Laptop's back!

I'm writing this from my laptop!!! This is the first time I've used it since it died back in September and I've only just got it working again; in fact I haven't even screwed it back together yet!

I've spent this morning working on my laptop and simultaneously reorganising the store room in my classroom, the rest of the day will probably be spent fiddling on my laptop now, although I can't do too much customisation right now as I need an ADSL connection to download my favourite software and desktop environment.

The Embassy on Sunday was great fun. The Ambassador and his wife live in a very nice victorian/georgian style house which is set in its own grounds overlooking the sea (Dakar is on a peninsula). They have lots of grass (and I'd imagine a very hard working gardener and high water bill) which was of particular novelty value to the children in attendance who spent a large part of the evening chasing each other around on the Ambassador's lawn (very surreal). We were provided with a free bar serving mulled wine, various soft drinks and Flag (Senegalese lager) and there were two Africans serving freshly prepared Chawarma which is a cross between Doner kebab and Fahitas. Later on in the evening some ladies came round with mince pies (something I've been rather short on this year) and we sang carols around the piano. Keith, the WEC Senegal field leader was invited to pray for us (and apparently instructed not to "take advantage") and did a very good job.

In the end I was wishing I'd booked into the WEC guesthouse for a longer stay in Dakar as it was great to get away from the school and have a break. There were quite a few from BCS at the guesthouse while I was there which made it fun.
Unfortunately I tend to miss out on some holiday activities as there are only two single men at the school, myself and Adam, and Adam's been everywhere already and so doesn't really go off site much so while all the girls are going of in groups to visit Dakar, Saint-Louis or the Gambia, I end up staying at the school working because they don't think to invite me. I think I'll have to do something about that.