update # 12
on Beatriz Pujol (Kenya), 07/Sep/2009 12:11, 34 days ago
Jambo! It has been a couple of months since my last update and this is just a short one. Some of you did not receive the last one or were not able to open it, so I am sending it again with this one.I had a last minute opportunity to go to the US at the beginning of August. My new job was not starting until Sept and school is closed in Aug, so I headed out for a whirlwind visit. I went to Philly, Denver, Santa Fe, Boca, Maimi and DC…. All in 4 weeks….It was fun filled and crazy! I apologize to those of you I did not get to visit, but it was jam packed, just a few days in each place. I did have a wonderful visit with friends, their kids, my sister, dad and step-mom and many cousins, aunts and uncles….And got to see Fonzi(my cat who is now happily adopted by my friend Tatiana in Santa Fe)! Thanks to everyone for making time and space to hang out and I hope to catch everyone I missed next time!My visit came at a good time to give me a break and a fresh start with the next chapter of my life in Kenya. I had a chance to reflect on my two very different lives in Kenya and the US. It really feels like parallel universes! As much as I love Santa Fe and am certain that if I return to live in the US it would be to NM or CO, I also felt like it is not where I am ment to be right now. I missed Kenya and was ready to come home when I did. It really feels like this is home for now. (Sorry Mimi and Dad!)I have been getting settled and trying to get on the right sleep schedule. I haven't been doing too much just unpacking and getting settled. This week I will be attending part of the In Country Training for the new volunteers. My new employer should be there and I think (and hope) I will start my job next week. Jeremy and Jerica are coming to Nairobi tomorrow and will stay with me for the week, I am really excited to see them, it has been 3 months! I also just learned today that I am moving to another apartment! (My 4th move since I have been in Kenya). I will be living with a new volunteer, Marie, who is a Speech Therapist from Ireland. I have mixed feelings about moving. I am really good friends with one of my current roommates, am feeling pretty settled in my home and love the apt and the area. But, there are some other complications here and my new apt will be closer to my new job. Anyway, I don’t have any say in it so I am not going to stress about it. I just want to settle in to one place and stay put for a while!I met with a woman who runs an organization called SEP (Special Education Professionals) who I have been meaning to link up with for a while. SEP does outreach, training and assessing of kids with special needs for free in the community. Most members are Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapists as well as Psychologists and Special Ed Teachers. Many are expats and there are some Kenyans. It is a great group and I am going to join.This week I am going to observe a small private school of a mother of a kid with autism. Three parents opened this school this year. I met with the mom, Karen, back in early July. She is South African but has been here for a while. They are looking for a consultant to come and observe and give them feedback. So I will start by going this week.So that is a snapshot of the beginning of chapter 2 of“Life in Kenya”. I will write more soon once I have more to share…This is an article that was in the Irish times. It is the harsh reality of life for many in Kenya. I am very blessed…http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2009/0907/1224253997181.html