Sylvia's Journal

Late September when I signed on for this assignment the 16th of November looked like a long way off. It would be the day that I would know whether going to Kenya was foolish (as some around me said) or whether I could handle an assignment like that again. So the day has arrived and I am still in one piece. The piece is a little sore, especially its lower extremity because it was a very very long workday yesterday; actually it was a very long and intense week. But here I am, November the 16th and I am flying home tonight.

Yesterday started at 6 AM with my usual morning routines that include exercises under the shower and then outside the shower. By then I am usually limber enough to walk fairly normally to the breakfast restaurant which is one flight down and then a short walk past the swimming pool. After that I am being picked. Here in Kenya I am not picked up but picked, just like I am dropped, not dropped off, at the end of the day. The driver takes me to KIA, a ride of about 15 minutes if we are early enough. Then comes the set up for the day, turning on the music so that people can come waltzing in and ready to focus on the tasks ahead.

Yesterday morning was a little different because I taught a short catch up session for people who had missed it on Monday morning on adult learning. I have a lot of fun with this session. I bombard them with a fast lecture about adult learning and violate all the principles that are written on my powerpoint slides. In my reflection afterwards we uncover the feelings people had while I lectured them. After they are sure that they can be honest with me and they get past the customary politeness to professors, especially a foreigner with grey hair, I ask them if I did a good job teaching them, what they think they’ll remember from it and how they’d grade me. I am pleased when I get the lowest grade possible; I should. The rest of the program we will honor the principles of adult learning and they see how, understand why. Now they know.

In the evening there was much to do because on the eve of the last day nothing can be postponed anymore. My foot protested and I slept with it propped up on several pillows. This morning it refused to bear weight by itself, something I know it can do. I am glad I scheduled one more physical therapy session this afternoon. Ida and I will see Josephine and her little girl in the hospital (she has tonsilitis we now know) before I head out to the airport in the evening. KLM is scheduled to depart at 11:10 PM for Amsterdam.