The guys who are working on the enormous highrise that is rising right next door to our humble apartment complex (humble only in comparison) must be very religious. How else would someone agree to work 14 stories up on a cinder block building with no hard hats, no scaffolding, and (from my vantage anyway) no straps or other protection?
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Thursday, August 8, 2013
T. I. A.
I was warned during my preparation for this trip that things are just... well... different in Africa. So when things don't go as planned, or something gets messed up, you just attribute it accordingly - TIA, This is Africa. For example, you try to take a shower in the morning in the hotel where you are staying, but there's no hot water..... TIA. Or the airport catches fire just 11 hours after you've arrived through their international arrivals hall.... TIA. A handy acronym.
Prior to arriving in Nairobi, I had subscribed to a Nairobi mums (that's moms for all you Americans) facebook group. But the people in the group seemed to be using TIA in a totally different way. One mum wrote: "My LO (little one) is sick with a weird rash. Which pediatrician do you all recommend? TIA." That certainly didn't make any sense to me. Or another posting: "I am due for my second baby in a few weeks. Does anyone have experience with VBAC that they would be willing to share. TIA." Um, something was not right. These TIAs were not the ones that I explained earlier. And then DW let me in on the little secret. TIA also means Thanks In Advance. Ooops. I got a good laugh out of that one.
But the truth is that so far (knock on wood), we haven't had too many TIA experiences. In fact, things have gone so very smoothly that I hesitate to even talk about it. For example, we arranged with the apartment broker to hand over the keys at noon yesterday. We arrived at noon and voila, he was there. And he proceeded to make sure all the electricity worked, that our gas was pumping well into our stove, that hot water was working. All the beds had fresh sheets on them (that had been freshly ironed, something I certainly do not understand.) Basically everything was as we would want them. TIA? I'll take it.
Prior to arriving in Nairobi, I had subscribed to a Nairobi mums (that's moms for all you Americans) facebook group. But the people in the group seemed to be using TIA in a totally different way. One mum wrote: "My LO (little one) is sick with a weird rash. Which pediatrician do you all recommend? TIA." That certainly didn't make any sense to me. Or another posting: "I am due for my second baby in a few weeks. Does anyone have experience with VBAC that they would be willing to share. TIA." Um, something was not right. These TIAs were not the ones that I explained earlier. And then DW let me in on the little secret. TIA also means Thanks In Advance. Ooops. I got a good laugh out of that one.
But the truth is that so far (knock on wood), we haven't had too many TIA experiences. In fact, things have gone so very smoothly that I hesitate to even talk about it. For example, we arranged with the apartment broker to hand over the keys at noon yesterday. We arrived at noon and voila, he was there. And he proceeded to make sure all the electricity worked, that our gas was pumping well into our stove, that hot water was working. All the beds had fresh sheets on them (that had been freshly ironed, something I certainly do not understand.) Basically everything was as we would want them. TIA? I'll take it.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Trust.... Not for the Faint of Heart
Today the hubbie said something that I really needed to hear, "I trust you."
A lot of the transitions around this move involve tremendous trust between partners. You have to trust your partner that he or she helped you make the right decision. You have to trust them to move your family toward goals as you both had hoped. You must trust that the other person is up for the adventure - and the hardship - as much as you are. There can be no passive aggressiveness, no manipulation, no beating around the bush. When you decide to make a life-changing decision together, trust is at the top of the necessity list.
We've had a bit of rough go of it the last few weeks. With hubbie's travel, our family celebrations in NYC, and illnesses all around, the stress levels in this house are extremely high. But the trust is there. It is our bedrock. I don't think a couple could do what we're doing without it; the relationship would tear at the weakest points.
A lot of the transitions around this move involve tremendous trust between partners. You have to trust your partner that he or she helped you make the right decision. You have to trust them to move your family toward goals as you both had hoped. You must trust that the other person is up for the adventure - and the hardship - as much as you are. There can be no passive aggressiveness, no manipulation, no beating around the bush. When you decide to make a life-changing decision together, trust is at the top of the necessity list.
We've had a bit of rough go of it the last few weeks. With hubbie's travel, our family celebrations in NYC, and illnesses all around, the stress levels in this house are extremely high. But the trust is there. It is our bedrock. I don't think a couple could do what we're doing without it; the relationship would tear at the weakest points.
The Small Things.....
Here are my challenges for the moment.
We do not yet have an apartment to move to in Nairobi. Lord, help me!
I want to bring my desktop computer but am terrified that packing it in checked luggage will mean that it's garbage when I arrive. Gotta find a way to take it carry on.
What do I do with J this weekend when I've packed up all his toys? Poor kiddo. Thank god for public parks, pools, and toy stores.
Get all the papers in order.
Stay sane.
We do not yet have an apartment to move to in Nairobi. Lord, help me!
I want to bring my desktop computer but am terrified that packing it in checked luggage will mean that it's garbage when I arrive. Gotta find a way to take it carry on.
What do I do with J this weekend when I've packed up all his toys? Poor kiddo. Thank god for public parks, pools, and toy stores.
Get all the papers in order.
Stay sane.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Crisis of Belonging: Where to Vote?
As we wind down this house in FoCo and accomplish nearly every task on our to-do list, one remains: where do we register to vote?
At first pass, there is no easy solution: We no longer live in AZ, despite maintaining a residence there for three years recently and feeling very connected to the place. We're already booted from the registration roles in that state. Our home is now CO, but only for these few short months. Will we return here, who knows? We are having our mail forwarded to DW's parents' home in TX, but I've never lived there and don't know anything about the local politics. (Except this stuff, which disgusts me.)
A quick internet search provides the answer: Dems Abroad helps people just like us cast our ballots. Apparently we can use our most recent legal address (AZ, I guess) and have our ballot mailed, emailed, or faxed to us. Do I really believe that it will be counted in a state that has such a hard time counting its own regularly cast ballots? Not sure. But it is better than nothing.
Ok, one more task done. On to the rest of the list.
At first pass, there is no easy solution: We no longer live in AZ, despite maintaining a residence there for three years recently and feeling very connected to the place. We're already booted from the registration roles in that state. Our home is now CO, but only for these few short months. Will we return here, who knows? We are having our mail forwarded to DW's parents' home in TX, but I've never lived there and don't know anything about the local politics. (Except this stuff, which disgusts me.)
A quick internet search provides the answer: Dems Abroad helps people just like us cast our ballots. Apparently we can use our most recent legal address (AZ, I guess) and have our ballot mailed, emailed, or faxed to us. Do I really believe that it will be counted in a state that has such a hard time counting its own regularly cast ballots? Not sure. But it is better than nothing.
Ok, one more task done. On to the rest of the list.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Hard Transitions
I just removed my engagement ring, so that I can put in safe keeping while I'm away. Just one of the hard parts of this transition.
Real Reality Becoming....
So this Kenya plan is really happening. We have tickets and everything. Our belongings are moving slowly into storage. We're making choices as to what to bring and what to leave behind. We are agonizing too much about little things. But, as a family, we're still having fun, playing together as much as possible and trying to learn from every aspect of this experience.
In some ways, not only are we going to the opposite side of the world, we're going to an opposite type of place. Fort Collins is a lovely, pleasant, white, safe location where lots of things can be assumed. You can leave your door unlocked with a pretty good certainty of nobody bothering your home. There is vast wealth so that people are concerned with secondary needs. There is a lot of sameness. All this quiet and calm has made me somewhat uncomfortable here, but it is also very pleasantville, easy, and luxurious without ostentation. I know why people love it here, but I would prefer a place with a bit more grit. Nairobi, by contrast, is anything but white and same. It is very multicultural, very dangerous (in places), with huge gulfs in socio-economic condition throughout the city. I've already discussed some of the weird reasons that people say they like the city, but if you are looking for grit, I'm sure Nairobi has plenty of it.
In some ways, not only are we going to the opposite side of the world, we're going to an opposite type of place. Fort Collins is a lovely, pleasant, white, safe location where lots of things can be assumed. You can leave your door unlocked with a pretty good certainty of nobody bothering your home. There is vast wealth so that people are concerned with secondary needs. There is a lot of sameness. All this quiet and calm has made me somewhat uncomfortable here, but it is also very pleasantville, easy, and luxurious without ostentation. I know why people love it here, but I would prefer a place with a bit more grit. Nairobi, by contrast, is anything but white and same. It is very multicultural, very dangerous (in places), with huge gulfs in socio-economic condition throughout the city. I've already discussed some of the weird reasons that people say they like the city, but if you are looking for grit, I'm sure Nairobi has plenty of it.
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