When I arrived the driver gave me a teeny tiny phone for local use and a packet of welcome information. It included everything a new expat would need to know. I skipped over how to get an apartment and find a cleaner but read up on the history of the town. 60,000 freed slaves were sent here from the US, Canada and UK. Eventually they blended with the native population and apparently at one time over 200 languages were spoken here. Krio means Creole and is a mixture of multiple languages that merged. Another very interesting point about Sierra Leone is it probably the most religiously tolerant country on the planet. Muslims, Christians and native religions peacefully co-exist - a fact in which the people have great pride. Examples of the above - today after spending the day at the office, we stopped at St. Mary's grocery store to buy water for tomorrow's trip up north and so I could exchange currency. The currency changer was a 70 year old Lebanese woman. Their family has lived here for generations it seems and Lebanese and Indians own many businesses here. Our driver also told about how he was raised Muslim, but when he became an adult, he changed to Christianity, met his wife at church and they are raising their children as Christians. The rest of his family is still Muslim and they get together and celebrate all the holidays. No one minds.
And now for some photos from the office balcony:
And now for some photos from the office balcony:
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