Made it

Well - what a journey. Got a very nice man to take a photo of me at Heathrow airport - but I can't load it at this PC in the local estate agents. (No memory cards - memory sticks etc allowed) Had a long wait at the airport & felt a bit sad & a bit excited & a bit of all sorts. Thankfully - the flight was on time. Drank far too much red wine on the flight. Not like me on long haul trips. Woke with my nose squashed against the window at 5.30am. So needless to say I don't look or feel my best today.

Got to Durban fine - though i brought the wrong papers for the hire car - without the one I should have had - they were not going to give me the car. Thankfully I had my laptop & had to crank it up - save the relevant paperwork onto my dongle - give it to a member of staff & they printed it off. What a drama. Got some tiny little canary yellow squashed little car. The steering is heavy - but it is fine. Left the airpoort - driving down the freeway & kept saying out loud, "God Damn it - I am in Africa". Can't quite believe it. Can't quite believe I am here. Feeling confident - I decided to exit the motorway early & take the scenic route. Big mistake - spent 25 minutes driving round in circles in a massive shopping complex. I will know next time?

The weather is glorious - about 30 degrees & not a cloud in the sky. My hair has assummed the usual humidity induced curly mop. No point in doing anything with it & it kinda suits the rough & ready way I feel today.

Been to get some porvisions - Bacon - eggs - wine - cheese - high energy drink - but no cream eggs to be found. Still - I found some Turkish delight to munch on later.

Meeting Charlotte tomorrow from the University & she will help me get some sense of direction. And so it begins - the great African Adventure.

Drawing Near

Only 3 more days until I leave & I have an odd sense of "Oh my God" about me. I keep thinking I have forgotten something & I know I have heaps of stuff to do before I go. And I have acquired / adoped a cat - which is beautiful - but is one more thing to think about & look after.

The suitcase is overflowing with music books & texts for the teaching. As for clothes - I have lost so much weight of late - that all my clothes are falling off me. So I feel a size 8 - 10 shopping trip in a shopping Mall near Durban coming on.

My schedule is 75% sorted - the rest will fall into place when I am there.

2 more days at work & there is no turning back!!

Kate

Me chilling out but "keeping an eye". Bliss??

Relaxing at last? Though still loking over my shoulder?

Wey - hey. Today I had a very reasurring conversation with Charlotte - my "network" & new friend in the making at the University of KwaZulu-Natal Got the dates sorted out - have 30 - 50 students to "address" & am feeling so much better. Charlotte is going to show me around the area & make sure I get to where I need to be without too many "magical mystery tours". Weird - that of all the things to be worried about - I have been getting really stressed out about getting lost in either a city or the middle of nowhere. Those "in the know" know that despite my ultra "Im cool - nothing scares me" - kind of attitute" - will know that getting lost in Africa - was a megga fear of mine? Strange too - as someone asked me apart from being a nice gal & wanting to "give a little" - what I would be doing in frica. I said - "Getting lost - trying to find myself" - said "I". An irony moment - me thinks!!

Had a busy - but fulfilling week at work. You don't get many of those these days - so its always a good idea to let it flow & soak it up. There is something about being appreciated - that realy hits the spot. But not many weeks to pass until I go & I need to prepare.

Conatct at last

Thursday January 10th - 7am

Yesterday I had contact & confirmation from one of the services I am working at. This must mean that the long African summer break is at an end & soon I will have the clarity I so need. (Touch of Autism in me)

The centre Whizz Kids is a facility for non-verbal disabled childern. I have to say that my preconcieved images were probably wrong. They were something akin to the Eastern European places that have been in the media of late. However - I think it is less distressing. From what I can gather it is a non racial - non profit making facility that has input from a range of porfessionals. I am still unsure what they want from me. I would be very happy to roll my sleeves up & "muck in". Although I think they may want me to look at some childrens behaviour & see if there is anything I can suggest. No pressure then?? That said - I feel a lot better that I have some clarity.

I had a very odd - but nice day at work yesterday. I guess when you "give a little" you get a lot back. Days like that give me a warm comfortable feeling. Now all I have to do before I go is focus on the less tangible stuff like getting all my administartion up to date. Aghh - that could take a while? Though I will get it sorted.

Happy days eh?

Kate

Nerves

Today I have been getting increasingly anxious about the trip. This is the summer break in Africa and so I have struggled to get contact from people I am networking with and doing some work for. I know pretty much what 70% of my schedule will be - but being a tad "autistic" - the lack of exact clarity is proving tough. That said though - by early next week - the details should be firmed up.

I have also been thinking about the teaching at the University of KwaZulu-Natal & as yet I have no idea how many people I will be addressing or what the pitch of the lectures should be. I use a lot of anecdotes in my teaching sessions and it has occurred to me that perhaps some of the stories I use to illustrate the issues - may seems a bit lame by comparison. After all - those cinicians working in either community or residential settings in Africa - will surely face quite a different (and probably more challenging) set of issues that I do. Working in rural Warwickshire is likely a world away - from Africa. But all I can do is my best. One way to avoid the dilemma - would be to keep lectures very academic. But I always thought that was boring. Real stories about real people - are a much better way to illustrate a potentially boring theoretical point. Still - hopefully soon - I will have some clarity.

From what I can establish from a lecturer at the above University (who incidentally has been a fantastic help in this crusade of mine) there is no dedicated Learning Disability Nurse Training. Instead - only metal health. And when qualified - people often work as qualified nurses in Learning Disability specific services. There isn't a lot I can do to address that in a few days teaching - but I hope to stir up a little passion (or interest at the very least) in the speciality.

And so today has been fraught with "what ifs". I estimate to be working about at least 18 of the 28 I will be there. I don't do "nothing or sitting still" at all well. I guess that years of just rushing around - multi-tasking & spinning plates - has made it hard for me to really relax. That said though - what did begin to calm me a little today when I was in dire need of a "beta-blocker" to bring me "down a gear" - was looking at the photograph of the view from the balcony of the accomodation I am staying in. It really is bliss. So I guess part of the process too - will be learning to relax on the days when I am not booked. And while the prospect is a bit strange - I know I will have to learn. Going out for dinner alone or taking a walk in the dark - is not the done thing. I also hope to come back a better guitar player that I am when I leave?

I will post more when my schedule is firmed up & I am clear. In the meantime - I have some new chords to learn & new picking patterns to get my head around. But tonight when I go to sleep - I will try to remember the view from the balcony & not get anxious about all the unknowns.

Until nest time?

Kate