Today realised the org didnt use my article in their newsletter - I am little disapointed and need to vent. I cant post the whole article here (privacy and all) but one little part will stay with me for a while so I am cutting it and posting it.
The Trip
The first time on an airplane for anyone who has never flown before is always a daunting experience. At my training sessions, migrants are prepared for that first airplane trip using various interactive teaching approaches that simulate very closely how it will be on the plane. Using discussions, videos and role plays with materials such as seatbelts, life jackets, oxygen masks, headphones, airsickness bag and food trays; the migrants are prepared for their long air trip from Africa. However, like the famous author John Steinback once said “ A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it” and my trip escorting the migrants was not going to be any different.
One of the migrants on my flight - a young lady who was six months pregnant started experiencing false contractions due to the many hours she had spent sitting on uncomfortable chairs in airports, cabin pressure as well as all the anxiety that goes along with making such a major move. It was a tense couple of hours after that as staff from the airline and myself tried frantically to help the lady relax so that we wouldn’t have to declare a medical emergency in the middle of the Sahara desert with no airport in sight. The airline staff upgraded our seats from Economy seats to First class where she could lie down and stretch and that seemed to do the trick. We landed in Heathrow Airport and after paramedics checked her she was declared fit to continue with her onward journey .
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Travel blog - Somaliland,
Just realised had promised to post some more travel blogs,
As usual I have to write about my first impressions about a new country. This is Somaliland. I have to begin in Nairobi and the crazy day Friday was. My flight was at 5:30 pm. First at 8:00 am Ihad to go to a security briefing at UN done by a Canadian dude. The briefing did nothing for me other than make me very afraid coz he just kept talking about how UN guys have been targetted and how you should look for your safehouse (a bunker )and collection point when you would be picked up if someone started bombing the place. He showed enough pictures of heavily armed dudes with AK 47's joyriding. I have been here about a day now, If anyone bombs Hargeisa believe me there is nowhere to hide. I have a big problem with people telling me what to do in a crisis if they dont have a clue. Anyway, I get back to the office just to realise I need radio training and that I have a radio call sign my sign is 911 - its 2 pm andI decide its too late to know some stuff and I still have to take a security clearance document to UNDP before I leave for the airport. so I leave Nairobi not knowing how to handle a radio still dont know so I had better go find out from someone who does I heary ou have to check in every evening by radio otherwise a possee is sent for you.
The airplane Ethiopian Airlines - I like ET its very comfy they have new leather seats on my flight. For all of you who love my paintings from Ethiopia - Just you wait -I got 9 others. 2 of the former ones too so someone will be lucky - If your bday is next raise up your hand.... Soon I will have an entire gallery of ET art. Nothing much to report about ET. Went did myhair and nails - It cost me 3 dollars to do flat ironand manicure. I think I like ET. My hair was looking fabulous but unfortunately I had to cover up. Going to a muslim country.
I hate this scarf thing. Mine keeps falling off. So now I have a headscarf on - One with smirnoff written all over it - If they only knew.
Hargeisa. Its so difficult to explain. First we land at the airstrip. Picture an airstrip in the middle of shags, Its worse than the center of the earth. Infact the center of the earth can produce a more organised place. Then we go to immigration - It can only be explained as it is typical Somali ( I have never seen anything like it. Confusion galore) everyone shouting and there is no order. Luckily there was someone fromUN to pick us up. If I was alone I would have walked right back into the airplane and gone back to Ethiopia. Did I mention that the whole airport is one room with 2 desks and there are 400 people just milling around and all shouting at the top of their voices some carrying AK47's but in civilian clothes. Finally we are clear to go get our bags. Baggage check is an ox - cart -yes a mkokoteni and you go identify your bag and then they check the label and let you go. As we are walking out we are stopped by a man who is eating leaves. It didnt look like Miraa. His teeth were all green and he was waving a bunch of them in the air. He asks us where we are carrying boxes we had 3 tiny boxes of training material. He confisticates them and locks them in a store. No amount of pleading is going to have him release them. He looks like a thug, I did not speak in the entire time we were negotiating for the release of our bags. I was in too much shock. Note none of this is being done in an office its all in a very dirty room. We go tothe UN office which is 3 mins away and getassistance from the Logistics officer but the airportis closed in 7 mins when we come back. I dont feellike my words are communicating the utter stress I wasfeeling. I was in absolute shock and disgust. Since there is nothing much we could do we proceeded to the hotel we were booked in but on the way stopped by a money exchange place to change dollars into Somali currency.
1. There are no banks in Somaliland.
2. I got 1.26 million shillings for 200 dollars. Ithad to be put in a paperbag and it was very very heavy. Its also very old, dirty and stinky . You cant put the money near your stuff it will smell and this is the official currency.
3. Money is exchanged on the streets in broad daylight no need for security. The rate, its determined by the money changer. You can haggle - I think. By this time I can only laugh.
By this time I start appreciating the town. It is interesting - undeveloped but it has some posh things. For example the shop where we change money has things from the Middle east.We get to the hotel. Its pretty decent. Ofcourse all the drama of the day means that I have a headache whenI arrive. The hotel is clean and neat. The service soo far is fabulous. Its a little expensive but they have to die for icecream. There are 6 TV channels most of which are news. DW TV, Aljeezera Arabic,AljeezeraEnglish, BBC, CNN and one other entertaiment channel. I will be better informed about world happenings than all of you when I get back.
At lunch just learnt that government offices open from 9 - 11 am after that all go home till the next day. And you say Africa is underdeveloped and wonder why. Well the one tourist attraction I am looking forward to is the 21 carat gold that is sold on the dusty market streets. Somaliland.
As usual I have to write about my first impressions about a new country. This is Somaliland. I have to begin in Nairobi and the crazy day Friday was. My flight was at 5:30 pm. First at 8:00 am Ihad to go to a security briefing at UN done by a Canadian dude. The briefing did nothing for me other than make me very afraid coz he just kept talking about how UN guys have been targetted and how you should look for your safehouse (a bunker )and collection point when you would be picked up if someone started bombing the place. He showed enough pictures of heavily armed dudes with AK 47's joyriding. I have been here about a day now, If anyone bombs Hargeisa believe me there is nowhere to hide. I have a big problem with people telling me what to do in a crisis if they dont have a clue. Anyway, I get back to the office just to realise I need radio training and that I have a radio call sign my sign is 911 - its 2 pm andI decide its too late to know some stuff and I still have to take a security clearance document to UNDP before I leave for the airport. so I leave Nairobi not knowing how to handle a radio still dont know so I had better go find out from someone who does I heary ou have to check in every evening by radio otherwise a possee is sent for you.
The airplane Ethiopian Airlines - I like ET its very comfy they have new leather seats on my flight. For all of you who love my paintings from Ethiopia - Just you wait -I got 9 others. 2 of the former ones too so someone will be lucky - If your bday is next raise up your hand.... Soon I will have an entire gallery of ET art. Nothing much to report about ET. Went did myhair and nails - It cost me 3 dollars to do flat ironand manicure. I think I like ET. My hair was looking fabulous but unfortunately I had to cover up. Going to a muslim country.
I hate this scarf thing. Mine keeps falling off. So now I have a headscarf on - One with smirnoff written all over it - If they only knew.
Hargeisa. Its so difficult to explain. First we land at the airstrip. Picture an airstrip in the middle of shags, Its worse than the center of the earth. Infact the center of the earth can produce a more organised place. Then we go to immigration - It can only be explained as it is typical Somali ( I have never seen anything like it. Confusion galore) everyone shouting and there is no order. Luckily there was someone fromUN to pick us up. If I was alone I would have walked right back into the airplane and gone back to Ethiopia. Did I mention that the whole airport is one room with 2 desks and there are 400 people just milling around and all shouting at the top of their voices some carrying AK47's but in civilian clothes. Finally we are clear to go get our bags. Baggage check is an ox - cart -yes a mkokoteni and you go identify your bag and then they check the label and let you go. As we are walking out we are stopped by a man who is eating leaves. It didnt look like Miraa. His teeth were all green and he was waving a bunch of them in the air. He asks us where we are carrying boxes we had 3 tiny boxes of training material. He confisticates them and locks them in a store. No amount of pleading is going to have him release them. He looks like a thug, I did not speak in the entire time we were negotiating for the release of our bags. I was in too much shock. Note none of this is being done in an office its all in a very dirty room. We go tothe UN office which is 3 mins away and getassistance from the Logistics officer but the airportis closed in 7 mins when we come back. I dont feellike my words are communicating the utter stress I wasfeeling. I was in absolute shock and disgust. Since there is nothing much we could do we proceeded to the hotel we were booked in but on the way stopped by a money exchange place to change dollars into Somali currency.
1. There are no banks in Somaliland.
2. I got 1.26 million shillings for 200 dollars. Ithad to be put in a paperbag and it was very very heavy. Its also very old, dirty and stinky . You cant put the money near your stuff it will smell and this is the official currency.
3. Money is exchanged on the streets in broad daylight no need for security. The rate, its determined by the money changer. You can haggle - I think. By this time I can only laugh.
By this time I start appreciating the town. It is interesting - undeveloped but it has some posh things. For example the shop where we change money has things from the Middle east.We get to the hotel. Its pretty decent. Ofcourse all the drama of the day means that I have a headache whenI arrive. The hotel is clean and neat. The service soo far is fabulous. Its a little expensive but they have to die for icecream. There are 6 TV channels most of which are news. DW TV, Aljeezera Arabic,AljeezeraEnglish, BBC, CNN and one other entertaiment channel. I will be better informed about world happenings than all of you when I get back.
At lunch just learnt that government offices open from 9 - 11 am after that all go home till the next day. And you say Africa is underdeveloped and wonder why. Well the one tourist attraction I am looking forward to is the 21 carat gold that is sold on the dusty market streets. Somaliland.
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