Well, a month has passed since I was able to update the blog last. I am currently packing up my big backpack to go on a 10 day hiking trip with one of Conor’s secondary organizations. Well, this could prove to be rather interesting. There will be 10 people going including me and Conor. We are packing and carrying our food for 10 days. Water is a concern since we are going to be taking it from natural resources. This will be a real barebones operation. Food is a concern for me as well. Apparently, dried fish is a big part of the menu for the next 10 days… not sure I can partake in that since my stomach doesn’t take well to certain things. Another big part will be salo (the raw, cured pig fat that is a Ukrainian delicacy). Well, let’s just say it remains to be seen whether I will be able to eat anything that will be offered. I guess I will be toting my own supply of peanut butter, Nature Valley granola bars, and, well, does anyone know how long hard-boiled eggs keep without refrigeration? Temps are supposed to get down into the 40s at night. Well, this will certainly be an adventure.
As for the last month, things have kind of come to a head at my site. I am under a lot of stress right now that I won’t really go into. I am still waiting for the renovation in my bathroom that should have happened over the summer. The moldy wallpaper is a problem. It’s more of a health problem now that it is cold and I can’t keep my windows open all the time. I went to the PEPFAR conference in Kiev for a week and learned how to do trainings on HIV/AIDS and how to write grants, etc. I also got sick that week so ended up in bed for part of that training. I finally held my first English club at the high school. It went great and two of the girls took my phone number. So now I have two definite friends in town. I also have a budding romance with ‘Melvin’ the black kitty in the hallway in my building. I would love to adopt him, but am hesitant to do so since I travel so often and don’t really have anyone here I can rely on to take care of him when I am gone. He seems to do fine and doesn’t feel to skinny. He’s eating somewhere. So I guess I will just be satisfied with our hallway rendez-vous’ and hope that he belongs to someone as winter approaches. As I write this, it’s in the mid-40s. It’s October 8th, gee. Well, that’s it. Very brief, will have a ton to report after the camping/hiking trip. Keep your fingers crossed I make it!
