TWENTY YEARS ON for goodness sake!  How old are we, yet strangely driving up to the daunting walls of my school, Roedean, in Brighton the pangs of fear and anticipation of my first day in 1984 return just for a few moments. However once parked (on the upper terrace not tucked behind the squash courts) and walking freely on the grass in the Quad (not permitted when I was there) It began to feel more like an establishment I attended to learn a collection of useless and interesting facts, the importance of manners, morals and makeup and that Sherry comes in three colours! Well of course for all those who didnt go to my school it wasnot all like that - the reputation and rumours would have you believe it was. Infact all I remember is that it was my school, full stop, nothing odd. Though the fact we bulk ordered Mc D’s on film night probably set a few differences between us and others.

We were taken on a tour of the houses by the Librarian the memories came flooding back, Study Passage - in the year of Morten Harkett of Aha. the names of my House mates, Stella Baker, Judith Ainger, Claire Peerless, Andrea Kennedy, Gowri Balesegaram, Rasmi Prakash, Nathalie Wicks, Laila Michaelcucks, Clare Packman, Sam Lodge… I know there are more, but as always struggling to remember - will find me raking through old chests of my past this evening no doubt! There were several photos from 1984,6 and 7 in the common room, still I am sure fitted with the same flower print setees that were there when I used to have my Confirmation lessons.  The JPR (Junior Prep Room) was relatively unchanged, though I did hear an older OR than me state the Plinth on which a prefect would sit to oversee junior prep was not not there! The GDR and SPR were there, but in all our tour the feeling that rooms were locked and places out of bounds was very apparant. Whilst we all understood the privacy issue and the protection of teh current students it did reflect poorly on the times in which we live.

When I left I did feel slightly odd that there was evidence of me still there in terms of still holding 2 School records in sport (4×100 Mtrs with Nina Chickwe, and the Ratcliff twins, Caroline and Louise) and the long jump with a jump of 4m 91cm, the framed photos in the house Common room and the ingraving of winning the Morelock Cup. Like me, others are still noted in the past: C-J Lyon as the Head of School, the Deputies, winners of other cups and awards, donators of bricks and pews, cabinets and chairs (or whatever else we get asked to fund each year). How we make our marks on the world we live in and forget about it to move into the future.

It would be nice to see more ORs return, it is worth it guys, alot of fun and the school makes you feel very welcome.

The AIO conference comes around again (we missed last year’s one in Algiers after we discovered that more civilians were killed in terrorist bombs in the Capital city of Algeria than the UK forces lost on the front line in Iraq!). This time it is in Dar es Salaam, a coastal city on the East coast of Africa, just below Mombassa in Kenya.

Our trip took us on Swiss Air via Zurich, which afforded us the delights of Swiss efficiency and good aircraft Cuisine - well the trip out of Zurich anyway. We stopped over night in Zurich on the way down and the flight touched down Nairobi en route.

When we landed we observed the gerneral things we judge our comparisons on African cities. Being my 11th African Country I was beginning to look for the same traits: the speed and behaviour of the traffic, the amount of after dark lighting, the level of litter or state of the public areas. Obviously the Capital City is able to demonstrate both the best and worst the country has to offer, much like comparing London with Dorchester, London has some of the best buildings in the country, the cleanest public areas, the grandest statues, but also has a homeless issue and piles of rubbish in no man’s areas.  Where as Dorchester is smaller, less grand but has a stable uneventful display of povety to wealth comparison.

Dar es Salaam too showed these traits, but looking at in in the same category as Nairobi, a previously British Colony until 1964 only a year after Kenya gained its independence. Before that, its two component parts, the much larger mainland territory of Tanganyika and the coastal archipelago of Zanzibar, had quite different histories. The former was a colony and part of German East Africa from the 1880s to 1919, when, under the League of Nations, it became a British Mandate until independence in 1961. It served as a military outpost during World War II, providing financial help, munitions, and soldiers. Zanzibar, however, was always a trading hub and never became a German colony, although from the end of the nineteenth century it was a British protectorate.

But the two countries are quite different. Tanzania uses Swahili as its main language, where as almost all educated Kenya’s speak good English. Nairobi is a comemrcial City of some prowess, whereas Dar es Salaam appears to be a relatively lowrise but pleasant city, relatively afluent with good quality and newish vehicles on the roads, which themselves are in good order. The courtesy on the road is good, with a distinct lack of agressive hooting which some African Cities are stigmitised by.

However where as Kenyan’s are very friendly: the porters and lift staff in hotels all say good morning with confidence and often start complete conversations, in Tanzania we felt there was a reluctance to converse and indeed the laisse faire attitide to, well infact almost everything. Asking for Tea for four seamed to need atleast one person per cup to organise it, and as with anything that is organised or designed by committee it takes an inordinately long time to complete.

Our trip started in the Blue Pearl, a 2 star hotel, which was part of a  larger shopping complex. There was a vodafone shop a few banks and a shop for white bathroom goods and tiles. It seams banks are not really designed to give money - unles syou have an acocunt with them, mind you at 12% interest rate it was sorely tempting if we could transact in Shillings.

The climate was hot but apparantly we were lucky it was nearly winter as the summer is unbareable. the accommodation was adequate and quiet and the roof top had a nice pool that allowed a panoramic view from the 12th floor over the City.

The Gala evening of the conference let us “enjoy” the drugged defanged 15 ft python handling by a troup of chalked faced clowns. I found the fire down the pants more entertaining. Phil and Mark Edmonds both experienced the Python, and as is the norm the dancing got underway at every event. I would like to thank my various dance partners, Mohammed from Morrocco, Zeru from Eritrea, Ian and Mark (his first AIO conference) from the UK. And ofcourse the other ladies who were equally prepared to enjoy the marvelous music from Reggae, Calipso and Indian style to Freddie Mercury, Simply Red and The Beatles! Hope from Kenya, Irene from Zambia and Prisca from Nigeria - well done girls!

After the end of the conference we moved to the Sea cliff hotel on the coast. this was a leap of standard and we enjoyed a couple of days in a better level of luxuary. A lovely pool and good quality food. However service was slow and you do need patience.

A week after our arrival our departure was due and we flew out on the over night flight leaving at 9:30pm arriving in the UK after the two stops in Nairobi and Zurich at 8am. However the connection was too tight in Zurich and our luggae remained on the Tarmac in Switzerland - being sent on a day later.

All in all a busy, commecially productive trip with new friends and relationships forged and our presence in the African Insurance Software market further cemented. However I suspect it will be a uphill incline to push the level of efficency we nee dto install new systems in to companies in Tanzania, but here’s hoping.

Please visit www.flickr.com/photos/treemad for my pictures… I hope Mark Edmonds has got over his close encounter with that Python!

This Christmas marks the end of a very very trying year, certainly professionally. My company has had a very rocky ride at the hands of a mad man - a story for another day after legal proceedings have completed! But the experience has stregthened the team and we have enjoyed a morphed atmosphere that encompasses smiles and joviality rather than stress.

But more so the Christmas period has arrived on the heels of an economic distaster affecting so many of us, and at a time my husband has been out of work. The combination of which has focussed the mind on how fragile our lives are.

That not withstanding friends made during this last year I cherish closely and value their contribution, intentional or otherwise to my life. It has been a very trying year and I have been amazed at the kind words and honour of some of my clients - who I can safely call my friends, I cant name them in public but the initials let me feel they have been recognised: UP, PK, LJ, DKC, MB, IML, ADB then of cours those close to me in my life day to day, my colleagues and closest friends and family. Without them all suffering my occasional self pity I would be in a far worse state than I am now. My African friends and extended family have capped the realisation that there are some things way way more important than work alone. And comfort that I will be so very fortunate and others may go on through life with the shallow panderings of a pose of glory seekers. I know which I prefer and although I might get little chance to express how important these people are I hope they can have some idea. and I hope for all of us 2009 will herald some against the odds fortunes we can all share in, both professional and personal.