"It wasn't a very interesting day, really"

Jackie and I are sitting in our little verandah, enjoying the night noise. I'm sneezing and congested because something green and growing has gotten itself lodged in my nose. I've taken a double dose of allergy medication, so I thought it would be a good day to ask Jackie for her opinion on what she thought I should blog about tonight. Her response was, "It wasn't a very interesting day, really." So, there you have it. It wasn't a very interesting day.

But not having anything interesting to say never stopped me from writing before... so...

My day began with yet another trip to the airport! This time I was bringing the work team away so they could catch their flight home. I felt a bit like a tour director - I've learned from Richard how to get a group of people through that airport most efficiently. It goes like this:

1. Before leaving the compound, a single focal point gathers each person's passports, tickets and travel permits. Reciepts (especially those that have been hard-earned by yours truly) must be removed from the passport for most efficient processing.
2. Everyone gets in the trucks and you proceed to the airport.
3. Once at the airport, driver stops in the middle of the road nearest the front doors. Driver keeps an eye on other vehicles which may be backing into our truck whilst passengers unload the luggage. Passengers proceed to the front door and wait in the shade whilst driver drives across the road to park the truck.
4. Driver now puts on her airport guide hat and finds her group, quietly waiting together with their pile of luggage.
5. Airport guide instructs group to stand in a corner out of the way, then procures stack of passports, tickets and travel passes and proceeds to fight way through crowd to airline check-in desk.
6. Airport guide clears a way through the crowd to the other side of check in desk so luggage can be wieghed and tagged. Airport guide instructs group to stand out of the way on the other side of the luggage scale.
7. Airport guide makes sure passports, tickets and travel passes, along with newly acquired boarding passes are neatly stacked and that all pieces of luggage are tagged for the appropriate destination.
8. Airport guide guides women to take their luggage to one side of the security desk and the men to the other side of the security desk. Airport guide observes whilst group opens luggage and allows security personnel to have a look inside.
9. Airport guide instructs group to go to departures waiting area and to try to find a seat.
10. Airport guide procedes to immigration desk. Airport guide goes back to group to borrow a pen (a more experienced airport guide would never forget her pen!).
11. Airport guide elbows way to the front of the crowd to find the appropriate departures list. Airport guide writes names, passport numbers, nationalities, hometowns, and destinations of each individual group member on list. Note, answering a phone call in the middle of completing this form will forfeit your turn, and you must go back to the end of the line.
12. Airport guide manouvers through the crowd back to the other immigration desk and stands in front of air cooler whilst waving a stack of passports in front of the uniformed immigration officer with the stamp. Greeting him in the local language in a smiling voice will help get your passports to the front of the line.
    
13. Airport guide watches while each passport and travel permit are stamped, and makes sure no boarding passes slip out in the process. Upon completion, Airport guide gives a friendly smile and a appreciative nod, as airport guide knows that the man with the stamp is a good man to befriend.
14. Airport guide shoves her way through the crowd to find her group. Her work is almost done. If steps 7 - 13 have been done correctly, there will be a passport, travel permit and boarding pass for each member of her group. The group will accept their documents with an appreciative smile and encouraging words for a job well done.
15. Before airport guide leaves her group to the mercy of the airport, she must give a few final instructions. First, direct any women in the group to the bathroom near the small shop. The squatty potty on the left-hand side is bear-able in an emergency. Also, let them know that when their flight is called, there will be two lines - one is for men and one is for women. The men's line will be much longer, as there are typically more men flying and the security searches seem to be stricter. Women will be on the plane first. This is key, as flights leaving this city are all "Free seating". The men should be instructed to ask the women to save a seat for them, if they have a preference as to where they are seated.
16. The airport guide should now make sure that one memeber of the group has her telephone number, just in case the flight is cancelled and the group needs to be picked up again.
    
17. If there are no further questions, the airport guide's important role is complete. Hugs, or handshakes (as appropriate) can be given, and well wishes and kind words are exchanged. The airport guide can now leave the airport, greeting any friends or acquaintences she may see on the way out. In the parking lot, airport guide can once again put on her driver's hat and congratulate herself on a job well done.

Once my role as airport guide was complete, I drove across town to my favorite Eritrean shop where I procured some office supplies and phone credit, and then it was back to the office. I just stayed in the office for the rest of the afternoon, catching up on a bunch of bits and pieces, including sweeping and dusting out the computer room!

See, it really wasn't a very interesting day, really.

But just for your viewing pleasure, here's a hilarious photo that Andy took of me in the computer hub last week! Do I always look this excited whilst surrounded by computer kit? Or maybe it's the Tim Horton's mug full of Kenyan coffee that's making me so happy?!