So many places to see and not enough time...

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Well, my congestion won't seem to go away, but I am still tons better than last week at this time. This weekend we are heading to Swaziland for the Bushfire Music Festival. It seems to be a big deal, as almost the entire USG community here appears to be going. The weather is not looking too promising (low 60s and rain), but hopefully, we will find a way to stay warm and dry. We are staying at a game reserve known for their hippos. Hopefully, some good pictures will follow.

We will be moving on Tuesday back to a hotel, so I will have to say goodbye to Luna and Lobo. I am very sad about this. They are such good company, though they do expect constant attention and tend to wake me up every morning around 4 am to let them out. Last night, I refused to let them sleep in my room and actually got to sleep through the night with no interruptions.

The internet situation at the place we are going to is also not optimal. You have to pay for access, which just seems odd considering the other hotels in the city do not appear to do this. It also isn't cheap (over $10US for an hour). I may have limited access to update pictures, but will do my best. I am hoping that I get at least some reimbursement for internet/phone services while I am here and may just eat the cost of what isn't reimbursed. The good news is the hotel has a gym, which I need desperately. I will be so happy to get back into a normal work out routine.

Some pictures of our current abode, since I never posted any previously. You can see why I am not looking forward to the hotel so much. I will post some of the outside on another day.

I am finding my work more challenging than expected. If you saw the description of my assignment, it looks simple. However, I think I highly underestimated the state of disarray of the files here. Everything is a mess and I can't find most of what I need. I am trying to implement a new computer tracking system for all documents related to the research going on here, while cleaning up and organizing old files. I am also working on a training presentation for the staff here on everything (that I will have to present before I leave--it is already 40 slides long and is not nearly complete), along with drafting/finalizing instruction documents for the various procedures here related to clearance and filing. I am mainly focusing on various types of documents and procedures related to the research that is going on in Mozambique. It has helped me to get an idea of the various activities that they are trying to implement here and the challenges along with them. My supervisor is also assuring me that I will be doing site visits before I leave here. I think I will find this the most interesting part of my experience. I feel like I am failing her, though, because my progress on cleaning up these files has been slow.

I am getting excited as some fellow IETA participants are all making their way over to Africa in the next couple of weeks for their assigments, including a girl (Jackie) who is coming to Maputo. We are already starting to map out travel. :-) The only downfall of all of this is that there appears to be too many places to see and not enough time. I am having trouble picking and choosing where and where not to go. I am contemplating taking a personal vacation after I get back to the states to come back to Africa. Wonder how my boss and people covering my work will think about this. If I have learned anything from my stay here, it is that life is too short, be grateful for what you have as there are so many in this world that have nothing (but still are hapy), and take advantage of all opportunities given to you. With this thinking, I must say a vacation will be in my near future. :-)