The Beach, Accra, Tarkwa and Rain Rain Rain
Last weekend yours truly and 17 other managers and supervisors departed for the nearest conference centre – which happens to be at Busua Beach – for the second “Think Tank”. This dealt with the year that has gone and the year that is coming.
The Saturday was made a little more interesting with one of the clients wishing to discuss a job we were to be awarded that morning. Said client is 90 minutes in the opposite direction that I wanted to go which made the drive there a fast one, the meeting all of 10 minutes before clarity was gained and the 3 hour drive to the beach. The session that was scheduled to start at 2.30 started at 2.55 to a rather attentive bunch.
The weekend was marred by some seasonal rainfall and we were treated to 420mm of rain over the two days we were there. Good beach weather! The resultant effect was that the Sunday session continued well over the 12.30 end time and the lads finally departed for home at around 2.30 in the afternoon.
Saturday night I hit the wall at around 9pm – old age? – and was in bed and fast asleep by 9:30. Most of the lads found party and it was fairly evident the next morning with a few of them bleeding from the eyes. It did not detract from a lively debate over “management responsibilities” although one unnamed member rushed from the room around 1.00 looking very green around the gills and was found later on that afternoon complaining bitterly about how he was forced to drink the night before.
Why do Danish woman not trim their pubic hair? This was a question that arose when we were sitting enjoying the view – and a few beers – said Danish woman walked by in a bikini (the rain had let up for a while) with a rather visible bush escaping from said bikini. Her Rasta boyfriend also earned a few comments.
Monday 6 of us departed for Accra, 3 to go home and 3 for a series of meetings as per the previous blog. We were subjected to the result of heavy rain with numerous road wash aways, flooding and a mud slide. The trip took well over 6 hours due to these impediments. One thing about road repairs is the local community sees this as a business opportunity and quite happily clear the road, then demand a “road toll” for their efforts. Methinks they were the ones that did the rain dance.
We arrived in Accra, and as we were staying at the Accra house (My new home office from July) we toddled off there to offload and let the lads who were going home relax. Not before we did Nando’s as a late lunch I may add. Gus had a very interesting reaction to the weekend’s mosquito bites and had to pop into the local “licensed chemical shop” for some anti histamine cream. He took quite a while to fill the order and per his own admission this was due to a really cute east European pharmacist. He was loudly berated for telling us this after we had left as opposed to coming out and asking us please to assist him with the choice of medicine.
The lads checked into the airport, and we then went for dinner at the local steak house. The food was good.
Accra, unlike Tarkwa, starts work at 8.30am. This we found out AFTER I awoke at 5.55am and had to sit around the house waiting for our first meeting to arrive at their office.
Auditors
Clearing Agent – Airfreight
Local ISP re: VPN between offices
Bank
Clearing agents – sea freight x 2
Steel Supplier
120 kilometers done in Accra traffic makes for some interesting driving. We missed breakfast (no food in the house) and lunch and around dinner time my stomach was sending emergency messages warning of impending doom if food was not found soon.
We stopped off at a funny little take away – that did not look like a health hazard – and after working out the size of the burgers ordered 2 burgers each. Augustine settled on one burger and plate of rice and chicken. My tummy was a happy child when that was digested with a coke to wash it down.
We finally finished all we had to do just after 8pm, after having two meetings at the house. I slept well that night and was up at 4.45am for the long trip back to Tarkwa.
Spend three days away from the office and you know there is a huge amount of work that awaits you on your return. I was not disappointed.
Given that I started writing this blog entry on Wednesday and today is Friday you will understand that between then and now, busy busy busy is the word that gets used.
A small bit of excitement last night, besides the electricity going out while Carlos and I were enjoying a Cameron Dias movie, was a phone call from our (largest) client requesting our assistance in changing a pump as the new pump that had installed that afternoon was too small to feed the mill. Accordingly the mill was shut for want of water. This was at 9pm. By 9.30pm we had 8 expats and 11 workers on site ready to do what we do best.
We had to wait for our crane to travel from the workshop- some 45 minutes with one stop to top up the radiator – and by 2am everyone was patting each other on the back as the new pump moved 500.000 liters of water per hour into the plant.
I got home just after 2.30am and fell into bed, recalling the old days at the paper mill when stuff like this was routine. I optimistically set my alarm for 6.15am and quite happily slept right through it. I awoke at 8.30am and was at work by 9.00. Goodness more shades of the paper mill *chuckle*
That said, Albert and Mannie had already arranged a shutdown today on a refurbishment job that they are doing and were quite happily on site at 7am to commence the shutdown. The lads are made of stern stuff when you consider they estimate the shutdown to finish at 11pm tonight.
Other than that, dear reader, the week draws to a close, my head is stuck in Balance Sheet Reconciliations and I have arranged for a pig on the spit tomorrow at my house for dinner. Throw in a bit of Captains and it will be a nice way to wind down from what has been an interesting week.
20 days until I kick off down South and dare I say it – Nookie!!! (oh yes and seeing the people I love etc etc – heheheh)
Have a fun weekend happy people
And remember
Keep the smile wide and the legs wider!
The Saturday was made a little more interesting with one of the clients wishing to discuss a job we were to be awarded that morning. Said client is 90 minutes in the opposite direction that I wanted to go which made the drive there a fast one, the meeting all of 10 minutes before clarity was gained and the 3 hour drive to the beach. The session that was scheduled to start at 2.30 started at 2.55 to a rather attentive bunch.
The weekend was marred by some seasonal rainfall and we were treated to 420mm of rain over the two days we were there. Good beach weather! The resultant effect was that the Sunday session continued well over the 12.30 end time and the lads finally departed for home at around 2.30 in the afternoon.
Saturday night I hit the wall at around 9pm – old age? – and was in bed and fast asleep by 9:30. Most of the lads found party and it was fairly evident the next morning with a few of them bleeding from the eyes. It did not detract from a lively debate over “management responsibilities” although one unnamed member rushed from the room around 1.00 looking very green around the gills and was found later on that afternoon complaining bitterly about how he was forced to drink the night before.
Why do Danish woman not trim their pubic hair? This was a question that arose when we were sitting enjoying the view – and a few beers – said Danish woman walked by in a bikini (the rain had let up for a while) with a rather visible bush escaping from said bikini. Her Rasta boyfriend also earned a few comments.
Monday 6 of us departed for Accra, 3 to go home and 3 for a series of meetings as per the previous blog. We were subjected to the result of heavy rain with numerous road wash aways, flooding and a mud slide. The trip took well over 6 hours due to these impediments. One thing about road repairs is the local community sees this as a business opportunity and quite happily clear the road, then demand a “road toll” for their efforts. Methinks they were the ones that did the rain dance.
We arrived in Accra, and as we were staying at the Accra house (My new home office from July) we toddled off there to offload and let the lads who were going home relax. Not before we did Nando’s as a late lunch I may add. Gus had a very interesting reaction to the weekend’s mosquito bites and had to pop into the local “licensed chemical shop” for some anti histamine cream. He took quite a while to fill the order and per his own admission this was due to a really cute east European pharmacist. He was loudly berated for telling us this after we had left as opposed to coming out and asking us please to assist him with the choice of medicine.
The lads checked into the airport, and we then went for dinner at the local steak house. The food was good.
Accra, unlike Tarkwa, starts work at 8.30am. This we found out AFTER I awoke at 5.55am and had to sit around the house waiting for our first meeting to arrive at their office.
Auditors
Clearing Agent – Airfreight
Local ISP re: VPN between offices
Bank
Clearing agents – sea freight x 2
Steel Supplier
120 kilometers done in Accra traffic makes for some interesting driving. We missed breakfast (no food in the house) and lunch and around dinner time my stomach was sending emergency messages warning of impending doom if food was not found soon.
We stopped off at a funny little take away – that did not look like a health hazard – and after working out the size of the burgers ordered 2 burgers each. Augustine settled on one burger and plate of rice and chicken. My tummy was a happy child when that was digested with a coke to wash it down.
We finally finished all we had to do just after 8pm, after having two meetings at the house. I slept well that night and was up at 4.45am for the long trip back to Tarkwa.
Spend three days away from the office and you know there is a huge amount of work that awaits you on your return. I was not disappointed.
Given that I started writing this blog entry on Wednesday and today is Friday you will understand that between then and now, busy busy busy is the word that gets used.
A small bit of excitement last night, besides the electricity going out while Carlos and I were enjoying a Cameron Dias movie, was a phone call from our (largest) client requesting our assistance in changing a pump as the new pump that had installed that afternoon was too small to feed the mill. Accordingly the mill was shut for want of water. This was at 9pm. By 9.30pm we had 8 expats and 11 workers on site ready to do what we do best.
We had to wait for our crane to travel from the workshop- some 45 minutes with one stop to top up the radiator – and by 2am everyone was patting each other on the back as the new pump moved 500.000 liters of water per hour into the plant.
I got home just after 2.30am and fell into bed, recalling the old days at the paper mill when stuff like this was routine. I optimistically set my alarm for 6.15am and quite happily slept right through it. I awoke at 8.30am and was at work by 9.00. Goodness more shades of the paper mill *chuckle*
That said, Albert and Mannie had already arranged a shutdown today on a refurbishment job that they are doing and were quite happily on site at 7am to commence the shutdown. The lads are made of stern stuff when you consider they estimate the shutdown to finish at 11pm tonight.
Other than that, dear reader, the week draws to a close, my head is stuck in Balance Sheet Reconciliations and I have arranged for a pig on the spit tomorrow at my house for dinner. Throw in a bit of Captains and it will be a nice way to wind down from what has been an interesting week.
20 days until I kick off down South and dare I say it – Nookie!!! (oh yes and seeing the people I love etc etc – heheheh)
Have a fun weekend happy people
And remember
Keep the smile wide and the legs wider!
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