Look at Me

We have really found Jeff a delight to work with. He loves joking and banter. On this occasion he is looking down at his shirt because Roger has made some comment. Probably about the fact that he did not like it being green!

Whats wrong with Green?

Of course having started the banter we then had to investigate the message, which in fact was about colour, and basically said that it does not matter whether you are blue or green, its just good to live together and enjoy each others fun and banter

Could not agree more - though others is actually brothers!

 Shirts often have messages, sometimes to get you to show an interest in the wearer, and other times to get a message across. Mostly they let us know something about ourselves.

Today there were many other people on the site trying to get noticed, and all looking for employment, like these 4. One was a local that had already been given a job, and the others were just hoping.

Building companies do not have to advertise, and labourers do not apply for jobs her in Rwanda. You just see work and come. If you need a tradesman or technician then just go across the road and ask them if they want work.

Look at us - we need a job

Its eyeball interviewing, and assessment is made by Kayitare with a deep stare into the heart of the person to see if they are hard workers and worth paying. Laying off is just as quick - if you do not come up to the mark then there is no employment tomorrow!

A great system - no paperwork - just pay for hard work!

Termites Terminated by the Terminator

There has been a wee accident on the site.

Having received a 52 page EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) report about all the leaves we might upset with our bulldozer, we have brutalised nature and in particular the termites and their homes. I for one am delighted - until of course they come seeking refuge in our College.

The terminator

The man responsible, Kayitare the builder, is to be known from now on as the terminator. Jeff his son seemed quite pleased with this nickname.

Here he is surveying his demolition works with the termite homes behind. Evidence of the demolition is here:

Well thats the price you have to pay for progress. For those insect lovers I can only apologise, and reassure you that we have personally provided a home for every one of the creatures we have made homeless.

College Progress

ACTION!

At 6.45am this morning Jeff texted me that he had found a machine to clear the site and create the platform. He was on the way to get it.

Roger and I had a meeting at 8am with the people from Inkuru Nziza. All the way through I was waiting for contact that Jeff had got to the site, and around 11am finally he phoned. They were there and ready to start.

On Arrival

Go for it Jeff I said in my authoritative project managers voice - we will be over in an hour. These are the photos of the beginning of the work around 2 hours into the site preparation.

East to West view

No lover of termites!

There will be lots more photos, later today but for now I have work to do.

VSO

As we were leaving the site this young lad passed us going up the hill to Nonko. One of the usual unusual sights we see daily. How he got it up on top of his head I have no idea!

On our way back from the site, we stopped off at VSO (voluntary service overseas). We had heard yesterday from Chrissie of Inkuru Nziza that VSO are involved in Secondary schools including technical schools. This brought the hope that they might want to be involved in our NGO joint project with the Scottish Colleges.

We dropped in to their headquarters at Remera and we have arranged to see Mark (or was it Mike) on Wednesday.

Since Inkuru Nziza have 5 or 6 skills centres as well it would be good if we could get some agreement to undertake some development work with the Colleges.

After we had visited there, it was a short taxi ride home, or it would have been had it not been for my helmet flying off when we were doing 40+ mph. As usual the straps are hopeless, and it landed 30 yards behind me, fractured the face vizor, and I had to run the traffic to get it back off the road.

 I am now thinking of buying and carrying my own helmet - has to be safer than these useless ones.

Bulldozer Big End!

Up early, cleaned and teeth brushed, packed my bag, sent me meeting organising emails, and then we were off.

The bulldozer was coming to the site at 8am, and we arranged to meet Norbert at 9.30am to see how they were doing with laying out the platform.

The taximotos took us quickly to the site, round the corner and yes there it isn't! No bulldozer, not a skip, no-one. Empty. Nothing.

Oh well they will be hear shortly. Nobert arrives, he has his sardonic German smile, well its Rwanda. But we were so confident of our builders - was this a terrible sign of what was to come - hopefully not.

Actually Jeff arrived a few minutes later. Dad had been having trouble getting hold of the machine - perhaps 12, but could be as late as 3pm. We arrange a few matters and agree that we go back to Solace and do some other work and Jeff will call.

Jeff

12md - no news, 1.30pm  - its on its way - should arrive 3pm, 3pm - its broken down in Remera - poor Jeff, he really is trying his hardest. His last text tells it all - oh, why did I think being an occasional project manager was bad - imagine being a builder in Rwanda when you get this all the time

Here is the text - 'I'm going to search another machine, cause the first one, though it was powerful, has many problems, and this time it didn't happen to have it working properly! so I can't trust them anymore neither what they are saying! Then I will call you tomorrow morning before 7am to let you know what is going on.'

The poor lad (he is only 22) was at the site all day waiting in heat and rain - what a life!

In the mean time Fleming remains under the weather, off food and tired - I caught him in the middle of some intense design stuff this afternoon

Fleming Hard at Work

We will see what tomorrow brings - its a public holiday, so I am not holding my breath

Win Win Win

Talking of Andy Murray reminds me that I received a threatening email from my doctor yesterday.

You will remember that Dr Bad Boy Bennie, see photo below, has become my personal psychological trainer. He awarded himself this position when I once again lost to Keith Prentice and team in the European Seniors semifinals.

Bad Boy Bennie

Well Bad Boy had given me a set of psychological exercises which Andy Murray should try, and which Dr BBB assures me will be highly effective in winning in the Scottish Championships shortly to start. It basically involves setting yourself thoughts challenges and then telling yourself - win, win, win. He believes I have been following his therapy to the letter (or word) and expects to be paid for it.

Anyway Bad Boys letter is printed below for all to see:

"Dear Garlic

I am delighted you have taken my advice and have Ginger with you once more. I understand that you are on holiday again and I am just writing this short note to bring to your attention the small matter of unpaid fees that are now long overdue.

In truth this letter has been triggered by photographs of you with wads of cash that I discovered recently on the blog site and my hope is that you would like to share some with me so that I can remove your account from my “send in the heavies file”

Please do not see this as a threatening letter (as they are typed in red ink) but look on it rather as a friendly appeal prior to violent action being taken.I have been using a new company for cash recovery recently as members of my last agency have been detained at her majestys pleasure for an unspecified period.My new man is known only by his tradename of old Vic but he comes highly recommended and my source tells me that he never disappoints.

On a lighter note I do hope that you enjoyed your holiday and that you are back fit and healthy (at least for the moment).

Indecently how is your condition coming along? I have had no further communication with you since I set before you a strict training regime entitled” trying to be a winner”.I trust that you have been strictly adhering to the exercises programme suggested and look forward to hearing about your successes however small they may have been.

Please pass on my warmest regards to Ginger I trust that his mood has lightened now that he teamed up with you again but can I remind you that you will have to be diligent in matters of hygine he can so easily slip back to his old ways.I still have dreadful memories of a holiday we spent together where he was only allowed back on the plane if I signed him over as cargo in order for him to be stowed in the hold such was the reaction of fellow holidaymakers at the airport check in.

To close just a short update on news from home , it is costing £200Million to break up the Nimrod aircraft that we do not need any more but I have written to David Cameron and suggested that he puts them on E Bay  and assured him that someone somewhere will take them off his hands thus saving the country such a huge scrappage bill.

My other suggestion was that he just parks them on the outskirts of Coatbridge and that they will just disappear piece by piece again at no cost to the taxpayer .

I await my invitation to join  the coalission gonerment ( no spelling mistake)quango that deals with such matters and have already started to put out feelers to see if anyone wants to buy an aircraft carrier  I feel that there may be possibilities in converting it to some kind of floating theme park / hotel experience.

Anyhow must go as my phone line is probably bugged hope to hear from you soon

Yours impatiently

Dr BBB.

Now, when you are in Rwanda, for curling training, constantly practicing your inwicks, draws, takeouts, cross house doubles and tap ups, you would think that your doctor would understand that 4 months is not a  long time to wait for a medical bill to be paid, especially when I am such a 'finally' tuned athlete. 

These kind of threats cannot help, and anyway surely Bad Boy should understand that he is paid on results, and therefore he needs to wait a couple more weeks - roll on Hamilton and the Scottish

Garlic

Taximoto Training

My training of Fleming as an expert taximoto passenger is nearly over. My days as the top Chryston taximotist are not quite at an end however. Although he usually leaves before me, he nearly always arrives after me. I have been unable to teach him all the quickest routes - shame.

I know that David McAdam may resent me taking the numero uno taximoto spot from him, but he could always send me some incriminating evidence of heroic feats if he wants to claim the crown.

Unfortunately Fleming is getting quite a taste for the bike as these photos show. I thought there was an air of calm relaxation, something of the Schumacher about him - perhaps Norbert is having a German influence on him. Worrying times, as we spead along at 45 miles an hour.

I expect that he will shortly be trying to pass me and to gain advantage by driving down the wrong side of the road to overtake.

Today we were going to church in Gatenga. This is an 85p bike ride of 15 minutes duration from Solace. We went together because Roger was not quite sure of the directions. In fact his driver was not either.

I have to admit to a bit of Scottish tactical planning, in going to church, which went sadly wrong. The church services at Gatenga start about 9.15am with singing and hand raising, the latter you will remember we are both allergic to. The services usually last 2 and a half to 3 hours until around 12 o'clock.

Being really good Presbyterians, who believe in a strict Scottish length of service (ah right!), we deliberately left late in order to arrive at 10 thereby reducing the dancing we had to do!

This would have shortened the service to a manageable 2 hours, except that it went onto 1.30pm in the afternoon! Thats a 4 hour 45 minute marathon for those who came at 9.15am., and a mere 3.5 hours for us. We were completely done in by the end and headed to the Leica hotel for a rather weak latte.

This afternoon was spent crying for Andy Murray, and in between the tears we worked on plans and a report for the Inkuru Nziza church who we meet on Tuesday.

Tomorrow morning we go to the site to see the digger commence work. Can't wait