YEAH~

My leave was approved!! I will be leaving for Japan on 24th of September and will stay there until Oct. 5. I am so looking forward to it and already started counting down. I have not been back almost for a year, so it is about time.

My family has already planned a short trip to an island where we can enjoy Onsen (hot spring) and seafood which I am quite deprived of here...

Today and tomorrow I am in a workshop on a financial issue with my colleagues and implementing partners. I am recognizing more and more the importance of knowing financial issues as they are inseparable from the programme side. Numbers and math are definitely not my strength, but I have to try to learn as much as I can.

Monsoon Pic

My favorite motif- leaves, taken at a resort on a weekend getaway

Color Palette

また買い物三昧。週末はクルタスツワールというサリーよりお手軽に着られるこちらの民族衣装みたいなものの布を買いに出掛けました。

布好きの私としては見てるだけで楽しくて。これで何を作ろうとか考えるの楽しみである。クルタはなかなか、これっと思える物がなかったのだけど、最期に色合いもどぎつくもなく刺繍も可愛い布のセットが見つかり、早速テーラーで注文してきた。２着違うデザインでお願いしてきたのでどんな風になるのか興味深い。１０日後に出来上がるらしい。あとはグレーの絹の布を買って、これは私のお気に入りのシルクシャツをコピーしてもらおうと思っている。そしてちょっと変った模様のコットンの生地を見つけて、これは３姉妹用にお揃いで”あるもの”に作ってもらうことにした。

出来上がりが楽しみだなー。できたら写真アップします。

Three poisons

I took Monday off and I just rested at home. I was not particularly sick, but I was both physically and emotionally exhausted. I took time to think about what was wrong with my life and what I needed to change. I can't change people around me and I can't change my workload. The only thing that I have more or less control over is myself. So, I needed making cognitive changes.

I have read almost a year ago somewhere about eliminating three poisons from your life, anger, jealousy and complaining (if I try to translate it in English). It is impossible to eliminate these negative feelings completely. But I think negativity calls for more negativity. Being conscious of these things will make you think constructively. So, I decided to follow this for a while (at least attempt to do so) and see if this will lessen my stress level and I could feel better. I will test if this approach is better than having a bitching session with friends and letting off steam.

If there are some somewhat upsetting things, I take a deep breath and tell myself to calm down. I am not sure how long I will last, but let's see! This is sort of an experiment.

By the way, I have booked my flight to Japan to the end of September!! Maybe this was the reason to feel better...... I am so happy!!! I normally don't get homesick much, but once I get the idea (of possibility of going home) there is no turning back. Today I looked at the calendar so many times just thinking about my trip home. あー日本に帰るの楽しみ。これで後２ヶ月は仕事が大変でも乗り切れそうかな。

Monsoon and food shortage

雨が特別好きな訳でもないし、洗濯物も乾かないし雨期は鬱陶しい季節。でも、今年はモンスーンの遅れで田植えがなかなかできなくて、この国の８０パーセントの人口が生活の糧にしている農業、特に米作への影響が懸念されていた。でもここ１週間で急に雨が降り出して、ホッとした。これで食料危機を間逃れれば良いのだが。（地域によっては慢性的な食料不足で、最近は食料の価格もかなり高騰している。）

View from the flight/ frustration

This was the view from the plane on the way back from my field mission. Please take a close look and see the mountain range behind the cloud. Absolutely beautiful.

My trip was not as picture perfect as this unfortunately this time. Our session in the workshop was cut short with a very short notice due to the potential road blockage. Participants seemed a bit restless on the third day of the training. There was no sufficient time to go over all the materials that we have prepared in our curriculum. It left me (and my colleagues too I hope) a sense of frustration, that we were not able to impart knowledge to the participants. But, I will keep this as a lesson learnt for future planning. This road block/ strike is a weekly or daily occurrence in this country. It is called "bandha" literally meaning closing. Everything has to come to halt when this is happening. No vehicles are allowed and shops are prohibited from opening. It is really slowing down the productivity of this country, and it is unfortunate.

I realized that I have been increasingly feeling tired physically and mentally and bogged down lately. I am becoming more easily irritable, which is not my usual self (at least that what I like to believe). This is really not healthy. I will try to do more exercise and manage my stress. I need a better strategy to deal with the issue. I previously thought I was quite good at handling difficult situations, but it is coming down hard this time. I feel that I need a rather major change in my life or ways of thinking, which I have not figured out yet.

最近は特に疲れが溜まっていて、仕事中でもイライラしたり急に倦怠感におそわれたりする。仕事がストレスフルで、遅々として進まないプロジェクトや職場での人間関係でうんざりすることも多くなってきた。半年以上経って、ある意味の中だるみなのか、今までのストレスが蓄積されてきたのか、どちらにしてもどうにかしないとと思う。昨日はアーエルベーダのマッサージに行って、少しは癒された。もっと生活の中や仕事への考え方で何かを変えないといけないなと思うけど、それはまだ模索中。

Monsoon Fashion File

Equipped with rain boots and a raincoat (newly purchased at Mujirushi in NY for 10$, ah! I love Muji) I get many funny stares but I don't care!

これで雨期の通勤もへっちゃら。

Jewelry Party

I hosted a small jewelry viewing party this weekend. A friend of mine, jewelry designer may be leaving the country and she is trying to sell her stocks. I invited some friends over to my place, and I prepared wine and cheese with some snacks, like fruit salad and chirashi sushi.

のんびりお友達と話したり、色んなアクセサリーを試したり。私はストレスや負の感情を遠ざける効用のあるというシトリンという黄色の天然石を使ったネックレスとカーネリアンというオレンジの石と淡水パールの混じったネックレスを購入。今度日本に帰国した際、妹が気に入ったらプレゼントしようと思ってる。それにしても、綺麗なものは見てるだけで楽しい！

These jewelries are made with a principal of fair trade. The designer works with people who set their own prices to charge, so the prices may a bit higher but good to know that the people are getting a fair salaries for their work.

It was so nice to have people over at my apt. I have a large living room, but it's hardly used.

*******************************************************************************

NYから帰ってきてから仕事のリズムがなかなか掴めなくて、それでまた前の忙しさに逆戻り。今はどうしたら自分のストレスをマネージできるか、バランスの良い生活そして残業をなるべくしないことを考えて仕事をしている。仕事は楽しいし、毎日学ぶことは多い。でも、仕事はしてもしても終わらないし、一生懸命に走っているのに前に進まない、まるでケージの中の車輪（名前？？）の中で走っているハムスターみたい。

今週は１泊２日で初めて東の方の街にワークショップで出張してきます。前回と同じ、緊急援助の研修のサポートです。

My NY Trip in a nutshell

I am writing this as I am leaving NY for Doha (transit there to the final destination). My two weeks in NY was excellent. It was great both professionally and personally.

The training was very good. It was basically a series of presentations from different branches and units from the headquarters. I got to learn a lot on important issues that the agency is working on. The course also included sessions on career management. I am normally swamped in the day to day busy work, but meeting senior people, especially the executive director (whom my boss in Nepal says one of the main reasons to work for this agency) and hearing strategic issues where we work, made me feel part of the organization and feel proud of the work we do. I know that the UN is far from perfect and often under much criticism for being bureaucratic and not effective. However, it is such a privilege to work for very important mandates, such as reducing maternal mortality, reducing poverty and empowering women. We had a short visit to the UN secretariat building (our HQ is not in there). It was funny that the last time I came was right after the job interview not knowing if I would ever get to work for the UN. This time I am officially their employee. There was an organized lunch at something called “delegates lounge” where all diplomats and other important people dine in the UN building. The food was indeed fantastic (and pricy off course) and I had a glimpse of the secretary general, Mr. Ban Ki Moon!!

Besides being overloaded with new information through the induction sessions, we were also given opportunities to network with the people at the HQ. I had several meetings with the technical people who are working in the areas where I am working. I had a really good time hanging out with my colleagues from other countries, as well.

On the personal level, it was fantastic. I ended up watching another musical, Lion King!!!, which was absolutely amazing. The best part was that my friend Helen made a very spontaneous decision to come to visit me in NY. We had 3 days together. And get this, I took THE VERY FIRST LEAVE DAYS (days) since the start of my posting. We had girlie outings, put on a cute summer dress and went to Soho, shopped, had the best ever french toast, had our nails done, walked around in the Central Park.

My waist line has expanded by crossing more cravings that I had: bagels, smoke salmon, pad thai, sushi, crepes, gelato etc etc.

Back in my duty station

大変ご無沙汰しています。NYから帰ってきて、時差ぼけのボーっとした頭で３日間の中間評価会議を終えました。それで今週はどこから手をつけていいのかおろおろしながらも、３週間で溜まった仕事と新しく増えた仕事をこなしております。今月はなるべく残業しないように決めた！

NYについてのエントリーと写真はまた時間のある時に載せるつもり。取りあえず元気ですので、御心配なく。

From the UN tour

We (at least I) live in the world of contradiction sometimes. I think about world poverty and go shop in NY and have a fancy dinner.....

Shopaholic goes to NY

3rd day in brilliant New York City!! Over the weekend, I rediscovered the consumer culture :)

I have already:

• Had a haircut
• Manicure and pedicure done
• Shopped in Soho (yes off course, I did not buy much the past 6 months, so it was all unleashed)
• Watched a musical (Phantom of the Opera)
• Crossed off a few items on my craving list (crispy fried noodles in Chinatown, cheesecake in Nolita and seafood tomato sauce pasta)
  

It’s just great walking around Manhattan enjoying the city. I couldn’t stop smiling. I love NY!! I rented a small apartment on the 49th Street, and it is very comfortable. It’s equipped with a small kitchen, internet etc. I have been making a daily visit to a nearby supermarket. I am totally happy living in my duty station country, but I realized that I forgot how nice it is to live in this kind of environment having access to everything. Streets look orderly, water is drinkable from the tap, always electricity is available, food in supermarkets are clean and shiny. Besides, NY has everything. I went to a Japanese bookstore and a Japanese grocery store, so you can imagine that my suitcase will be at least double the weight compared to when I came ;)

The 1st day of the training was fine. I met with colleagues from all over the world and I am looking forward to getting to know them better over the next 10 days. Tomorrow, some kind of a group activity/outing is planned in the evening, so that will be fun.

Just having the whole weekend to myself without thinking about the job, I already feel much rejuvenated. My supervisor (1 of them) who is on a same training saw me this morning and said “you look so refreshed!”

Packing for another trip

I had a blast during the last week on a field mission. I had fun with my local staff colleagues. After the workshop everyday, we went for a walk and ate roasted corns on a street. On the last day, some of my colleagues went to a small town on the other side of the border to shop. Since, I didn't have my passport and visa to enter the country, one of my colleagues took me to bed sheets shopping (!). We went to a little textile shop and a shop keeper showed us a whole bunch of different materials, and then I picked two kinds and they sawed them into bedsheets and pillow covers on the spot. We waited about an hour, and we bought more materials to make shirts and traditional outfits, which came all to be just about 30$ CAD! I was on a rickshaw for the first time, and it was very nice!!

Anyhow, of course work piled up while I was in the field, and this week was just crazy. This is the tough part about field trips I find. I come back feeling great and motivated and go back to the office reality of deadlines, reviewing reports and a series of sometimes tense meetings. 

I am packing for my next trip, which is... yes! to NY! I will be away for 2 weeks, and I will try to write some entries from there.   明日の夕方出発です。いってきます！

Another Field Trip また出張です。

I am off to my another field mission on Monday. Seems like I am on a field trip once a month these days. Only this time I will be stationary in one city (probably one of the hottest…), as I am coordinating a workshop (protection of vulnerable people in emergency situations) for four days. It is a joint training with two other UN agencies and one national NGO. My colleague who is normally in charge of the humanitarian work is on leave, so I am pitching in, as I am a GBV focal person, which is one of the major components of protection. I have been working on a budget, checking participants list, reviewing the materials and following up with trainers. All the senior managers are super busy and unavailable, so I am going on my own with the secretary of my unit. Wish me good luck that this will go smoothly.  

This week I was having lunch with one of my bosses at the office. She said she was told when she started with the organization that it will never slow down. I was initially told almost to re-consider coming and starting the job in December, because it would be very busy. But, since then I have been waiting for some kind of down time, which has not really come…

I wrote the other day about how clueless I am about the emergency work, but since then I completed a short online course, and I am trying my best to learn and I am a tiny bit more comfortable. I think the opportunity to sit through this training (for government counterparts) will be another good learning.

I will report on it when I come back! 

5 months and little burnt out

Time flies. It's been already five months since I started.. 

I realized that I have not even taken one leave day since I started. I have taken only 2 sick days so far. It's about time that I take some time off. I may be becoming workaholic, and I quite literally feel scared about the amount of work that will pile up when I am not at the office.    

I feel burnt out this week, and the motivation level has been a bit on a lower side. On top of the two kinds of work that I do, I have been assigned to do some humanitarian work recently. This, I am a complete beginner. I have neither worked in nor studied this topic, so I have to admit that I feel lost sometimes. The positive side is that it is a great learning opportunity. 

I will be going to NY for training in June, so I hope this will be refreshing and rejuvenating. I have to re-charge with some musicals and NY cheesecake :) and shopping of course!

Well, I wanted to update this and say something nice, but I feel tired today and this may not be the most positive entry...   

 

Pics from my field trip

I am just sharing some photos from my last field trip. 

The 1st one is the small mountainous town where I visited for an orientation. The 2nd one is another orientation that I attended. I blend in well? (Can you find me in the photo??). 

Out of 5 days, I probably spent 70% of time on a road and particularly a road that is not paved. I was bouncing up and down on a back seat of a car like a basket ball, and that gave me a horrible muscle ache...    But it's worth it to visit the field, meet people and enjoy landscape from different areas. 

Back in KTM

I have come back from the field mission in one piece. Although with a couple of bruises, more than a dozen of mosquito bites and the slightly off stomach. Will post some photos later. I am off to work to attack some pending tasks and reports. 

Top News

For the first time since I arrived, this country was on the top news on BBC. Between the political instability and the ongoing strike in the country, I am a bit worried to leave on a filed mission tomorrow. I had a security clearance, but it would be a rocky trip. Please keep your fingers crossed that I will not be stranded somewhere in the field... I will be flying with two cartons each weighs 20 kilos (stack of questionnaires!)  Adventure... Sigh.....     

買い物とその他諸々

最近毎日、日中は３０度を超す暑さ。

涼しいお洋服が欲しいなーと思って、久しぶりに買い物に行った。インドのブランドのお店が近所にあってチュニックを２着購入。緑のはかなり長くて、膝くらいまである。パンツと合わせても可愛いのだけど私はワンピースに作り替えられないかな（スリットを縫う？）と思っている。もしすべてのチュニックがワンピースに作り替えられるのなら、この国は正にワンピース天国！（？）また布を買って色々作ったりもしたいな。

I am going on another field mission next week for 4 days. This time it is to monitor the activities that I am responsible for. I am going to a new district where our agency hasn't worked before, so it is hard to know what to expect. It is one of the remote areas, and it is about 5 hour drive from an airport. I will be mostly in an orientation all day, but I will take some photos and report to you!! 

May is expected to be another very busy month. 

I am growing.

Doing OK

Thank you very much for those who sent me a message. I have gotten better and feeling how important health is...  I will try to have a good balance and not over work myself.    

Sick in Bed

先週から体調不良。水曜日に半休取ったにも関わらず、金曜日にしんどさが増してきてまた午後から帰らせてもらった。発熱とお腹の不調で、どっかからばい菌をもらってきたのだろう。国連のクリニックでもらったお薬を飲んで金曜、土曜と寝ていて、今日も一日中家にいる。ここ１ヶ月半ほど急に忙しくなったので、疲れが溜まっていたのかな？インド人の友人にこう言われた。国連職員は税金払わなくて良いけど体から徴収されているようなものだからね〜と。彼女は以前５年ほど私と機関は違うが国連に勤務していた。

今週末は滞っている仕事をやっつけるつもりだったのに、オフィスに行く元気もない。でも寝ていてもあーこれもやらなきゃあれも、と頭に浮かんで来て、病気の自分が恨めしくなってくる。ストレス溜めているつもりもなかったし、体調管理しているつもりでも、特に途上国の生活ではこういうことがあるのは仕方ないとは思う。

一人で寝ていると、病気の時、世の中の一人暮らしの女性はどうしているのかなーとか考えてしまう。しんどくても起きて、ちゃんと自分用のお粥とか“消化も良くて滋養の良い物”を作っているのだろうか。それとも私みたいに、ゴソゴソとポカリスエットだけ作って、あとはいい加減にインスタントのカップスープを飲んだりしているのだろうか。日本食が恋しいと切実に普段は思わないけど、こういう時は、甘辛く煮たお揚げと加ト吉の冷凍讃岐うどん（どちらもここにはない）だったら食べるのにとか不毛なことを思っている。

色々な友達に病院に連れて行ってあげようかとか、必要な物があったら持っていくよと言ってもらえたのはとても有り難い。

どうか今日もう一晩寝たら、元気になってまた明日から仕事頑張れますように。

小さな幸せ

I was not well and I took a half day off yesterday. I have a huge pile of work and deadlines, so I had to drag my body to work today. This morning I found my Japanese herb seeds (mitsuba) finally sprouted after almost 2 weeks! I was just so happy to see it and I felt less sick. A friend of mine gave me some seeds that her friend smu*gled (!) into the country. Little thing like this really makes my day, and I had a big smile on my face.      

Chiaa khaanu vayo?

This mean "Did you have tea?". This is basically a casual greeting in this country, so you are not supposed to take it literally. It shows how much tea "chaa" they drink here. 

I am continuing the local language class. It's every saturday morning from 10-12 right after my yoga class. Initially, I thought this schedule is too much as I don't get much rest. But, it actually helps that these activities really get my mind off work and I can relax the rest of the day. I even went for a shoulder and head massage after the class yesterday!  

I am increasing the class to twice a week from this week to accelerate my learning. "N" language structure is similar to Japanese. It's so interesting. I got used to learning language from English so it is quite a switch in my brain. For example, "what is your name?" becomes "your name what is?" just like how japanese will be "あなたの名前は何ですか？”．I find this fascinating. 

Now, I can give directions to taxi drivers (go straight, stop here etc...) and I even started taking a micro (mini-bus) occasionally because I can ask "Are you going to ~~?" to a conductor, and I feel more comfortable. I tried to shop at vendors in the local language and ask how much? but unfortunately this language is worse than French when it comes to counting, I wouldn't understand the price of things. It's all different all the way until ....?  So far, I only know up to 12 and 32. 

This weekend:

• Ironed my summer clothes (already summer here) 
• Went to a french restaurant with a friend for dinner      
  
• Went to the office sunday afternoon (finally completed an online course which was due a week ago.. then bumped into my boss and asked to do some work) 
• Late quick lunch at a Singaporean cafe and took out a raspberry cheesecake!  
• And calling an early night to get ready for yet another expected-to-be-busy week!!

あーあ週末はあっと言う間に終わってしまう。また明日から頑張ろうっと。

ただ今時刻１２時

なんか学生時代思い出すなあ。遅くまで起きて課題（というか今は仕事ですが）やっていると。ブログなんて書いてないで早く終わらせて寝なきゃねー。仕事が溜まっているのに明日も一日研修。

Happy New Year 2066!

2066?? yes, according to the local calendar! Tomorrow is a national holiday, and the UN is off too. I really should be doing some work, but I am going on an excursion with a friend. We already had a pre new year party on Friday for the office, and I got a new torchlight and umbrella as a gift. 

なんとか無事終了

昨日の会議というかオリエンテーションだったのだが何とか無事に終わった。あさの１０時から夕方６時までで、そのほとんどが現地語！地方の郡の現地団体にコーディネータ向けのオリエンテーションなので英語があまりできない人が多いみたいだった。私の上司が最初は来てくれて、挨拶して私を紹介してくれたのだけど、直ぐに帰ってしまった。最期までいてくれると思ったのに。結局、ナショナルNGOのうちの一人が通訳してくれたり、進行役の人が大事なところだけ説明してくれた。なんといっても、これはうちの機関がお金を出して、国内の12の郡で行うジェンダーに基づく暴力関係のサービス機関や団体の有無を調べるので、予算は少ないけど大掛かりなプロジェクト。担当できるのは嬉しいけど、まだ新米の私だけが全般に責任を持ってマネージするというので正直大丈夫なのか気がかりである。精一杯頑張るけどもちろん！私もプレゼンをして、（電気がない日でパワーポイントが使えなかったのでローテクの大判用紙）うちの機関の活動内容やGBVのことについて発表した。

上の写真はお昼に出たお弁当。菜食の人にはチキンの代わりにパニールチーズのフライ入り、他は野菜の餃子やサンドイッチなんかでバナナがデザート。会議中には激甘なミルクティを出してくれます。

何とか話し合うべきことは話し合い、Next stepもはっきりしたので来週はこれをフォローアップ。この活動のモニタリングでまたフィールド出張に行くことにもなりそうです。

Busy Busy Busy

This is by far the busiest job that I ever had. Everyday, I work 10 or 11 hours and I still feel like nothing gets done! My days consist of attending meetings, reviewing documents and coordination (responding to emails and making phone calls).  A pencil (which I have not used since the elementary school) has never come so handy. Meetings get rescheduled left and right as everyone's schedule is conflicting with one another. Every week, I have to erase and rewrite the schedule. It's crazy! 

I am not complaining about the job. I still really enjoy what I do, but working long hours can really tire you out. Well, I have to suck it up and just do it.  

Tomorrow is a big day. I just pray that everything goes well. I am going to bed early tonight. Just can't wait for the weekend to start!!!    

私の上司が国内出張のお土産で私ともう一人の同僚にそれぞれネックレスをくれました。私のはトルコ石とラピスの早速次の日から使わせて頂きました。

Something beautiful

My usual saturday starting with yoga, and then language class. I spent a whole afternoon at my friend's friend (who is now my friend?) who is a jewelry designer. Me and a few ladies tried out different necklaces and earrings and seriously serioulsy discussed what colors and styles suit each of us over a glass of exotic fruit juice. I picked out these two: one is soft water pearls and other is green Afghan jade (i think) the silver beads have cute patterns on them (you may be able to see on the photo). What a beautiful afternoon surrounded with beautiful pieces of jewelries!!     

Crazy busy あーいそがし

Really crazy busy as last week. My boss (one of them) came back from leave, and it is nice to have the full team for the gender unit. 

I think I got so used to the laid-back work style in Canada, and it is a real adjustment to work 10 or 11 hour work days. I have been coming home like a zombi recently. 

Yesterday, I completed my work plan on which I will be evaluated mid and end of year. This made it little more clear on my responsibilities and roles. It may seem silly after being at this job for three months I am still "figuring out" my job. There are lots of things even within a small unit and it is also an adjustment for my colleagues to have a new person come and join. In this process of work planning, I was able to express my interest or negotiate areas of contribution to a certain extent and confirm what I have been working on. This turned out to be a positive exercise. 

My activities are starting slowly. I have been meeting with NGO partners to design a project. It is challenging to try to complete the work given the limited funding, but I hope that we can try to work it out. I am not going to set a goal for April. If I can survive this month, I will be just happy.         

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. 

Japanese restaurant and more on work....

金曜日は同僚の現地人の友達の遅ればせながらのお誕生日のお祝いに、日本食レストランに行ってきた。

大根サラダ、ひじきの煮物、揚げ出し豆腐、エビと野菜の天ぷらとお寿司の盛り合わせ。そして日本酒！オタワでもこれだけ贅沢（？）に日本食レストランで色々食べることは珍しいかも。美味しかった！

オフィスではなかなか話せない仕事のことなど話して、二人でかなり盛り上がった。在住外国人の友達も大事だけど、現地人の人と仲良くなるのはこの国を知る上でも、仕事や職場の違う観点を持つことでもとても貴重で重要。

また新しい月が今日から始まった。目標を決めたいけど、先月の目標はどこまで達成できたのか正直分からない。なので、２月の目標は取りあえず据え置きにして、小さいサブオブジェクティブを定めることにした。

それは、うちのジェンダー部門でやっているGBV以外のトピックについて勉強すること。主に女性の政治と平和構築への参加の促進。この国では去年選挙があり、現在、新しい憲法の制定が行われている。それに女性の声をどれだけ反映させるかということにもうちの機関は取り組んでいる。あとは、元々の反政府軍（もちろん女性も含む）の非軍事化とインテグレーション。そして、内戦中に犠牲になった女性達の和解問題等。これらの問題は似て非なるもので、それぞれ難しい課題を抱えている。

私はGBVについてはある程度知識も経験もあるし、これは取っ付きやすいトピック。でも上に上げた問題はこの国特有のこともあるし、まだ主体的に関連する仕事に取り組める知識も経験もない。今年度の事業の計画は終わり、これから様々な活動が始動する。私はまだ手探り状態だけど、今のところジェンダー系の現地NGOのフォーカルポイント（担当者）に任命されたので、少しづつ理解を深めていきたい。

Living in a museum

is how it feels to be in the city...


Or should I say it's more like being on a movie set? 

And you still get to taste comparable to Planet Hollywood Tex Mex.  :) 

Highlight of the week

This week, I was invited to a dinner party at the Japanese Ambassador’s residence. A very high-ranking official from the self-dense was visiting the country (they sent some personnel to monitor the post conflict peace agreement.) The Ambassador invited several UN staff along with some others.

I was very nervous. I always feel a bit self conscious around Japanese people abroad anyways (because I feel like I may not be behaving right sometimes..), but this was a real official thing. Seats were pre-arranged, and the ambassador asked each invitee to talk about the work, our views on the government etc (within 3-4 minutes to be precise). As you know, my Japanese has gotten a little rusty these days, so imagine being especially in such a formal setting. I was so afraid that I would make stupid mistakes. I couldn't taste the food until my turn was over!!

The gathering was very nice and interesting. I was very nervous, but I found it helpful to talk about my work. It almost feels like the more you talk about it, the more you understand your job (in a process of formulating what to say etc..). Besides, it is interesting that after only a few months of joining, I already feel that I am representing the agency in an informal way, when I talk about the work we do to others. 

To be frank, I did not realize how senior this guest of honor was until I went home and checked their website. (Yes, I should have researched before...) If I am in Japan, I will never have a chance to meet with such a high level person (off course not to mention dining with an ambassador!). I really appreciated the occasion. It made me think also that I am working for the (UN) agency really as Japanese this time, and this comes with a set of certain responsibilities and expectations, and I need to be mindful of that. The food was delicious and I also had some sake!! Gochosou sama deshita.

Welcome to the UN Cafeteria!

職場のお昼ご飯がすごくおいしい。うちの機関の建物の１階にカフェテリアがあってほとんど職員は皆そこで昼食を取る。メニューはほぼ毎日カレー。でも飽きない。いわゆるタリという数種類のおかずが同じお皿にのってくるもの。大体、野菜カレー（日によってジャガイモや茄子カリフラワー、肉のカレーも頼めばある）と葉っぱもの、アチャールと言われる辛いトマトベースのピックルとご飯そしてダルといわれるレンズ豆のスープ。スプーンで食べる人もいれば、手で豪快にまぜて食べる人も。週に何回かは野菜カツレツとフライドポテトや餃子（モモと呼ばれる）もあるしバーガーをチョイスできる日もある。これで値段が５０ルピーなので１００円以下。おかわり自由。月末にお勘定が支払うシステムで、紅茶やコーヒーもお願いして部屋まで持ってきてもらうこともできる。

昼食時は他の同僚とおしゃべりできるのも楽しい。うちは職員のフロアが３つもあるし、個室オフィス（一部屋二人位）で話す機会のない人もいるけど、お昼は皆一緒。いつも同じグループで固まっているというわけでもないし、ナショナルの人もローカルスタッフも結構ミングルして座っている。

My favorite time at work is off course lunch. The lunch break is between 1 and 2 in the afternoon. There is a cafeteria at work where they cook one or two kinds of dishes everyday. They keep track of what you eat and tea you order, and you get billed at the end of a month. Each meal is 50 rupees (less than $1 or 100 yen). It is so-called “Thali” style where a few kinds of curries come on a same plate. It comes with dal (lentil soup), vegetable curry of the day (meat if you like), leafy things (spinach or others that I can’t quite identify) and another spicy (normally) tomato based condiments with rice. Curries are slightly different every day. I knew I liked Indian food, but I am surprised that I have not gotten tired of it. If I don’t eat it for a few days, I find myself craving for it and it’s almost addictive. The lunch time is also fun since you can chat with your colleagues. In our office building, we are all separated in a small office of 2-3 people, so there is not much time for interaction other than during lunch. 

The cafeteria also makes dumplings called "Momo" and vegetable cutlets with French fries, which are both quite good.  

New Camera

I bought a new digital camera today, so stay tuned for photos!! 

My old one has problems with batteries, and that is why I haven't been able to post photos on this website. 

I went to a department store where there were only three options for digital cameras, and they were all sony cyber-shot! I can't even dream about Future Shop or Yodobashi Camera (japanese equivalent or better) In any case, I know nothing about this type thing, so it served me well. 

This camera didn't come with a warranty or anything, so I hope it will work at least until the time when I go to NY early summer this year (to be confirmed).    

*I translated an entry, pleas scroll down.... 

Fun Sunday

I will translate the entry later when I have time.... 

仕事頑張る宣言をしたけど、レポートを家に持って帰ってきてもほとんど開かず。ま、ワークラフバランスも大事だしね。今日は野菜市場で買ったヒラタケ？キノコの一種でキノコバーガーを夕食に作って食べたら美味しかった。

すごく楽しかった日曜日のことを忘れる前に書きたい。長くこの国に暮らすとこんなことで感激しなくなるかもしれないので。

昼前に待ち合わせてご近所さんの日本人の女性にKTM散策に連れて行ってもらった。まずは、この国では初めててのミニバス試乗（？）ガイアナやマラウイでは主要交通機関だったのにこちらに来てからはルートも分からないしタクシーでいつも移動しているので乗ったことがなかった。ショッピングモール（大した物はないのだけど何とか買っても良いかなーと思えるものは数点ある）を冷やかして、ニューロードというエリアへ。そこで地元民で行列のできるというお菓子屋さんでフルーツのスナック菓子を購入、それをつまみつつ色とりどりのサリーのお店などが並ぶ通りを見学。途中でこれまた地元の人に人気のサモサ店で揚げたてのを食べてみた。１個、多分２０円位だったと思う。衛生状態は疑問だけど、皮がサクッとしていて本当に美味しかった。その後、お目当てのビーズマーケットへ。そこはカラフルなビーズを売っている小さいお店が集まってる一角。お店のおじさんが次から次へと違う色のを出してきてくれる。色を組み合わせたりもできるし、その場ですぐ作ってくれる。私はシルバーと水色が組合わさったものを買った。値段もびっくりするほどお手頃。ここから少し歩くと今度は生活用品を売っているマーケットに突き当たる。ここでは、香辛料や真鍮や銅でできた桶やヒンズー教の道具などが売ってあり、見ているだけでも楽しいし、興味深いものばっかりだった。

その後旅行者の集まるエリアで、自然石けんとボディクリーム（この国版ボディショップみたいな感じです）とピアスを買って、遅いお昼を食べた。

すごく楽しい一日だった。お洒落なレストランで食事をするのも良いけど、せっかくこの国に来てるので、ここでしか味わえないことを見たり、食べたり、経験するのは大切だと思う。ちょっとくらいお腹壊してもね。（大丈夫だったけど）

後日談で、現地人の同僚にフレッシュジュースを飲んだ話をすると、”そんなの容器をちゃんと洗っているかも分からないのに不衛生。ジューサーを家で買って作るべきよ”と言われてしまった。ローカルの人に言われるとは思ってなかった。でもこっちのばい菌にもお腹をならしていかないとなーとも思うのですが。

２月の目標は/ Objective of the month

The objective of this month is to contribute to work little by little. The goal of January has been more or less reached, which was to build a basis of life. My apartment is all equipped now leaving just a few more things to buy, made a few nice friends, met many people. Since last week I have joined a choral class (we will have a concert in May).

To be honest, I have been feeling pressure at work recently. This is pressure that no one is creating but myself. I feel, it has been more than a month since I started, and I can’t use the excuse of “I am new” any more. I work here as an international staff, making much more money than my national colleagues, and I think about how I should make contributions to the work and to the agency. I feel I have to be so competent, shine, impress people and justify hiring an international staff. I should not compare myself with others who have been here six months or a year, but there are so much I still do not know. I feel a huge gap between my own expectation (for myself) and the reality. I want to produce "results". 

Today, there was one thing I felt happy about. My boss has asked me to produce a briefing document. It was just one-pager about the health care in the country with a particular emphasis on the status of reaching Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and some relevant statistics. It was a simple document, but this was going to be used at a meeting between the Minister of Health of the country and the Executive Director of my agency. When I thought about that, I got so excited. Something written by such a junior staff (off course my boss has instructed me and he edited after I completed it) will be in the hands of the ED. It made me realize that even though I am working in a small country office, I am still a member of this organization and my work is somewhat situated in a global system.     

I figure you cannot accomplish a lot in one day, so I should try to complete what I have everyday and make a small contribution. Realistically, how can I (especially with my own capacity..) impress people after a few months? It is important to be on my toes, but no use to pressure myself unnecessarily.   

日から２月。今日は節分だったのを家に帰ってきてからNHKのニュースで見て気が付いた。

今月の目標は仕事で少しずつ貢献できるようになること。１月の目標だった生活の基盤を作ることは、ある程度達成できたと思う。アパートも多少買わないといけない物を残して落ち着いたし、お友達と呼べるような人も数人できたし、色々な人と知り合うことができた。先週からコーラスのクラスを週１で始めて、５月の発表会に向けて練習している。またこれについては書きます。その他の習い事についても。

実は最近、自分に対する仕事の期待で少しプレッシャーを感じている。もう１ヶ月以上経ったし、来たばかりで分からないという言い訳は通用しないように思う。外国人として現地で働き、ナショナルの人に比べると高額のお給料を頂いている身で、なにをどう貢献できるのだろう、素晴らしいと思ってもらえるような働きをみせなければ、と焦りを感じてしまう。半年や１年もいる他のスタッフと自分を比べるべきではないのだろうけど、まだ分からないことが多い、でももっとバリバリと仕事をしたいという自分への期待と現実のギャップに悩まされてしまう。

今日、嬉しいことが一つあった。特別アシスタントの仕事で上司にブリーフィング文書を書くように頼まれた。それはただ１ページでこの国の保健、特にミレニアム開発目標の達成度など人口問題の統計の基本的な情報等を箇条書きでまとめた単純なもの。でもこれはうちの機関の事務局長と私の赴任国の保健省大臣との会談に使われるのだ。それを考えると、私みたいな下っ端が書いた（もちろん上司の指示のもとに書いて、彼が再度手直ししたのだが）文書が彼女の手に渡り読まれるのだと思うと恐れ多いしとても感激で　１国事務所での取るに足らないような仕事もグローバルなシステムの中に位置付けられていて、私もこの機関の１員なのだという気がした。

毎日できることは限られているので、与えられた仕事を確実にこなし少しでも貢献できればと思う。現実的によっぽどの天才でもない限り、赴任数ヶ月で皆にアッと思ってもらえるような実力を発揮するのは私のキャパシティからしても無理な話。ある程度の緊張感は必要だけど、余計なプレッシャーを自分にかけるのは止めなければ。

Two Hats

I have two hats to wear at work. My terms of reference have two parts: one to work on gender programmes and other as a special assistant to the head of the agency. So, some meetings I am wearing the gender hat and other occasions I am wearing the other hat. This gets a bit confusing at times, and I try to make sure I am aware of what role I am supposed to play in each setting.

I still do not feel that I am “working working”. Off course I have been working, but I have not been given substantial tasks to manage by myself. For the gender part, I have been involved in making the work plan for this year. Our work is roughly divided into two parts: response to gender based violence (GBV) and participation of women in nation/ peace building after the conflict. We have come up with strategies as to how we allocate our resources in these two areas. I look forward to implementing the activities that we are planning in collaboration with government agencies and national NGOs. Gender is a new unit established last year. We presented our general work plan for this year in an internal meeting this week. We were applauded for our effort, and the team members (three including myself) were very happy. I feel that we are developing a team spirit, and I really like my manager and the colleague.   

As for my other responsibility, I am also feeling my way into the role. I have never worked as a special assistant before. Even though I have a set of responsibilities written on a piece of paper, I am still not very clear how this translates to actual work. So far, I have accompanied my boss to some courtesy visits, helped writing a speech/ remark for an external event, participated in important meetings, researched some issues and compiled relevant information. This role can be challenging as you need to understand systems, procedures and other overarching issues of the agency. At the same time, it is a great opportunity to learn and gain experience. I am very grateful to have this kind of exposure. I am just very anxious to get to the point where I can contribute substantially and produce “results” for my two positions. My past 1 month and a bit flew by so fast, so I really want to make best out of the two years, which is bound to go very quickly.          

Finally connected! Yeah!

やった〜！やっとお家にネットがつながった。嬉しい、これでリアルタイムでブログの更新や、メールの返信もスカイプコールもできる。お待たせいたしました。でも、いつまた使えなくなるのではとハラハラしながらです。

元気にしています。今月の目標は生活の基盤を作ること。毎週末、家財道具を揃えたり、色々な集まりに行ったりしている。今日は仕事で行った式典（ほとんど現地語）の後にカーテンもオーダーしたし、昨日新しいクッション等も購入。アパートメント生活がすごく快適になってきた。

土曜日はカナダ人のボランティアの人（知らない人だけど）に誕生日会に飛び入りで招待してもらい、参加してきた。夜は、同僚が主催のダンスパーティー。小さいパブかクラブみたいなところを貸し切りにしての集まりだった。サルサやメレンゲもちょっと踊れたし楽しかった。最近、この国は１１時以降はすべてのビジネスを閉めないといけないという決まりになっている。１１時に門を閉めて、プライベートパーティーということにするはずだったのが、警察が案の定やってきて１１時半でお開きになってしまった。

I am finally connected! I am so happy that now I can update this site, respond to e-mails and skype call. I am still doubtful that this connection always works, but for now I will take full advantage of it. 

I am still focusing on building the "base" of my life. My apartment is almost equipped now. I just ordered a set of curtains today. I am trying to go to all social gatherings when I am invited to meet people. 

This saturday, I went to a party organized by a colleague of mine (his football team). They rented a small pub/ club type place. I am totally not "clubbing" kind of person (I am too old for that...), but I really enjoyed this time. I met some nice people and also danced salsa. There has been an imposed curfew on business in this country that restaurants and clubs have to close at 11. The plan was to close the gate at 11 and pretend to have a private party. However, as expected, police came and they broke up the party around 11:30. I guess this is part of the experience of living here.   

As for work, I am learning tons everyday. We are still working on the work plan for this year, so I am hoping that once this is finalized, I will be more clear on my responsibilities.  

January 19, 2009

This weekend I celebrated the 1-month anniversary of my new life as well as the arrival of my shipped goods.

I was ecstatic to receive my shipment as you can imagine. I had a blast opening boxes on Saturday. It was like birthday and Christmas together. I was ripping all wrapping paper like a little kid being so excited what turns out from each packet. I was literally talking to my stuff saying “hey, it’s you”, “oh hello there” and “oh I missed you” and I even kissed and hugged some (my duvet, favorite plates and many other things..) I spent half a day decorating my living room with photos and decorative things, which made my place look homey and “filled”. I am fully equipped with kitchen stuff, so I invited a friend (I made a very nice Korean girl friend at work) over for lunch for simple sandwich and salad. I also bought a fridge and a few other house items. Slowly, my life is coming together.

I am trying to meet a new person every weekend. This weekend, I had a lunch with a Japanese lady who heads a NGO here. I had a great time chatting with her and walking around in the neighborhood. She showed me one fruit store where they make freshly squeezed juice (it’s actually everywhere but I just didn’t know). I tried pomegranate (Zakuro in Japanese) and orange mix juice, which was so fresh and delicious.
One more thing I was very happy was that I was able to see the Himalayas. On a clear blue sky, it almost looks like a cloud, floating in bright blue. It is un-describable but so pretty and feels “kokoro ga arawareru” (washes your spirit- Japanese expression). It’s impressive to the extent to almost bring tears to your eyes.

Off course, there are other frustrating things, such as internet doesn’t work after the installation, now 16 hours of power cut, got sinus infection last week, got a low degree frost bite (shimoyake) on my toes (this is since I was in the elementary school!) and no one gets my direction after explaining million times etc. But, I am quite happy, trying to focus on positive sides.

I wrote that there are three things in my life in the previous entry, but there is actually one more: staying touch with people back home. In this department I am slacking. I hope the Internet will be functioning at home soon, so I will be better at communicating soon. I miss you all very much.

I will write about work soon.

Namaste….

Jan 16th 2009

My life so far is juggling mainly three things, work, personal life (apt) and trying to meet new people.

More on the power-cut
The load shedding dictates your life here. You have to plan your day around it. For example, there are some days when the electricity goes off at 8 at night. When I come home, I have to jump into a shower immediately so that I can blow-dry my hair. You have to dress really warmly to go to work. When there is no power, essentials such as lights and computers can run on a generator but not a heater. I wear my winter jacket in the office and am now contemplating to bring a blanket as well as a hot water bag. The hour is now going to be extended to 16 hours a day, so I will see how this will even further affect my life. It’s amazing though how you quickly adapt to the new way of life.
No street names
Streets here do not have names. There are only loosely defined neighborhood names. This makes it really challenging to explain where you live. I had numerous attempts to explain the location of my apartment, but combined with the language barrier, people don’t understand my directions. It feels like such an accomplishment that I had water delivered to me this weekend!!
Work
There is so much to learn at work, and my brain is saturated with information. My new big boss has arrived last week. There have been a series of meetings on reviewing 08 projects and planning 09 activities. I was assigned more specific tasks now, so I will soon be “working working”.
Quality of life is expected to improve when my shipment is delivered. It has already arrived in the country but needs to be cleared in terms of custom etc. I badly need some sweaters (I didn’t bring enough warm clothes) and kitchen stuff. I will be so happy to be “re-united” with my things!

Happy New Year and I am still alive

Hello everyone, and belatedly wishing a happy new year!

I haven't had a chance to update the site, as I have been so busy plus no access to internet at home. I moved on the new year day into the apartment. 

There is so much to say, but I am well. I hope to find time to write about my work and life very sooon!

忙しくてメールもブログもする時間がなかなかありません。取りあえず元気にしていますので、御心配なく。

Daily Blackout

I haven't had a "culture shock" moment since I arrived, but the power cut may be the first big adjustment. Now the planned blackout, what they call locally "load shedding" is 13 hours per day, and it is expected to go as long as 16 or 18 hours per day in a near future. 

My electricity experience was not nearly as bad in Malawi or Guyana. 

I walked home from work today just after 6, and it was pitch-dark. I needed a flashlight just to see what I was stepping on and also to be visible to cars, motorbikes and bicycles. As for the security.... I am not trying not to think about it (it is ok but the crime rate has gone up apparently. I am being careful). 

As a partial remedy to the "load shedding", I have installed something called an "inverter" in the new apartment. It is a device to store electricity when the power is on. Once the power is cut, a few lights and appliances can run on a huge battery (attached to the inverter) for three or four hours. Well, you always learn something new when you move to a new country :) This whole system costs about $400 Canadian, and it is by no means cheap. Only handful of wealthy local people and expats can afford it. I spent two afternoons with an electrician and the landlady to put in the system, so that I would not have to live in a total darkness.

I will see how this will work or not work after I move in a few days.  

APT

お家が決まりました！

引っ越しは１月１日（！）です。色々見た所、場所やサイズやデザイン値段と総合してなかなかこれ！と思えるところがなかったけど、適当なのが見つかった。一軒家の二階をアパートにしてあり、玄関は大家さんとは別。主寝室と客室、トイレお風呂（シャワーだけだけど）が二つとキッチン、リビングダイニングの間取り。バルコニーも大きくて、お友達に遊びに来てもらうのに丁度良い大きさだと思う。決めてはwood floorとごてごてしてない内装だった。見学した家やアパートはかなりの確率でピンクの壁で金色の縁取りが壁にしてあるなんてのがあった。おかしかったのが、お風呂場のタイルがお姫様模様（ドレスを着たお姫様の柄）というのがあった。家具はほとんど付いているけど、いくつか買わないといけない。カナダから送った荷物が届くのがすごく楽しみ☆　職場までは徒歩で２０分位でいけると思う。野外野菜市場のすぐ裏で、スーパーも近いし、タクシーもつかまえられやすい立地です。肉屋さんの前を毎日通らないといけないのが少し憂鬱だけど。（生きた鶏や他の鳥が籠に入っててヤギの顔なんかも店先においてある．．．．。）大家さんは少し年配の現地人の女性で、良い人そうです。

仕事は正直、読む物や覚えなくてはいけないことが多くて、少々プレッシャーだけど、頑張ります。取りあえずアパートが決まって良かった。

I found a place! I am moving on the January 1^st. I have looked at several places, but nothing suitable in terms of size, location, design and price. This apt is on the second floor of a house with a separate entrance from the landlady’s. It’s got a master bedroom, guest room, two bathrooms/shower, kitchen and living/dining room with a balcony. It will be a good size to have some friends over! During the course of my apt hunting, I have seen some really funny ones. In general the design is a  bit tacky, such as pink walls with a gold trimming. I also saw a couple of places where bathroom tiles had a pattern of a princess. I can’t wait to receive my shipment from Canada. It’s about 20 mins walk to work, and it’s right behind an outdoor vegetable market near a supermarket. I don’t like that I have to walk by a butcher (with live chickens in a cage and a head of goat etc…No~~) The landlady seems nice too.     

As for work, there is so much that I have to read and learn, and I am a bit overwhelmed to be honest. But, I am up for the challenge! I am staying in today to get some reading done.