Useless Conversation

[Yegolev]

I'm going full CPA now.  Fuck that shit.

[ghost]

A degree in accounting with your computer knowledge would be a pretty valuable combo.

[Nebu]

I'm going full CPA now.  Fuck that shit.

Are you good at math?  Become an actuary.  Double the income, half the bullshit.

[Yegolev]

I meant that I'm not going to do my own taxes and assorted other financial bullshit, however these are fair points.  Depending on the annual income, of course.  It's all going to come down to annual income.

[Sky]

Ironwood, your prostitutes are getting high tech!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g186534-d6220161-Reviews-Mary_Johnston-Glasgow_Scotland.html

[IainC]

"Things to do in Glasgow" 

[Trippy]

She's only in the middle of the list. Must not be that good of an attraction.

[Ironwood]

Browsing Glasgow Escorts is a Grim, Grim, Grim proposition.

Do not ask how I know this;  suffice to say I like to welcome the overseas guests that arrive.

[Sky]

She's only in the middle of the list. Must not be that good of an attraction.

To be fair, she's not a sheep. Put on a wool coat and she'd jump to at least #4 behind getting pissed, shouting and garbling words.

TIL Ironwood is Scotland's Pimp General.

[IainC]

TIL Ironwood is Scotland's Pimp General.

The correct title is Procurator Physical.

[Samwise]

Browsing Glasgow Escorts is a Grim, Grim, Grim proposition.

Do not ask how I know this;  suffice to say I like to welcome the overseas guests that arrive.

 

[Polysorbate80]

Browsing Glasgow Escorts is a Grim, Grim, Grim proposition.

Do not ask how I know this;  suffice to say I like to welcome the overseas guests that arrive.

I didn't see her on the list; should I have checked the "zoos and aquariums" tab?

[Teleku]

And so the decision was finally made.  I've been informed I'm going to Freetown, Sierra Leone next.

Time to start developing some new hobbies!  

[WayAbvPar]

Hiding in your hut behind locked doors is probably a good habit to cultivate.

[Teleku]

At least they didn't send me to Benin.

Kind of mad though.  One of the guys bidding got Tanzania, when it wasn't even on our list.  Meaning at the last second one of the originals became unavailable and they had to replace it.  I would have bid high on Tanzania if that had been an option!!

[proudft]

Time to start figuring out where to hide your diamonds for the return trip/escape.

[Nebu]

And so the decision was finally made.  I've been informed I'm going to Freetown, Sierra Leone next.

Wikipedia seems to think that it's safer than it used to be.

Stay safe

Despite the horrific violence of the 90s—or actually, because of it—Sierra Leone is now very safe country to visit. While petty pick-pocketing, bag-snatching, and other non-violent crimes are a problem in parts of Freetown (and the police are non-responsive), violent crime is extremely rare throughout the country by any international standards, even in the capital.
Corruption is less of a problem than it once was. The current president Koroma initially led a somewhat successful campaign against corruption, with a series of high-level arrests, initiatives to, say, prevent police from charging bogus fines. Freetown (Lungi) airport has been refurbished and is quite good by African standards.
The usual dangers found in undeveloped sub-Saharan Africa, though, are present: traffic and disease. Traffic accidents are far less common than they have any right to be, but be aware that the overcrowded, barely hanging together poda-podas are physics-defying death-traps. Similarly, moto-taxis love speed, with total disregard to the lurking dangers of broken roads, gaping potholes, charging trucks lurking in the dust. There have been a small number of very serious crashes involving buses in remote areas. Walking around the cities at night is hazardous not so much for fear of crime, but rather because the lack of lighting can cause a fall, or a driver might not see you in the road. Locals carry cell phones that have flash-lights, if yours does not, always bring a torch.
The dangers associated with tropical disease are basically neither more or less than anywhere else in West Africa, but there are no hospitals anywhere close to Western standards. Malaria is as usual the biggest danger, and any foreign visitor travelling without a mosquito net and anti-malarials is risking their life. During the rainy season, cholera is a frequent problem in much of Sierra Leone.

Well... so long as you don't try to drive or drink the water.

A good excuse to drink more beer!

[ghost]

At least they didn't send me to Benin.

Kind of mad though.  One of the guys bidding got Tanzania, when it wasn't even on our list.  Meaning at the last second one of the originals became unavailable and they had to replace it.  I would have bid high on Tanzania if that had been an option!!

What the hell do you motherfuckers do that get sent to these places?   

[Trippy]

State Department Embassy/Consulate staffing.

[Strazos]

Oh, he'll be fine there.

Automatic +'s:

 - Former British Colony, so the Brits are present.
 - Official language is English
 - Sierra Leone is a big enough deal that there will be folks with all sorts of random NGOs running around, giving you plenty of playmates.
 - While I'm not seeing direct flights, you'll probably be transiting via London Heathrow, which is infinitely less aggravating than CDG.

You'll be fine, though make sure to ship yourself lots of your favorite brand of toilet paper. Also, you have Peace Corps, so it really can't be all that dangerous - in the last few years they've been pulled from Niger and Mali, just for reference.

[Teleku]

Also, you have Peace Corps, so it really can't be all that dangerous - in the last few years they've been pulled from Niger and Mali, just for reference.

Niger and Mali have had open civil wars and insurgencies the last few years.  That's not really the best bar to set for 'Can't really be that dangerous if they haven't pulled the peace corp yet'.   

But yeah, I'm actually excited.  Certainly wasn't my first pick (or even first 10 picks), but it was my Africa post of choice if I had to go.  I was expecting something like this coming from Warsaw anyways.  The country is mostly stable, people speak English, and a lot of people I've talked to have actually had fun there (others who can't handle developing countries have bitched, but you get those types all over the foreign service).  I should have lots of great stories to tell after 2 years there, heh.

And anyways, I don't leave for over a year.  So have another year of fun in Poland (hopefully before WW3 breaks out) before taking off.

Also, Sierra Leone has the Japanese equivalent of the peace corp as well.  So hey, Japanese hippy chicks to hang out with as well!

[Strazos]

Yeah, JICA can be fun sometimes.

[RhyssaFireheart]

Nothing like cleaning out a bunch of old computer parts and other stuff and taking it to electronics recycling - finally.  I didn't realize how much old parts and other junk I had around until I finally gathered up as much as I could find and got rid of it.  I'm trying to clean up my office/studio space finally and recycle/donate/throw out anything I don't need any more.  I've been packratting again, time to end it.

[Sky]

There is an amazing time vortex between 'I'll just stick this RAM/GPU/CPU/etc into my stash spot in case I want to build a second pc/friend's pc/mom pc/etc' and the next time you actually look in that stash spot and are amazed at the antiques contained within.

[Khaldun]

And so the decision was finally made.  I've been informed I'm going to Freetown, Sierra Leone next.

Time to start developing some new hobbies!  

Honestly, as a specialist in Africa? I give this thumbs up. You will find it interesting and not really scary at the moment.

[satael]

There is an amazing time vortex between 'I'll just stick this RAM/GPU/CPU/etc into my stash spot in case I want to build a second pc/friend's pc/mom pc/etc' and the next time you actually look in that stash spot and are amazed at the antiques contained within.

I have a large sack of computer and electronic parts where I stash them. Whenever it gets full I trash the most outdated third of it (and I've only once regretted trashing something that way).

[Yegolev]

Time to start figuring out where to hide your diamonds for the return trip/escape.

They never think to look inside goats.

[Sky]

I was able to sell an Athlon motherboard for $50 a couple years ago. Nerds be crazy.

[Ingmar]

There was some visiting sensei at kendo tonight, and I swear he missed and hit me in the elbow/upper arm like 8 times during this one drill. And motherfucker hits HARD. My whole arm is already turning yellow.

[Sky]

Money well spent bwahaha 

[Merusk]

"missed"

Once or twice, sure.  8 times? Guy was trolling you.

[Ingmar]

Well it might also have been me fucking up and not having my arm where it was supposed to be. Probably more likely given my relative newbness.

[Merusk]

Then I stand by the trolling statement.  He was doing it on purpose to point out you were in error.  Had a Kempo sensi who'd tag you if you were blocking improperly.

[WayAbvPar]

Then I stand by the trolling statement.  He was doing it on purpose to point out you were in error.  Had a Kempo sensi who'd tag you if you were blocking improperly.

Exactly. You won't forget this lesson 

[Teleku]

Yeah, JICA can be fun sometimes.

Apparently.  I know of two other IMS'ers who left tours in Africa married to one.