Yellow House

February 21, 2007

I am so so so excited about my work. This day finds me extraordinarily ebullient. I had a meeting in Nairobi and it was good. I feel so energized and organized and know what needs to be done.

If you have ever read Ruiz’ “The Four Agreements” one of the tenets is about poisoning other people’s perspective. In other words (and this is highly oversimplified) giving your opinion so that before someone even has a chance to meet a person/place they have been given an impression that may or may not be particularly favorable. Dave pointed out to me that I do this all the time and I have resolved to stop.. but I digress. I bring this all up because I think the negative feelings I was beginning to harbor about the administration of the project I am working on were a direct result of someone else’s relationship issues, which I need to stay out of.. because truthfully the response I got today (and have received in past meetings) was great. I think there are going to be scheduling issues at times, and I am going to be pulled in Nairobi when I would prefer to be in my little aqua house, BUT it is all well within my realm of flexibility.

So.. yay. I have a very good and comprehensive work plan to roll out through late November. It will be busy, but fun. There is also a new speech therapist that arrived in town… I haven’t met him yet, but I hope to recruit him to help me facilitate my 5 day training at the end of March. Can I say how excited I am? Leap has trained me so bloody well.. I am eternally thankful for that. I feel like the national training and the district trainings will really get us in good stead for all the classroom visits. I feel so excited I could burst. Ha.

Last night I came back to Nairobi and stayed with Tanya and Sarah in Kasserani (or as Tanya calls is “kassa-stinkin’-rani”)??? They work for the Kenya Institute of Special Education; Tanya works in assessment, Sarah is an autism trainer as far as I understand. They also have a spare room which I suspect I will become quite familiar with. Sarah has agreed to also help facilitate my National speech and language training which rocks my socks.

So. I am headed to Nakuru right now. I am going to visit the ECD room I worked in this summer.

Early Childhood- my one true love – trainings will hopefully be rolled out in 2008. I am working on a proposal and I’m curious about the sustainability. I am a buzz with ideas.

Now if only I could get mum, dad, Melissa, Thomas, Jamie, Phil, Steph, Bev, John Lybolt, Amy, Jen, Julie, Cara, perhaps Greg Barter, definitely Dave, certainly Liz Evans, and a whole bunch of other people I love (and their loved ones of course.. ) to move to Kisumu life would be perfect. Ha.