today was my first day at my new job. it is just a temporary post at the moment as the details of contracts and salaries and technicalities are sorted out, but it didn't stop me from being nervous.
in the end, there was no reason to worry and it was difficult to slip back into the system that i left a few years ago. the workload will be heavy and the obstacles in front of the team, rather substantial. but if i am up for a challenge, it is there for the taking.
i can tell that the challenges will include: desks not lined up in any logical order in the office (yes, i am serious), a coworker who likes to listen to music at just audible levels, and utter lack of infrastructure in what is colloquially referred to as a 'resource poor' working environment.
in many ways, it is a great opportunity and a position that i can shape into my own and define as i go. but it will also involve a lot of ambiguity and a certain degree of risk. a bit like being the underdog and it could go either way, really.
i am happy for the chance to get involved in some potentially interesting project development and the flexibility that comes when you do not have a long term contract, which means i can still take my upcoming birthday trip to ghana, head home for a visit in march, and decide my own working hours.
maybe my independent spirit and no-nonsense manner of thinking about the development game will be pleased with this arrangement. or maybe my love for organisation, planning, and preparations will be driven mad with the lack of clarity or clearly defined boundaries and roles.
only time will tell in this instance. like many before and certainly many more to come.
Showing posts with label organisation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label organisation. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Sunday, August 22, 2010
ready for fall
it seems i am in the habit of confessions lately. and here is another one: i am done with summer.
and what is more, i am ready for the cooler days of autumn and the changing of the seasons.
i am sick of waiting for summer to arrive. it is the third week of august and i had my furnace on this past week! ridiculous, i tell you.
as much as i am sick of waiting on the weather, i am more excited for the slowing down of my social calendar that comes with september as schedules become more rigid and the pressures of being out and about on any given day decrease.
i have felt such pressure (and certainly, brought on entirely by myself) to MAKE THE MOST OF IT this summer. although i am sometimes at a loss as to what IT is. and as much as a walk in the park, a drink on a patio, or a hike in the mountains sound like a lovely way to pass an afternoon, doing it alone is not always as thrilling as doing it with someone.
and while i am being miserly, let me also add that all these festivals and events throughout the city during the summer months are never as good as you expect. i found myself at the calgary folk fest for the first time this year and every year i always think, 'that always looks like so much fun, why don't i go?' well, i did go and it was a lot of people in my space, a lot of chaos, and a pain to organise a group of people to meet up and stay in the same area. all of these events seem to be the same - lots of people (including those dudes with their dogs that insist on taking their shirts off as soon as the thermostat reads 20 degrees), overpriced food, and crowds heaving in the heat/rain/miserable calgary summer weather.
on that note, i am ready for september. ready for the trees' leaves to change colour and fall. ready for sweaters, soup, and hot cups of tea. ready for my schedule to calm down and ready to spend friday evenings at home without any guilt that i should be DOING SOMETHING with bonus points if it is a FUN THING.
i'm ready.
and what is more, i am ready for the cooler days of autumn and the changing of the seasons.
i am sick of waiting for summer to arrive. it is the third week of august and i had my furnace on this past week! ridiculous, i tell you.
as much as i am sick of waiting on the weather, i am more excited for the slowing down of my social calendar that comes with september as schedules become more rigid and the pressures of being out and about on any given day decrease.
i have felt such pressure (and certainly, brought on entirely by myself) to MAKE THE MOST OF IT this summer. although i am sometimes at a loss as to what IT is. and as much as a walk in the park, a drink on a patio, or a hike in the mountains sound like a lovely way to pass an afternoon, doing it alone is not always as thrilling as doing it with someone.
and while i am being miserly, let me also add that all these festivals and events throughout the city during the summer months are never as good as you expect. i found myself at the calgary folk fest for the first time this year and every year i always think, 'that always looks like so much fun, why don't i go?' well, i did go and it was a lot of people in my space, a lot of chaos, and a pain to organise a group of people to meet up and stay in the same area. all of these events seem to be the same - lots of people (including those dudes with their dogs that insist on taking their shirts off as soon as the thermostat reads 20 degrees), overpriced food, and crowds heaving in the heat/rain/miserable calgary summer weather.
on that note, i am ready for september. ready for the trees' leaves to change colour and fall. ready for sweaters, soup, and hot cups of tea. ready for my schedule to calm down and ready to spend friday evenings at home without any guilt that i should be DOING SOMETHING with bonus points if it is a FUN THING.
i'm ready.
Friday, August 06, 2010
cleaning house, literally and figuratively
it is time to get organised!
i have hired a housekeeper and have forgiven myself for not being able to stay on top of my housework and given myself permission to contract that part of my life to a professional. but (but!), i will now have to stay on top of keeping things tidy and do a deep clean before she arrives in a week's time. but this is much needed and overdue.
in other organisational news, i am still learning the ins and outs of my new mac book pro and how to best manage my photos and files and this thing is really is a wonder, but i am still learning and find myself wishing there was a right click button as well as page up and page down buttons.
although it is not entirely linked to organisation, i am right this very moment using my slow cooker to make beef stew for the first time. and i must say, cutting up the raw beef and browning it in a frying pan was completely manageable! and i am certain i will not poison anyone if they choose to sample my stew, which is sure to be delicious. but are you supposed to lift the lid on a slow cooker? i can't seem to find the willpower to just leave it and want to keep checking on it, but maybe this defeats the purpose of the slow cooker?
any hints on how to get the campfire smell out of clothes? i have already washed them on the highest setting on my washer and with extra soap, but they still stink and they are my running clothes so i don't very well want to be stinking up the pathways or smelling smoke as i run my buns up a hill.
and i have placed my amazon.ca order for the cape town lonely planet book and you know what that means - trip planning is about to begin! i love planning a trip and this should keep me busy for the next few weeks before departing to rsa in october.
and next up - a weekend of running errands and getting my life back in some semblance of order!
i have hired a housekeeper and have forgiven myself for not being able to stay on top of my housework and given myself permission to contract that part of my life to a professional. but (but!), i will now have to stay on top of keeping things tidy and do a deep clean before she arrives in a week's time. but this is much needed and overdue.
in other organisational news, i am still learning the ins and outs of my new mac book pro and how to best manage my photos and files and this thing is really is a wonder, but i am still learning and find myself wishing there was a right click button as well as page up and page down buttons.
although it is not entirely linked to organisation, i am right this very moment using my slow cooker to make beef stew for the first time. and i must say, cutting up the raw beef and browning it in a frying pan was completely manageable! and i am certain i will not poison anyone if they choose to sample my stew, which is sure to be delicious. but are you supposed to lift the lid on a slow cooker? i can't seem to find the willpower to just leave it and want to keep checking on it, but maybe this defeats the purpose of the slow cooker?
any hints on how to get the campfire smell out of clothes? i have already washed them on the highest setting on my washer and with extra soap, but they still stink and they are my running clothes so i don't very well want to be stinking up the pathways or smelling smoke as i run my buns up a hill.
and i have placed my amazon.ca order for the cape town lonely planet book and you know what that means - trip planning is about to begin! i love planning a trip and this should keep me busy for the next few weeks before departing to rsa in october.
and next up - a weekend of running errands and getting my life back in some semblance of order!
Monday, February 08, 2010
nine for twenty nine
having goals for my 28th year kept me on track, helped me maintain my focus, and was a nice way to monitor how my year was shaping up. it makes perfect sense to do it again... here we go with nine for twenty nine.
1 - conquer my anxiety, or at least win a few battles against it. this is a clear continuation from 28 and i think will likely be a regular dialogue circulating through my head. but i would like to leave 29 a little less anxious than i found it.
2 - be more thoughtful of others, especially around special events, days, occassions. i like to be thoughtful, but i think this past year has found me rather wrapped up in my own stuff. now i am ready to shift my focus back out to my network when i should be thinking of others. i like to think of others so this isn't really a challenge, just that i need to remember. bring on the daytimer!
3 - continue making visiting family and friends a priority. recently, i had a little birthday and was amazed at the number of places from which i had wishes from - canada, the us, the uk, greece, kenya, laos, bermuda, australia, sudan, south africa, new zealand, india, denmark, vietnam, mexico, italy, indonesia, sweden, rwanda, afghanistan, east timor, uganda, and spain. i managed to get out and about last year and this year i hope to keep it up.
4 - nail down some sort of short-term career goals. after a few weeks in europe, visiting with old friends, having conversations about development and academics and other mind expanding topics, coming back to work here in calgary has been a little errrr.... boring. i like my job enough, but i think it is time that i start to look forward and set some goals. i am not sure what those goals will be, but i do need to give it a think and come up with a direction. i work best when headed in a direction.
5 - lay a nest egg to accompany my nest. seeing as i effed the dog on this goal last year (but i DID get those receipts into a accordian folder, yippee!), i am going to keep it up. i will need to learn a lot on this one, but hopefully this year i will be able to free up some of my time and monies to get it done.
6 - eat more balanced, regular meals. i often forget to eat. sometimes i eat a croissant for dinner. most days, i have a latte for breakfast. i typically eat when i am hungry, don't have any issues with the amount that i eat, and i used to be very responsible and cook healthy meals regularly. but not lately and i am not sure why exactly. i know i could do better and i will have to work this into my schedule.
7 - sleep an appropriate amount. not necessarily more, but appropriate. sometimes i can sleep and sleep and sleep and this past year, i made sure that i got enough sleep because after years of deprivation, i was amazed to see how much better i felt once i had enough sleep. but now, i need to suck it up and find a way to get by for a day on only 6 hours of sleep because otherwise, i end up heading into work late and considering i want to have a little nest egg by the end of 29, i need to make sure i am billing as many hours as i can. but napping, oh i could never give up napping.
8 - maintain my priorities. this became a challenge immediately before christmas when i felt that i was being pulled in a number of different directions. oil and gas work. counter trafficking work. commitments with friends. dates and more dates. i am going to do my best to keep my priorities in check throughout the year and make sure that as they change, my schedule changes with them. i have started running regularly again, i have a new volunteer commitment, my trafficking work is only getting busier, and all of this stuff is good and makes me who i am so it makes sense that these would be my current priorities. but sometimes, other commitments and aspects of life seem to take over, so i will do my best to remember what my priorities are and allow them to change and shift throughout the year. being mindful, really.
9 - keep laughing. when i get to spend time with my family, the next day my stomach invariably hurts from laughing so hard. i think this is fantastic and my goal for 29 is to keep this up and to find more opportunities to laugh that hard. (this goal was a toss up between 'keep laughing' and 'keep asking for what i want.' i am going to see what happens with this as the year progresses, but it might shift to the other if need be.)
wish me luck! 1 week in and i gotta say that i was slightly drowning under various priorities, but after hosting a birthday/fundraising party (spread the net, people!), i am ready to start this year off right. bring it on, 29!
1 - conquer my anxiety, or at least win a few battles against it. this is a clear continuation from 28 and i think will likely be a regular dialogue circulating through my head. but i would like to leave 29 a little less anxious than i found it.
2 - be more thoughtful of others, especially around special events, days, occassions. i like to be thoughtful, but i think this past year has found me rather wrapped up in my own stuff. now i am ready to shift my focus back out to my network when i should be thinking of others. i like to think of others so this isn't really a challenge, just that i need to remember. bring on the daytimer!
3 - continue making visiting family and friends a priority. recently, i had a little birthday and was amazed at the number of places from which i had wishes from - canada, the us, the uk, greece, kenya, laos, bermuda, australia, sudan, south africa, new zealand, india, denmark, vietnam, mexico, italy, indonesia, sweden, rwanda, afghanistan, east timor, uganda, and spain. i managed to get out and about last year and this year i hope to keep it up.
4 - nail down some sort of short-term career goals. after a few weeks in europe, visiting with old friends, having conversations about development and academics and other mind expanding topics, coming back to work here in calgary has been a little errrr.... boring. i like my job enough, but i think it is time that i start to look forward and set some goals. i am not sure what those goals will be, but i do need to give it a think and come up with a direction. i work best when headed in a direction.
5 - lay a nest egg to accompany my nest. seeing as i effed the dog on this goal last year (but i DID get those receipts into a accordian folder, yippee!), i am going to keep it up. i will need to learn a lot on this one, but hopefully this year i will be able to free up some of my time and monies to get it done.
6 - eat more balanced, regular meals. i often forget to eat. sometimes i eat a croissant for dinner. most days, i have a latte for breakfast. i typically eat when i am hungry, don't have any issues with the amount that i eat, and i used to be very responsible and cook healthy meals regularly. but not lately and i am not sure why exactly. i know i could do better and i will have to work this into my schedule.
7 - sleep an appropriate amount. not necessarily more, but appropriate. sometimes i can sleep and sleep and sleep and this past year, i made sure that i got enough sleep because after years of deprivation, i was amazed to see how much better i felt once i had enough sleep. but now, i need to suck it up and find a way to get by for a day on only 6 hours of sleep because otherwise, i end up heading into work late and considering i want to have a little nest egg by the end of 29, i need to make sure i am billing as many hours as i can. but napping, oh i could never give up napping.
8 - maintain my priorities. this became a challenge immediately before christmas when i felt that i was being pulled in a number of different directions. oil and gas work. counter trafficking work. commitments with friends. dates and more dates. i am going to do my best to keep my priorities in check throughout the year and make sure that as they change, my schedule changes with them. i have started running regularly again, i have a new volunteer commitment, my trafficking work is only getting busier, and all of this stuff is good and makes me who i am so it makes sense that these would be my current priorities. but sometimes, other commitments and aspects of life seem to take over, so i will do my best to remember what my priorities are and allow them to change and shift throughout the year. being mindful, really.
9 - keep laughing. when i get to spend time with my family, the next day my stomach invariably hurts from laughing so hard. i think this is fantastic and my goal for 29 is to keep this up and to find more opportunities to laugh that hard. (this goal was a toss up between 'keep laughing' and 'keep asking for what i want.' i am going to see what happens with this as the year progresses, but it might shift to the other if need be.)
wish me luck! 1 week in and i gotta say that i was slightly drowning under various priorities, but after hosting a birthday/fundraising party (spread the net, people!), i am ready to start this year off right. bring it on, 29!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
sass-travaganza: a photo essay in reverse
here are some of my favourite photos from the sass-travaganza. for some reason, i cannot reverse the order in which they appear, so just start from the bottom if you really want to get the chronological sense of the trip.
my favourite parts of the trip included:
- the retarded goat (ok, let it be known that the word 'retarded' is totally not a part of the vocabulary of either me or my sister, but there was this stupid goat that wouldn't get out of the road when we were driving up to the trailhead and it was sort of funny to use a totally politically incorrect word. and then continue to use it for the rest of the day, knowing it was so, so wrong)
- the label maker! who knew such an organisational tool could be so much fun?! oh wait, me.
- figuring out that ha ling must be the chinese translation of 'chinaman' since chinaman's peak was renamed ha ling peak (again, with the politically incorrectness)
- the no-name brand camelback, otherwise known as the teat (i know, we are such classy ladies)
- the best snow angel my sis had ever seen!
- my wipe outs and my sister killing herself laughing rather than asking if i was ok
- the best cheese burger and salad EVER
- my sister's costume change and the photos i have of her ironing her dress in her panty (which i kindly did not post!)
- the inappropriate conversations overheard by the other hikes (whoops!)
- admiring the majestic peaks in all their glory
- the best brunch buffet EVER, oh sweet jesus, that food was good eating. and that coffee. oh my, that coffee
Friday, April 03, 2009
it's all true
borrowed from this lady, here are 10 things about me that you may not have already known.
1 - most people are surprised to learn that by nature, i am an introvert and shy, sometimes painfully. although i do enjoy public speaking.
2 - things i love include writing, learning new cities, q tips, david suzuki, the smell of scotch tape, earl grey tea, chocolate fudge cake from nairobi java house, kofi annan, alberta beef, barack obama's smile, the smell of pine trees, music that almost makes you cry, going out for breakfast even though i don't like most breakfast foods, airports, novels, daytimers, creme brule, medium or dark roast black coffee, that feeling that you get two days after you've used your muscles, french red wine, tulips, buying clothes, and receiving mail both electronic and snail. that list is not exhaustive.
3 - i could tell my sister anything. while i wouldn't tell my brothers anything, i could be anyone or do anything with them.
4 - my recent love life reads like a soap opera drama. do you know anyone who actually went to an airport expecting someone to arrive only to find out they had never bought a ticket for the flight? well, now you do.
5 - i have really big feet for my size. i would quite like to trade them for a more user-friendly pair.
6 - i want to be famous. but not in the celebrity way. in the way that i am known for something. and i google myself regularly.
7 - my newest canadian hero is louise arbour. she will soon be the executive director of the International Crisis Group.
8 - i am neither a cat person nor a dog person, i am both. and i don't think you should have to choose between them. my dog has one eye and my cat sleeps on my bed every night. my brother says that although you are never supposed to talk about a girl's weight, my cat seems to have lost her waist line in recent years. that is also true.
9 - blueberries are my favourite berry.
10 - if i won the lottery, i would go back to uni and study my little heart out. i would also travel around the world, staying in the cheapest as well as the most luxurious hotels i could find. i'd drink san pelligrino exclusively and provide numerous microfinance loans to people in canada and abroad.
1 - most people are surprised to learn that by nature, i am an introvert and shy, sometimes painfully. although i do enjoy public speaking.
2 - things i love include writing, learning new cities, q tips, david suzuki, the smell of scotch tape, earl grey tea, chocolate fudge cake from nairobi java house, kofi annan, alberta beef, barack obama's smile, the smell of pine trees, music that almost makes you cry, going out for breakfast even though i don't like most breakfast foods, airports, novels, daytimers, creme brule, medium or dark roast black coffee, that feeling that you get two days after you've used your muscles, french red wine, tulips, buying clothes, and receiving mail both electronic and snail. that list is not exhaustive.
3 - i could tell my sister anything. while i wouldn't tell my brothers anything, i could be anyone or do anything with them.
4 - my recent love life reads like a soap opera drama. do you know anyone who actually went to an airport expecting someone to arrive only to find out they had never bought a ticket for the flight? well, now you do.
5 - i have really big feet for my size. i would quite like to trade them for a more user-friendly pair.
6 - i want to be famous. but not in the celebrity way. in the way that i am known for something. and i google myself regularly.
7 - my newest canadian hero is louise arbour. she will soon be the executive director of the International Crisis Group.
8 - i am neither a cat person nor a dog person, i am both. and i don't think you should have to choose between them. my dog has one eye and my cat sleeps on my bed every night. my brother says that although you are never supposed to talk about a girl's weight, my cat seems to have lost her waist line in recent years. that is also true.
9 - blueberries are my favourite berry.
10 - if i won the lottery, i would go back to uni and study my little heart out. i would also travel around the world, staying in the cheapest as well as the most luxurious hotels i could find. i'd drink san pelligrino exclusively and provide numerous microfinance loans to people in canada and abroad.
Friday, March 20, 2009
better blog management
hello internet! i have some exciting news for you. i have gone through all my posts (ever!) and tagged them appropriately (because i was not kidding when i said i love organisational tools and was dumbfounded when i realised i had not used the tagging feature of blogger to its full potential). this is perhaps less exciting for you as i am sure you had no intention of searching through my ALL posts for the ones labelled sven or egyptology or kahawa, but it makes me feel better knowing that it can be done.
i've also added a new link to my dear friend's website. she is a children's author who will soon be published and i cannot wait to read her next story - the tale of noah and his ark from the perspective of a caterpillar. i wonder what eric carle would think of that?!
i've also added a new link to my dear friend's website. she is a children's author who will soon be published and i cannot wait to read her next story - the tale of noah and his ark from the perspective of a caterpillar. i wonder what eric carle would think of that?!
Friday, September 26, 2008
election fun
just hanging out on a friday evening, watching the american presidential debate. obama is looking a titch more grey than he did at the beginning of the campaign. i cannot imagine being on the spot like that and not saying something stupid. mccain just seems a little too smug.
here is something (sort of) exciting - during my volunteer commitment this morning, i saw stephen harper. well, i think it was him because i did not have my spectacles on, but we were in the same mini mall while he popped in to say hello to his riding office. i knew something was up when i saw the csis (or who i thought was csis, does csis protect our pm??) guys walking around with their earpieces and curly cords stuffed into their jackets. then i saw the fancy black cars so i popped my head out to find a bunch of guys in suits. if the guy who i thought was harper is harper, he is taller than i imagined. no sign if there were any ill-fitting vests worn.
during some downtime today i read the liberal platform and although i have not read the others, i like the idea of a longer grace period on student loans and increased financial support to the global fund. but deciding the very date that canada will be out of afghanistan? i have mixed opinions.
more exciting news - i got a blackberry today. and it is pink! and i have no idea how to use it, but i am up for a new learning curve. and i have a special place in my heart for organisational tools.
here is something (sort of) exciting - during my volunteer commitment this morning, i saw stephen harper. well, i think it was him because i did not have my spectacles on, but we were in the same mini mall while he popped in to say hello to his riding office. i knew something was up when i saw the csis (or who i thought was csis, does csis protect our pm??) guys walking around with their earpieces and curly cords stuffed into their jackets. then i saw the fancy black cars so i popped my head out to find a bunch of guys in suits. if the guy who i thought was harper is harper, he is taller than i imagined. no sign if there were any ill-fitting vests worn.
during some downtime today i read the liberal platform and although i have not read the others, i like the idea of a longer grace period on student loans and increased financial support to the global fund. but deciding the very date that canada will be out of afghanistan? i have mixed opinions.
more exciting news - i got a blackberry today. and it is pink! and i have no idea how to use it, but i am up for a new learning curve. and i have a special place in my heart for organisational tools.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
a picture of productivity
(february 9, 2008)
my To Do List has taken a beating lately as i have busted my way through it the past 2 days. i started my productivity streak with an appointment at the dentist. he was a jolly south african fellow who could play santa at any children’s christmas party. he looked at me as though i am paranoid about oral health when i told him what the problem was, but he managed to remedy it in just 45 short minutes and there was not a needle in sight. i realised my least favourite part of the entire dental experience is the polishing. is it possible that there a worse feeling?
i think the friendly atmosphere of the dentist’s office actually being a house helped a lot. dentists’ offices all smell the same at home and that smell alone is enough to emit feelings of nausea and hatred in me. and also unlike dentist’s offices at home, the property of the dentist house was lined with a very obvious and very foreboding electric fence. which i learned was electrified when i could smell something burning and realised a leaf has fell off a tree right on to the fence and was incinerated. then i thought that if you had children in a city like nairobi you would need to teach them not to touch fences.
the To Do List continued to shrink as i used my extra time meant to be spent agonising at the dentist for other more fruitful activities. like pedicures. that, with the current most favourable exchange rate, cost $8.50. it was delightful as always and i got some serious book reading time in. i am not one for small talk with the hair people or the pedicure people. i will talk to the manicure people but only because my hands are not free to hold a book or magazine and it would be a bit awkward to avoid eye contact that entire time.
next up was an eye appointment and picking out new glasses. because i love health insurance that cares about my eyes (and my teeth) as much as i do. i also love my new specs.
then lunch with a colleague, then work (well, more like email reading), then movie watching and relaxing, nothing really of To Do List significance there.
but today! today i ticked off a few more items. and everyone knows that there is no point in a To Do List if not for the satisfaction involved in crossing something off the list. or checking it off if it is my daytimer because i don’t like it to get too messy in there.
first came some job applications (about to become a constant in my life again) then picking up my new spectacles and getting my others tightened with those mini screwdrivers that always seem to get in christmas crackers but never keep for when you actually need them. like now.
then a massage. a most delicious massage that kind of hurt. but in the good way. but i had some knots that were pretty enormous so the massage lady said i should come back, which i probably will because it was so delicious. but only in africa would the massage therapist use her boobs to hold your head up so she can get to your neck. i actually thought it was quite ingenious.
then came roadside flower shopping (ok, not on the To Do List, but fun anyhow). i am not the biggest fan of the rose, but i got 36 of them for the equivalent of $2. it seems that a lot of the kenyan flower exporters will not be able to harvest and transport their flowers to europe for the valentine’s day, the single biggest day of flower sales of the year, as the main flower growing area of the country is one of the worst in terms of violence and displacement at the moment. if you live in europe and don’t have a problem with using fertile ground to grow something inedible and a total luxury nor do you care about ‘food’ miles or the effluent that is leaked into the nearby lakes that is ruining the natural ecosystem, go out and track down some kenyan grown valentine’s flowers and buy them to support the economic recovery of an african country. or buy something locally and naturally grown like a thistle and give it to your valentine, that would be ok too.
more road side shopping and more To Do List crossing with fruit and veg stands on the way home and then home to cross things of the list. who am i kidding, i crossed everything off the list as soon as it was done.
my To Do List has taken a beating lately as i have busted my way through it the past 2 days. i started my productivity streak with an appointment at the dentist. he was a jolly south african fellow who could play santa at any children’s christmas party. he looked at me as though i am paranoid about oral health when i told him what the problem was, but he managed to remedy it in just 45 short minutes and there was not a needle in sight. i realised my least favourite part of the entire dental experience is the polishing. is it possible that there a worse feeling?
i think the friendly atmosphere of the dentist’s office actually being a house helped a lot. dentists’ offices all smell the same at home and that smell alone is enough to emit feelings of nausea and hatred in me. and also unlike dentist’s offices at home, the property of the dentist house was lined with a very obvious and very foreboding electric fence. which i learned was electrified when i could smell something burning and realised a leaf has fell off a tree right on to the fence and was incinerated. then i thought that if you had children in a city like nairobi you would need to teach them not to touch fences.
the To Do List continued to shrink as i used my extra time meant to be spent agonising at the dentist for other more fruitful activities. like pedicures. that, with the current most favourable exchange rate, cost $8.50. it was delightful as always and i got some serious book reading time in. i am not one for small talk with the hair people or the pedicure people. i will talk to the manicure people but only because my hands are not free to hold a book or magazine and it would be a bit awkward to avoid eye contact that entire time.
next up was an eye appointment and picking out new glasses. because i love health insurance that cares about my eyes (and my teeth) as much as i do. i also love my new specs.
then lunch with a colleague, then work (well, more like email reading), then movie watching and relaxing, nothing really of To Do List significance there.
but today! today i ticked off a few more items. and everyone knows that there is no point in a To Do List if not for the satisfaction involved in crossing something off the list. or checking it off if it is my daytimer because i don’t like it to get too messy in there.
first came some job applications (about to become a constant in my life again) then picking up my new spectacles and getting my others tightened with those mini screwdrivers that always seem to get in christmas crackers but never keep for when you actually need them. like now.
then a massage. a most delicious massage that kind of hurt. but in the good way. but i had some knots that were pretty enormous so the massage lady said i should come back, which i probably will because it was so delicious. but only in africa would the massage therapist use her boobs to hold your head up so she can get to your neck. i actually thought it was quite ingenious.
then came roadside flower shopping (ok, not on the To Do List, but fun anyhow). i am not the biggest fan of the rose, but i got 36 of them for the equivalent of $2. it seems that a lot of the kenyan flower exporters will not be able to harvest and transport their flowers to europe for the valentine’s day, the single biggest day of flower sales of the year, as the main flower growing area of the country is one of the worst in terms of violence and displacement at the moment. if you live in europe and don’t have a problem with using fertile ground to grow something inedible and a total luxury nor do you care about ‘food’ miles or the effluent that is leaked into the nearby lakes that is ruining the natural ecosystem, go out and track down some kenyan grown valentine’s flowers and buy them to support the economic recovery of an african country. or buy something locally and naturally grown like a thistle and give it to your valentine, that would be ok too.
more road side shopping and more To Do List crossing with fruit and veg stands on the way home and then home to cross things of the list. who am i kidding, i crossed everything off the list as soon as it was done.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
struggling to organise
i am back and cannot seem to organise my thoughts, so here is another list of sorts...
i spent an hour watching crayfish last weekend in fernie. being with a lake in the mountains reminded me that i cannot be anything but canadian.
but i am applying for my british citizenship so that working is easier in the uk. they still ask for your christian name on the application form, i wonder what mohammed feels like when he has to fill that out.
i went to my sister's graduation this week and although i wished it were me completing my degree, it was awesome to see her walk across the stage. the speech by mannix left a lot to be desired, nothing like a little neoliberal rhetoric to compliment a management school graduation.
i was at the university to do some studying this past week and i had kobe beef. since when did they clean the place up? and i must say that it did not taste as good as it has in the past, i wonder if the clean-up took away some of the could-be beef flavour.
thank you to the man in the suit who i used as a hand rail as i slipped in the pub last night, if i weren't so embarassed by my rather ungraceful partial-split position i would have said more than 'oh my god!' and zipped right into the bathroom.
i thought i was horrible at sudoku, but i am now obsessed. it makes for a great avoidance of reading about globalisation, trade liberalisation, and foreign direct investment. i spent my entire academic career avoiding economics and now i am stuck in the middle of it.
i am sad i am missing the world cup fever in england, but i have bet $20 with my brother that the oilers will win the stanley cup...it looks like i might be out some money.
i spent an hour watching crayfish last weekend in fernie. being with a lake in the mountains reminded me that i cannot be anything but canadian.
but i am applying for my british citizenship so that working is easier in the uk. they still ask for your christian name on the application form, i wonder what mohammed feels like when he has to fill that out.
i went to my sister's graduation this week and although i wished it were me completing my degree, it was awesome to see her walk across the stage. the speech by mannix left a lot to be desired, nothing like a little neoliberal rhetoric to compliment a management school graduation.
i was at the university to do some studying this past week and i had kobe beef. since when did they clean the place up? and i must say that it did not taste as good as it has in the past, i wonder if the clean-up took away some of the could-be beef flavour.
thank you to the man in the suit who i used as a hand rail as i slipped in the pub last night, if i weren't so embarassed by my rather ungraceful partial-split position i would have said more than 'oh my god!' and zipped right into the bathroom.
i thought i was horrible at sudoku, but i am now obsessed. it makes for a great avoidance of reading about globalisation, trade liberalisation, and foreign direct investment. i spent my entire academic career avoiding economics and now i am stuck in the middle of it.
i am sad i am missing the world cup fever in england, but i have bet $20 with my brother that the oilers will win the stanley cup...it looks like i might be out some money.
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