Leaving DDG, VAC

March 8^th

I do hate it when I stop writing and then feel the need to provide myself with a 'catch-up' which always seems to take so much time and effort. Better to just write every day, even if it makes the emails I send Sunyata almost embarrassingly long.

So we left DDG in the morning on the 4^th. Kate negotiated with a bus company to take all 15 of us to the Transit House, and we rode in comfortable style with tons of leg room (it seemed to be an old school bus, complete with “Body Fluid Clean-Up Kit” still attached to the wall next to the driver). It was quite impressive to see that big bus parked in front of the House – a taxi will never be the same.

The next day we had a little welcome ceremony for Paul and George, the new DPT (Director of Program and Training) and APCD-DABA (Assistant Program Country Director for Agriculture and Business), then our internal VAC meeting. With the addition of the newest stage VAC is made up of two guys and 11 girls – poor Ebben and Drew! (Lucky Ebben and Drew?)

The 6^th was our bureau meeting – long and full of stuff from the Bureau, not much from us, but basically painless. I went out to dinner with a few old friends and a few people I didn't really know, and we spent a wonderful evening talking a sharing. It's been exciting getting to meet people from the new stages!

And, finally, yesterday I typed the minutes from the VAC meeting. To my surprise and horror it took nearly 5 hours to type, format, and double check, exponentially increasing my respect for Althea who always managed to do them the day of the meeting, whereas I will happily take the extra allotted day to get everything in order.