Postcards... Djibouti, Brussels, Amsterdam...

It has been a mad few weeks of work and travel...
Started off with Djibouti... endless sun, salt and sand... and night clubs. There are over 40 night clubs in the small town... as well as a US army base...and a base for the French legionnaires. Talking about the legionnaires, surely, you will find it hard to find a stranger military uniform... khaki shirts... tucked in short tight khaki shorts (sokoto pempe)...and the strangest caps you ever saw... think of a face cap made from a tin of bournvita... painted white...and of course black socks and black boots/shoes.

From the heat of Djibouti, I strayed into the freezer called Brussels... the airline lost my luggage again... (haven't found it). I had to deal with some kind of food poisoning I got in Djibouti... Thankfully, not the rush you to the hospital in the middle of the night kind, but it was the rush to the toilet 1 zillion times in the middle of the night kind... I survived. My laptop charger was in my lost luggage... Wait for this... I visited almost 20 shops in Brussels, before I found one that could order it for me (moral of the story... don't lose your luggage)

Spent all my time (almost two weeks) in really annoying meetings... became a night owl by default... my meetings finished late in the night... the only time I had to see the city was late in the night. So did a lot of late night exploring in the freezing cold...and rain... had to change hotels three time for different reasons... Didn't have time to check out the strip joints (intellectual curiosity of course)... Checked out all the sex shops (more intellectual curiosity...besides, they were the only shops open at that time of the night). The shops are a genuine monument to human ingenuity, creativity, invention... and desperation. The things I saw... deserve a blog of their own... Porn to cater to every degree of depravity that you can imagine... or more likely that you cant imagine... a variety of devices, gadgets and contraptions that will put James Bond to shame... hell, you probably need a PhD to figure out how some of them work.

So I bounce into the shop, all wrapped up like a Christmas present because of the cold... All the customers looked alike... Men of a certain age, stature, race... all wearing the same type of jackets... all avoiding eye contact. Well, I guess everybody avoids eye contact with people they meet in sex shops. Anyway, there is no point telling you what I bought (if I bought anything) or what happened to what I bought (if I bought anything). However, I strongly recommend dear reader... (if you haven't) to broaden your education...and make time to visit one near you... But I warn you, it is not for the faint hearted.

I finished my meetings eventually, and got to spend two days in Amsterdam... old hunting grounds. So many irresponsible young people! I felt right at home! Hooked up with old friends...always a pleasure. Almost got high by strolling along the streets. Got lost once. Didn't get arrested... or deported.

Got back to Kigali... And more work! Was exhausted for a week. Anytime I opened my computer to work, I started feeling sleepy... was almost tempted to call home to ask my mom to talk to people. Anyway, it all passed before we contracted external consultants.... the amazing Egbe Afadurajagun, home town chapter.

Anyway, I am almost back to normal now... declined another trip to Kampala for this week...was just too tired to contemplate it! Settling down to work... and started preparing for xmas in naija...

Till later...

I remain... yours.