Off to Japan

Off to Japan today with an early afternoon flight. I got up at 6 to finish some pending work....

I will upload photos once I come back!!

Count down to JPN

Can't wait, but I don't know how& where to tackle the huge pile of work (which even more accumulated while I was sick in bed the last 2 days...).

Gourmet from the field

Chow-mein- fried noodle, I eat this a lot when I go on a mission, if available, for a change from dal-vaat. Safer option usually for hygiene and taste. This one was quite good.

Breakfast served at the training. Bean curry, Puri (deep fried chapati) and geli (deep fried donut type thing dipped in syrup) Yes pretty greasy to eat first thing in a morning..

Normally I have a series of super sweet cha (tea) everywhere I go. Sometimes, it's milk tea, other time lemon or ginger but ALWAYS lots of sugar!! It gets too much after a few cups, but I at least have sips to be polite.

Again

I am writing this as I wait for my room service dinner. This sounds like I am staying in a five star hotel but actually not. This is the high life of a UN worker.

I just made my bed by piling a comforter on a rock hard bed and putting my own bed sheet on a questionable surface. I have two mosquito killing devices running simultaneously plus my own effort to eliminate as many as possible to ensure good night sleep. The bathroom is very simple and got no sink.... (at least it doesn't stink this time) Yes, I am on another filed mission.

We finished a very time-consuming and energy-sucking campaign launch and a visit of celebrity yesterday, and then I was off to another field visit this morning. The district where I am visiting this time is quite far from the airport. It is about 30 mins flight from KTM and then more than 4 hour drive to the final destination. I am here to monitor and observe GBV training, which is one of my projects. The training is all in local language, but I feel it is important to come, show support and try to understand the programme and have as much inputs as possible.

The NGO who is implementing this project has a shelter in this area. I went to visit them this evening after the workshop. I went to another shelter last week on a different field mission, but every time I am so horrified to hear about the plight that women go through. Torture, rape, domestic violence, trafficking, the list goes on..... Some stories are just not easily digestable. I have to remind myself that this is the reason why I am doing this work. It is so easy to get carried away in a day to day work, going from meeting to meeting and reading plicy documents etc...

Gatta go now. My fried rice and mineral water have come!!

(I can access Internet thanks to satellite connection. Technology!!! This is so cool.)

セレブの要人来る

最近仕事がてんてこ舞いなのはこのせい。たった数日の滞在なのに、かなりの準備を要し、週末も返上。私ともっと大変な広報担当の同僚はへとへとです。これに加えて、この国の首相を交えたGBVのキャンペーンまですることになり、その他の通常の仕事も遅れがち。先週の出張もこの為のリハーサルでした。また報告します。

Turned 33!!

I have turned 33 on September 1st! It was a super busy day at work but I made it to a dinner party at a nearby restaurant.

Many of my friends and colleagues came to celebrate my birthday and I got many presents. I had a huge lemon cake as a birthday care (which I shared with others off course.)

I got a "happy birthday" phone call from Canada. One of my colleagues at work brought a big bouquet to the office. The day after my birthday I had to go on a 2 day field mission (which I will write about). I came back to the office yesterday and found more flowers (thank you so very much, Martin for this!!). I haven't had chance to write back to everyone, but thank you all for very nice birthday wishes. I am away from home(s) but so lucky to have met many nice people here and even more fortunate that I have people who care about me a lot even though I am so far far away from them. I am sending lots of love.