Christmas #1

Here in the tropics, it's very difficult to get into the Christmas spirit. Every day the weather is about 80 degrees and sunny. Palm trees abound, and the lush landscaping reminds me nothing of the harsh windy, snowy days of my youth in Minnesota. I called the US the other day for something and the person on the other end of the line said, "Happy Holidays" (which I suppose is the PC version of Merry Christmas these days) and I almost said, "what are you talking about....you mean it's Christmas over there?" There are no decorations on people's houses here; I mean, people are lucky to have a shack with a curtain for a door so certainly they have no need for a pine bough wreath for their non-exist ant front door. Christmas lights? Remember, most of the time there is no electricity here....so all that effort would be a waste of time. That is one thing I can definitely say I DO NOT miss about Christmas in the US....all those hours spent untangling the outdoor Christmas lights!! The last couple of years, I gave it about an hour, then I threw away the string of lights and went to Walmart and bought a new set. I mean, $10 for a new set is worth the agony of untangling the mess from last year! I think that is one of the mysteries of life.....how come when I CAREFULLY wind the strings of lights and CAREFULLY place them in the box.....then something like 345 days go by and they somehow tangle themselves into a giant ball? Or, how come the same string of lights that worked last year suddenly goes dark the very next year without even being plugged in! Do they use up their lifespan in the box?

So , today I decided to decorate for the Christmas Open House I am having next Saturday. I have probably already invited 40 people and since I find myself inviting everyone I see that I like, so I'm sure I'll be up to 60 by next weekend. I'm only serving appetizers and cookies and wine, so that should be manageable.

I took out the boxes of Christmas decorations I had brought...7 boxes in all. I well remember being in Austin in March and randomly selecting some decorations while the movers were waiting on me....from the 12 or so boxes of Christmas stuff I own. When I opened them today, I had no idea what I'd find. I have only opened 4 of them, but so far, so good. I brought the tree and set that up. It was strange to have to "unfold" all the little branches, because of course the movers wrapped the tree in paper to resemble a torpedo. Luckily the lights were already on the tree, which actually posed a problem. The lights are 110 electric current, so that means they require a transformer. Transformers are scarce in my house (I only have 3) so I have to put the tree where I can plug in the lights into an existing transformer. That meant the tree needed to be in the living room near the computer. There are only two outlets on the transformer, so whenever I am on the computer (which is one plug) I have to decide if I want to have the lamp on (the remaining plug) or listen to my ipod in the dark (because if I plug in the ipod, I cannot plug in the lamp). Such electrical complications. Then eureka! In a box, I found a 110 electrical strip that has 6 outlets! But now the question....could I safely plug the strip into the transformer with all those American appliances? I held my breath, plugged it in and turned on the power switch. The Christmas tree lights came right on and the tree looked magical! I was so happy I had not blown anything up. (Did I tell you I fried my DVD/VHS player when I got here because I stupidly plugged a 110 into a 220? Idiot!!)

Anyway, I have 4 more boxes to unpack, so I better get back to it. I already got a sneak peak at some of the decorations that made it and I'm happy. There are a lot of memories attached to the green quilted tree skirt I made, the cross-stitched framed Santa for the wall, and of course the little felt and sequined ornaments hand made by my mother-in-law for our first Christmas as a married couple when we had nothing and could not afford to buy anything. I think both Angela and Laura are hoping I leave them to them in my will! I hope I find the green clay trees that we made with the kids at St. Kevins...I hope I find the white crocheted Angel that I bought from a mail order catalog when the kids were young...I hope I find the manger...I hope I find the smokers from Germany....and I hope I find enough memories from the past to sustain me during this, my first Christmas alone.

Hope all is well in your corner of the world.

Oh, I send special Birthday greetings to my Mom and a VERY dear friend of mine, both of whom celebrate birthdays on December 7th. Wish I could be there to give you a hug.

Love from Africa,
Becky

Irony and Typhoid

Because so many of my new friends here practice the Muslim religion, I decided to give myself a challenge. Near the end of Ramadan, I told myself I wanted to try and experience what it felt like to fast for an entire day. Remember, they fast all day every day, for 30 days during Ramadan. I have never tried this before and I didn't know how I would fare. So, I didn't tell anyone I was attempting it in case I didn't make it through the end of the day. To be true to your fast, in the Muslim faith you cannot have anything to eat or drink from sun up to sun down. I knew I would not be able to make it without water, so I allowed myself small sips of water in the morning. I had to work all day at the Embassy, and I had to have some sort of energy level. The reason the Muslims fast is to remind them of the poor people who are less fortunate and have to live without food lots of times. They are reminded to pray for the poor and keep themselves holy so they can appreciate what they have the rest of the year. (at least that's how I understand it) It was quite an experience for me. The whole day, I found myself watching the clock...how many more hours until 7:15 pm when I could "break the fast" and eat again? I really noticed a drop in my energy level and attention span. I felt what it was like to not have any food in me and what it must be like to be poor and feel like that on a regular basis. I had a difficult time staying focused on complex tasks. My Muslim friends say you get used to the feeling of being hungry and they can function pretty well. They all get tired during the day and I felt this to be true also. By the end of the day, I was counting the minutes until I could eat again. I planned a special meal and ate by myself. Usually, Muslim friends will gather together and break fast together, but by chance I was alone. That chicken never tasted so good. I ate until I was completely full and never even cared if I over indulged. It was a good learning experience and I was proud of myself for doing it.

Fasting was Monday Sept 29. Tuesday was the official "ending of the fast" and I went out with friends that evening to celebrate. The next day, Wednesday, was an official national holiday; a "Day of Prayer" so we had the day off from work. Unfortunately, something happened Tuesday evening at the celebration dinner. I went to a restaurant that I have been to several times and ate the same food as everyone else at our table. But the next morning, I was violently ill. Those of you who have experienced "violently ill" will know what I mean so I will not describe it here. Just know that I have never been that sick in all my life. Four hours in the bathroom wishing for death and that was just the beginning. Unhappily for me, I spent my entire day off from work being sick. The next day I managed to drag myself to work at 1pm in the afternoon; mostly because the Foreign Service Health Practitioner convinced me to come in for lab work to see if I had anything serious. I also was hosting a cocktail party for my boss that evening and I had to make the final arrangements for the cake, the staff, and the food. My blood tested positive for typhoid. The FSHP said sometimes the test gives a false positive, but there is no other lab in Freetown to do any other tests on me, so typhoid is the likely diagnosis. Oh joy. Somehow I dragged myself through the cocktail party (it helps to wear a pretty black dress) but I could not sample any of the food I had ordered, including the sinfully perfect chocolate cake. I went home and collapsed. My boss was so appreciative of the party preparations (and I think he noticed how tired I looked) and practically begged me to take Friday off. I did. I never take days off work! I have to be near death! (I was) Friday, Saturday, Sunday...I ate nothing or next to nothing except for Gatorade and a tiny bit of white rice. I was finally feeling a little better on Saturday afternoon so I tried eating a few morsels of dinner. Mistake! Sick again all day Sunday. Now I'm totally avoiding food and I am really beginning to tire of Gatorade. I am also tired of lying on the sofa reading (I read 250 pages today) and watching tv. I WANT MY LIFE BACK! But I guess this typhoid is a bacterial infection and my stomach is being held hostage. The FSHP tells me to be patient, to wait and things will get better. I have already lost weight, so I guess that's better. The irony is that I spent Monday fasting and watching the clock for my next meal, and then I spent the next 5 days not eating at all!!! Life sure is crazy sometimes. Seriously, I'm really sick. Yes, I did have the typhoid vaccine before I came to Africa, but it's not always a guarantee. Welcome to Africa.

Here is a quick note I sent to my FS classmates regarding the quality of tv available on AFN (All Forces Network). Some may find it humorous.

Take care of yourselves!
Becky

Behzad,
That was the most funny email I have read in a while! It almost made being sick worth it!! Just kidding. I have watched some horrible tv since I've been sick. Our only offering here is AFN. They have limited programming choices and I found myself trying to find something worth watching. There was a ridiculous show I came across called "Beauty and the Geek" or "Beauty and Freaks" or some such nonsense. Apparently Ashton Kutcher is not being serviced enough by Demi Moore these days, because he is the executive producer. The premise of the show is to pair up 10 couples; one Beauty and one Geek (or Nerd or whatever PC term they use these days), throw them all in a mansion in some unlikely place like Malibu and see which couples roll their eyes the most or die off from lack of understanding each other. I mean, what's the sense in pairing up the top Hooters waitress with a MIT student when in real life they would never even meet each other! Somehow, there is kissing because all the beauties hook up and sneak around while the Geeks discuss logarithms and global warming trends. A real winner of a show, I can assure you.

Some things you learn late....

I'm taking a 10 minute break from unpacking boxes. I think I've gone through about 25 boxes so far. I still have not found any of my dishes, my silverware, or my crystal wine glasses. I have not found any wine glasses at all , in fact. I did unwrap some nice bottles of Champagne, Makers Mark, and Pomegranate liquor that I forgot I packed. I found about 100 natural energy bars, so if I ever get back to running again, I will have snacks to refuel. I have enough energy bars to train for a marathon.

This got me to thinking about "what" I packed from the Texas house. I think I had about 15 boxes of kitchen things. As I unpacked most of it, I started to have this uneasy feeling that if I didn't use it in Texas, why did I ship it all the way to Africa? I thought about this a little longer and eureka, it hit me. I USED TO COOK. At one time, I utilized my kitchen on a regular basis. I fed 5 people for something like 20 years and I actually used all the stuff I unpacked today. The key here is "used to." I really have not cooked that much in the past 7 years. In 1999, when we returned from Germany; Dave left for California, Ryan left for college in Philadelphia, Angela was already at A&M in College Station, and I went back to school full time. For the next 2 years, it was only Laura and I, and I made small meals because we were both busy with work and school. After Laura left for college, I barely made anything more than a sandwich; unless I happened to be cooking for a date. The rest of the time I ate meals out or ate soup late at night after studying. I continued to bake cookies and breads and bars and that hasn't changed even to the present day. I really love to bake, and most of my friends already know this, as they have tasted the fruits of my labor in the form of mint brownies and banana bread. But cooking? I have not cooked any more in Africa than I did in Texas. I'm out a lot; learning about the country and the people here in Sierra Leone. So when am I ever going to use the 4 polish pottery baking pans, the crock pot circa 1978, the cappuccino maker that only Robert learned to operate, or the Pampered Chef deep dish pizza stone that never made it out of the box since it was purchased in 2000? Probably never. The polish pottery makes a nice colorful decoration on the top of my kitchen cabinets, especially since the ceilings in the kitchen are 10 feet high. Another crazy irony is that I brought tons of Tupperware. Which begs the question: If I never cook, how in the world will I have leftovers to put in the Tupperware?

All this reminiscing reminds me that I need to mentally update my life every once in a while. I need to discard what I don't use anymore; not drag it half way around the world. I recommend going through the spaces in your life and your house and get rid of things that are obsolete. I think we carry around way too many "things" that we have to manage. I don't mean shed everything. I really like some things I unpacked; the polish pottery being one. I smile every time I look at the pretty dishes I bought in Germany.

Now if I could only find those plates.....

Love,
Becky

House full of Boxes, oh my!

It's Saturday morning. I feel asleep on the sofa last night after a really long week at work and finally managed to get a full 8 hours of sleep! Of course, the pounding rain probably helped.

My HHE arrived and now I'm surrounded by boxes. A sea of boxes that I must navigate for the days to come. A word to the wise...travel light. I have 90 pieces of furniture/boxes total; for one person. I remember in Kenya where each person owned a coffee cup, a fork, and a blanket. Sure made moving a lot easier. I have really really enjoyed having my own bed again. And soft sheets! The welcome kit gives us sheets made of scratchy hardness. I forgot what it's like to lay on soft sheets! It was nice to see the antique coat rack, but they lost the little metal pans that go on the bottom for the umbrella holders. Hope they turn up. It seems strange seeing my white love seat in my living room in Africa. Seems almost a guilty pleasure to have it travel all this way. I'm planning to have a lot of fun unwrapping the kitchen things. I really want to find my Polish pottery and my china. I have never had a china cabinet before. Leave it up to me to base taking a new job on the notion that it comes with a free china cabinet! But I'll also be happy to see my wine glasses again. I am sick and tired of drinking wine out of beverage glasses! I'm going to start a list right now of things I want with me in my UAB (unaccompanied air baggage) for my next move. FS allows us 250 lbs of items they ship immediately to our next assignment. Topping the list will be: soft sheets, wine glasses, and 2 of my own towels!

Some of you have asked for photos. This is difficult for two reasons. One-I feel uncomfortable photographing people here. It's strange to snap a picture of someones life. I mean, it's not a novelty for them to be living in poverty. It's a novelty for me to take a picture of it. I'm trying to get over that so I can show you what it's like here, but it's not easy for me. It reminds me that I'm at the top of the class system here and that's uncomfortable for me. Two-even if I take the picture, downloading it takes so long that the computer usually crashes. Slow inernet connection here. (hey, I'm just happy they have internet and cell phone service, since they don't have running water or electricity!) So, in light of this, I found a web site that has some beautiful photos of the beaches here in Sierra Leone. I spend a lot of time at Bureh Town beach with friends. It looks exactly like the photos. Our cottage is right across the water from the island in the photo, so what you are looking at is the exact view we have from the veranda of the house. The first beach I went to was Lakka and it's also very serene; no people at all while we were there. River no. 2 (what a strange name!) is a little more busy; they even have people who will take your drink order and bring you a cocktail under a beach umbrella. Lumley beach is the beach in Freetown proper. That's the beach I run on. It looks exactly like that, and the sunsets are really amazing. I can see the beach from my apartment patio and watch the sunsets at night. It's about a 12 minute drive from my apartment to the beach. Now that I have the car, I hope to run there 4-5 times a week. Here is the link:

http://www.visitsierraleone.org/gallery/gallery.asp?categoryid=9

So, it's back to unpacking for me. Hope everything is well in your corner of the world!
Becky

Moving In

Today the shipment arrived from Texas. What a lot of stuff! While it was nice to see some things from home, a part of me wanted to send the big truck right back to the warehouse and tell them to give it all away! The irony of Foreign Service life is that they arrange it so you live with next to nothing for 4 months while you are at training and until your things arrive in country, so you get used to living with very little. Then, all your stuff comes and you wonder why on earth you decided to pack so much stuff and how on earth you will fit it all into your assigned house! It also reminded me strongly how much of a consumer society we are in American. I mean, I have 4 wardrobe boxes of hanging clothes and 3 large boxes of regular clothes and shoes. I mean, I'm not even a socialite! I have been getting along fine all these months with the clothes I bought in Washington and the few things I packed in my suitcases from Texas. I think I will do what other FS classmates have suggested...give a lot of my clothes away to needy Africans.

A recommendation to Foreign Service people who might be packing up for their first assignment. "Take half of what you think you will need." Literally, living a simple life is much easier. We go on assignment to meet people and work hard. We don't spend much time at home and having to manage a bunch of American stuff just seems silly. Bring what you really love and leave the rest behind. Here are a few funny stories about what arrived today:

*My bike is here! It still has my racing number on it from the last sprint triathlon. I would dearly love to ride it...but it's not a possibility here in Freetown. The streets are crowded with people, dogs, kids, chickens, broken down trucks, pot holes, street vendors. Smooth is not a part of the road structure and there are no shoulders or sidewalks. My bike will probably become a patio decoration!

*Somehow I ended up with the coffee table that matches the German furniture that I did NOT bring! That reminds me that moving day in Texas was so chaotic that some things got in the wrong shipment. The table was supposed to go into storage. Oh well. Not a big deal.

*I ended up with the mattress for the German bed that I also did NOT bring. I even got the sheets for that bed; which are double and I don't have a double bed here. Oh well. Maybe I will make a curtain out of the sheets!

*I brought my massive oak desk at the last minute because my first apartment was so crappy that the desk was inadequate. Now I have a nice State Department desk in my new apartment and a huge monster desk from Texas. Well, it could be worse, I could have no desk, right?

*I only had one thing arrive damaged and that was a metal candle stand that I bought at a garage sale. It says Made in China on the bottom, so that explains it. Not a problem.

I can't wait to unpack my kitchen things and start baking. I didn't have any measuring cups in the "Welcome kit" and I miss my banana bread! I also can't wait to unpack my own dishes. I think I have a "dish" fetish. I really like my colorful polish pottery and my china. Eating off white Corelle just does not make meal times interesting; much less fun for entertaining.

Enough about moving. I have boxes to unpack!

Hope all is well in your corner of the world,
Becky

Bits and Pieces

Dear Everyone,
Below is an email that I sent to my OMS classmates. Quick test: what does OMS stand for? "Office Management Specialist." Very good. DCM stands for Deputy Chief of Mission; and that is the title of my boss. My old boss left the embassy and my new boss arrives on Wednesday. Anyway, instead of re-writing the whole email, here is a copy. Enjoy! Becky

Just a quick hello. My HHE arrived on Friday and it is still sitting in the warehouse here. I went and saw it and I think they send my whole house from Texas! I sure hope there is a LOT of packing material in there because I KNOW I did not send that much stuff! I have a bike I can't use; a desk I wish I didn't send because my old apartment had a crappy desk but my new one has an awesome desk. Oh well. Life in FS.

My car arrived a week ago, but it's still in "processing" for license and registration. I found out that no car insurance company will cover me here. That's reassuring. Luckily the car I brought is not that expensive and is not attached to a loan. I was informed that I can drive the car home tomorrow. Now, if I can only find the car key and the radio....somewhere in my stuff from DC.

It's rainy season here now, so it rains about half of every day. It reminds me of my childhood summer days back in Minnesota. I have a wonderful balcony that I have already managed to fill with lots of plants. I eat most of my meals out there, to get fresh air after all that time at the a/c Embassy. So sterile! I was used to spending a lot of my day out and about in my old job, and being tied to the desk is an adjustment.

And Amy is right....being the OMS for the DCM involves a lot of scheduling. I never even used Outlook before I got this job! I'm practically a pro now. I even use the colored flags and bars for reminders and task lists. The hardest part about my job is trying to coordinate the DCM schedule with the AMB. It's a small post so they go to a lot of things together and if the AMB OMS does not inform me of appointments, then things go awry. Being in the front office has it's advantages....last week I got invited to the National Day at the Egyptian Embassy. At 5:30, the Ambassador walked by my desk and handed me HER invitation to the party. She said she couldn't go, and asked if I would like to go in her place. (wow, only been on the job for two months and already I'm a stand-in for the AMB!) Well, of course! Me? Miss a social occasion? The party was that same night at 6:30. I dashed home with the duty driver and took a quick shower and changed. I went alone, but there were several people at the party that I had met at other occasions; which was a welcome relief. Near the end of the evening when most of the people had left, I met the Egyptian Ambassador. He was really nice. He was "holding court" with his friends and he included me in their traditional wine drink - hibiscus. Here I am drinking hibiscus wine with 5 dashing Egyptians and I'm thinking I chose the right post after all! (and for anyone who's counting...yes one of them did ask me out!)

So that's the news from Sierra Leone. And me? Write a short email? I guess you know me better than that!

Becky

My new houseboy Chris

I think I mentioned that I have a "houseboy" named Chris. I don't know what to call him, exactly, but he is awesome. Tonight when I came home from work (at a decent hour finally), he had the candles lit, cleaned the house, washed and ironed my clothes, cleaned the apartment, made dinner, and set the table. All this for $10 a day. I know, I can't believe it either. Some other people in the Foreign Service already know you can get cheap help overseas. I never even thought about hiring someone, but it's really almost necessary here. The food has to be washed very carefully with bleach, the apartment gets more dirty than in the US, and by hiring someone, we are helping them have a job. Some people pay the help only about $7 per day and that's also ok. Chris also does all the shopping for me. He picks out what to make. I only told him not to make things too spicy. I also told him I love fruit, especially bananas, so even on the days he doesn't come, he stops by and gives me bananas. I actually saw REAL bananas on the banana tree outside my apartment. It was so cool to see how they grow. Anyway, Chris is a godsend. I work so many hours that I would probably just come home and eat a bowl of cereal every night if he were not here. Pam, he is SUCH a good chef, that I would recommend he come and work with Shawn at the restaurant. When came home tonight, he had made fish; some sort of tuna with spices, a rub, and garnished with plantains, tomatoes and parsley. Now, this is Africa, and that is NOT the way most people eat. He also made a lettuce salad with fresh veggies, greens, and olives. For dessert I had the freshest mango ever! Chris once had his own catering business and I can see why. He's about 23 years old, I'm guessing. He also worked at a hotel, so he does these creative things with my mosquito net; folds it into a beautiful decoration.

I know, I'm spoiled. I may never cook again. Maybe I can take Chris with me on my next assignment. He wants to learn to drive (most people here cannot drive because it costs too much to learn; and no one can afford a car), so when my car comes, I may teach him and then he can be my driver too. What a lifestyle. I would not have believed it myself 3 months ago.

Now, contrast that with the average lifestyle of the people of Freetown. When we drive down the street, we see people carrying everything and anything on their heads. It's an art I'm sure. The other day, I saw a woman carrying about 10 dozen eggs on her head. Did I already mention that? It still boggles my mind. Today it rained; and the people still walked in the rain, carrying on with their business. I think the large platters that they carry on their heads serve as sort of large umbrellas to protect them from the rain. Oh, when it rains, everything turns to mud. Remember, there are no sidewalks here and the roads are NOT paved. If it rains a lot, the streets turn to raging streams. No one seems bothered. Life is hard here and rain will not kill you; it's just another inconvenience in an already inconvenient life. Yesterday, we had a storm and a large tree fell across the road we take to work. Until they could get equipment to move it, all the traffic had to be diverted through the woods as a detour. This road....OMG. You can forget about complaining about traffic on the way to work. At least you have smooth, safe roads. I can really tell you that without a 4-wheel drive, you cannot live here safely. The Africans that DO somehow own a car, usually have these beat up old Nissan cars that look like they are held together by duct tape and prayer. The drivers are so aggressive that if you don't throw your car out there and be aggressive also, you would never get anywhere. There is no such thing as courtesy. Courtesy is for sissies. You will just get taken advantage of and laugh ted at. I hope I'm up to the task when my car finally arrives.

I have rediscovered reading. I actually take my whole hour for lunch, because the day is so busy I really need the break. I just started the book by Barrack Obama; Dreams of my Father. It's good. I wanted to sit outside in the sunshine and read during lunch, but here is the dilemma of that. Remember I work in an Embassy. Remember security? Well, we just can't push open the side door and sit outside like we used to do at my old job. Oh no. In order to get outside, I would have to go through several steel doors, carrying my food, walk around the building; you get the idea. It isn't worth it.

I will send photos as soon as I get the cable for my camera to connect with the computer. One of the bad things about packing and moving is that you cannot possibly keep track of everything. Things get put in the wrong box and pretty soon you find yourself with a camera with no instruction book; an Ipod, but no charger for the wall, or good booze and nothing but Walmart plastic to drink it out of. Those of you who know me well, know how much I HATE plastic glasses. They came with my apartment here....but I could only tolerate them so long, and so I broke down and bought 4 glass glasses on Sunday. Ah, I feel so much better. I'm telling you, it's the little things in life!

You'e probably asleep by now with all this reading. Hope all is well in your corner.

Becky

May 21

The date has been set....May 21 I leave for Freetown, Sierra Leone, AFRICA. There were a few confusions along the way. I wanted to stay in US over the Memorial Holiday weekend, but Post needs me ASAP, so I will leave more than a week ahead of schedule. Welcome to the government. I'm still waiting for my visa, my car, my airline tickets.

When I went to make my airline reservations, I found out a few startling facts about third world countries. Regular air service does not operate every day or out of every city or by every carrier. Only United flies to Freetown and they only fly out of London or Brussels. It's going to take me 4 days to get to Freetown! Are you ready for this:
Wed. May 21 leave DC
Thurs May 22 arrive London
Stay overnight in London because the next flight out is on Friday
Fri May 23 leave London
Fri May 23 arrive Lungi airport
Stay overnight in Lungi airport hotel because the only ferry to Freetown has already left!
Sat May 24 arrive in Freetown.
Sun & Mon lay by the pool and relax!!!

I got the last of my immunizations. Today it was Meningitis and Typhoid. Yes, both my arms hurt and yes, that's about 7 shots total. I think I should be good for the next several years. Oh yea, except for rabies. Rabies is in short supply so I have to get that at Post when they get a shipment in.

I did a short presentation on Tuesday on Sierra Leone. I'll try and attach it to this email. Ooops. Apparently this BLOG does not support attachments. If anyone wants me to email it to them, just email me or leave a comment here with your email address and I will send it to you. Here are a few more facts about Sierra Leone that I shared in the PP presentation:

•First explored in 1462 (thirty years before Columbus!)
•Land Area comparable to half the size of Illinois
•“Sierra Leone” is Portuguese for Lion Mountains.
•Population is 5.9 Million (Freetown is 1,070,200)
•Settled by the United Kingdom (they speak English!)
*250 Miles of coast
*$1.00 equals 2901 Leones (so $8.00 cream cheese costs 23,600 Leones!)
*Lowest country on the Human Development Scale
*7th Lowest country on Human Poverty Scale
*Rainy season May - Dec
*Dry season Dec - May
*Average temps 80's
*Current Ambassador: June Carter Perry

So...time for bed for me. Hope you have a good night in your corner of the world,

Becky Boo