My Desk

Discussed the door policy with roommates: with all of our priceless video and computer equipment we have to make sure workmen and other visitors don’t see it lying around, and we can no longer just open the door to anyone who knocks.

Made our evacuation plan. Kind of scary to have to discuss what happens if there’s a violent coup and we have to flee the country. Even scarier that Liberia is our safest escape route.

Greg, the former ABC TV trainer who’s still here doing a documentary about Sierra Leonean music, plays soccer, so he collected me and took me to the pitch. He promised me there were no locals—I’m afraid to play with them because they’re too good—and said it was just ex-pats and Lebanese, but of course there were plenty of Sierra Leoneans playing and watching in the stands. Did OK, strong on defense but scared to touch the ball. Had trouble playing on sand and with running shoes, whereas they all had cleats of course. They’re just naturals with the ball but at least I can keep up. Looking forward to learning and improving. Was driven home by some Frenchmen working on a water project in an outlying area and am sorry I was too shy to ask for their numbers. I really enjoy speaking French and would love to practice.

Danced like a fiend all night to African music at China House... have been looking for a bar like that for two years in Africa! Live band playing real African music from all over the continent. They seemed to be playing all the greatest hits from major artists (covers), but despite our huge music collection spanning so many countries, I only recognized 2 songs all night, so I'm looking forward to discovering more artists and songs. Will have to find awesome song called Leave Me Alone. There were lots of middle-aged African women there, fun to dance with but some of them were a little odd—one of them started dancing with me then pinched my penis, not once but twice. I yelped with pain and implored her not to do that again but she went for me again, so I had to decamp. They sell fried chicken and hotdogs at the front, and at the bar where you get your drinks they have a bag full of roasted fish. Danny had one and proclaimed it delicious, so against my better judgement I ordered one… turned out to be one of the most delicious pieces of fish I’ve ever had!