Half Way Point

So its been 3 months since I left Canada, and I am at the half-way point of my internship here in Eritrea. I was reminded of how fast the time has gone by, as I now need to have my visa extended, so I can stay another 3 and a half months. Its a little hectic, as I was supposed to have registered when I got here, but I am told not to worry,as NUEW will take care of it all. I am thinking of staying a little longer, if it is possible, as the 24th of May is INDENDENCE DAY in Eritrea, and since it has just been over a decade ago since Eritrea won its sovereignty there are huge festivities and celebrations being planned and organized.

So I would have to say the honeymoon phase of my stay here in Eritrea is over, as I now feel as though I am working just as the others in my office, with a lot to do, quite busy, and often wondering how I will ever get it all done. Its really not such a bad feeling, as I feel both useful, and productive. And now besides all the project proposals I have been helping to write, this week I have started to teach English at NUEW. It’s a professional development course NUEW offers to women working in a variety of sectors. Originally, the only other foreign woman working here at NUEW used to teach the course, however, since Christmas she has been ill and it appears to be a permanent condition, so I was asked to finish the course. So three days a week I have a lovely group of women who are eager to improve their English language skills.

Apart from this what else is new? Well I recently met two other fellow Canadians, who are also CIDA Interns working for a youth organization near my office. The are both from Halifax and are very Canadian, which is really nice since Lindsey left me in December. Last night we all went out for Lebanese, and I had a delicious falafel, which reminded me of the endless trips to Café Mosaics on Falafel Fridays, back home in Edmonton.