Le break?

DRAFTED ON 22 AUGUST 2007

Left Abeche a week ago and Ndjamena the day after. Spent one night at Novotel Ndjamena: nice croissants and comfortable room. It is worth it to pay more than FCFA80,000 ($160.00) per night after 8 weeks in the bush! But is Abeche really the bush? Almost 24h per day internet connection, air-conditionned office and bedroom, vegetables and all sorts of meat through the week, nice and available colleagues needing only guidance and trust, good weather despite the rain, crispy and tasty French baguette (if bought at 20.00!). We now have a powerful coffee machine and a water filter (thanks to Steve's generosity!). The stove and the microwave oven are coming. Same for the cycling machine that will equip our gym room. I come also with a boxing bag and maybe an other machine for the belly muscles... We will be equipped to face the stress of post-rainy season! I need to add some light on the front veranda and we will be able to invite friends for nice evenings (to sweat, to drink, to eat... and have fun!).

My International team is made of a strong Swiss woman, a cute young German lady, a very "precious" guy (take the French meaning: precieux, language sophistique) from RDC, an enigmatic engineer from Mali (enigmatic because I could not actually "profile" him yet) and a"macho" man from Quebec.

Eight weeks were not that long between field visits, coaching of national staff, preparing documentation for a multi-donor mission, and identifying the needs of an office left to itself at least for the last 3 months. The place is also interesting for the kind of PEOPLE you may see and meet: i.e Ronny Brauman, Mia Farrow, a basket ball player from Cleveland... Pierre Poupard came for an interim of 4 weeks. I saw him last when I left Bujumbura in July 1994.
In the daily interaction it is interesting to cross your path with beautiful and clever ladies: Gwen, Caroline, Monica, Brigitte, Catherine, Muriel, Pauline. I don't need to name men...

As soon as I am out my main priority seems to fill the gaps and prepare myself for an other stay of at least 6 weeks but with the required equipment for DVD watching or music listening. I may also try to spend less time in the office, especially in the evenings.


I went to the Basilic of Saint Denis yesterday. Interesting to visit this crypt where most French kings and queens are buried

Eid Mubarak!

DRAFTED on 30 September 2008
Here I am sitting in Dakar and watching the ocean from the window of my office... Quite different from what I used to see in Abeche. Dakar is a very interesting place for many reasons. The first reason is that I am going to live on the most western tip of Africa, facing the ocean and enjoying the salty air of the place...

Instead of being stuck in a small house at the border between Chad and SUDAN I am going to cover 24 countries in West and Central Africa. I will start in a week with a 14 day trip to Chad, Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire

I am 66, still feeling lucky

Back from Niger 5 days ago after spending 7 weeks in Niamey and Dosso... Limoges, Bordeaux, Genève, Paris in January-early February; Bangkok end February; Jakarta, Bandung, Lombok and Bali in March. Niger is tough with the heat, up to 45 Celsius degrees...
Obviously I continue travelling for work or fun and I love it!

I feel particularly happy because I am surrounded by people I cherish: Lalasoa, Mama, Tojo, Safa'a & Tantely, and Andry who has just left for a 2 week training in Toronto.

I am excited because within the next weeks I will have an opportunity to meet people in Tana with a private Art exhibition of Safa'a here in Imerinafovoany on Thursday 31 May, a 67th birthday and Mother day lunch on Sunday and the big gathering of Sunday 10 June.

For the last couple of years we have dreamt of this family event: getting all 9 of us together for a few days, having met for a couple of days end of 2009 in Dakar when we were only 6. Life as a citizen of the world is not easy even if it is a very enjoyable one too.

At least 5-6 weeks at home, an opportunity to enjoy the garden and It is now the right time to have lunch on the terrace.

I will also practise my golf... so poor teeing and putting these days!