Food, Glorious Food

So - having posted that lot, I was about to leave and then Joyce, the really lovely office assistant here, came in with tea for me. And she won't let me leave until I drink it!! And it is pitch black in this office and I just want to go back to the hotel, but am waiting for the tea to cool!

So I thought I would show you what I do most nights - basically sit in the bar and have dinner with the 'gang' - which is what we have become now (about 20 guys and four girls - we are going to get T Shirts made that say "Flood Girls - Soroti Hotel Field Unit"). I have mentioned previously the atrociously slow service of the restaurant - one night, Leo got fed up and went into the kitchen to cook, taking Anastasia with him for support. We all got authentic Italian food that night - yummy!!

Anastasia, Leo and random cook, shaking things up in the kitchen

"What - you wanted some too?"

Adama helps Leo dish up...


The troops are hungry...

Thank you for this food...

Take a Picture

So - I am exhausted and cannot be bothered really writing anything right now - I am still out coordinating the flood response - six weeks and counting - fourteen hours a day, seven days a week, and longing for some time off. So instead - I offer you pics... (okay - they seem to be taking forever to load, so I may not offer you very many pics - perhaps slow and steady may be the key with this picspam...

A hut that collapsed after flooding:

Someone get my message in a bottle?

The only access road left into Soroti

The disaster that is Agu Bridge

This used to be completely dry - now there is at least a metre of water above ground

Child collecting water - really speaks for itself

In the Cold Light of Morning

So – I’m taking five minutes out of my day to attend to this sadly, sadly neglected little blog. I know it has been a ridiculous amount of time since I was here – my excuses include extended periods of time in the field, no internet access for weeks at a time, malaria, annual leave, travel to Nairobi and now…floods in Eastern Uganda!!

I am currently out in Soroti (you could get an atlas?) in Eastern Uganda, responding to the floods that you may or may not have seen on the news (if you live in America, I think we were bumped for OJ Simpson, if you live in Australia, apparently we were bumped for Shane Warne’s latest debacle, if you live in Germany, I think it was extensively covered, given the number of interviews my German colleague gave!!!) Anyway – point is – there are floods across the East (and a bit the north) of the country and we are doing an emergency response, which I am coordinating from the field.

It’s pretty full-on out here – I am really tired and looking forward so much to this weekend (my boss ordered me to return to Kampala and rest for the weekend, bless his cotton socks!) Plus – Thurza is coming from Australia with a care package from me, including a disc with the first three episodes of Season three of Prison Break (cue happy dance). Now that makes me happy…

I will probably be out for the flood response for a few more weeks – we are trying to bring in some staff on secondment, but until they arrive, I will still be residing in Soroti. There is a pretty massive NGO/UN presence out here now – the main hotel in town must think it’s Christmas (hasn’t made them speed up the restaurant service though – if you get your food in one hour, you are celebrating the amazing velocity of that performance – one and a half to two hours is the general wait for lunch/dinner!!) Most evenings, there is a pretty large contingent in the bar eating and drinking, so that’s pretty fun – they are good bunch (although an incredible number of both Italians and Germans – one Italian guy came with his espresso machine, which he just needs to get working, and he will become my new best friend!)

And amidst all of this, my heart has been broken by the news that Steve Hewitt, the Placebo drummer, has left the band *cry,wail,stamp foot* Steve, fyi, is the chap on the right in the picture below of the leaping lads (yes – those leaping lads are Placebo). The thought that they won’t make any more albums together, and I won’t see them together ever again is devastating. Plus – he’s a kick-ass drummer and…well…I really can’t think of words except that it sucks. And I have listening to Placebo on loop since Monday (when it was announced) L

So – a reasonably incoherent post (gives you a pretty good picture of my headspace right now – just sooo tired!) but will try to return soon with a little more info and a little less rambling…

In the meantime – stay dry…