POG airport security, or not

I've just realized, and apaprently never paid attention prior to this, that there is absolutely nos security screening done at the Port Gentil airport. Of course, there is screening in Libreville, but Port Gentil is a bit more, um, relaxed of an operation. Also, for whatever reason, even on a domestic flight from Port Gentil to Libreville, they do a passport check upon landing. I suspect the two are not entirely unrelated.

leaving now

Getting on my first flight in two hours.

coming home Wednesday

I'll be back in the Bay Area on Wednesday the 8th. I'll be around for almost 3 weeks, but will be taking a side trip out to Texas for some stuff from around the 12-16th. Cell is still the same 505 number.

last minute bookings

For about the last 2 years, I have taken to making my travel bookings very late in the planning process. I used to plan my trips quite meticulously, knowing my travel dates well in advance and looking for the cheapest airfare for at least a couple weeks.

Now, it's much more, not quite spontaneous, but certainly more haphazard. I think the transition occurred when I started working in Hungary for a couple different reasons. It's a mix of trip locale, people I'm going with or seeing, cost, and my own work responsibilities. That last one is pretty key. I'm going home soon, but I've twice postponed the trip by a couple days. More responsibility here makes it harder to just pack up and go. Plus, and I'm not saying this takes a lot of time, but actually booking tickets on a slow network connection means making time and free time is hard to scrounge up. But hey, it's done. I'll be back soon enough.

coming home soon

I'll be State-side sometime next week. Travel plans are not finalized, but details should be coming soon. It'll be good, really good to be back.

Ste. Barbe holiday tomorrow

It's a holiday tomorrow, apparently Ste. Barbe's Day, the saint that watches out for the safety of oil and gas industry workers. It is a public holiday so people will get off from work tomorrow unless critical for operations. That's just super. Now, this is the best part: It wasn't decided until today that tomorrow would be a public holiday. Maybe I was spoiled in the States, but I'm sort of used to holidays being known and predictable and everyone knows which ones represent days off form work, or at least extra pay if they work. In fact, I'm pretty sure we know our holidays several weeks in advance, possibly even months in advance. Months! Crazy, I know.

They pulled the same stunt on the last major holiday when it was not declared until about 4 days before the actual day off. Good governance is not easy to achieve.

water utility strike

Starting last week, the employees at the local water utility went on strike. Since then, water shut-offs have been rotating through the city. We went two days at the base last week with no running water. The toilets were not so fresh during that time. Home has been hit and miss, mostly miss, as in missing running water. It's been off for at least some of day on 5 of the last 7 days and I haven't heard anything that leads me to believe the water issues have been resolved. Fun times had by all. You can all speculate on the significance and convenience of running water on your own time. Meanwhile, I'm going to use the toilet here at work before I go home in case it's not running there.