Everything you need

Feeding everyone here on the Africa Mercy is a really big job.  Especially at lunch.  The ship hires day workers- people from Conakry who fill jobs as pastors, translators, housekeeping, patient care, laundry, galley workers, deck hands-lots of local people.

The day workers are on board for lunch, so there are lots of people.  For most of the day workers, lunch is their main meal.  I have never seen so much food on one plate.  Then, they often add 4-5 slices of bread to top off the plate.

Some of the weekly food delivery

The food here is good.  I have told people that I've forgotten how to cook.  I love it that they cook for me!  I also love that the lab is closed for lunch.  We are on call, and I have been paged in the lunch line, but it's pretty rare.

We have a Starbucks on board.  We are told that it's the first Starbucks in West Africa.  On the weekends, Starbucks is only open if we have volunteer staff.  This kind of makes me laugh, since all the crew is volunteer.  But I guess this is a volunteer volunteer position.  So I work as a barista on selected Saturday nights.

Starbucks on the Africa Mercy

I don't know how well you can see this, but the sign has a different Starbucks logo.   The Starbucks logo is offensive to some in West Africa, so ours has been modified.
When I work in the Starbucks, there is a sign on the register.

WE HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED, YOU JUST NEED TO NEED LESS.

It makes me think.  Really?  Everything I need?  I think about what I want, and what I need. Really, I do have everything I need.  That and a lot more.

We are the only Starbucks I know that sells laundry detergent and "loo paper," so maybe it's true.

Debbie