Let the flames begin

My throat is on fire.  You all know how much I struggle with allergies and asthma.  Its a constant battle I fight in the states under normal, healthy conditions.  But I am finding that here, now working on week 5 of my 25 week stay, I am uncomfortable.  Luckily, I brought enough pharmaceuticals to get me by.  But I wasn’t expecting to be hitting them so hard, so early!  Who knew that smoke would be drifting into my window 2 times a day? I understood it would be dusty…. but holy man!  So, I thought I would make a list of things I might like to have Stanley bring (if he can!) when he comes in August.  There are more than pharmaceuticals on the list.  And if it doesn’t work out, its no big deal. But since everyone keeps asking, I thought I would create a simple list.

For Babies:  Nappy rash cream, a few cloth nappies, anti-fungal creams, medicine dropper. NO CLOTHES AND NO TOYS PLEASE.

For Shae:  Cough Medicine (adult target brand works great because the stuff I bought here is SOOOO gross)

zyrtec (it makes me sleepy, but is better than the allergy meds I brought- and generic works fine ),

airborne ( I think I have extra in my storage unit…it would be in the red medicine tool box), and

my pink flat iron (Susan and Chad have this at their house.  I know its frivolous, but a little frivolity is nice sometimes!).

Things are going ok here.  I am currently frustrated working in the office.  There is more work to do and no training to do it.  The other volunteers here only had one day with the director before she left for the states, so they were a limited resource and now they have returned home. Can you imagine preparing information for adoptions, running payroll, shopping for an orphanage, answering all visitor questions, organizing volunteers, pick up, paperwork,  and showing them the ropes of an orphanage, telling the staff what they can and should be doing because they are asking your permission to do it, and answering the phones and emails that come in from outside organizations, plus doing immigration paperwork and signing your name to it as an authority to do so? AND ALL WITHOUT TRAINING AND ALL IN THE FIRST WEEK????

Its sometimes tough here.  The culture shock alone could have been overwhelming, much less the added responsibility of running the orphanage. And you all know that I am physically incapable of doing anything half-ass!  So, I will just keep plugging away and make magic happen… like I always do!  

Laters dudes. I am going to take some more dayquil and hope for the best!

~Shae