Well, things have calm down here in Kenya, but the negotiations between Kibaki and Raila seem to be at an impass and there are talks of more rallies next week so we'll just have to wait and see what happens. I'm hoping that things continue to move forward peacefully. I returned to work at Shukrani LifeWorks last week, which is a good sign that things are returning to normal, but one of our employees was stuck near kisumu and couldn't get back to the coast until late last week. Many of the volunteers in the western part of the country are still waiting to see whether or not they can return to their sites or if they will be able to get alternative placements in other parts of the country. I can't even imagine what it was like over there. It was rather frightening where I'm at and things were relatively calm compared to Western.
Excited...Well, a little, but right now I'm too nervous to be excited yet. However I know I will be once I'm there and all the worry about whether or not I've packed the right stuff for life in another country for two years is something of the past ; )
Ok, I've got to keep it short. I have to be at the airport early in the morning and I need to get some sleep so I can function.
Don't forget to write. I promise I'll write you back if you do :)
Great Quotes... "If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it" - Albert Einstein
"People can not discover new lands until they have the courage to lose sight of the shore" - Andre Gide
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - Gandhi
"I don't think that work ever really destroyed anybody. I think that lack of work destroys them a hell of a lot more." - Katherine Hepburn
"If you're going through hell, keep going." - Winston Churchill
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela
"Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." Native American Proverb
"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." Charles Darwin
"When planning for a year, plant corn. When planning for a decade, plant trees. When planning for life, train and educate people." Chinese proverb: Guanzi (c. 645BC)
"I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can." George Bernard Shaw
"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself." Leo Tolstoy
"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." William Butler Yeats
"If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace" John Lennon
"You never change something by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." Buckminster Fuller
"Your current safe boundaries were once unknown frontiers." Unknown
To get in touch with me in Kenya during training (first 3 months, mid-sept. to mid-dec.), you can write me at the following address:
Heather Domenico/PCT PO Box 30518 Nairobi, Kenya
Airmail from the US to major cities in Kenya typically takes about two weeks. Depending on how remote my post is after training the mail can take a bit longer :)
Please try to number your letters so I know if one of them gets lost and also included "Airmail" and "Par Avion" on the envelop. You can just write it on the envelop or get stickers from the post office.
Also remember that it will take more than just one stamp to get all the way to Africa, so check at the post office or online to see how many stamps you'll need (according to the UPSP web site, a standard (1 oz.) letter costs about $0.90 to reach Kenya).
Remember, it doesn't have to be an epic (although those are always very welcome), just a quick note to say hello is great too! I look forward to hearing from you while I'm away!
stay safe Heather we look forward to a safe visit and of course to your home coming party...
keep up the wonderful work...
Ron...
Thanks for the kind thoughts and warm wishes. I was just looking into the dates for the Mombasa triathlon...it's in November this year! How was New Zealand? Can't wait to see some photos. I know your travel partner doesn't own a camera, so I'll have to see your photos ; )