This weekend should be ok, but it's all a run-up to this solid week of fieldwork that I have to do from Monday to Friday out in the middle of nowhere mining country BFE.
Tonight it's A's going-away party which we've assumed is going to be a yawner but gotta suck it up and go say goodbye before she ships off into the abyss (you always know the ones you're never gonna see again). Then tomorrow it's the double-whammy of
1. Botswana Zebras (national soccer team) vs. Mauritania (random country from north africa) game at the national stadium - our first time there!
2. the big rally race
then sunday it's lunch with the neighbours before we load up the rig & say good bye to Mary and the pups & head out of town to Serowe, for the first of our EIA consultations starting monday morning. I'm a little bit nervous, particularly since it'll be the first public consultation I've had to do here in BW, and we have a bit of a kerfuffle with our translator - primarily the fact I don't know him and will be meeting him for the first time about an hour before the meeting begins. I hate having to worry about stuff like this, especially when I know that there will be District Councillors and Ministers of Parliament and other important people there and what if this guy I rigged up to do translation is an old drunk or something?? Stranger things have happened out there in no-man's land.
these meetings are basically held in the "court" underneath a tree in the middle of the village in plastic chairs or on the ground and a lot of times no one shows up. But then in some villages the whole village might show up and start screaming at you.
we have 2 consultations that day, then a day of field work on tuesday, and more consultations from wednesday to friday. meeting after meeting after meeting. in the ever-so-NON-scenic wasteland of Botswana diamond mining country. bleh.
I'm thanking my lucky smarties that the Mr. is along for the whole thing (MAN it's great to work together sometimes!) because otherwise I would've hated this whole thing even more than I already do, but hey at least it's some time out of the office and out from the chains of the desk! ANd I know once I get the first one out of the way, the rest of the week will be just gravy. It's just the translation thing that's worrying me a little. Oh yeah, that and that we technically don't have anyone to translate for us on 2 of the later meetings (oops) so we're gonna have to drag someone ELSE I dont know in off the street.
AND I hope I dont get fat after a week of food on the road. Out there it could be a big greasy pot of goat or nothing!
back in a week....
Tonight it's A's going-away party which we've assumed is going to be a yawner but gotta suck it up and go say goodbye before she ships off into the abyss (you always know the ones you're never gonna see again). Then tomorrow it's the double-whammy of
1. Botswana Zebras (national soccer team) vs. Mauritania (random country from north africa) game at the national stadium - our first time there!
2. the big rally race
then sunday it's lunch with the neighbours before we load up the rig & say good bye to Mary and the pups & head out of town to Serowe, for the first of our EIA consultations starting monday morning. I'm a little bit nervous, particularly since it'll be the first public consultation I've had to do here in BW, and we have a bit of a kerfuffle with our translator - primarily the fact I don't know him and will be meeting him for the first time about an hour before the meeting begins. I hate having to worry about stuff like this, especially when I know that there will be District Councillors and Ministers of Parliament and other important people there and what if this guy I rigged up to do translation is an old drunk or something?? Stranger things have happened out there in no-man's land.
these meetings are basically held in the "court" underneath a tree in the middle of the village in plastic chairs or on the ground and a lot of times no one shows up. But then in some villages the whole village might show up and start screaming at you.
we have 2 consultations that day, then a day of field work on tuesday, and more consultations from wednesday to friday. meeting after meeting after meeting. in the ever-so-NON-scenic wasteland of Botswana diamond mining country. bleh.
I'm thanking my lucky smarties that the Mr. is along for the whole thing (MAN it's great to work together sometimes!) because otherwise I would've hated this whole thing even more than I already do, but hey at least it's some time out of the office and out from the chains of the desk! ANd I know once I get the first one out of the way, the rest of the week will be just gravy. It's just the translation thing that's worrying me a little. Oh yeah, that and that we technically don't have anyone to translate for us on 2 of the later meetings (oops) so we're gonna have to drag someone ELSE I dont know in off the street.
AND I hope I dont get fat after a week of food on the road. Out there it could be a big greasy pot of goat or nothing!
back in a week....
Hope everything goes well for you guys out there in mining country - look forward to reading all about your experiences when you get back!!!!!