Show me the money….

August 10th 2005, 0445B


You’ve got to love that first cup of coffee in the morning. Evidently the caffeine jolt you get from it increases your risk of a sudden heart attack by about 30% for an hour or so, but who gives a shit? Coffee is proof that God loves us, and wants us to be happy, & I have serious doubts that life would be possible without the glorious brew.
Anyway, enough of waxing lyrical about one of my addictions of choice. It’s a bit before 0500 & I should really be getting ready to head into town. Instead I find myself at the notebook, typing away whilst sipping on my mug of ambrosia & smoking cigarettes. I’ve always been good at finding distractions :P
I’m up early for a change because I have to go through to the HQ in Bujumbura to collect the cash allowance we get every month. My “pocket money” for want of a better description. The army pays us a fair bit extra while we’re on these external ops - a few cents short of R400 a day, tax free – and they give us a small amount of that as cash in hand against expenses. We used to pay tax on the allowances, 43 bloody percent tax at that, but they stopped that last year just as I got to the Congo, so Trevor Manual is subsequently my favourite politician type person.
But once again, I digress. Here in Burundi they’ve decided on $6 a day for expenses, which really isn’t a lot at all, but in a way that’s a good thing as that $6 a day is deducted from the money that goes into our bank accounts each month. The less you spend here, the more you end up with at home at the end of the day.
I’m also hearing vague rumblings about an increase in our allowances due shortly, but I’ll believe that when I see it - there’s no organisation like the army for bull-shit rumours, and we’re still waiting for the annual salary increment that was supposed to come through in bloody April, never mind increases on our allowances. I certainly wouldn’t complain if they decide to give us more money though :P
Anyway, I hear the vehicles starting up, so it’s time for me to say cheers for now.
¡Hasta luego!