IN FLIGHT

So, the last few hours were a little hectic and filled with travel. I was dropped off at the Amherst Center at 8:30a.m this morning (2/17/2011), where I sipped a cup of coffee at Amherst Coffee, but the last several hours have been spent transferring from the bus to the subway to the AirTrain, before finally disembarking at Terminal 7.

I've just had a nice club sandwich at Starbucks and am a bit groggy from the Sam Adams pint I nursed a few hours ago. I think I might nap a few minutes at my gate before my flight boards. The time now reads 8:56p.m and I still have about an hour and a half to ward off before I am in flight.

There was a bit of hesitation on the part of the British Airways ticketing agent about my flight in light of the Homeland Security rules, but after much explaining and some verification of my documents and my placement with Lusaka, I was allowed through and am now swettled in at the airport. Airports - where I feel I am living now after two weeks of going in and out of them.

The long process of waiting for a placement is finally over. It was worth it for this opportunity. 

ONE MORE DAY FORWARD

Today is Tuesday. One more day towards my departure on Thursday, February 17th for Zambia. I received word from my advisor that I will be placed in the Chipata District instead to help strengthen municipal planning and to assist the planners working there. Meanwhile, I am gradually moving towards completion of my preparation, including temporarily suspending my cell phone service until August, at minimum. Tomorrow will involve more packing and  errands-running to facilitate my transition to the Chipata District.

Here is an update on my fundraising activity. I finally checked my company e-mail and found a message there from Byron Koh, who informed me that he is sending a $50 contribution to CUSO-VSO. The amount helped me to break the $400 threshold, bringing my grand total raised to $435. Thank you, Byron. I am as always grateful for any help.

SKWID Training

I just returned mid-week last week from the very intense, very fast paced SKWID training required of all CUSO-VSO volunteer newbies, otherwise known as the Skills for Working in International Development or Preparing for Change training in Ottawa, Canada. I must say, my brain is still processing all of the information and skills we practiced using role plays. The two trainers covered a LOT of different topics related to interpersonal skills, living in a different culture, and learning to manage emotions in the context of different surroundings. To belabor an obvious goal, the training forced us to imagine ourselves in different scenarios while in volunteering in our respective placements.

We ate well, became better acquainted, and fretted over our personal worries. We came from different parts of North America and Europe and are also headed to different parts of the globe. One volunteer, in fact, flew directly to Mongolia immediately after our five day training; she arrived safely.

But, now, I'm back in Sunderland, preparing my documents for entry into Zambia and planning my luggage. Pretty soon, you'll be reading more details about my work there.

Remember, you can still sponsor me with your $10 donation. The best way to do that at this point would be to visit MY FUNDRAISING PAGE on this blog site and give using your credit card.