Friday, February 26, 2010

Sharky is fine

Sharky says this was the worst bomb she's experienced in Kabul (and she's already experienced some bad ones) but she's 'fine'. I wish I hadn't left her there alone.

Bombs in Kabul

It feels worse waiting for news from Kabul when I'm not there.

Monday, February 22, 2010



This was the office for the OCHA mapping team in Port-au-Prince until a couple of days ago. We are now in prefabricated offices - but not yet our ultimate 'permanent' ones.

The first business of every day was to pump up the frame - the front (not shown) tended to droop during the night.

Friday, February 19, 2010

My organization

This link shows how I am deployed here in Port-au-Prince.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

First few days in Haiti

I think I’ve been in Haiti for four days now. The days seem so long and the nights so short. We have meetings at 7am and meetings at 7:30pm. I have literally not left the UN LogBase compound since I arrived – as it within the Port-au-Prince airport compound walls. But if I were to have time to go out I would be safe because this is a much nicer place to be than Kabul.

I am working with the Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Haiti and my role is the development, maintenance, and dissemination of geographic databases related to the earthquake response. I have splendid colleagues and I cannot remember the last time I felt this much camaraderie.

I live in a tent which is a few cm shorter than I am but if I lied diagonally I fit. On the first night I was allocated to a large communal tent but I prefer my own (small) space and the freedom to snore.

There are two showers for 90 people but by waking up early I have never had to wait for long.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Where I live

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Arrived in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

After five flights and four nights (Frankfurt, Ottawa, and two nights in Santo Domingo) I have arrived in Port-au-Prince.

More tomorrow.