Saturday’s August 2nd 2008
I am e-mailing you from Ray’s compound so hopefully I will be able to communicate with you a little bit, instead of the small crowded, hot internet ‘cafe’s’ I’ve been trying to e-mail you from (after walking around to 3-4 places & 30-45 minutes to log on an hour session)
Ray is very nice & around here resembles alittle bit of the pictures we saw (think Mexico outside the all-inclusives)
Well where to start? I caught a pick pocket with my camera last night, got the camera, Colins & Francis (the pastor I am staying with & who’s house I’m living at) said just to relax…so no I didn’t slap him. Oh ya we left around 3pm or so yesterday to go to the airport, no bags, still, & we got home around midnight
I wish I could share all of these incredible experiences with you, I am on Thunderhill in Kissy which has entrenched poverty beyond anything that you could ever imagine. Words can’t express how poor they are, chickens walking around & yes in the house, goats, dogs & cats & they all live in peace (Chloe wouldn’t do so well here) I’ve seen the same dog about a million times (skinny Keena only with fleas)but I don’t dare touch them, as they are all scabbed & flea bitten, I believe it is insulting to show any affection to animals especially when the people are in such dire straights.
I must tell you though the people who I stay with are the most wonderful people in the world. They are spoiling me. I get breakfast & all of my meals prepared for me (so far so good with my Stomach!). They wash my 2 t-shirts (no clothes or toiletries yet) by hand (I do smell by the end of the day with no deodorant) they warm a big bucket of water for me to ‘shower’ with in the outhouse over a charcoal fire.
It is absolutely heartbreaking, the atrocities that the RUF has committed to these people here Christie are unspeakable. I can’t even repeat what these people have endured, EVERYONE has a horror story beyond comprehension, every single one of them and yet the happiest, friendliest most gracious people that you could ever meet. There are many people missing limbs, crippled or blinded by the war. As I walk around it is like being a rock star or something. ‘Hey Whitaman!’ and the kids, who are the cutest little black babies you’ve ever seen yell and they crawl all over you and love you so much, they ask for nothing except your attention. It has been a truly profound and touching experience, & I am filled with such love around these little ones.
When you go downtown which is an experience, people are more aggressive, and make no mistake there are areas where you would definitely be in trouble, but as long as I stay with the Kamara family I am safe & well taken care of. On the East end of Freetown I am literally the only white person in a city of a million. Downtown there are a few Lebanese shop owners, here in West Freetown (at Ray’s) there are quite a few ex-patriots.
I awake every morning to the haunting echoe of the Muslim prayer chant that carries through the area. That or the roosters crowing… Muslims & Christians live in perfect harmony here.
I begin teaching next week, Social Studies so I have to brush up on my Sierra Leonian history! I will teach from 9-noon next week the following week, is their exams so I may take that opportunity to go to Tacugama (if they’ll have me I still have not contacted them yet), Collins & I are taking a trip up to Kambia & if time permits one of the board members will take me to the diamond mines where he is originally from. Each one of these trips will be a couple of days so we’ll have to see if time permits.
I had a long talk with Francis (who is a dead ringer for Wesley Snipes by the way!). Christie, to see what these two people (Francis & Maria) have created with nothing & for nothing is truly inspirational. Everything they do is for the school, they want nothing for themselves. It is inspirational to be around such people who are so driven & inspired, they truly have a mission, the Rhema school.We have electricity every second night, the locals are very excited about this, so we can light the house with a 60 w light bulb instead of candles & lanterns.
Not sure how I’ll get back ‘home’ the stench of the ‘petrol’ here is not pleasant to say the least, at the UN compound where Ray took me it is almost like home, an actual grocery store (think one of those little stores by a lake) and white people…anyway, I’ll go visit with Ray & 2 Irishmen colleagues of his, they have fascinating stories & deal with people like Liberia’s Taylor everyday…anyway I could go on forever but must go, I love you & will be safe
Sunday August 3rd 2008
The e-mails probably won’t be coming as much after today. I stayed in a spare bedroom in the compound last night. Ray & his colleagues from Ireland took me out & Ray is gracious enough to allow me to use his computer to send these. Its still long & somewhat unreliable compared to home standards, but nothing compared to what one has to endure in the 3+ hour journey into the heart of Freetown looking for a hot stinky crowded internet cafe that might work. I am extremely grateful to Ray & his friends who have treated me like royalty.
Thye stay here was so refreshing, air conditioning a nice bed, A SHOWER!!!! I finally had a real shower & shaved in a mirror! I feel so great! We went out last night to the places where all the ex-pats go & it is hard to believe that we are in the same city or country. The restaurant that they took me to last night was beautiful even by Canadian standards, it was even nicer than Joeys & Lux! I couldn’t believe it! The food was terrific & it was more like an all inclusive vacation as compared to what I have been experiencing.It is more like spring break on this side as compared to Thunderhill. It was a welcomed refresher! Talk about a small world! (Send Mom this for sure!!!) All the way over here one of Ray’s staff is from Arras BC!!!(a small community 25 miles or so outside DC!) Simone Hogg who is related to the Hoggs that we (Mom) knows in DC! Unbelievable!
Yes it is raining right now. When it rains here it is like our hardest rain only for hours. The locals all run out & put out the basins to catch the rainwater running off of their rusty tin corregated roofs. We will probably go for breakfast here
I hadn’t heard this story, but Ray told me last night (& after he did I remember hearing something about it). In Tacugama about 2 years ago Bruno the Alpha male killed an African, bit the finger off another guy released 17 or so other chimps & they made a jail break never to be found again! Don’t worry hone I’ll watch all of my digits! he he
It is fascinating hearing about Ray’s perspective on his prisoners, the leaders of the RUF & FARC, as well as the president of Liberia Charles Taylor. What these guys did with no remorse is bone chilling. The Irish guys have been working since 1972 so the held all of the IRA’s top leaders, one guy had an IRA hit out on him! It is so surreal to talk to these people & hear their perspective. the Irish guys have had many (17 or so I thnik) colleages murdered, some right in front of their families! Just to make a point from the IRA. They are so happy that there is now peace in Northern Ireland. It really drives home the fact that we are so lucky & we live in the best country in the world
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