Originally distributed December 2010
Ok, I don’t usually make resolutions because shortly after making them I wouldn’t remember them anyway. But it is interesting to look back on the year and see what’s been accomplished. Now that I’ve been in Swaziland for two years, (hard to believe, I know!), I’d like to compare this year with last year.
Let’s start with transportation. I moved up dramatically in this department, especially since I was finally able to take control. Woo hoo! In January I purchased a 2nd hand 4x4 and here’s the transportation record.
-number of times car broke down = 0
-number of times I had a flat tire = 0
-number of times I got stuck in the mud = 0
-number of times I had to push the vehicle = 0
I can’t even count the number of times each of these things happened last year! It was beyond ridiculous. So there’s clearly been a major improvement here.
How about housing? Last year I was living in a tent, sleeping on a cozy stack of mattresses, sometimes nestled in two cozy sleeping bags and most of the time everything was dry. Outside of the tent I was constantly shifting from dorm bed to dorm bed and roommate to roommate and losing track of the remaining belongings that had not been lost or stolen.
The first half of this year I lived in an immense house with my own huge bedroom, my own bathroom, wireless internet, a garage space to park my 4x4, maid service, a great roommate and cool neighbors, an unbeatable view of the landscape and a small yard. I only lost a rain jacket during this time and nothing was stolen.
The second half of this year I lived in my own compact and cozy “house” where everything was always within arm’s reach and I had no roommates but an interesting cast of characters as neighbors. My yard was enormous. I had to share the bathroom but cleaning service was included. The kitchen was also cleaned by a maid. There was a hot spring nearby open 24hrs a day free of charge. Security was included and the guards were always interesting to talk to. Miles of hiking trails and biking routes were there for leisurely adventure and discovery. A bunch of supplies were stolen at one point but the landlords replaced them, thankfully. I also lost my umbrella and handy little dish soap dispenser during this time. But I survived.
Work has changed dramatically as well, though I have almost as much free time this year as I did last year, which is not a good thing at the moment. Last year I was a quasi-volunteer Volunteer Coordinator doing wildlife research in Swaziland’s nature reserves. Definitely cool. This year I’m the director of a new company and I work with wild life of a different sort, private-school children. Also cool, in totally different ways. This year I have expansive freedom with my work, there just isn’t quite enough of it yet. Hopefully, through continued hard work, creativity and perseverance, company activities will increase. In the meantime, here comes the shameless plug….you can now support my activities by making a donation through the company website. It now has a link to PayPal for making donations, even with a credit card. Unfortunately, such donations are not yet tax-deductible, but they are immensely appreciated! So if you’d like to make a contribution you can go to www.singweecoservices.org and click on the “Donate!” link on the right-hand side. And if you don’t, I still love you J
I hope this year finds you fulfilling some of your life-long dreams.
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