Forah Bay

Another day of running around. At the Stop Press café, someone scared me by coming up to my table and trying to sell me a switch-blade, which he proceeded to pop open a little too close to my body. Then a woman came in trying to sell me a live crayfish, which she carried in her hand. Odd place. Ate next to a shrew, then a family of rats as big as groundhogs came up from the sewer. The fun never stops at that place.

Went to ABC TV with Jen. Very nice facilities… reception area, leather couches, Jen has her own office, there’s a green room, and beautiful panoramic view of Freetown from the roof. Williette, the woman who runs ABC, is beautiful and sounds very competent, but as with all of the other managers, want the JHR journalist to run everything while they take a break.

Elvis has done none of the things I asked him to. So frustrating.

Stopped in to the centre for former child soldiers which had housed the young man Ishmael Beah who wrote a book about his experiences, to great acclaim in the US. I would like to do a story with them.

Went to a music conference at night. It was one-of-a-kind because they had a whole slate of live SL bands performing. Apparently the tradition in the last 10 years has been lip-synching, so the culture minister is trying to encourage bands to start recording their own music. Sad.