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Alex burns his bridges and commits to a life abroad ... Friday, 02 February 2007 It is done, I called Harold Bell & Co and confirmed that the completion happened and the money is in my account. This significant event happened as I was flying a hovercraft around Southampton water. I want one. I want one now. Monday, 05 February 2007 I am back in London after a weekend in York staying with Mum and visiting Dad. It was Ok and they seem reconciled to the fact that my life is destined to be in Africa for a while yet at least. I think that pretty much everything is covered now. There is one final meeting with the Bank tomorrow and then I am off. I just need to make a decision on the hovercraft. Wednesday, 07 February 2007 I bought a wireless card for the computer. It is really good because I can use it anywhere where there is wireless available now and get on the web. So in hotels or at Heathrow Airport and so forth I can pretend to be a serious business man! Wednesday, 14 February 2007 I took my blood pressure this morning 129 over 84. I thought I was stressed... A little number crunching on my budget spreadsheet shows that I am going to be running short of cash within a period of two years if I do not start making some money out here myself. Today I am an illegal immigrant again, technically. It seems that the efficient Chirundu immigration department were not able to get my report in to Lusaka on time which is annoying. I had high hopes that on this cycle things would be done reasonably efficiently but this is Africa after all. No Valentines for me… Sunday, 18 February 2007 Here I am back in Lusaka again after a couple of reasonably busy days. On Friday night I went to dinner at CLZ where Orla Baktal, his wife Metta and a friend were visiting. We had a pleasant dinner featuring duck which Mette had prepared and it was a first for me... Yesterday I had a long meeting with Isaiah, Jones and Oliphans where we thrashed out a new agreement on the site and management of CC Camp. We have agreed that I will take over the whole management of the site for three years from 1st April and will rent the Western end for my private use at $4,000 per year. It was a long and tiring meeting and I was crying for a cigarette by the time we signed the contracts. Still, I have got what I want now though it could be a poison chalice I know. Tuesday, 20 February 2007 So now Chrispine should be underway with his driving course. He will be away from camp for a month and then what I wonder? It worries me that he is setting himself up for trouble by showing ambition and a desire to progress. How long before village jealousy comes into play? Bonzo will be heading out with the first load of cement and stuff for the CC Camp staff compound first thing tomorrow and I have some paperwork to complete with ECZ to get the inspection happening. Sunday, 25 February 2007 We did get the tail end of the Mozambique cyclone after all. Just a spell of wind and rain that caught me by surprise and I had to quickly turn my schedule round to bring the casuals back to this side where they can shelter when the rain comes. I have put together a plan that has two teams of casuals working from now till June to get the new buildings in place. It is a tight schedule but can be done. I call one team the Blue team and the other Red. The Red team will be mainly working at CC Camp and the Blue team here. I am contemplating picking up the Blue team and Mweemba now. I think the rain may have abated for the day. Looking at the hills, the outlook is not promising. I think tomorrow will be better. I have decided that I should not be allowed knives. Every time I use my Leatherman I slice another part of my right hand. It seems that the nerve damage done all those years ago have made it too insensitive to know when it is in danger particularly from the actions of my left hand. I was cutting a hole in the gaffer taped inner cloth of the car bonnet so I could reattach it to a grommet and hold it in place so it stops dangling irritatingly into the engine. A simple task made complex by incompetent clumsiness. |
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© Afrikeye 1999 - 2007 (certain items under permission of original copyright owner) |
