A few May memories

My roommate and I dubbed last month "Crazy Mayzy" because it was, well, crazy. Work was nuts and life was even busier.

To the first point, work has been the usual unending list of challenges and accomplishments--on good days in that order. I am reading through old case files and writing stories about rescue and redemption, lives literally transformed by freedom. I am attending meetings with various individuals from the community, which I'm slowly but surely becoming a part of. I am sending emails and stuffing newsletters. And on top of those normal tasks, I am a part of an exciting new project.

For the past couple of weeks, our office has been entrenched in planning and writing a proposal to effect change across the government, media and society at large. Our casework effectively brings freedom to individual laborer and their familes. But we are also seeking to transform the structures which allow forced labor to exist in a country--where it is illegal. As you might imagine, the layers in need of transformation are many in a land of one billion people. I have been inspired by my coworkers' creativity and practicality. I have been honored to contribute and put many hours into crafting so many thoughts into a single sentence.

And then there was life. About a week and a half before we had to vacate our respective apartments, Nicolette and I decided we should probably do more than check Craigslist and physically look for a new place to live. So we took our lunchbreaks and hopped on her scooter, criss-crossing town in search of the cute little flat we now call home [away from home, Mom]. You know when you accidentally shoot yourself in the face with a hot hairdryer? Multiply that feeling by forever and that's how hot it is driving around the city streets in the summer. And it is summer. Lots of sunscreen, some hilarious conversations caused by massive language barriers and two agents later, we have a lovely place on Nawab Habibullah. Say it like it sounds.

A few favorite moments from the move:

*Blitz-cleaning our new apartment for four hours with no A/Cs. Have I mentioned it's regularly hot here? It's even hotter when you're scrubbing bathroom tiles, dusty drawers and seriously thick grease coating kitchen cupboards (turns out the interior cabinets were white after all).

* Sitting at my desk in my new room trying to be somewhat productive in the midst of two men yelling/conversing in Tamil as they use a chisel and hammer to put in a new electrical socket in the cement wall. Afterwards, the electrician asked me (using gestures and grunts) to come examine his work. I innocently motioned and asked if the socket worked, assuming he would plug in a lamp or something. Instead, he grabbed his screwdriver and stuck it into the socket. The clear plastic handle lit up as the electricity coursed through the metal tool, which he was holding. He then nodded. Yes, the electricity works.

* Getting our two queen sized mattresses delivered on the back of a bicycle. Don't worry, I have a picture.

* After working late one night, Nicolette and arrived home close to 1. Ready for bed. I went to my bedroom door and it was locked. There was a key in the hole, which apparerently I had used unintentionally. The key would turn over, but the lock would not. We jiggled and struggled with the handle. Took a knife to the side of the doorpost. Tried turning the key with the back of a hammer. Removed the handle all together. All to no avail. It took three days, two nights and one non-English speaking locksmith, but I am finally able to sleep on my new mattress in my clean room.