Not long now?

Friday 28th December 2007

Well – it is all systems go for my trip to Africa. I had a recent breast lump fright which threatened to put a barrier to the entire trip. But God or someone was looking over my shoulder – as all is fine & I can now go ahead with the trip as planned. I put a very brave face on my concerns – but was worried beyond belief that instead of being in Africa – I would be undergoing chemotherapy or some similar humiliating experience! Thanks to my guardian angel eh?

Everyone I seem to speak to of late seems to have a horror story to tell about my trip & how dangerous is & how vulnerable a woman travelling alone could be. I have looked on all the web sites & am relatively au fait with the risks – but the stories are really beginning to get to me. But bar wrapping myself up in cotton wool – staying at home forever & taking no risks – I just can’t do any more. I didn’t experience any violence in October when I visited – but a strange sense of paranoia is setting in & it’s driving me nuts? I always maintained that my vivid imagination would get me into grief & now me fears are being confirmed. The good “angel” on my shoulder is telling me that thousands of folk travel through the region every year & remain “intact”. The bad “angel” is telling me that I should pay heed to the risks & avoid tempting fate & just stay at home from now until the day I die? (No risks that way apart from falling off a ladder – electrocuting myself with the lawn mower or boring myself to death?)

The bottom line is that if I were 20 years old – the risks would brush off me like dust in the wind. So despite the copious number of lectures I give my 20 year old son about various dangers in life & how he should take a more mature stance on the way he lives his life – I intend to do what he would do. That is – say “To hell with it – you only live once”.

All to do now is to firm up the dates with the various agencies I am working with – do a truck load of preparation for the teaching I am doing at The University of KwaZulu-Natal with what appears to be a bloody enormous audience - all awiting for some devine intervetion? (Oh God – I am c***ing myself). I hope the ramblings of a "mere clinician" will be enough to at least entertain the eager beavers for a few lectures? So that’s the dark January nights accounted for. Getting my head around power point & preparing levrure notes? Good job I have no social life eh?

All systems go then & wish me luck?

Bye for now - Kate

The flights are booked - the accomodation paid for & only the car hire to organise. I have just had an enormous tax bill - so I may be on a tighter budget then I had orininally anticipated. Though it is all charactar building I suppose!

So now it is real & I am a tad aprehensive. I hope I can remember my way around. Being a "girly girl" - my sense of direction isn't good & my map reading even worse. In the UK - I find stopping & asking a nice man - usually does the trick. But looking lost & stupid in South Africa is not a good idea - so maybe a course in map reading would be a good "pre trip" idea?

When Christmas is over - I will organise ny schedule. As I don't do "nothing" well - I will need to ensure that I have something to occupy myself most days. So me - my guitar - my lap top & a full diary will head off from Heathrow on February 21st to Jo'burg - then on to Durban.

AGHHHH

A month in Africa

This blog has come about as a result of a recent holiday to South Africa. Like many others who return from Africa - there was just something about the place that captured my heart & settling back to "life" has been really hard.

Call it a mid life crisis or just some odd desire at the age of 43 to do something for nothing - to give a little back & have a little adventure. So in February 2008 - I will leave my family & return to South Africa alone to do some voluntary work with people with learning disabilities.

My job in the UK is a Behaviour Therapist for childern & adults with learning disabilities. And given the research I have done so far - I have come to realise that those individuals with developmental problems in Africa - are relatively poorly served. Most folk do something like this in their gap year -aged 18 or so. I have only 4 weeks to do this. Though I have discovered that I have something that 18 - 20 year old don't have? Experience & qualifications!

Over the coming weeks - I will document my journey prior to the trip and while I am there I will do my best to describe what I experience. I hope that anyone who reads this blogg - will follow my story.