リラックス

先週は出張から戻って休みもなく、仕事が山積みでヘトヘトだった。週末はリフレッシュできたので嬉しい。土曜日は現地語のクラス２時間、私とプログラム同期生の人とお昼を食べ仕事のことなど話し、夜はまた別の友人と日本食を食べに行き、はしごでデザートも食べに行った。

今日の日曜日はKtmの喧噪（と空気汚染）を離れて、車で３０分ほどのリゾートに行ってきた。元々、王家所有だった森の中にゴルフコースを伴うフォーレストリゾートがある。私とフランス／ドイツ人の友達のお目当てはもちろんゴルフではなく、スパ。

ガイドさんと１時間ちょっと森を散策した後（猿や鹿などがたくさんいる）、９０分の全身ジャスミンオイルマッサージをしてもらった。マッサージ中、時々停電になるのがあーこの国だったと思わされておかしいのだけど、マッサージはすごく良かった。頭皮にもなぜか髪にもたっぷりオイルを付けてマッサージしてくれる。最近、空気が乾燥していて、蛇の脱皮のように肌がかさかさで剥がれてくるほどなので丁度良かった。二人とも全身テカテカで体も軽くマッサージを終え、ホテルのタイレストランでパッタイを食してご機嫌で帰ってきた。毎週行くのはちと贅沢だろうけど、仕事が忙しくて心も体もガサガサの時にはまた行きたいな。また明日から仕事頑張れそう！

Field mission 続編

The field mission that I accompanied was an evaluation of the humanitarian work that we did last year. I am not really involved in this work, but it is one of the core work that we do. I also had not visited the field and it was a good opportunity to meet with some partner NGOs, so my colleague kindly invited me to come along. 

I visited for the first time in my life a camp (of people displaced by the disaster). The photo is one of their make-shift house. I don't think these structures withhold in the next monsoon season, and I cannot begin to imagine how frightened they must be. Many families lost their valuable farmland that is now covered by a thick layer sand. It will take more than 5 years to be able to cultivate the same crops they were growing before.  People are now told to go back to their original village. One of the men we spoke to said, “how can we come back here where we lost our livelihood?  They might as well just give us poison." They have not received enough help from international agencies nor the national government. Some women explained how they are still traumatized by their experience, but they do not have access to any counseling services. 

Natural disasters are happening all over the world, and it is clear that there are not enough resources, knowledge and coordination to effectively help survivors and victims. 

This past week, I attended a couple of workshops on humanitarian response work in addition to seeing the situation (just a glimpse though) with my own eyes. It was a very eye-opening experience. I hope I can be involved in some humanitarian work from now on.    

しんどい時に思い出すこと

Last year, I was sorting out my stuff in anticipation of moving from Canada to take the posting. In a box full of documents, letters etc I found an old newsletter from the Japanese NGO where I interned for the last year of my university. I was flipping through and found one article featuring a group discussion for all interns about why doing internship in development. We were all asked what our (career) goal was. According to the article I answered "my goal is to work for an UN agency". This was when I was 22 years old. I found funny that I never knew that it will take me a whole decade to reach this. At the same time, I realized that it was quite remarkable that this actually came true. I stuck to my initial objective and somehow I was able to make it happen.     

So, when I feel tired and frustrated, I try to remember this and how lucky I am to be given this opportunity and have the job that was once my dream. Certainly, not everything is ideal. I am starting to see some not so nice aspects and occasionally feel bogged down and swamped in my work. I catch myself complaining that I work long hours and I feel that I am not contributing or making progress as much as I would like. But, I should really look at the big picture and enjoy what I am doing. 

 

Well, I don't know exactly what I am trying to say....  it's a bit incomplete thought.      

Views from Far West area

Some photos from the field trip. I went to three different districts, but the highlight was the last one. Small town on a mountain. This is the view from the hotel where I stayed. Breathtakingly beautiful....   This is after going up close to 6 hours on a super bumpy road, which gave a neck-ache the following day.  

I hope you can see the snow covered mountain range behind the green ones. Such a gorgeous view. 
This is what I had for breakfast. Aloo paratha. It is sort of a pancake (?) with slightly spiced mushed potato inside with sour soup.  Yummy...  My stomach held up during the trip! 

Back from the field

Got back from the field mission. It was very very good, but I am totally exhausted. I am going to take a much needed shower (the final destination was too cold to have a cold shower...) and then go to bed early tonight. Will post photos and write stories later this week. Just hoping to get through the week without any break in between....   

行ってきます！

今週は怒濤の忙しさ。それでもって明日から初のフィールドミッションに行ってきます。月曜に帰ってきます。今仕事のレセプションから帰ってきて、これから荷物詰め。えーと、ゴム草履、ベッドシーツ、懐中電灯等を探してこなければ。

Super busy week, I am off to my first very field mission for five days. It will be the first time even to go outside of the ktm, so I am very excited. I have to start packing now.... bedsheet, torch, flip-flop and some snacks to eat also not to forget some medications....

I will try to take some photos there. Stay tuned for pictures from my trip!

Spring Time

今週末は、お友達のその友人関係のポットラックパーティーで少しの遠出。畑の広がるのどかな風景が広がっていました。春の色々な花もお庭に咲き乱れていました。

パーティーも違ったジャンルのおもしろい人達で一杯で、ご飯も美味しかったし会話もとても楽しかった。私が持参したのはフルーツサラダ。本当は巻き寿司でも持って行きたかったけど、ヨガが８時半から語学のレッスンが１０時からで忙しかったので、こんなシンプルな物になってしまった。これでも早起きして果物市場に行って、ザクロやパイナップル、ぶどうなどを物色してきたのです。

今日の日曜はまた現地語のクラスに行き、街に出て日本語の小説を購入し、イタリアンレストランで一人で巨大ピザを食した。今週は忙しくなりそう。

Common language and new language

Hello my dear friends,

I am working hard.  

It is funny how you start talking the same language after becoming a member of a group. Of course, at work we all speak English and I am quite familiar with the language. But, there are so many technical terms and acronyms working in the UN and the health sector. When I first started a few months ago, it was very hard to keep up with meetings, as so many words that I had no ideas what they meant were flying right and left. But, I am already talking their language.   

I have been working in international development almost for four years, but it’s so different every time I change my job (and sectors, education to health, NGO to the UN etc) and the learning curb is huge.

This time there is an overwhelmingly long list of UN specific (and agency specific too. I realized when I was talking to a friend from a different UN agency) acronyms. I learned enough by now to function ok at work without referring to the acronym list. 

There are some interesting terms that are often used in the UN literature that I was not familiar with, and I am going to share them: 

“Demand creation” This is basically raising awareness in communities. It is to make people aware of their rights and issues, and available services. Even if there are many services in a community, people who do not know the services or do not realize that they have problems, will not likely to access services. There is also “supply side”that is the service delivery.

“Duty bearers” and “rights holders” Quite self-explanatory. The former usually includes police or civil servants whose job is to serve people. The latter is the people, who have rights to be for example assisted in a different situation.         

“Humanitarian” Vs “development” work. Anything not emergency or conflict situations are normal "development" work. 

"Modality" is my favorite. We use it like "funding modality". It basically means arrangement or method or some sort.  

Do they make sense to you??  

I started taking local language lessons from last week, and I am very excited. I am hoping to get to the level where I can complain to taxi drivers at least, when they try to cheat. I want to impress my visitors (if and when they come....) by showing them around in the city with a good command of the language. I love learning a new language. It always amazes me the particularities of each language and how it really reflects the culture. I will write about this some other time. 

Namaste,  

Photo: peach trees in my neighborhood. 

Being at home today

ただ今、朝の１１時過ぎ、まだパジャマでうろちょろしている。What a luxury!!　今日はこちらは、ホーリーという色のお祭りで祝日。

外からは子供の歓声が聞こえてくる。窓からは髪や顔が赤やオレンジや白に染まった若者が歩いているのが見える。見に行きたい気もするけど、外国人でしかも女性はウオーターバルーンの標的になりやすいので、おとなしく自宅待機です。現に先週から3回はバルーンを投げられ、そのうち２回は肩と首に当たり、痛いし水には濡れるしであまり楽しいお祭りではない。

最近は週末も習い事やなんやらでちょこちょこ出掛けていて、朝も７時には起きているので、今日みたいにゆっくりまったりできるのは嬉しい。朝、日本のお友達と１時間以上もスカイプ電話で話すこともできたしこの上なし。（また話そうね）

私のアパートです。ベッドルームとリビング（兼ダイニング）は日当りも良くてすごく落ち着く。手厚くおもてなしするので、早く誰か遊びに来てくれないかなー。小さいけどお客様の部屋もあるので、今はアイロン部屋と化しているけど。

日々の生活にルーティーンができてきた。１週間に１回ヨガのクラスに通って、コーラスの練習にも行っている。先週末からやっと現地語のプライベートクラスも始めた。どこまでできるようになるか分からないけど、頑張って勉強したい。目標は友達か家族が遊びに来てくれた時に、現地語を駆使して（？？）スマートに案内すること。せめてタクシー運転手に文句言うレベルまではいかないと。乞うご期待！

今日は家で大人しくして、これから久しぶりに餃子でも作ってみます。

Happy International Women's Day!!

99th celebration of the International Women's Day! Many events were organized here in KTM. I went to one that was jointly put together with the government and the UN country team. The photo is the opening musical performance. It was all in the local language, but my supervisor translated for me. Very nice and touching speeches about women's rights and struggle. This year's theme was Women and Men United to End Violence against Women and Girls. I hope this gives an opportunity for everyone (including men) to think about and recognize the gravity and relevance of the issue of violence against women, which is deeply rooted in the patriarchal society everywhere under the name of tradition and culture.   

I have been....

I just lost the translated version of the entry below.... what's happened to my mac? Why it doesn't auto-save documents?!..  

Anyway, I am going to write something a bit different then..  I haven't written an entry for a while. I think that was because I have hit the lowest point since I have come to the country. I got sick a couple of weeks ago. It was very nice that my colleagues and boss told me to take a day off and get a rest, offered some medication and called to check up on me etc. But, I still missed having a company at home when I was sick in bed. I was at the stage 1 of homesickness.  

It's been two months, and the initial excitement of being in a new city and being at the new job has slowly calmed down. I may be too tough on myself, but I don't feel I am progressing fast enough at work. 

In a way my happy bubble popped, but I am still well and happy. I am keeping busy, going to yoga, joined a choral group, still meeting new people every weekend, just went to a jazz concert etc. I took a colleague of mine out to belatedly celebrate her birth day to a Japanese restaurant where I both loved the food and decor! 

March started today. I wanted to set a new goal for the month, but I am not sure how much I achieved in the previous one. So, I will keep on the last month one and decided to create a sub-objective. That is to learn more about issues that my unit (gender) deals with other than GBV. 

The country just had an election last year, and they are rebuilding the nation based on the principles of the new democratic government. They are also in the midst of writing a new co

nstitution. My agency works on advocating for reflecting women's voices in this process. Other issues include reintegrating and rehabilitating the former anti-government army personnel (of course some of whom are women), and reconciliation for victims of the civil conflict. These seem similar yet have its distinct set of challenges. 

I am very interested in them, but do not have enough knowledge to work proactively. My colleague specifically works on these issues, but I am assigned as a focal point to work with local NGOs on all gender issues. I need to understand the topics well in order to work effectively.