Dave discovering the World

Emily outside the longhouse

Having a snack on the balcony

Good spliff!

Granny needs one too

Did you see her ears?

Making Lunch

Dinner

Preparing the local chewing gum... Beetle nut

Enjoying Beetle nut

Dancing after dinner

Walking through the jungle in the rain

Playing with our gifts

Cute

Its mine!!

Granny always nearby

Well,

as my second week here at FAO comes to a close I'm feeling slightly more focussed. I've made some regular coffee/lunch friends who have reassured me that everybody who starts working here is just as confused.

So, the big turn around this week has been the arrival of Kakoli, who's been helping me to re-think my NETWORK project from first principals... We're trying to start again to think clearly about exactly
What is the need?
Whats out there already?
How will we add to that?

Its really great... and she's from a plant science PhD in UK background too, so understands where I'm coming from.

Wednesday was a particular highlight this week. About 10 - 15 FAO guys took me out to a lake near the popes summer palace, surrounded by mountains and we spent an hour or so swimming the 1.7 km across it, then ate nice pizza and drank nice beer.

Great

Was sent this beautiful little presentation about WHITE MEN trying to develop native tribes in the jungle.

http://www.survival-international.org/thereyougoenter.php
(Click on the right hand arrow to enter. Takes 2 minutes.)

A lesson to remember

Everybody here talks in their own language full of acronyms and jargon all the time.

I met a man today who worked at an unfortunate centre within the Food and Agriculture organisation called

OFAL

Hmmmm

Otherwise, great weekend, but blisteringly hot.

Can I really work the miracles they seem to expect of me?

At the end of the my time here I get the feeling I'm either going to have gained a lot of amazing positive experience and knowledge and ability or I'm going to be a complete flop.

But I'll enjoy it regardless!