Week 13

 Marg: It’s really good living in this gated compound.  The idea of living in close proximity with over 200 other units of people/families is quite daunting at first, but the houses are so spacious and it’s all so quiet and orderly. As long as everyone keeps to the rules, which they generally do, it has turned out to be an enjoyable place to live. The houses are laid out in a broadly oval arrangement, with the central area landscaped and it’s a joy to see in this dry and barren land.  In the mornings before Andy goes to work we can go for a pleasant, brisk walk around, admiring the beautiful flowers and still-green grass, varying our route into figures of eight sometimes.  That’s at 7.15 am.  Then in the evenings (in the dark but with lampposts around) we can walk again in safety and security for as long as we have time for.

With 4 guards on every shift, one of them patrolling unobtrusively around the compound every hour throughout the 24 hour period, clocking into 10 electronic reporting points, it’s easy to feel safe and secure. Having double electric fences surrounding the whole plot also helps.  After the hassles we had with failing security gates and false alarms from electric fences at our previous abode it was an easy choice to pay a little extra to leave all that frustration and uncertainty behind.

The highlight of this week has been the start of a sort of Keep Fit class on the compound, for some of the women who walk round the houses regularly and get a bit bored with the same old route and routine day after day. Feeling rather bored myself with a lone exercise routine a few times a week I thought of inviting some of the walking women to join me in a structured session at the compound ‘Club-house’   The second session was Thursday morning, and now some of the ladies are asking if their husbands could have a class (apparently it is the men-folk themselves who are asking).

Andy: The focus has definitely been on aircraft maintenance this week, with several major projects getting completed and new ones beginning.  Due to unexpected additional work being needed on our main medevac aircraft, we are temporarily unable to respond to any calls from the Ministry of Health. This probably means another dent in this months revenue (and a welcome boost for the another operator who will be happy to take any such flights).

Our quota of pilots will be back to full strength next week following home-leaves and holidays, so we have to hope that all of the aircraft will also be reporting fit for duty very soon.