Fascinating Facts from Freetown

Fascinating Facts from Freetown

• Yesterday (April 28^th 2011) was Sierra Leone’s 50^th birthday, to which my boss’s crackerjack response was “Sarah? Sarah who?”
• The story from the film Blood Diamond was based in Sierra Leone. Beau aims to get Leonardo Dicaprio’s signature, as he believes the actor truly resides in Freetown.
• Freetown has an amputee soccer team.
• At one time in Freetown’s history, over 200 languages were spoken. The major port was used to drop off freed slaves from all over the world, hence “Freetown.”
• $1.60 / day is the average wage for manual labor.
• “Major complex surgery” at government-funded clinics is 300,000 leone or $69.44. The facilities and services are very basic and at times, extremely rudimentary. When Beau saw pictures of the rusty beds he promptly fainted. Mercy Ships’ services are definitely needed.
• Due to the unreliability of cell phone networks, it’s both considered wise (and a bit of a status symbol) to carry more than one cell phone. If one can afford four, that is especially cool.
• It is not uncommon for events (concerts, beauty pageants, miming marathons) to go all night. Awards for a beauty pageant can be announced as late as 6:00am. By mere speculation we assume this is probably due to the intense daytime heat.
• There is no stable power grid in Freetown. Prices can vary at hotels and similar institutions based upon from where their power is derived that day. Personal generators are typically used. It is unclear whether or not the power of hamster wheels have been harnessed as the portly pygmy hippos in East Sierra Leone can run quite fast.

We're flying to Freetown this Monday... off we go!