Ok, so again it's been too long!
But this time I have a good excuse...I've been the lead for planning and running the past event which was new and a lot of responsibility - and STRESS for me! My fellow Programme Manager was away in London for meetings for a week and I did the preparation and ran the event with the Programme Assistants for 4 or 5 days. So basically the progression from PA to APM to PM was a fast one! haha. But it was really good, and a great experience for me...like I said very very stressful for me as well but something I had to learn. Next time I will try to manage things more efficiently and not worry so much - because as I learned the stuff I'm worried about always works out with no problems, and its the things you can anticipate that get in the way. So no use wasting my energy stressing out.
Anyway, these past 10 days we had 26 people from USA, UK, Canada, Venezuela, and New Zealand for our "Healing Touch" event. It was good, and really interesting because we had a main focus on healthcare and medicine for the sessions. We got to go to a public hospital (which was a first for us and the hospital), a private hospital, the National Institute of Naturopathy, and we had a discussion panel with many people with medical backgrounds including alleopathy and homeopathy.
We also had 3 mornings of Community Action Projects at Deep Griha in their clinics, at YWCA teaching first aid to the girls in Indira Nagar, and at St. Mary's doing yoga and exercises with the ladies there and playing with the children! It was an action packed event and things managed to run pretty well aside from some basic glitches with planning in India.
It's been insanely chaotic with work, and I havent managed to have 2 days off in a row in 2 weeks now, but things need to be a little crazy just until after the HIV/AIDS Seminar Dec. 2-8th. Then a few days after that I am FREEEE!!
I'm very excited, I will have like 2 or 2 and a half weeks off and to myself. I'm heading to Goa around the 14-19, then back for CL's wedding on the 22nd. We'll actually be spending 2 nights out there so that will be nice to be away from it all and doing all the fun wedding prep stuff. Then back in Pune on the 23rd and then who knows! I may end up back in Goa for New Years. I just really want to get away from the cold of Pune! I know no one from home wants to hear me complain but it really IS super cold here.
I am currently at my desk wearing 2 shirts, a big hoodie, a scarf, and I have my blanket wrapped around me. It's craaazy cold. I could see my breath this morning. I have no idea how the women still walk around in saris like nothing is different, if I were them I'd have 3 of those things on and and extra sweater to cover up my stomach! But it's still supposed to get COLDER, so I'm pretttty worried. haha. Getting away to a hotter place will be a great trip away!
Ok enough from me, I need to go do some actual work...send me messages if you love me! :) haha xoxo

Sri Lanka: Day 5

Last night I went to stay with a former sangam volunteer Dimanthi, who lives with her family just outside the city limits. It was fun, but get this - they BOUGHT a bed for me! I showed up and they said I was gonna stay in the spare room, so I went in and it was a mess with nothing there, so I assumed I would be getting a fold out cot or something - no problem. Then they told me to go hang out in the living room, watch tv (they have american tv like one tree hill and gilmore girls!!), etc. then like an hour later the room was spotless and I saw these movers moving a bed into the room! They've been renovating the house so apparently it was coincidence that it was bought for me, but you can imagine how bad I felt :S
Anyway, its been a crazy week - today I was woken up at 5:45am (dear god) by Dimanthi's mom who brought me tea (wonderful woman knew how to butter me up haha), and had breakfast and left with the whole family getting dropped off along the way at work, school, and finally at the GG headquarters. There I chatted with some of the ladies who work in the office before heading out for me walk to the Indian High Commission.
The good news is that if you make a complete fool of yourself (by fighting, sitting around for 6 hours demanding to speak to officials, and then getting teary eyed) you get VIP treatment from the guards the next time you show up! Slightly embarrassing, but lucky me got in past the lineups, through security and right upstairs to drop off my visa this morning. I was in and out of the building in 5 minutes.
After walking to the IHC in the heat I stopped off next door at Barista and sat and enjoyed 2 iced coffees while reading my book. I think after about an hour they got sick of me sitting there and started loitering so I bailed out and took a stroll along the sea. As always I love being near the water, so I sat on a bench and watched the waves roll in. I think when I set up life for myself some place it’s going to have to involve the aspect of water nearby…its just so beautiful.
Now I’m in a shopping mall finishing up some shopping and enjoying my free time to myself.
Its too bad that my trip was too short to get to travel anywhere else in the country or stay longer, but I have managed to get to know the area I’m staying in by wandering around most afternoons. It’s been a little strange, I was very worried about coming here with the high security alerts, etc. But aside from the policemen at every corner, and the guys driving around in military jeeps with big guns pointed out at the street I haven’t been so worried. For some reason once those jeeps pass you forget about them and go on your way. During the day there’s no worries, but at night everything quiets down and the police set up these security check points. All the citizens in Sri Lanka have to carry ID cards, and if you’re stopped at the check points (which is very common) you have to show the police your ID, drivers license and sometimes allow them to search your car. It’s all very foreign and strange to me, but I guess that’s life here.
I’m just happy I was lucky enough to be born in Canada and not have to worry about ID cards, and bomb searches.
Wish me safe travels back to India tomorrow :)