead of coming back (because I was right) she sent her manager. So back again to explaining the entire thing... We argued back and forth for nearly a half hour, then he said "I have to go talk to my manager" and came back agreeing to give me a rush passport for February 14th at 15:00hrs.
Of course I get home and there is an email saying that I will have to be in Johannesburg on February 20th, could I please send my passport number etc..
What a day!!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Home
Well, in the end the company made it difficult enough for me to decide not to travel in Algeria after all...long story and I won't even get into it...Here is the news: I found a new a** h*** in Calgary...See what I mean: hard to get surprised about it! It is really not the discovery of the year.
Anyway, I am home, and it is cold.
The trip home was particularly tedious especially in London where I stayed in a hotel quite a ways away from the airport and nobody at the airport, not even the bus drivers, knew where it was. Eventually I found it and it was just across the street from a great little pub / Thai restaurant. That pretty much was the high light of that trip. The rest was about sitting in a small seat and trying to pass the time. The plane was packed full with at least half a dozen babies and quite a few kids...need I say more? anyway I always travel with a pair of ear plugs in my pocket...or in my ears, so no big deal.
Anyway, I am home, and it is cold.
The trip home was particularly tedious especially in London where I stayed in a hotel quite a ways away from the airport and nobody at the airport, not even the bus drivers, knew where it was. Eventually I found it and it was just across the street from a great little pub / Thai restaurant. That pretty much was the high light of that trip. The rest was about sitting in a small seat and trying to pass the time. The plane was packed full with at least half a dozen babies and quite a few kids...need I say more? anyway I always travel with a pair of ear plugs in my pocket...or in my ears, so no big deal.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
the new policy and my new job
Things are nearly done here. Then?
I really don't know. The client company is saying that they will end my contract (big threat here since it is the end of the contract) and cancel my visa because even though they gave me their word that I could travel in Algeria with their visa (It was the only condition I negotiated prior to accepting the job) they do not want me to travel in Algeria on my free time anymore.
I am sure I do not need to give you the official line "safety...blah blah blah blah...liability...blah blah bah blah......new policy....blah blah blah blah blah"
Anyway, I haven't decided yet what to do, mostly because getting a new visa is not easy in Algeria. I need an invitation from a hotel and then I HAVE to stay at that hotel for the duration of my stay.
On a totally different note: I have accepted the job in Mozambique..for a South African company, for a year as a rotation, so 35 days on, 35 days off.
I am supposed to go to Mozambique for about a week in Mid February and then for work in Mid to late March. Right now I am too exhausted to be overjoyed by it..but once I have slept I know I will be smiling about it. I am very happy about this job.
I really don't know. The client company is saying that they will end my contract (big threat here since it is the end of the contract) and cancel my visa because even though they gave me their word that I could travel in Algeria with their visa (It was the only condition I negotiated prior to accepting the job) they do not want me to travel in Algeria on my free time anymore.
I am sure I do not need to give you the official line "safety...blah blah blah blah...liability...blah blah bah blah......new policy....blah blah blah blah blah"
Anyway, I haven't decided yet what to do, mostly because getting a new visa is not easy in Algeria. I need an invitation from a hotel and then I HAVE to stay at that hotel for the duration of my stay.
On a totally different note: I have accepted the job in Mozambique..for a South African company, for a year as a rotation, so 35 days on, 35 days off.
I am supposed to go to Mozambique for about a week in Mid February and then for work in Mid to late March. Right now I am too exhausted to be overjoyed by it..but once I have slept I know I will be smiling about it. I am very happy about this job.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
The weird "bug"
Here is what I have and I am getting over and the company man (another canadian) is just starting:
-symptoms which appear and disappear so you think you're better and 10 minutes later you feel awful
- on and off violent headaches, right behind the eyes..in both my case and his case mostly behind the left eye. In my case to the point of bothering my vision.
- very cold and cannot warm up..again on and off
- very achy muscles and joints...mostly on..but sort of on and off and mostly behind the neck and along the spine.
- incredibly tired and need lots of sleep..I mean LOTS
- and the weirdest we both have vivid stressful dreams which we remember very well. Neither one of us usually remember our dreams. In my case the first two days whenever I slept I had the same dream...it was the weirdest thing ever. I would just go to sleep and continue the dream...very weird dream too!
We are comparing notes because I am three days ahead of him on it and he wants to know how it goes next. He laughed at me the first day I told him that I was having the weirdest stressful dreams that I remembered vividly...well, he is not laughing right now! Also I could see that he was thinking "she is just a girl, she does cough or nothing, she has nothing" the day of New Year he did say "You look like shit!"...always a charmer! Well, he is not coughing either! And he looks like he is suffering.
This morning when he got up he came to me and said "I have it beat. I feel great".. I warned him "just wait an hour or so old man!"... It sure came to be true!
We are the only two so far who have this thing...it is the weirdest thing.
I think I have it just about beat...now I feel "normal" for about 3 hours after each sleep, which is a great improvement. He is going home the day after tomorrow and he is starting to plan what muscle relaxant and the likes he wants to keep for the plane ride! Man 9 hours in the plane with this is not going to be fun! that'll teach him for laughing!! Ah ah ah !
-symptoms which appear and disappear so you think you're better and 10 minutes later you feel awful
- on and off violent headaches, right behind the eyes..in both my case and his case mostly behind the left eye. In my case to the point of bothering my vision.
- very cold and cannot warm up..again on and off
- very achy muscles and joints...mostly on..but sort of on and off and mostly behind the neck and along the spine.
- incredibly tired and need lots of sleep..I mean LOTS
- and the weirdest we both have vivid stressful dreams which we remember very well. Neither one of us usually remember our dreams. In my case the first two days whenever I slept I had the same dream...it was the weirdest thing ever. I would just go to sleep and continue the dream...very weird dream too!
We are comparing notes because I am three days ahead of him on it and he wants to know how it goes next. He laughed at me the first day I told him that I was having the weirdest stressful dreams that I remembered vividly...well, he is not laughing right now! Also I could see that he was thinking "she is just a girl, she does cough or nothing, she has nothing" the day of New Year he did say "You look like shit!"...always a charmer! Well, he is not coughing either! And he looks like he is suffering.
This morning when he got up he came to me and said "I have it beat. I feel great".. I warned him "just wait an hour or so old man!"... It sure came to be true!
We are the only two so far who have this thing...it is the weirdest thing.
I think I have it just about beat...now I feel "normal" for about 3 hours after each sleep, which is a great improvement. He is going home the day after tomorrow and he is starting to plan what muscle relaxant and the likes he wants to keep for the plane ride! Man 9 hours in the plane with this is not going to be fun! that'll teach him for laughing!! Ah ah ah !
This is the way Algerians see it
The Algerians who managed to get Eid off on their rotation off are mostly back. I talked with some of them and asked them how their holidays were. Unwillingly here I opened quite the subject. Apparently in town the mood was very bad over Eid…and when I asked why, of course it was because of Saddam Hussein. I am told that some newspaper had “Thanks a lot Cowboy for your present. We will never forget it” and this was not meant nicely.
They told me that the hanging of Saddam Hussein on the day of Eid was perceived as a provocation.
Here is some of what I was told:
“People in America will pay for that. He (Bush) will go to his ranch in Texas and not care, but the people of America will pay for this”
“The Arab world now has a reason to unite.” (you will notice that usually Algerians do not consider themselves Arabs...this is how united they now feel)
“They took pictures of him hanging. It is an insult.”
“People who before didn’t care are ready to take arm and go to Iraq”
“People will never forget that. It is a provocation”
“He (Bush) will cry and wonder after why “nobody likes me”…” mimicking a child crying.
I tried to explain that before I came to Algeria I had never heard of Eid and that the people of America do not know about it. I tried to point out that maybe the decision was made by people who did not know about it…but let’s just say that they did not buy the second part. Yes, they know that nobody knows about Eid…the same way that they didn’t know about Easter until I crack a joke about “Happy Easter” when we were all wishing each other all the “Happies” appropriate for this time of year. So yes they know that the people don’t now…but they don’t believe that Bush didn’t know.
I haven’t read the western papers about it: Did he know?
They told me that the hanging of Saddam Hussein on the day of Eid was perceived as a provocation.
Here is some of what I was told:
“People in America will pay for that. He (Bush) will go to his ranch in Texas and not care, but the people of America will pay for this”
“The Arab world now has a reason to unite.” (you will notice that usually Algerians do not consider themselves Arabs...this is how united they now feel)
“They took pictures of him hanging. It is an insult.”
“People who before didn’t care are ready to take arm and go to Iraq”
“People will never forget that. It is a provocation”
“He (Bush) will cry and wonder after why “nobody likes me”…” mimicking a child crying.
I tried to explain that before I came to Algeria I had never heard of Eid and that the people of America do not know about it. I tried to point out that maybe the decision was made by people who did not know about it…but let’s just say that they did not buy the second part. Yes, they know that nobody knows about Eid…the same way that they didn’t know about Easter until I crack a joke about “Happy Easter” when we were all wishing each other all the “Happies” appropriate for this time of year. So yes they know that the people don’t now…but they don’t believe that Bush didn’t know.
I haven’t read the western papers about it: Did he know?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
