First day at work

So, after a weekend where we were both ill, we started the week in our real office. Our employer has clearly taken great care to ensure that not only do we have a desk each, but the desks are functional and clear and set up in a comfortable office. We are certainly afforded less cramped conditions than some of our colleagues (whose fortune, I fear, may be due to attempts to create a better space for us). Nonetheless, it will take some getting used to.

Until now, we've been pretty cushioned to the realities of living in Nigeria. This morning, still feeling ill, we sat down at our desks and tried to get some work done (that is, whatever work we think we should be doing). Simon's boss is out of town and my boss had a 3 hour meeting for most of the morning, so we got on with ploughing through the mountain of background reading we've been given.

The noise from the multiple generators outside is deafening, and gave me a headache within the hour. The main generator is broken and hasn't yielded to attempts to fix it, so the whole site works from small generators which look (and sound) just like lawnmowers (could they actually be lawn mower motors? I don't understand how it works). The noise wasn't even for our benefit - our office had no electricity all morning and I'm not sure it ever will. We also had no water (one wouldn't expect there to be running water, but the barrel of water which my boss said would be brought didn't arrive, so we couldn't flush the toilet or wash our hands) and no internet (there is supposed to be wireless, but we couldn't get it to work and couldn't find the IT guy on site). Everyone is very friendly and are doing everything they can to make us feel welcome and comfortable. But that doesn't stop it being quite a culture shock!

With waning laptop batteries and pounding heads, we took a mildly terrifying journey and retreated to the funder's quiet, air-conditioned offices with running water, drinking water in a cooler and tea and coffee making facilities. Bliss!