bold steps towards somewhere else

i booked my ticket, for the latest possible day i could. Because i started my journey on Sept 15 I must finish it exactically one year from then. so I am leaving Nairobi on Sept14 and arrive in Toronto shortly there after. I had desperatly wanted to tour around europe, visit my friend sonya in france and linda in sweden, but alas that will have to wait until which time i can return ( perhaps on a boat to avoid rotten airline and there many restrictions) and make the rounds of the old world. today i tried to extend my visa ( which expired today) i want to stay in Tanzania until August before returning to Kenya for my film project , friend visiting and flight. they would only extend it to july 22. i waited and went there two days in a row. writing letter, explaining my situation and intentions, and came away annoyed both days.
this picture was taken on the day the leadership school came, and 50 students invaded the territory i have claimed as my house. ( which actually belond to Roots & Shoots, and the jane goodall institute) I gave a talk about team building and poject management to 30 students who started at me blankly. when i posed questions and trying to engage the students to think for them selves, they looked around then down at the notes they were taking. I suppose things were learnt but i found it odd that when talking to primary students about HIV they copied the shape of the virus ( magnified of course) into there notebooks, but verbally passed by ways to protect yourself practically. anyway the eldest girls at the camp shattered a small glass bottle of perfume ( which i now have shards of in my foot ) ripped us off-my hello kity bag, a patch of the tanzanian flag i wanted to sew on my bag, mascara went missing. there was a bon- fire, but we skipped to escape the feeling of invasion, hense leaving the girl to root thru our belongings. i guess we needed to be on guard,
On the day that Dr. Jane arrived, Joanna left ( pictured with me) for Stockholm. I miss her, but cheer for football in memory. I know i'll catch up with her again someday.
i have been notified by a headmaster that i have not been shortlisted for the kindergarden teacher job. Sadly but with my head held high i resign. as it turns out- i will be on that flight out of this slow continent. i will be emersed in my mall culture where buses run on time and seasons change. I will my family and dress up for halloween. i will recieve a package i sent from here by ocean bound vessel, packed with gift for christmas. i will tour around and visit my friends and their couches. i will play with Aria and Theo.