Wednesday: Evening Lights

I had a pretty busy today but that was of my own making.  My colleague, Alex, visiting from Bucharest, was shadowing me and I thought it would be more interesting for her to take part in meetings and be involved, rather than sit and watch me type e-mails etc so I lumped everything into one day.

One of the meetings I had today was fascinating.  It was with a local group working on raising awareness on transgender issues.  It is a very small group of parents who came to this through their transgender children.  The lady I met today was the founder and started this organisation to support her transgender son - she said she knew no-one and nothing when she started and she has built this up from scratch.  It's great work anyway, but particularly in a traditional country like this.

And National Day reception this evening.  It was a bit of a sorry affair - not many people there and speeches the length of which I have rarely witnessed.  Everyone was shuffling and coughing like mad by the end.  In order not to embarrass them I shall spare the identity of this country with many bunkers and an irrational love for Norman Wisdom (very odd 'comedy' actor of the 1950s - for the benefit of my non-English friends).

I thought that the roads would be chaotic today as US Vice President Joe Biden was in town.  All the main roads were closed at various points but I managed to miss the worst of it.

This photo has little to do with any of the above - I just liked the building.