Bread and cheese, it has been too long! I have been savouring the simple things in life, and possibly making new discoveries, i.e. bread with boursin or nutella! I remember someone saying prior to my departure that you will always find good bread in ex-French colonies. How right they were! If only I could find this yummy fresh bread in Brooklyn without having to go to a farmer's market and part with $6! It feels like groundhog day, I am just recovering from another bout of an upset stomach, this time I deployed an army, re-hydration salts, Imodium, coca cola and charcoal tablets. Needless to say I am feeling much better today. It is amazing how effectively your body reacts, it has just told me to sleep, and sleep some more.
There is only so much to tell from the last 10 days. The one piece of drama we had occurred last week, when the hotel headquarters were surrounded by angry protestors. In what felt like typical British fashion, we sat by the pool and drank coffee and mango juice. I had been on my three-day SSAFE training where we learn how to deal with hostage taking, as well as reacting to hostile crowds and violent demonstrations. I was quite tempted to try and put my training into action! In the end, security was quick to mobilise and the only casualty was the MINUSMA name plate outside, which was torn down. On a more serious note though, the situation in the North, in particular the town of Kidal, is deteriorating. These demonstrations were prompted by the visit of the Prime Minister to Kidal. He had had to be swiftly evacuated when rebel members of the MNLA launched an offensive and took over the Governor's building. In the ensuing violence, hostages were taken, civilians were sadly executed, and government soldiers were killed. The MNLA, or the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Movement_for_the_Liberation_of_Azawad), is fighting for the formation of an independent North and to breakaway entirely from Southern Mali. I understand that the protests were directed at MINUSMA because it is thought that the mission could have prevented this violence. This may indeed be fair enough, however, I also understand that while MINUSMA has been promised various resources, only a proportion of these have materalised. I believe somewhere in the region of 50%. On top of this, there is the Security Council mandate, which is limited in its scope and does not allow for more offensive operations, as we have seen in the Democratic Republic of Congo. On the theme of the DRC, unmanned surveillance drones are now being used by the UN to monitor conditions on the ground, and yes, before you ask, they are also painted white and emblazoned with "UN"! Now there is talk of these drones coming to Mali.
Aside from the continued stomach upset, all is well. I am still on my own in my large three-bedroom apartment. I should get a roommate, but it is nice having the place to myself. People come and go, Dan is now in Gao doing his thing but now Kai has arrived from New York and we have been hanging out. He went to see a more dated villa at the weekend, on the market for just $730 a month, including a large garden and a pool. Already I have visions of a garden like that in Out of Africa, or those featured in the biography I read awhile ago about a British ex-pat in Kenya, called "The Bolter". He is also mentioned a large veranda to sit out on. It sounded like the perfect place for a G & T or a campari and orange!
Tuesday, 27 May 2014
Saturday, 17 May 2014
Day 31
Gosh, it has been a while since I last wrote. I am sat in bed at the apartment with no address, with my first bout of what is know as traveller's diarrhea. It is 2:20am and I am up and awake given that I have slept much of the day. I have actually been vaccinated against such incidences, but it does not feel like it right now! Everything got cancelled today, including my first Malian personal training session and my French class. I have had very limited access to the internet since moving into this new place, so I am afraid this accounts for my reduction in communication. Madame Khoule (the owner) keeps promising to find a solution, but here we are. I think I may opt for a dongle and go it alone. What do I need to tell you. Yes, two weeks have passed and unsurprisingly I have settled into life here quite comfortably. So much so that I have been running around networking and making enquiries as to how I might stay on here for longer. I just know that 3 months is not going to be long enough and it will be so useful to continue the French speaking effort. It is immersion to a degree because I am forced to speak it everyday, particularly outside of the office, however, several of my immediate colleagues also speak limited English so I must converse with them in French.
Abdullah picks me up each morning to take me to work, for which I pay 2,000 CFA ($4) for the privilege and then I travel home in a variety of ways. Right now, I am actually alone in the three-bedroom apartment. Felipe had to return home to Columbia unexpectedly and Dan has left for the region of Gao for four weeks. I realised how much I was going to miss Dan when I worked out that we had eaten together for almost every evening since he arrived. Fredrik, a big burly Viking, as he continues to refer to himself, is going to come and look at the spare room tomorrow. For now, I am going to enjoy the weekend on my own. It is amazing how quickly you get used to a place, the weather, the food. As far as a first peacekeeping mission goes, I have had it easy. In contrast Dan text me from Gao earlier and said there is only one place to eat, no internet and they were expecting a sand storm. This does not seem imaginable in the leafy bustling streets of Bamako. Right now it is raining quite hard and it is only a matter of time before the rainy season takes hold. I am expecting the road outside to turn into a mudslide and my must prepare to buy a pair of wellingtons. The disparity between rich and poor continues. We live in a very nice apartment block that would not look out of place in the Costa del Sol, however, we wake up in the morning and there are children across the road engaged in light manual labour and many of the to-be-constructed buildings are temporary homes for people. The other week I was very kindly invited to see a friend of a friend. He showed me around his neighbourhood, he introduced me to a hundred people, including his parents, and then we drank very sweet tea. What amused me was that I looked into a courtyard and saw many sheep and chickens walking around. No unusual sight in the Cornish countryside but seemed exotic in the centre of Bamako. Beydi was so kind, inviting me in for dinner with his wife. We sat around a table and ate out of the same plate, I mean why waste crockery. He then dropped me off before going for drinks with the Prime Minister. I asked him if he could ask the PM if he could do something about our power outages. On that note, however, we have a fine generator now installed. The AC toils on.
I had my first expat party, oh it was fun. The theme was angels and demons. Some of you saw the pictures, my costume ended up resembling the Queen which is entirely appropriate. An angel in my eyes anyway. The music was an excellent eclectic mix of tunes from the eighties and nineties. It was a little strange being in the office and not being in the office. Everyone was there that I meet on daily basis, but most were drinking and dancing (and smoking). Not something you will see very often in UNHQ. I love the free smoking rules, people light up in their office, in the bar, in the restaurant. It is like old times! Changing topic, it is interesting how expats are seen so unashamedly as a source of income. Everywhere you go, you are asked for money. When I arrived at the supermarket last night my taxi was surrounded by people, asking for money, or trying to sell me something. It gives you almost a taste celebrity, which is some small way is exciting! Much as I am an egotist, I must keep a eye on these things and remind myself to be humble. All the more difficult when you have spent five years in a city where whatever you want is available at anytime of the day, for any price.
There we are I must try and sleep.
Abdullah picks me up each morning to take me to work, for which I pay 2,000 CFA ($4) for the privilege and then I travel home in a variety of ways. Right now, I am actually alone in the three-bedroom apartment. Felipe had to return home to Columbia unexpectedly and Dan has left for the region of Gao for four weeks. I realised how much I was going to miss Dan when I worked out that we had eaten together for almost every evening since he arrived. Fredrik, a big burly Viking, as he continues to refer to himself, is going to come and look at the spare room tomorrow. For now, I am going to enjoy the weekend on my own. It is amazing how quickly you get used to a place, the weather, the food. As far as a first peacekeeping mission goes, I have had it easy. In contrast Dan text me from Gao earlier and said there is only one place to eat, no internet and they were expecting a sand storm. This does not seem imaginable in the leafy bustling streets of Bamako. Right now it is raining quite hard and it is only a matter of time before the rainy season takes hold. I am expecting the road outside to turn into a mudslide and my must prepare to buy a pair of wellingtons. The disparity between rich and poor continues. We live in a very nice apartment block that would not look out of place in the Costa del Sol, however, we wake up in the morning and there are children across the road engaged in light manual labour and many of the to-be-constructed buildings are temporary homes for people. The other week I was very kindly invited to see a friend of a friend. He showed me around his neighbourhood, he introduced me to a hundred people, including his parents, and then we drank very sweet tea. What amused me was that I looked into a courtyard and saw many sheep and chickens walking around. No unusual sight in the Cornish countryside but seemed exotic in the centre of Bamako. Beydi was so kind, inviting me in for dinner with his wife. We sat around a table and ate out of the same plate, I mean why waste crockery. He then dropped me off before going for drinks with the Prime Minister. I asked him if he could ask the PM if he could do something about our power outages. On that note, however, we have a fine generator now installed. The AC toils on.
I had my first expat party, oh it was fun. The theme was angels and demons. Some of you saw the pictures, my costume ended up resembling the Queen which is entirely appropriate. An angel in my eyes anyway. The music was an excellent eclectic mix of tunes from the eighties and nineties. It was a little strange being in the office and not being in the office. Everyone was there that I meet on daily basis, but most were drinking and dancing (and smoking). Not something you will see very often in UNHQ. I love the free smoking rules, people light up in their office, in the bar, in the restaurant. It is like old times! Changing topic, it is interesting how expats are seen so unashamedly as a source of income. Everywhere you go, you are asked for money. When I arrived at the supermarket last night my taxi was surrounded by people, asking for money, or trying to sell me something. It gives you almost a taste celebrity, which is some small way is exciting! Much as I am an egotist, I must keep a eye on these things and remind myself to be humble. All the more difficult when you have spent five years in a city where whatever you want is available at anytime of the day, for any price.
There we are I must try and sleep.
Thursday, 1 May 2014
Day 15
It is amazing to think that I have been here two weeks already, the time is literally flying. While touching wood, much to my surprise I am yet to come down, or really be affected, by the food and water here. This will come as a surprise to many. It may have something to do with the constant consumption of 1.5 bottles of spring water, thought apparently the tap water is okay, as well as most of my meal being taken in hotels. I have to say, brochettes of beef and tuna fish sandwiches are getting a little tiring but on the whole the food quality is good. So far we have eaten out in a Thai, Lebanese and Ethiopian restaurant. We are all keen to try the local pizzeria though, Guidos. Sunday afternoon was spent at the Grande Marche, having been entirely swamped by would-be guides, Saturday afternoon involved a 5km walk in the countryside during which I must have sweated out all of the water that I had drunk that day. Also, with the combination of the sun and taking Doxicycline, my cheeks were far redder than normal. It did not add up to a pretty sight! Well, the donkey did not seem to be impressed.
Yesterday was the first real day of work, having finished the 2.5 day induction course fall new starters. So many people are arriving that the training centre is completely overwhelmed. The air conditioner in the room struggled to keep the temperature below 30c. That said, it could have been a lot worse and the staff are really trying. It was amazing to hear that the UN has a whole portal of online accredited courses for staff to take that are completely free. On top of this there are over 30,000 books that can be downloaded. This really was music to my ears. We heard about the background to the conflict in the North, as well as the situation at present. The South of the country is largely at peace and the population centres in the North are fairly secure. That said, it is not recommend to land on Kidal's air strip as it is literally just desert. An improvised explosive device also detonated just metres from the air strip. Luckily no one was injured. There was discussion on international humanitarian law, how the Geneva Conventions have been adapted to cater for internal armed conflicts. Fascinating to know that they apply everywhere, regardless of whether a state is a signatory or not.
So, for the first time I will be moving to an apartment without an address! The road outside literally has no name and so we have to describe it as a block of flats close to the roundabout with the monument of the candle in its centre. Very random. It was a tussle with security to let me move out of our very well protected hotel. We will miss the Benin Peacekeepers walking around in their blue helmets and automatic weapons. I won't miss having my I.D. checked everytime we get home and our bags scanned through x-ray machines! The compromise was that we have to have razor wire placed all around the perimeter wall, extra bolts placed on the main bedroom door so it can act as a safe room, and 24-hour security guards outside! Don't be alarmed, this is much more than most have, unfortunately it was unavoidable if I wanted to be reimbursed for my rent.
Today is Labour Day in Mali, so happy that. See you all soon x.
Yesterday was the first real day of work, having finished the 2.5 day induction course fall new starters. So many people are arriving that the training centre is completely overwhelmed. The air conditioner in the room struggled to keep the temperature below 30c. That said, it could have been a lot worse and the staff are really trying. It was amazing to hear that the UN has a whole portal of online accredited courses for staff to take that are completely free. On top of this there are over 30,000 books that can be downloaded. This really was music to my ears. We heard about the background to the conflict in the North, as well as the situation at present. The South of the country is largely at peace and the population centres in the North are fairly secure. That said, it is not recommend to land on Kidal's air strip as it is literally just desert. An improvised explosive device also detonated just metres from the air strip. Luckily no one was injured. There was discussion on international humanitarian law, how the Geneva Conventions have been adapted to cater for internal armed conflicts. Fascinating to know that they apply everywhere, regardless of whether a state is a signatory or not.
So, for the first time I will be moving to an apartment without an address! The road outside literally has no name and so we have to describe it as a block of flats close to the roundabout with the monument of the candle in its centre. Very random. It was a tussle with security to let me move out of our very well protected hotel. We will miss the Benin Peacekeepers walking around in their blue helmets and automatic weapons. I won't miss having my I.D. checked everytime we get home and our bags scanned through x-ray machines! The compromise was that we have to have razor wire placed all around the perimeter wall, extra bolts placed on the main bedroom door so it can act as a safe room, and 24-hour security guards outside! Don't be alarmed, this is much more than most have, unfortunately it was unavoidable if I wanted to be reimbursed for my rent.
Today is Labour Day in Mali, so happy that. See you all soon x.
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