Well I am sounding like a bit of a moaner. My back is so bad at the moment I cant work. I spent 2 days unable to move lying in bed going crazy with boardem. The only good thing is I managed to read two books. I reaquainted myself with Mr Dorian Gray which is just the most wonderful book and then a very sinister thriller which if the sisters found would excomunuicate me imeadiatly .Last night I hobbled to the Hilton for a Scottish ceiliedh. Robby Burns, haggis, neeps and tatties and whisky which dulled my back into some slow moving. Am spending the whole weekend with my friends the Hughes as I cannot work in any shape or form. Francoise has made an appointment with Addis's leading back man for Tuesday morning at 9.00 am. It cant come quick enough. My Ariel fresh laundry has just been brought up to my room by thier cleaning lady which is wonderful and good for me not to have to do it myself. Met the acting Britsih Ambassador last night who I was given an introduction to from Carla Powel's son Hugh. He is charming, very young about 42 and his very pretty wife wearing a very tiny tarten skirt but very tough and not overly friendly. I am so lucky to have the Hughes looking after me, a large vodka and tonic has just been put infront of me so although I am moaning a bit about my back all the rest is fine. STILL the only volounteer at the compound but I am getting used to it. Have just been e mailed by Belly Loudon-Ackerhiem and I am going to visit her in Keyna in the middle of Jan with a view to going uo to Lamu to possibly work there. Plans all up in the air but that suits me just fine. I will wait and see how phycially fit I am and what I am able to do and base my desisions on that. Andrew in the kitchen cooking up a side of beef marinated in Terikia souce and roasted pumkin potatoes, yum yum. What a spoilt boy. Went up to Born Free park last weekend with Spephen and I got charged by a lion. I was behind a pretty secure fence but I didnt see it coming and it was less than 2 feet from me. My heart rate was around 200 beats per minuite and 4 park rangers were all on the ground laughing. Addis is bathed in the sunshine at the moment with blus skies all day. Unlike last year when we had people dying at the rate of 1 to 4 people a day, we have had no deaths here at all in the nearly 3 weeks I have been here. I pray to God it stays like this. The sisters are much friendlier this year and so a really happy atmosphere. There is a sister who is divine, quite literely. She qualified as a doctor aged 25 and then 5 months later she joined the sisters. She goes around with the biggest smile on her face all day saying she cannot wait to meet god. In my imobile state she came to my room each day to see if I was alright and needed food or anything and was so excited when she found out that I had Phantom of the Opera on my i pod. So we listened to that together and she said she thought she was already in heaven. Oh the simple joys in life. Not another pair of Jimmy Choos, just some music. I love this Slovacian woman, when I see her in the morning my spirit if lifter higher than the highest cloud and I want to be like her, to have her unbridled joy and passion for life and people. A truly inspirational woman, how lucky I am to have met her. Once again I am a lucky lucky boy. If I end up a hundreth of this woman I will die happy. What a joy this trip is becomming.