Electricity!

I remember when I was young the electricity would go out in our house maybe once or twice a year, and it was so exciting! It would usually happen during a storm when lightening struck a power line. My mom, sisters, and I would sit in front of the window with candles and watch the storm. Such happy memories... In Sierra Leone, for the past eleven years, there has seldom been electricity in Freetown. I was talking to my landlord's wife, Mrs. Assad, about the problem with electricity here. This morning she was explaining to me that since the war, during which the power lines were destroyed, most of Freetown has had absolutely no electricity. In our area, the Assads would have electricity about twice a month. Anyone who can afford diesel relies on generators for power. Most people use lanterns and candles. Walking home at night in the busy city feels so strange, because the roads are dark except for car lights and candles from the street vendors.
Upland of course doesn't ever have electricity. Bo and McKennie do, but it is also unreliable like Freetown. Since December the National Power Authority (NPA) has been much better! I have had electricity in my apartment almost every night! It is so exciting to be able to do simple things like cook dinner, take a shower, and brush my teeth with light. It is funny to think that now I dread the power going out when during my childhood this was such a treat! Now that I know what it is like to be without electricity, I realize how fortunate I am when I do have it.