Pamela Hamblett:  

Life Outside the office The day begins early in Africa and thus so do we. I usually drag myself out of bed at 5:15 but it seems there is barely enough time to have a quick breakfast before it is time for my daughter to leave for school. Before I leave for the day, I make sure that my housekeeper understands that my daughter gets a peanut butter and jelly instead of peanut butter and anchovy sandwich(it really happens) when she gets home for lunch. I keep telling her to work on her French and then things like that won't happen. Every time I step out the door, I am reminded that my yard here is a far cry from our yard growing up in Barrington, I have bananas, passion fruit, grapes and papayas plus lizards everywhere. It seems difficult to believe in the midst of this lush beauty that I live in the third poorest country in the world. Here the childhood malnutrition experienced by over 20% of the nation, is so severe it is known as wasting. This country also has every disease you can think of malaria, meningitis, dengue fever, river blindness I could go on and on. Weekends are often equally hectic because our time is filled with events. I try to go over the schedule for the weekend with my daughter and fit in some family time where we can just relax and perhaps have a swim or bake cookies. It is difficult to do anything in public here because Westerners are instantly recognized and just as instantly mobbed by crowds of people. This makes even a simple trip to the supermarket anything but simple. That is the only "normal" thing that I still do. Many Westerners don't drive here but I do and sometimes I wonder if I am crazy. The rules of the road are more like suggestions and I frequently find myself in the middle of a complete chaos of mopeds bicycles and donkey carts! Yes, this is definitely Africa and I...Expand for more