Two weeks from now

Now it is less than two weeks left here in Bangui. Time goes by so fast, it is unbelievable. It feels like I just arrived but at the same time as if I have been here forever. Exactly two weeks from now I’ll be in Nairobi waiting for my flight to Amsterdam where I’ll get on the plane that will take me to a freezing cold, rainy Stockholm. 

I’ve tried to get an overview of the material I have so far to be able to identify who I should meet up with to fill the gaps during those last weeks. I must admit that I am not as motivated as in the beginning. I feel a bit tired now after weeks of intensive research, meeting so many different people, so many impressions. On my list there are about six people I would like to meet, this far I have met with about thirty, some of them both formally and informally. I also got quite a few documents that are interesting for my research to support some of the findings from the interviews, meetings and observations. 

I have to try to schedule the meetings for next week as I will be busy Thursday, Friday, Saturday. I have been given the occasion to participate as an observer at a seminar arranged by the Ministry of Public Security and the police with the support from BINUCA. The aim is to train and inform high ranking police officers on SSR matters. It will be three very interesting days and hopefully I’ll get to talk to some people there as well apart from observing the seminar as such. I am very grateful to the person who arranged this and for everything else he has done. Without him I would never have been able to conduct this study and meet with all those people. If you read this THANK YOU!

I have very ambiguous feelings about leaving Bangui, I really would love to stay longer. I adore this town Bangui la coquette, its people and everything about it. It is so natural. There is an atmosphere here that makes me feel free and relaxed in a fantastic way. At the same time Sweden is calling, with the winter coming, the exciting internship, friends and family awaiting me. I will definitely come back to Bangui however, there is no doubt about that.