Time management and deep integration process

I've just got back from Buru Buru estate, and having a hot soya drink for melting myself a bit. I think I'm through my hardest week by today.

Sometimes I have so many things in my head with what I have to do, that I even forget to write things down - this caused so many headaches for me this week. Meetings after meetings and I see myself ending up having 3 meetings at the same time - which is of course manageable, just embarassing kidogo (a little bit). And at the same time I realize at 6 pm that last time I ate was 9 in the morning, at my first meeting, having a mandazi and a coffee with someone. I seem to have serious problems with my time management - I am supposed to know how to deal with such kind of things after 3 years in AIESEC but nowadays it seems to be somehow more difficult. Fortunately I've got some good tips from my dearest mentor, Matthias, so I hope I can manage all these soon.

Btw, I've been thinking on something this week: how am I going on with my cultural shock periods, where am I now and what will come next? I think I've just started to go down on the line, though I feel to have a deeper and deeper understanding on Kenyans every day. However, sometimes I get very angry. I know now how they will react on things, but at the same time I don't always know how to get back to them. I know they are pushy when they want to reach something and I still have to learn how to say no. It's so hard sometimes.

Yesterday I had a very interesting experience. I was organizing the first Cultural Preparation Seminar of the term, for outgoing interns, with 2 amazing people, Kabura and Shammah (as organizing committee) and 4 facilitators: Iram (just returned from internship), Will (intern from Canada), Misha (former MC member in Ghana) and Bene (former intern in India). Haha, these guys entertained the delegates so much!
I wasn't there at the sessions for all along, though I had at least 30 minutes from each of them. How Kenyans see the world around... I could have a deep insight in what Kenyans think about themselves, how they see Kenya as a country, and how they see other countries, what is different, what is strange for them when they go abroad. I think it helped me a lot in understanding their way of thinking.
I wasn't there at the cultural preparation (CCLDS) in Hungary before I left for Kenya (though I was prepared quite well by Kristian and my 2 mentors), but I think it was even more useful for me. It wasn't just a cultural preparation, it was a cultural insight. My biggest thank you for the facilitators for this.
Some of the key learning points... When I arrived, I was told: Kenyans don't understand irony. I definitely don't agree. And I'm also taken back to one point time by time: Kenya is one of the most developed countries of Africa.

Today I was very angry: we had 2 meetings, both started 1 and 2 hours then we agreed on - I hate when someone wastes my time. Whatever. With Leah we agreed that today, after the meetings we would go for shopping, cos I needed a trousers or two, and I wanted to look around. Even herself, she needed some skirts. After such kind of meeting, aiehh, we almost postponed our shopping, when Juliet came up with the idea: lets go and have a lunch-dinner (who knows which was that at around 6, but without having lunch before...), at her family's home. And afterwards we can go for shopping together. Phil and Sly finally didn't come, but hehe, Leah, Juliet and me we did :-)
First we got some samosas at Kenchick in order to avoid dying of hunger, and then went to Buru Buru estate (part of Nairobi) to Juliet's home. She has such a lovely family, with a 6-year old younger bro and the sweet Mama Juliet. We had some pilau (like rizseshus in Hungary), then went for shopping for the neighbouring market. It was a fun. We found the first place for trousers, I think I've tried at least 10 pairs. They don't have different sizes of the same type, you just randomly try wether that certain one fits you or not. Finally I got a black one, and later on a skirt as well. Hehe, I realized at home, that I was quite lucky with this all, as it was already dark when we went for shopping and we hardly saw anything. It was 9 pm when I arrived back home.

And now... Oh, I think I just want to watch a movie and sleep. Next week it's Dreams Reality conference from Thursday, so sleep now or no sleep for a while, hahaha.