Category: Live from Android
Nica mini status update
My bruise, apparently a natural spark for many random questions, is in the process of transforming from brown to yellow-ish. See? Very exciting if you ask me. I’ve never before had the opportunity to study the development of a bruise as profoundly as now. Haha..
And I worked until 8pm yesterday. Today I had a very fruitful meeting with the Rep and another one with operations which both gave me a lot of clarity on what I can work on in the area of resource mobilization and external communications, apart from what I am already working on. It is really exciting as I will have to create new strategies, mobilize the entire office, improve and ensure more priority to areas that I believe are crucial – and be creative. Of course I want to stay here until late if I get to have this much fun! Let’s see how difficult this will all be – I am hearing very a bit too often.
And I have decided where I will be moving in from tomorrow by the way, maybe slightly more interesting news for the rest of you.
Batsch
Passing a new guard this morning on my way to enter the office, I was stopped to provide my name and show my ID.
“Let her pass – it’s Carolina Batschh!” another guard shouted from far through the walkie talkie.
The guards learn our names by heart and we say hello every morning. It’s very pleasant and feels safe to know that they really check everybody and that you don’t have a ‘free pass’ just because you don’t look like a local (like in some other places I have worked in) – it would just be far more nice if I somehow managed to make them stop adding that tschh sound in the end of my last name.
On the agenda
Sunday
Nica update 1: All set
Pochi
Live from London: Little things
(I’m on my Copenhagen – London flight, will continue & publish this when on the ground.)
Found a receipt in the pocket of my blazer just now and it made me smile. Thanks for picking up my things from the dry cleaner’s, Ete. Little acts of helpful kindness like that mean a lot, finding a nostalgia triggering note in my pocket means even more.
I finally have a moment for reflection and can’t help but noticing the familiar feeling that embraces me every time I set off into the unknown like this. It’s some kind of soft calm and “resetting” mode of the entire system. It’s like I automatically try to blank out my mind, erase all expectations, detox from prejudice and just arrive at my destination with a fresh canvas to paint all my impressions and experiences on.
Sure – I do research about the political situation, useful practicalities and some cultural practices, but I always try to avoid colourful guidebooks, stories and photos. I think that every place deserves its shot at attempting to strike us with awe, surprise us and just being fantastically unpredictable, fresh and different from whatever we have experienced before.
My camera and I can’t wait to see what Nicaragua has to offer. I am very happy about being on my way again, about going to work for UNICEF once more, about speaking Spanish full-time soon, about having beautiful friends that stay in touch even though I so often miss their birthday parties. And I’m extremely thankful for having such a supportive and understanding mother that keeps track of my every step, is happy for me even though I’m far away, and makes sure that I bring my quinoa oats with me.
You know your mother has been actively involved in your packing when there is random food and chocolate stuffed in the corners of your bag.
Little, but big, things.
I’m waiting to board my American Airlines flight to Miami now. Munching on lactose and wheat-free chocolate and orange cookies, holding on to my bottled water – oh, and I got that Managua boarding card without any hassle so all should be fine now.
The British Airways flight was once again COLD and the breadroll was a joke just like last time, I guess it’s their thing.
Okay, boarding – see you next time from a very different timezone!
“You don’t have an ESTA? Ha!”
So, in case anybody ever googles this:
YES, you definitely need a US visa even if you are only going to be in Miami airport for two hours.
Surprise! Never heard of anything like this. Anyway, the extremely unpleasant British Airways lady in the check-in counter wanted to cancel my ticket. I asked her to wait, ran off, and did the ESTA visa at the NOVIA counter in the airport, they were sweet, helpful and made me pay 25€. Apparently I was the fifth person today with the same issue. Uhm, what about a little information box on the website, airlines?
So I’m London bound now, let’s hope there will be no more surprises – apparently I need to declare my luggage and get my last boarding card in Miami as well. Because BA just couldn’t issue it here. Just because.
Oh, British Airways, are we really going to continue fighting in this irrationally destructive relationship of ours?
I’m very excited by the way. And my mom is the best in the world. Ciao!
The list
Almost all items on the list of lists have been ticked off. In two hours I’m boarding a train to the airport with the beautiful wooden floors.
My biggest dilemma? Which external harddrive to bring. The almost full one, or the empty one? I can’t seem to live without my database, but who really needs 2TB of stuff? “But what if I need one of my photos from 2006? Or want to listen to the Pink Floyd discography?!” Life is complicated sometimes.
I do actually have bigger things to worry about right now – speaking Spanish again after an entire year of maningue, muito bom, posso, agora, então, isso, depois, obrigada and many, many boa tarde’s, for example.
Here’s part two ofthe packing process, by the way, all packed now:
“What, you’e only bringing 23kg’s + carry-on?!” Well yeah, and myself.