Arrival in Freetown

This is our JHR group from left to right.

Rob works out in distant region of Kenema.
-? I'm not sure who the black guy in the second row is.
-Danny, who will be stationed at the newspaper
-KB
-Jen, ex Much-Music VJ will work at the currently defunct TV station
-Elvis, our country director from SL
-Nam, ex Much-Music VJ, born in Uganda, grew up in Canada, stationed at Radio Democracy


Trip here went perfectly... as pleasant as a 24-hour journey can be. Elvis the country director even met me at the airport which was awesome because the ferry is nowhere near the airport, and the ferry that my colleagues took a day earlier crashed into another ferry at the dock... it made some of the international papers for some reason. Anyhow, a relief not to have to take the helicopter... Togo (all the people in the helicopter crash were Togolese sports officials) is now suing the SLeonean gvmt because the helicopter company had no insurance. Ah, Africa.

The ferry was a dismal affair… it didn’t leave for at least two hours. While waiting, met an amazing woman Hawa Turay who started a school for girls in Bo. She was on the same flight, returned from some fundraising in Europe. She spoke of the problems they were having, her vision for the future. Really and amazing woman, and the kind of project Oprah would support.

Elvis and I drank beers—the local Star which isn’t too bad—waiting for the ferry to take off, and Danny and Jen both phoned to say ‘welcome’ which was a nice touch. Eventually we arrived, my roommates left me a shawarma for dinner which I devoured, and went to sleep on a sheetless bed in a filthy room. Apparently the windows had been left open during the month no-one was in the apartment, and the rain was running in rivulets through the room. My mattress was still damp. Good times. This is worse than I expected.