Wednesday, October 10, 2007

A Busy Week

I've been here about a month now and am quite frequently, "are you finding enough things to do to keep you busy?" I try to politely explain that the whole reason I came to Africa was to not be busy.

And I find it somewhat ironic that I am in a land where this seems to be the way of life: and people here are quite concerned that I have enough to do.

Though I am not here to do anything specific, I am finding myself slipping into some semblance of a routine. Mondays I meet with the new YL staff person who is trying to start a YL Club in a town about an hour away. Tuesdays I spend the day at school with Elizabeth reading with her kids and then head over to the other international school to tutor George. Wednesdays I spend time at Step By Step Learning Center and Thursdays I am up for another round of "are you smarter than a fourth grader?" with George. After not having much of a set routine this past month, having one thing to do each day suddenly makes me feel like I am busy (and I didn't think this mindset kicked in until retirement).

So there you have it, my routine. Of course, it gets thrown off by half-term break so schools are off and George is jetting to Italy for a week and a half. And then there will be the week where I help host a work team, climb a mountain or head off to visit Peace Corp volunteers at their sites. I have heard that you have to do something 30 times or so for it to become a habit, but I am not sure how many weeks in a row you have to do something for it to become a routine...

2 comments:

julianaelse said...

Hi Kate! This is Sophie. Did you know it's my birthday on Oct. 15? I'm having a High School Musical birthday party! I wish you could come. Are you having fun in Africa? I miss you!

chelcg said...

my routine revolves (still) around my boobs and this nino. no hurry here, just good times. i feel you must blend nicely into the lack of hurry in africa, it was a more calming lack of hurry than a DR lack of hurry. that africa, so great... so full of africans. hug everyone for me. especially pregos over there.