Sunshine after the rain

16 September 2007

Lazy lazy day today... Actually I did nothing. I woke up at around 10.30, then had a breakfast, then a shower, went for shopping, cooked - I expected Audi for today lunch. We agreed that if I create a Hungarian lunch for him some day, he'll cook for me next time. This was my first try to cook Hungarian food since I've been in Kenya. I was hoping I'd had internet today, so that I can find some cool reciepe, but I didn't have, so I decided to try chicken with pepper (paprikascsirke) and chicken soup. I have to say I had serious challenges with my kitchen stuff - I don't even have a good knife (for some reason Younis took it when she cleaned the house a few weeks ago), but finally I created something that reminds me to chicken with pepper. The soup was also kinda good.
The only matter came when Patrick, the guard told us: Kent definitely doesn't want any visitor while he's away (he's out of town for about a week) and I couldn't even reach him on the phone... So I had to eat alone.

Silvi also has been out for this weekend, she's in Kisumu with LC UoN, on a team building, coming back tonight.

I had a strange rythm for work this week. On the first few days I felt I was totally inefficient. I had a clue what I was supposed to do, but somehow I couldn't step from task 1 to task 2, I couldn't finish anything I had started. Then, I don't know what happened, but all of a sudden I became extremely productive, I never experienced this before. And at the same time I think I've got to a very important point: I have now a 100% sure picture on what is my role as an MCVP (Member Committee Vice-President). Of course theoretically I knew it since I was applying for the position, but now I got a much deeper understanding. And I think from this point I'll be much more efficient, now I know that I can reach all the goals that I have.

For some reason, even my VPs (Local Committee Vice-Presidents on my portfolio) have started to communicate with me, REGULARLY!!! I consider it as a magic, I'm truly surprised, and I'm extremely happy. 4 out of 9 were there at the team meeting on Sato, and those ones who couldn't come want to meet me personally next week. So finally I have a feeling that everyone will know what has to be done. This gives me an extra motivation to go on as well.

Otherwise nothing much has happened these days. Everything is going on its normal way, my MC team is working hard, all of us are very busy. Tho it's usually only me whose daily work ties me to the office, to my laptop, and sometimes it's getting to be a bit boring. Now I know the daily rythm of everyone - who's coming to the office and when, what are the quiet hours when I can work very well, what are the crazy times when there are many people making noise at the same time... I have to find some ways to make my laptop-job a bit more exciting - going to different places to work, or getting some more ground work and meetings... I don't know yet, but I'll find it out. Cos what I'm doing, that interesting, but sitting in the office all day - not that much.

During the last 2 weeks, since we've got back from IC, I'm in a kinda "learning period". After a serious identity clash with myself and a deep cultural shock I'm getting to a point of understanding myself, and also understanding the Kenyan way around me. I was wondering a lot before - why I was doing things or reacted on situations in the way I had never done before, and I have had to take a lot of time and honesty to be able to answer these questions. Now I feel I'm getting back to the "basic me".And for understanding the Kenyan way, I have had very good teachers - my MC team, Kevin and Audi. Especially Kevin and Audi has taken a lot of time recently to explain me everything in details: what is happening around me and why. Customs, habits, way of thinking, reactions... all that I haven't understood before. Small things that move the world round and round here, and you don't necessarily discover them, only the consequences of not seeing and understanding them. Cultural differences, that cannot be written down and understood from books.

Audi has started to call Juliet "mzungu" - I was quarrelling a lot with him abound this, cos its me the one and only mzungu in the MC office, how Juliet could be that??? Then he finally explained, he considers me as Kenyan, not as mzungu. I think in this sense mzungu means something like "blond" in the Hungarian jokes.

Looking forward to the next week. I'm ready to see some results of my work done so far. And I'm ready to see some sunshine after a whole week of rain. Rainmakers, that's a request!