"An alternative world is possible."

I'd like to include a quote which I included as the last passage of my final paper for the Kenya program. What Shivji says is true, "An alternative world IS possible."


Let's make it happen!

“We have to choose sides: the side of those who are struggling for a better world and against those who want to maintain the existing one. We simply cannot be neutral . . . It is struggling for an alternative world, a better world, which has changed the past and will continue to change the present for a better future. We, the activists . . . must continue to fight for a better world.
An alternative world is possible.”

- Issa G. Shivji, Reflections on NGOs in Tanzania: What We Are, What We Are Not, and What We Ought to Be

Home

Back home now and the contrast between Nairobi and home in the US is stark. Definite culture shock flying into Amsterdam, Minneapolis and finally Seattle. Things aren't better here, but it is striking how much more organized, green, clean, perhaps modern is the right word, things seem here - and in a way I never paid much attention to before.

Feeling thankful for the experiences I have had in Kenya and looking forward to incorporating them into daily life from now forward.

I'm including below one of my favorite Prof. Ngugi quotes. He sent this to our class in an email before the program departed for Kenya this summer:

I can only join you on the mat you are lying on and stare up at the stars in the sky with you and wonder if the stellar constellation above is cryptic spelling for “hope.”

- Prof. Joel Ngugi

With confidence, I can say I do believe the stars spell "hope" for us all. Without that, we are lost. As long as humanity persists, we will always have hope, faith and courage to move forward, to work for human rights, to pursue our passions and convictions, to care for our friends and family, and perhaps most importantly: to envision a more just, peaceful, humanitarian world ~~

Welcome home, classmates and program staff. To friends and family in the US: can't wait to see you!

Wrapping Up ~

This will be one of my final posts as our program in Nairobi is wrapping up! We submitted our final papers yesterday and had a final program meeting and farewell dinner last night. It was nice to spend time thanking our site supervisors and coworkers at our various internships.
I think we all feel good about the program and everything that we have learned and experienced.
I feel very grateful for this experience and again want to THANK Professor Ngugi, our program staff, my fellow classmates, friends and family at home and the community of Jennifer Caldwell who helped make this opportunity possible for me.

It will take me months, maybe years to process all that I have learned, witnessed and experienced here in Kenya. I can't even express how much I appreciate this experience and how much it has changed me as a person. Now the obligation of what I will do with and apply this experience and learning rests with me. I hope for strength and guidance in these endeavors ~~~

I close with a quote:

if you're going to be passionate about something, be passionate about learning.
if you're going to fight something, fight for those in need.
if you're going to question something, question authority.
if you're going to lose something, lose your inhibitions.
if you're going to gain something, gain respect and confidence.
and if you're going to hate something, hate the false idea that you are not capable of your dreams.

- daniel golston

Human Rights Project - Presentation

Yesterday we presented our final human rights project to Professor Ngugi and three representatives from Loitokitok Village, where we conducted our research.
The presentation was about our suggested "Learning Resource Center." (Again, these are humble recommendations and observations only, with the focus being on leadership and impetus from the local village.) The center would include a "home environment," draw on community resources, and collaborate with local "community-based organizations." It would in theory include a library, health center, and counseling and mentorship program. We emphasized that it is the community's project, but that we are standing by to assist with grants, fundraising, and connections as desired and appropriate.
The presentation was a big success - both our professor and the community members were very pleased. We feel this is the beginning of a long partnership, and it is very exciting!
Above, I have attached photos from the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC grounds, where I have been interning). The 2nd photo is from a poster in the KHRC lobby (if you are interested in expansion on this topic, I am happy to share my finally paper with you).
With kindest regards and warm wishes from Kenya!

Final Days in Nairobi ~ ~

This is our last week in Nairobi. My classmates and I are spending our time drafting our final human rights project report, writing final papers and preparing for presentations on both the human rights project in Loitokitok and about our respective internship sites. The human rights project itself is a great learning experience as we are seeing hands-on the challenges and complexities of approaching human rights work ethically, and also the challenge of working together in a large group of 15 passionate individuals, each with their own perspectives and ideas. It is, however, overall a positive experience and we are looking forward to presenting our findings to representatives from Loitokitok Village and DEB Primary School, where we engaged in the research and human rights work.

We will have a final farewell dinner this coming Friday with the entire program staff, their families, and our site supervisors.

Things are going quite well, and this has been a tremendous learning experience. My classmates are amazing, our professor is exceptional and the program design continues to amaze.

Quote ~

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are younot to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

- Our Deepest Fear by Marianne Williamson from A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles

Future ~

"The future is no place to place your better days."
– Dave Matthews, Cry Freedom

Have a great weekend ~~

Human Rights Project

Our human rights project has begun taking shape. We will be focusing on the following areas:
- Dorm
- Resource Center
- Resources (local, us)
- How to (proposal writing etc., access to funds and other NGOs, etc., HRs language)

We were assigned a "human rights project" and in turn conducted research to determine what might be an appropriate response to the community's stated need of a new or renovated girl's dorm.

Based on our research and interviews, we also feel that a resource center with career, academic, pleasure and other reading as well as counseling services, first aid and computer lab services would be beneficial. While we are not in a position to fund such a project, we plan to work with the local community to fundraise, IF they see these projects as priorities for them.

Finals

We only have 10 days left here! We are all busy writing our final papers and preparing our final human rights project. The human rights project is a recommended "resource center" for the students at DEB Primary School. We are also offering to partner with the local community to write grants, apply for funding, gain access to additional resources, etc. BUT from my perspective, any change has to be initiated and led from the local community. The human rights project itself has been a tremendous learning experience and all of us are very grateful. We present our final product to the Chair of the Board and School Director this coming Tuesday.
Wishing each of you peace and happiness. I look forward to reconnecting with friends and family from home very soon. Much love from Kenya!

Safari Photos

Masai Mara was magnificent - truly a magical place. Photos above!

Masai Mara

Our group is headed to Masai Mara for 3 days, back on Tuesday.
I promise to post photos and an update soon!

Hope you are having a great weekend!

A Little Inspiration

what you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. it will decide what gets you out of bed in the mornings, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you. fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.

- pedro arrupe

Masai Mara

This weekend our group is headed to Masai Mara.
After a peaceful referendum, people here are overjoyed. It looks like the new consitution will be voted in. At the moment 65% of the votes are pointing to YES!
Our group is working intently on our human rights project. We are coalescing all of the various interviews and research we completed in Loitokitok and will then work out what action we might take. It is looking as though issues such as food security, safety, and access to resources and information might take precedence over the boarding school. But, it is too early to predict the outcome of uor human rights project. In my opinion, the process here is just as important as the outcome because one of the main foci of this course is on approaching human rights in an ethical, thoughtful manner. Therefore, it is less important to rush into a "solution" and more important to proceed ethically and thoughtfully, all the while focused on what may be an effective, viable, sustainable outcome that does benefit and further the human rights of the local community. This must be done in strong partnership, or accompaniment, and not "imposed" by us as outsiders! That is what I appreciate most about this project - the opportunity to learn in a hands-on manner all of the development and human rights theory I have been studying for the past 2 years.
Have a great end of the week. I will post photos of the safari upon our return.

Referendum Calm and Peaceful

Today's referendum proved to be calm and peaceful, free of violence and unrest. While the results are as of yet unclear, the process itself seems to have been a success. I just want to reassure family and friends of the situation here, as the media has portrayed stories of heightened tension and possible unrest.

We are all doing great! In fact, I am so excited for the people of Kenya as the new constitution affords them much greater rights, freedoms, and accountability of their government. While of course the document is not perfect, it is a positive step forward.

Referendum Day

PHOTOS:

Above, I have included some photos from around where we live. You can see the contrast of our pool with the tall walls and barbed wire enclosing us in our apartment buildings vs. the outside environment. It is an interesting paradox to live in, and being more restricted in terms of mobility makes you appreciate the freedom and access at home.

REFERENDUM DAY:

Today is quiet. We are not allowed to leave our apartment compound due to the referendum taking place. (While all indications point to a very peaceful process, the University of Washington is cautious about such matters and thus have imposed these restrictions.)

I talked to the security guard this morning about his perspective on the constitutional vote. He was so excited to vote! I saw 2 other Kenyans as well around our complex and they were absolutely enthused to cast their vote! The polls are marking voters pinky fingers with indelible purple ink so that they may not vote more than once.

I have been watching the news as well and it appears to be a peaceful and orderly process. The referendum was on the front page of the New York Times yesterday. It is truly a monumental event for Kenya – as I mentioned, my coworker at Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) feels it is more important even than independence from Britain in 1963!

So today is a quiet day for us. I am mainly catching up on schoolwork. Tomorrow hopefully we will know the results of the election (but the outcome may be delayed as it often takes time to tally the votes and due to long travel distances, sometimes the voting process here can take days). If the outcome is a YES for the new constitution, my colleagues at KHRC plan to celebrate! KHRC was deeply involved with the drafting of the new constitution, as has been a top supporter of the legislature.
I will write more soon when there is news!

.

Upcoming Referendum

Hi all! How are you?

Things here in Kenya are great. This coming week is a very important one as on Wednesday, August 4th, and likely on the 5th as well (because often voting here takes more than one day due to long travel times, lines, the time it takes to tally the votes, etc.) are the dates of the referendum which will decided whether the NEW proposed constitution of Kenya is enacted or not. It is quite contentious actually, with heated debates in both the YES and NO camps.

We had a speaker in class last week about the proposed constitution. She really helped us to understand the main issues revolving around the constitution. At the core of the debate are land rights and the influence and jurisdiction of Khadis courts (Muslim courts) and abortion (which is illegal in Kenya.) Interestingly, the new constitution also cuts down on the % of the Kenyan government budget allocated for development – from 30% to 10%. This is probably the biggest drawback of the new constitution, because it would then potentially increase Kenya’s reliance on outside aid.

So this coming week will be one day of KHRC internship, class on Tuesday and then due to the referendum on Wed. and Th. My classmates and I are planning to spend the time beginning our final papers for this course. Friday we have class, on a very interesting topic – the role of human rights and “are human rights part of the problem” – in other words, discussing human rights from a critical perspective. Saturday is free, then on Sunday we head to MASAI MARAA for the SAFARI weekend! I literally cannot wait to see lions, giraffes and elephants in the wild. It may be too much for me!

I hope you are all happy, peaceful and doing well. I send all my love from Kenya!

Tribute to Jennifer Caldwell

“Some people come into our lives and quickly go.
Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts.
And we are never, ever the same.”

I have been meaning to do this for a while: this post is a TRIBUTE TO JENNIFER CALDWELL! Thank you, Jen, for inspiring me and sharing your community with me. I want to thank Linda, Angelina, Michelle, Jen's family and friends, and everyone at the University of Washington Center for Human Rights for providing me with the opportunity to study in Kenya this summer through the Jennifer Caldwell fund. Jen was an amazing human rights activist and person who sadly passed away last year while in South Africa engaged with human rights work.
I wish I had known her while she was alive, but I do feel that her heart and spirit live on. I see that clearly in my colleague, Lydia, who is here in Kenya (and also a recipient of the Caldwell Award). Lydia is a bright and shining spirit, a strong woman and leader who has amazing things in store for her! She has shared with me that the Caldwell Award was a big part of what made her studies and work in Kenya this summer possible. This summer, Lydia is working at the Refugee Consortium of Kenya (RCK), advocating for the human rights and dignity of refugees in Kenya. I was with her one day at RCK, and she did a lovely job completing the initial interview for a young woman refugee who was in Kenya, fleeing Somalia.
Words of course fall short in expressing my appreciation and grattitude, but thank you to the community of Jennifer Caldwell. Thank you for sharing your love and experience of Jen with Lydia and me, and with the UW and human rights communities.
Thank you also to Jen for inspiring me. The Caldwell Award is such a tremendous honour due to the person behind it. Moreover, I see the award as a great source of strength. Human rights work isn't easy, it often isn't light - it is challenging and at times grim. Yet in times of doubt, I can look to Jen's memory to give me strength. Surely she would have pushed on through this doubt, that hurdle or challenge. Feeling this strong, passionate dedication, the commitment that Jen had to human rights (which I have only heard of through her family and friends) has been a great source of courage to me. I can only say thank you from the bottom of my heart, and express my gratitude for sharing your memories of Jen with me. The photo of Jen above was published by the UW Weekly. The UW Center for Human Rights has established a fund in Jen's name. If you feel moved to donate to this fund, please click on the link at the top of this page.

Loitokitok Photos

Here are various photos from our recent trip to Loitokitok! It was a very special and spectacular trip.
The building and internal pictures are photos of the girl's boarding school at DEB primary school. This building was the impetus for our human rights project, and the reason we were in Loitokitok. The dorm houses many young women who are escaping early/forced marriages or other human rights issues. As you can see, the dorms are somewhat rundown and there aren't many amenities or comforts in them. The focus of our interviews was to determine what, if any, type of human rights intervention might be appropriate. We are studying and analyzing this at the moment, being cognizant of the various ethical issues involved, and working towards an end result (of which the outcome is as of yet unclear).
Next, you will see the teacher's breakroom at the DEB Primary School. I loved this room due to the beautiful turquoise colour.
The resort-like photo is Kibo Slopes, were we stayed the first few nights.
Next is a soccer action shot from our intense game: Dr. Mganga vs. Super Mugakas!
The tree photos are 1) from our hike to the Tanzanian border and 2) an example of the unique trees around here.
Next, my favorite photo: the donkey cart which daily transported water around Loitokitok. The entrepreneurs with the (much too) cute donkey are selling the water to local proprietors.
After the donkey photo is a second common animal in Loitokitok - goats. They are all over the place, mainly cleaning things up by eating various items around town. :-)
At the very bottom, you can see our intrepid van, which transports us all over, from our internships to our excursions to Loitokitok and soon Maasai Mara for a safari. :-)

Loitokitok Village

So sorry for my delay in posting. We have been away during the past days. I promise to post photos soon!
So much has happened since I last wrote. 7 days have passed, but it feels like 7 centuries.
While we have been in Loitokitok for about the past week, I do want to write about something that happened before we left. I was able to accompany some Kenya Human Rights Commission staff to a torture trial for 20 survivors of torture conducted during the Moi era. The individuals were granted 3 – 5 million Shillings in restitution. Afterwards, a press conference was held. Our Deputy Executive Director addressed the press, which was really neat to see. He is quite a name in Kenya and has in fact been instrumental in drafting the new proposed constitution of Kenya. Following the press conference, there was a tour of the Nyayo house torture chamber. This area has been preserved in the name of documentation and as a witness to the past and meant to maintain memory of this history, and hopefully to learn from it. Touring these torture cells was one of the scariest things I have ever done. I was literally shaking the entire time. It was beyond creepy, beyond dark and scary. It actually haunted me for the first few days afterwards.
We have been in Loitokitok Village for the past 7 days. It has been a TRULY wonderful and magnificent experience. I love it here and the contrast between Loitokitok and Nairobi is stark, the gap between the town and the city vast. The charm of Loitokitok lies in the peaceful, relaxed pace of life, the friendly, disarming smiles of the local people, the endless dust which clings to your clothes and seeps into your pores, and perhaps the legend of our Professor which is very much apparent here.
While we were all perhaps slightly nervous about the homestay experiences, they have (as I expected actually) turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip so far). That being said, it seems every corner I turn here, I stumble upon another highlight, another best day so far in Kenya. The grace and hospitality of the Kenyans is expansive, stretches far, and embraces you. You feel quite at home immediately I feel.
With Mama Muthoni, my host family “mother,” I immediately felt at home. She is very sweet, yet also an extremely shrewd businesswoman, owning and running 3 shops in Loitokitok. One specializes in cosmetic products, the other 2 in shoes and clothing.
The first four days here were spent staying at Kibo Slopes at night. The first day we were here we toured DEB school, the school with which we are partnership to potentially (if it appears appropriate) partner with. After the tour we were treated to a Swahili lesson by the leading students in the school. I was blessed by being paired with “Kelvin” – the most self-assured, confident and charming 14 year old I have ever met. Such a leader! He led me through a series of Swahili language lessons in a very focused manner. I was blown away not only by his impeccable English, but also by his clear leadership skills. The other UW students reported that they had similar experiences and were equally charmed by the very talented Swahili Mwalimus (teachers) or DEB Kenyan school students with which they were paired.
Following the Swahili lesson SOCCER ruled the rest of the day. This was a truly once in a lifetime experience. Our UW cohort had 4 on 4 teams pre-determined, each of which also had a student “coach.” Our team had full team spirit and had purchased matching soccer uniforms just for the event. The soccer game was a huge deal. Actually, the entire DEB school body, hundreds and hundreds of adorable Kenyan primary school students, literally ran after our van. The entire school came to watch! It was pretty hilarious because most of us were super soccer novices – soccer is so HUGE in Kenya and most of the rest of the world beyond the US it was ironic that the 8 “wazungus” starring in the soccer match. Our professor had even hired a professional ref – a Kenyan, who was truly awesome with his graying hair, big beard, and huge smile. He was serious, though, when some locals tried to ride their motorcycle through the middle of our soccer field during the middle of the game, or to saunter through, he had none of it, and blew his ref whistle loudly in their face, gesturing frantically for them to GET OFF HIS FIELD. That coupled with the cows that were originally in the soccer field and the debris which they left on the field made for definitely an interesting game
Another big highlight has been meeting our professor’s family, especially his mother “Mama Lucy.” (**Note that in Kenya often parents are called “Mama” – Mom or “Baba” Dad Lucy or whatever the name of their oldest child is. It is important in Kenyan culture which child is the “first born” or the “last born” and seemingly an honour to be either of these esteemed positions within the family, and family is central to Kenyan culture!) Mama Lucy is an angel, the epitome of welcoming, and exhibiting the utmost in graciousness. In fact she told us the first night that we were in her home that we are “all her new children” which would mean we are brothers and sisters with our professor! I felt this was such a great promotion!
Saturday morning we visited an HIV/AIDS clinic which was extremely sobering. It is definitely heartening and hopeful that such facilities exist, yet the flaws in the international aid system are so apparent. The sister at the center emphasized the fact that most HIV/AIDS clinics are similarly small, but that they are too small to receive large grants from big donors such as the US PEPFAR program. Even more alarming is the position of woman in Kenyan society, and how it puts them at grave danger for HIV/AIDS infection.
Anyways, after the clinic, we went to the Loitokitok market, which was nice. People bought a lot of cloth, skirts, scarves etc.
The next day was Sunday and we went to church with our professor. The service lasted 3 hours! And it was all in Swahili! Though I did not understand much, I DID absolutely love the music. They had these really cool instruments and all of the songs had some choreographed hand motions accompanying them. So cool and so joyous!
After church we had lunch and headed out for a hike. We hiked to the Tanzanian border and then to a cave and waterfall! Was quite nice to get out in the fresh air and to experience the countryside. Everything is interesting – even the fact that there are chickens and goats just wandering around free. The goats eat the garbage and there are also often mule-driven carts which transport various goods around town.
Monday was FULL of interviews for our “hands-on human rights project.” This is where our human rights applied work begins. We have been charged with investigating what, if any, intervention or partnership might be forged with the DEB School. So Monday our group of 15 students split into groups of 3 to interview various groups: students, parents, teachers, government and education officials to ask for their take on the human rights situation. My group interviewed 2 Ministry of Education officials, which was *quite* interesting. We also interviewed a Maasai staff person, a woman from the local Maasai community.
Monday night we were all dispatched to our host families. I was quite curious when our Program Director dropped me off in a shop in the middle of town. Of course this was Mama Muthoni’s shop. I joined her for about an hour in her shop, before we walked home. Being in her shop was like being in Willy Wonka’s candy factory! Meaning that it was such an interesting novelty, all the products in there were so interesting and unique and different from home. Each of her customers was so unique, and I loved the way she interacted with them. She has had her shop for 23 years so she knows her customers quite well, even if doesn’t know their name, she knows their faces. What a parade of characters in Mama Muthoni’s shop. I was immediately enamored with the shop and with Mama Muthoni.
The walk home was quite pleasant – like maybe a mile and we walked right at dusk. Dusk is such a bewitching hour, and especially in this Kenyan village. I much enjoyed our walk home and Mama Muthoni’s house was very nice as well. I enjoyed dinner with her, her nice Margaret, Margaret’s baby and the housekeeper, Anne.
Today unfortunately our interview with the District Commissioner was cancelled because he was busy orchestrating a “YES” rally for the upcoming constitutional referendum. So we have been spending time at the Catholic Church where we have been meeting to eat and conduct interviews. This afternoon we will be speaking to the students at DEB, sharing our stories regarding our education and goals and how we have arrived at where we are today. Then, after closing remarks from the DEB headmaster, we return to our host families for another dinner, a final night. Tomorrow we return to Nairobi and will resume with our internships, coursework and life as usual in Nairobi.
I will miss Loitokitok very much and have REALLY enjoyed my stay here. It is wonderful to get a small glimpse into life in a small Kenyan village, and to experience the contrast to Nairobi, to feel the contours of this tight-knit community.

Ngong Hills and Beyond . . .

Photos shown here: Ngong Hills, directly outside of Nairobi

On Sunday this week our group was able to hike the Ngong hills. It was great! Actually fabulous to be out in the fresh air, in the hills, being active. That is something I miss here – the freedom to be able to go out when and where you want, and especially the freedom to go on a RUN or jog whenever you like. (The change of perspective is great, because it teaches you what you really love, and to appreciate it more! Nairobi is also great in teaching me precious skills of patience and flexibility – you just have to be those things here as things just take a bit longer generally than what you are used to!)

One of the interesting things about the hike was that we were required to be escorted by two guards carrying huge guns. Please don’t be alarmed – they are for the purpose of warding off any wild animals that might cross our path – buffaloes, etc. We didn’t actually see any animals, but apparently it is a danger in the Ngong Hills.

Our guide was great – his name is Gibson and he actually guides Mt. Kenya and Mt. Kilimanjaro. I definitely got his contact information because that sounds AWESOME! (George, Sevve, or other takers on this expedition idea? : ) )

Monday was an internship day, and the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) continues to go well. I am spending a lot of time reading all of their various human rights reports. The information is very important, and it is critical that past human rights violations in Kenya be documented. However, the stories are heart-breaking. It is at times challenging to be immersed in such dark material. I have the utmost of respect for human rights practitioners that grapple with these issues day in and day out. Right before leaving Seattle, I read an article in World Pulse called “What’s the point of the revolution if we can’t dance?” It was all about human rights workers and the high potential for burn-out. It is indeed important to preserve oneself so that one can be of service to others.

Usually on Tuesdays I have Swahili and a human rights seminar BUT since there was an important program meeting at KHRC, I attended that instead. The meeting was quite interesting – 3.5 hours long, followed by Kenyan food for lunch! Our Deputy Executive Director spoke in depth about the impending August 4th referendum, when Kenya will vote on the new proposed constitution of Kenya. Due to this huge event, what one of my colleagues at KHRC has said will be “the biggest event in Kenyan history – even bigger than independence,” it is a VERY interesting time to be in Kenya. The YES and NO camps are intensely debating the issue. At this point, the polls show that a large majority are in support of the new constitution.

Tomorrow I am at KHRC again, and then early on Thursday morning, our group departs for our professor’s native village, where we will be engaging in a hands-on human rights project. We will be researching and conducting interviews to assess what might be done to renovate a girl’s boarding school in the village which has fallen into disrepair. The school houses many young women and girls who are fleeing early and forced marriages, or who are escaping ‘harmful’ (depending on your perspective…) traditional practices.

I am really looking forward to this experience in the village and working on this project. We will be staying in cottages for the first few nights, and then we have full-on Kenyan family homestays for 2 nights. This is truly an incredible opportunity and the details involved in arranging homestays for 15 people blows my mind! (Thank you, professor!) It will be a good experience – we will eat with our host families, go to work with them, and experience a change of pace from many of the Western luxuries we are so accustomed to (like indoor showers and restrooms : ) ).

We return from the village next Wednesday, so I may not be able to post before then. Thanks so much for reading, though. I miss you, family, friends and colleagues in the US and elsewhere and send all my love!

And, for George, I hope you read this: Happy 4 year Anniversary!