Icon Villa, Delhi

Pashmina scarf display, Kathmandu, Nepal, October 25, 2005

Hanging around my room at the Icon Villa trying not to imagine that every bang I hear from the street is a bomb. I should know the difference having heard the bomb that exploded in Kabul in late 2004 but my nerves are still on edge. I've altered my plans for the day and won't go to the nearby cinema or shops, but I am about to go just along the road for a shave. I think I'll head to the airport early.

Job interview

Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo playing at the New Roscoe, Leeds, July 2005

OK, let's see if I can get into this blog thing. [....]now I should try to think of some content.

First - how I'm making this. I'm use Macromedia Dreamweaver for all my web site layout. [Now I've switched to on-line compostion with blogspot.] I'm not benefiting here from any cool blogging system. This lets me design it exactly the way I want but it still hasn't inspired any creative writing. Or correct spelling.

Today I had a job interview with at Mission d'Aide au Développement des Economies Rurales (MADERA). I think it went well but they want somebody who can start this month, and I won't be available until after my November holiday. I'm supposed to know whether they'll consider me anyway by about the 25th of this month. I had to assure my line manager at Oxfam that I'm not going to leave this job before my contract ends on October 31.

On Saturday I and some colleagues are going to Delhi for 14 days. The purpose is to be safely away from any problems that might occur during the upcoming Afghan elections. We'll be there for some Oxfam induction and we'll be bringing lots of work but we'll also have one weekend free. We're planning to go to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.

I'll try in the next days to provide more updates about where I am and what I'm doing.