T minus 15 and counting

I created this blog last Wednesday but its been waiting since then (like an unpaid bill hidden in a draw) for me to write anything on it - when it came to it I couldn't think of anything to say!

I know you won't believe me because I ALWAYS have something to say but the truth is I've been writing a diary for years, a personal private journal existing for the fact that no one would ever see it. Now I'm typing this with the deliberate intent of emailing you all to tell you to look at it! Cringe.

(And you thought this was going to be about Kenya............................Don't worry it will be................................When I get there.................................

Now I feel like I've officially excused everything I'll ever write with the practicalities out of the way I can tell you what I'm doing:
In 2 weeks time I'm flying to Kenya to volunteer with Christian Conservation group Arocha http://www.arocha.org. They've got centres all over the world including in the UK (in Southall London) but Arocha Kenya take volunteers and Mwamba (their base) is 50 metres from the beach... (I nearly applied to go to Canada - I could have been about to fly out to Vancouver in the winter time - apparently the weather there is a lot like the UK - ha! ha!)

Actually I was very lucky because Mwamba normally only take people with specific conservation knowledge - in my case nil. I applied anyway and they've asked me to write reports on their projects and publish them on their website along with the photos I'll take. My knowledge of photography and publishing things on the web - nil. Oh well once I'm there and everything... (suckers!)

The voluntary placement is for 3 months and then I'll hang around a bit or maybe try and hitch a ride to Madagascar or more realistically Zanzibar (avoiding that ferry - thanks Judith) and by then I should be well practised at taking photos - excellent. Planning to be back in the UK sometime in February maybe probably to be honest I should really come back then and get a job and stop faffing around.

Preparations so far
Changed my banking to online.
Got a pin number for my credit card - have finally had to give in and use one breaking the habit of a lifetime.
Exchanged emails and phone messages with random woman in the USA who wants me to courier "baby" goods across to Kenya for her (does a blog stand up in court as evidence?)
Had 2 doctors appointments.
Attempted to learn how to use my camera.
Thought deeply about a lot of things.
Prayed.
Spent 5 hours (5!) shopping and I'm not even finished yet (does anyone know a good place to buy very light weight long sleeved cotton tops for a reasonable price? The shops are full of woolly hats and scarves) .
Oh and I started a blog..............


To Do List
Practice writing a blog.
Receive open and check mysterious parcel from the USA.
Finish reading my guide book.
More shopping.
Get a haircut ( a really good one).
Sort out mobile phone.
See Brideshead Revisited at the cinema.
Make apple cake.
Tell church what I'm doing.
solicit money from various people.
Try not to panic and enjoy the whole experience..................

BTW does anyone know what you're supposed to include in a blog? Should I have a "Thought for the Day"? Today I think it would be - where have the wine bottles that were in our kitchen suddenly disappeared to?

Acknowledgements:
Thanks for the laptop Johannes .
Claire thanks for the car.
Liming thanks for suggesting this site for a blog.


For Those Who Pray
Thank God for supplying all my finances. My last pay cheque was nearly twice as much as I thought it would be. That doesn't happen every day :)

Pray I would trust God and focus on the important things like the new people I'm going to be living with rather than factors of suncreams and styles of hats.

Pray for my sleep. I sometimes get too hot sleeping in England so that will be hard in Kenya.

Date of next blog TBC.

R