Long long time since last posting...

So I realized from visiting my blog that I haven't written since July! I should definitely get on... although I probably will not be telling you in this posting the last 7-8 months!

Highlights are that we now have some new staff with IRC who have joined us. Our logistics coordinator, finance controller, and field coordinator. It has been quite a nice change, since the rest of the team has been in Congo now for the past 2-3 years. We are getting old indeed, and new faces are always nice in bringing new idea and energy to work environment!

My boss and colleague were both on holidays and have now returned... thank god! I am always so unlucky b/c unexpected issues come up every time I am asked to be in charge. It was good though working under pressure and seeing how time flies by when you keep extremely busy. To turn in the required documents on time are soooo nice!

I made sushi last week, to distress after work. Funny enough, I didn't mess up on cooking the rice. I had way too much and invited some friends for sushi and miso. Who would have thought we'd have sushi in Bukavu?!

I spent last week with the Filipinos, and as I am now thinking of leaving DRC and IRC to return to school, I really feel nostalgic about leaving friends that have become like a second family. Everyone is so caring, and I definitely feel like the little sister. They've all been so great in welcoming me to their homes and making sure that I was always supported... I'm definitely gonna miss them.

I gave the kids a test last week and boy did they do badly. It was particularly difficult but I gave them a second chance and this time most of them did better. It's nice to see how quickly the kids learn here. I just hope that some will have the opportunity to go to school abroad where more opportunities will present themselves. As a muzungu teacher though, I don't want to give them too much hope that life will change for them, because, after all, they are the future of the DRC and the ones who will become the future leaders of this country. I just hope that my commitment to them will help them realize that they have a role to play...

I'm starting to hear back from graduate schools and so far so good. I would never have thought that applying to graduate school from the DR Congo would be so hard... hello, some schools just don't understand either that I can't get them a mail letter in the next 1-2 days... I guess they just don't realize that such accessibility is not available everywhere... but anyways, it's over now and we'll just wait and see the next few weeks.

I talked to my baby niece and nephew last week and I miss them soooo much. They are adorable on the phone and I love how Elika says my name. It really helps to go forward here, especially as I am so far away. But, I have to admit that life is going much quicker as I am now getting used to Bukavu and to the work load. I am so grateful for the opportunity of having worked with IRC and the many responsibilities that have helped me to grow both personnally and professionally.

We marched on Saturday for women's day, and it was sooo cool to see men being involved out of their own initiative. Last year, I helped to encourage it, but this year, I decided not to help out in the planning so that I could see how my coworkers could take their own initiatives and find sustainability in their own advocacy initiatives. It was quite as amazing to walk with over 50,000 women, and to see the energy that the women and men brought to this day. With lots of discussions and debates with coworkers and other bystanders on women's rights, I have hope that there will be change in this country... although I always ask them to reflect on their own situation and to ask themselves whether they are really standing by the values that they advocate... as we discussed, change starts at home...