Sunday, Day 22: Singing in the Monsoon

Another morning working at cafes... can I just say how much I miss having a real work space. I freaking miss my office!!! I would even settle for a living space that I can work in... green walls and florescent lights are just not work conducive! I digress. I did overhear a woman in the cafe talking about Seattle.. I butted in. She joined me for breakfast. She has been here in the PeaceCorps for 3 years and is going home... tomorrow. She was raised in the Seattle area but will be going back to stay with her parents who moved to Toronto. She invited me out for her going away party tonight but I had to text back an apology given my 6:30AM curtain call tomorrow... iek! But, we are hoping to connect back in Seattle to chat more.. :) Did I mention that I enjoy making new friends? 

Sothida was out for the day at a mobile clinic with one of the SWD faculty members, reviewing their mental health services. She and Borpha are helping to recreate the mental health curriculum for the department and are using this experience to help guide their work. I may go later but, with only 1 extra van seat, we have to prioritize. I stayed back and helped assemble workshop materials and reviewed the revised agenda with Tracy who actually like this one. Minor edits and some more conversation about facilitation strategies. It has been a more difficult process than usual since I am NOT a part of the SWD and because I am working off of Tracy's insights as their primary advisor... a good learning experience as I move toward more work like this for other groups... sheesh...

After some other work stuff on Thyroth's research project we met up for dinner. Sarah joined us - she is a 22ish, very sweet MSW student of Mara's from Tazmania who starts work tomorrow for an NGO working with women affected by sex trafficing as part of her practicum. She's here for 3 months and lives just around the corner so I think we'll be seeing quite a bit more of her. Also, she's alone here so she's excited to have a gaggle to attach to. And.. her hotel has a pool... :) After dinner we took a little walk and stopped into the french bakery for mouse - Mike... they have fresh ravioli! Come eat with me (cook for me)! Back home I met up with Sothida to go through retreat agenda changes. I stuck around looking for unlock codes for my Blackberry - my phone is on its last let (cheap second hand...) and I think I am just going to make it easier to use my real device around the world. Why put such a pretty thing in storage?! I can hear Robin in my head right now... :) So... it's bedtime again. I just want you to be warned though... Sothida loves my singing... and requests that I stick around in their room and sing... and that I sing them lullabies to sleep. With all of this positive reinforcement, I can't promise that I won't come home even more song-filled than before. I think I mentioned how hard it has been to go without the outlet anyway... you might get the full force when I'm home. Anyway up for starting a band? Maybe I join choir again?!


Street shot near home...