Mmmmm Chips!

19^th November

Still not quite managed to open bank account yet, so no monthly allowance, so I have had to curtail my journeying to distant schools. Instead I am working from home today on my work plan which needs approval of NYSC and the Ministry of Education.

I needed a map of Kwara to help me to set up a visit schedule and was directed to the Min. Of Tourism.  A large notice outside a newly built high-rise office block proudly declared it to be the site of said Ministry. There were five guards on the gate, presumably to guard the precious supply of Kwara maps, but when I asked one of them the whereabouts of the Min.of Tourism, they all displayed an impressive synchronised blankness, shortly followed by searching looks of each other’s local knowledge.

In the end I was told there was no Min.of Tourism, in spite of the clear and presumably costly signs that stated otherwise. I settled for directions to the Min of Information and Communication instead, with whom I had extreme difficulty in communicating, and came away with no information whatsoever, apart from directions by some circuitous route to the Min. of Land who I was assured would be able to help me. I managed the first few hundred metres but then gave up through lack of real interest and came home to cool off.  Only 10.00am and it’s in the high 20’s!

All this followed my newly arranged meeting with Mrs C. on the pavement outside - even yesterday’s scheduled brief encounter managed to make it to the car park. We had arranged for my work plan to be downloaded onto her laptop which she said she would bring – but didn’t. So I was passed on to a gentleman from the school registry office who may have access to a PC. Within ten minutes I was  downloading my plan into an email, only to be told  by Yahoo that the sending process was taking ‘longer than usual’ and that they would let me know when it had been sent.  I was still waiting a quarter of an hour later and for all I know could take days, so I gave up and went in search of my map!

But the worst aspect of the morning was when Mrs C. commented that I had put on weight! I protested, pointing out all the walking I was doing and all the stress of long bus journeys in great heat and my virtually chip-free diet  but she wasn’t buying it – I had definitely put on weight! Which has made me feel a whole lot better!!