Enjoy.......

Enjoy these new flowers that I have discovered during my walks around Bangui! This singular yellow flower (1st picture) was poised on this branch 7 feet high!

The Branch from Jesse

It was not long after we had moved into our new house on the center that I noticed this tree stump just outside of our living room window. I immediately thought of 'the Branch from Jesse', which is written Isaiah 11:1-3 "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD and he will delight in the fear of the LORD". The footnote within my NIV Bible reads as follows concerning these Scripture verses; The Messiah will grow as a shoot from that stump of David's dynasty.

Needless to say, that each day and every time that I walk past this particular window where I can see this stump with this small shoot of a branch coming out of it (look closely at the picture above, where the green new shoot is growing from this tree stump) I reflect on these Scripture verses.

Merry Christmas!

O, Christmas tree....O, Christmas tree....

O, Christmas tree.....this is our lovely little Christmas tree for our first Christmas in Bangui! We were given permission by our neighbors to borrow this adorable little Christmas tree, while they are home with their families on furlough during this Christmas.

What was seen from our birds eye view....

~ beautiful palm trees and mango trees ~

~ lizard enjoying the warmth of the sun ~

~ two men pushing a cart, loaded with wood ~

Remember to left double click your mouse on the photos above, if you would like to view them better.

These were just a few things we had seen from our birds eye view while up on the top of the roof, yesterday.

This lizard, which we commonly see around our house, was about 15 foot up, resting on this vary spot, enjoying the warmth of the sun.

The two men pushing this cart, is also something commonly seen all through out the streets of Bangui. These long tree trunks that are transported by these carts are pushed for miles to be cut down to size for usable firewood. Central Africans use firewood as a means to do all of their cooking.

A birds eye view....or, is it a view of the birds eye?

Yesterday was a real treat for me, Trace and I decided to get a birds eye view...from the top of our roof! Picture above....Trace sitting way at the top of the roof.....where I did not dare to go. I sat and stayed one level below the peak of the roof, where he was sitting. Next blog entry.....what the birds eye view allowed us to see.

Quotable Quotes

~ Quotable Quotes ~

"God can't give us peace and happiness apart from Himself because there is no such thing." C.S. Lewis

I can see clearly now....

~ bedroom window before cleaning ~

~ bedroom window after it was cleaned ~

We were told prior to arriving in Bangui, CAR that December is the dustiest month. We can certainly understand the wisdom in these words. This is very normal for Bangui this time a year to become very dusty. The reason for this is, that the 'rainy season' has ended, and it's now 'dry season'. With no rain for 5 weeks now, it continues to get drier and drier here, the humidity has dropped from in the low 90% during 'rainy season' to now in around 70% humidity during the 'dry season'.

The top picture shows a view from our bedroom window looking out, into our lovely garden. The hazy look across the picture is a glass window louver that is completely covered in dust...not, the kind of dust we know in the US, but dirt kind of dust, from the earth being so very dry. This is a result of one weeks worth of accumulation of this dirt dust stuff. The bottom picture shows how nice and clean and clear our glass looks after it was cleaned. I can see clearly now!

No surprise!

~ African Animal Batik ~

It probably comes as no surprise that this African animal batik that we have so proudly displayed on our living room wall for decoration, is my favorite souvenir we have purchased at a nearby Artisans market. Of course, anything having an animal(s) painted, drawn, carved from wood, embroidered..etc. ~ I just simply enjoy, because of my love for animals.

1st of December - CAR Independence Day!

Flag of Central African Republic

Boat races on the Oubangui River

On the 1st of December (which is the Independence day for CAR), we packed our picnic lunch, bathing suits, and sunscreen and headed down along the shores of the Oubangui River. It's very simple to get to, we just catch a taxi not to far from where we live on center, for approximately 1 1/2 miles to the center of city of Bangui. The Oubangui River is just a short stroll from the center of the Bangui. We joined a few friends at a swim club along the river, to enjoy our picnic lunch, a refreshing swim and to watch the every famous boat races on the Oubangui River. In this race, there were about 25 of these long dug out wooden canoes (one of these pictured above). Within one of these canoes, there were anywhere from 35 to 60 men that feverishly paddled their way down river a distance than they had to go around a point, turn around and come back up river to the finish line! WOW, what excitement!! Everyone cheering and yelling to shout a team to victory!

~Quotable Qoutes ~

~ Quotable Quotes ~

"The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us." C. S. Lewis

~ my most favorite flower ~

~ my most favorite flower ~

This little delicate beautifully colored flower is my most favorite. And, the wonderful thing is...this flower grows near to our house on the center, and where we work. This means, I get to enjoy seeing them often!

Ah, water

Ah, water!

Ever wonder how we filter our water, here in Africa?! Well, several times through out each day; we fill a pitcher full of water from our kitchen sink tap, then we pour it into the top of our water filter (the first picture on top). These 4 beige colored filters, slowly filter the impurities out of the water and allow the purified/clean water to pass down into the part below (the second picture on the bottom), where it reads 'British Berkefield'. Then when we need to fill our drinking water bottles, or to rinse our fruits and veggies (after cleansing them in bleach water) we turn up the spout ( located on the very bottom of the second photo), and we get our filtered drinking water.

I clean these 4 beige water filters about every 3-4 weeks. You simply take off the top half of the entire water filter, then you can detach these filters by unscrewing them. One by one, I simply take a regular kitchen scrub brush, scrub the filter (which feels chalky), under the kitchen sink tap water. Using tap water only, no soap, no bleach...etc. Then, once all 4 of the filters are cleaned, I reattach them by screwing them back into the top part of the water filter. Last step, I add a big pitcher full of kitchen sink tap water.....a little later...ah, clean, purified water!

The coffee mug was placed next to our water filter, so that you can get an idea of the size of it. This water filter holds approximately 6 liters of water.

Puppy Love!

~ Puppy Love ~

Oh, how adorable is this puppy?! In my past, I had worked for 13 years as a veterinarian technician...and, well I have to say, I have always had a love for animals, and I always will...they have a special place in my heart! This little puppy pictured above, is what a typical African dog looks like. Ah, puppy love!

No, we have not adopted a dog....this little puppy belongs to an African family....I was just loving him a little, while I had the chance.

We have come to find out through others who live in Bangui, how challenging it is to own a pet here. So, we have decided not to adopt a pet while we are living here....trying to prevent heartache.

Thanksgiving Bangui Style

Thanksgiving Bangui Style

Yesterday, being Thanksgiving, we were so graciously given the opportunity to have a 'Thanksgiving Celebration' at the US Embassy, with the host and hostess of the US Ambassador and his wife, along with many others from the Bangui community.

We enjoyed the usual Thanksgiving feast, of chicken as a substitute for turkey (since turkeys don't exist in Bangui). We enjoyed eating all of the other delicious foods one enjoys on Thanksgiving day: sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and a whole lot of wonderfully delicious other side dishes (picture above on my dinner plate), and desserts too!

Okay, you are probably wondering why their is a picture of Trace alongside a tortoise. Well, the Ambassador and his wife, keep and care for two adult tortoise, a baby tortoise and also a river turtle. The male tortoise name is 'Monsieur' (Mr.) and the female tortoise name is 'Madame' (Mrs.), and of course the babies name is 'Garcon' (which is 'boy'). The tortoise in the picture with Trace is 'Monsieur'.

We also had an afternoon filled with fun activities as well at the US Embassy, like going swimming, and Trace enjoyed a game of tennis...which he loves!

Bible Study

~ Bible Study ~

Oh, how very grateful I am for this, the first Bible study that I will be able to be a part of since we arrived in Bangui this past Jan.. I'm really excited for this Bible study to begin, mainly because I've not participated in Bible study in some time! This is a Beth Moore Bible study on the life and ministry of Paul. This small group ladies Bible study begins on Tuesday, Dec. 8.....I can't wait!

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Happy Thanksgiving"!

Trace and I send to you our "Happy Thanksgiving" greeting from Bangui, CAR! We do hope and pray that your day is filled with an abundance of blessings! Give thanks to God, for He is good.

Bang.....look out for falling mango's!

~ BANG.....look out for falling mango's ~

On October 15, Trace and I moved into our latest 'new' home, that is on the center where we work. We have all types of fruit bearing trees, including mango's. We weren't expecting what happens when one lives with a mango tree that shades our lovely home. As we were unpacking our things the first day in our new home.....all of a sudden....BANG on the top of our metal roof!!! What was that?! Well, we had found out that, yes indeed, it was a mango! You can only imagine the ruckus a mango makes when it hits your metal roof from about a 25 foot drop! Since that time, we usually hear a mango fall once day, sometime during our day....it's a matter of when.

We will be posting pictures of our home soon!

Heinz Ketchup?!

~ Heinz Ketchup?! ~

Okay, all you Pittsburghers......see if you can find this Heinz Ketchup bottle in Giant Eagle the next time you go shopping! Make sure to double left click your mouse on this picture, to enlarge the photo....you will see that indeed, it is Heinz!

Gifts.....they come in all kinds of packages

~ Gifts....they come in all kinds of packages ~

For instance, this lovely looking pineapple. It was given to us by friends of ours as we were packing up from the last house we were living in, to move to our new house on the center, where we work. This loving looking, and delicious tasting pineapple I might add, was a gesture of a parting gift. This pretty decorative red box with a beautifully knitted purple wash cloth inside was given to us from a friend, as a part of our 'house warming' gifts. For each friend who has given from their heart a 'house warming' gift we have received, we are so truly grateful!" Thank you!

Mere Christianity

~ Mere Christianity ~

As of today, I have begun to read Mere Christianity written by C.S. Lewis. Now, we will see how long it will take me to complete reading it!

I will leave you with this quote from him; 'If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair.

Back in Bangui!

~ Back in Bangui ~

We have arrived back to our home in Bangui! Our flight connections and travels all went very well. And once we arrived in Bangui, we were pleased to see all of our luggage arrive as well.

Once we arrived it didn't take long to get right back into living life here once more...the familiar sights, sounds and even smells....ah, we are back in Bangui!

This past week, we were in the midst of packing up our belongings in our home that we had been renting since around the month of April, and we moved on Thursday, Oct. 15 to our new home on the center that we will be working on each day. Each home we have lived on since we arrived in Bangui on Feb. 19, 2009 has been filled with blessings and we have begun to build fond memories of each one. Now, we will begin a fresh, and a new beginning in our new home, with it's charms and some new challenges.

Back to Bangui!!

We are returning back to Bangui, Central African Republic (CAR)!! Our flight leaves from Denver, CO on Tuesday, Sept. 29 and we arrive in Bangui, CAR on Thursday, Oct. 1. We are really excited about our return, we have really missed all the precious people of Bangui, our colleagues and friends who are there!

We begin our travels from Denver, CO to Detroit, MI then to London, England Heathrow, then to Paris and then finally to Bangui.

Once we have arrived and have settled in a couple of days, we will begin our work again at the center on Monday, October 5!

Look for more of our Bangui blogs soon!

Events and activities....

These are some of the events and activities we've been able to enjoy while living in Longmont, CO with my parents, over the past 3 months while in the USA. Some of these events took place while waiting to have my cervical surgery done, and some of these took place post-operative to my cervical surgery.

• Each Sunday, we attended a lovely church in Longmont ~ the congregation and pastors have all been a tremendous blessing to us during our stay.

• I say both of my nephews graduate from one level in karate to another level (changing color of their belts)

• We attended a couple of my nephews Niwot Varsity football games - 'Go Cougars'!

• A delightful visit with my Aunt and cousin (who were traveling through to visit with family through out the USA)

• Enjoyed the 'Ladies Tea' given by my sister

• A time to celebrate my Dad's birthday and Trace's birthday, while with family

• I had enjoyed a Sabbath Saturday - a ladies gathering from the church, focusing on prayer

Tea Time!

~ Ladies Tea Time ~

It's 'Tea Time'......no, I've not found my way back to England! My sister Sandra, who really enjoys gathering for ladies teas, had put together a lovely 'Mother-Daughter Tea Time' on Saturday, September 19. Over the years, Sandra has collected beautiful different patterns of tea pots and tea cups, so delightfully dainty. During our tea time, she gave the tradition of tea time and the history of the tea cup. During our tea, we enjoyed delicious banana bread with a light creamery cream cheese spread, cream puffs,cookies and fresh fruit, all while we enjoyed sipping our English Breakfast Tea. It was a wonderful time to slooooow down for a part of the day, away from the business of live, sip some tea, and enjoy conversation.

Truly Thankful

We are truly thankful that on September 15 my 6 week post-operative appointment went so well. What was shared with us during this post-operative appointment was that my healing has gone very well, and my 6 week post-op x-ray looks good! I've been 'okayed' to travel back to Bangui, Central African Republic to begin our work again! We are giving all thanks to God for his faithfulness and goodness to us, and for my continued healing and comfort! God is good!! My neck continues to feel very well, a little stiff when working on my 'range of motion' for my neck, but this will take time, and I've only had 1 headache in the 7 weeks of my post-op ~ incrediable!

Thank you again so very much for your many prayers, 'get-well' cards, and emails during this time ~they have meant so very much to Trace and I, our hearts have been truly and tremendously touched and know what a blessing you are to us!

Waiting...

As we wait, we wait patiently in the Lord for my September 15 post-operative appointment with the neurosurgeon as to what he will have to say concerning my progress and evaluation of my cervical fusion X-ray. Once we have seen the neurosurgeon for this appointment, we will share with you what he thinks and when we can return to Bangui, Central African Republic to continue serving there!

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
Proverbs 16:9

We are indeed making our plans to return to Bangui, CAR and we rest in knowing that it is God who determines our steps!

Strabucks fan?

~ Starbucks fan? ~

Yep, I'll admit it, I'm a Starbucks fan! Once my neurosurgeon said the day of my cervical surgery I get to enjoy eating meals of; ice cream, milk shakes and other soothing soft foods over the next few days...I thought...hmm, Starbucks banana chocolate Vivanno! So, while driving home after my late afternoon surgical outpatient discharge, my dear sister and my husband made a stop at Starbucks specifically to get me my dinner for that evening....yes, you guessed it, the banana chocolate Vivanno! I was so delighted to discover this delicious cold treat.

Smile!

Smile!

A memorable moment caught on camera by Sandy, of Elly and I as we were enjoying our lunch sandwiches during our day in Oxford, England!

Quotable Quotes

~ Quotable Quotes ~

"Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither".
C.S. Lewis

Since my time spent in Oxford England, I have begun to take a real keen interest in C.S. Lewis, his life and his writings. Recently, I began reading: C.S. Lewis Master Storyteller ~ written by Janet & Geoff Benge. It begins with the childhood of Lewis and it continues through his life's experiences and writings, it's an easy read, it has captured my interest, and has made me appreciate even more the time spent in Oxford.

At this time I've read just a little over half this book and I'm wondering already...which of C.S. Lewis's s shall I begin with first?

Compassionate, caring cards....

~ compassionate, caring cards ~

WOW.....what an amazing overwhelming out pour of compassion and caring express to me and Trace as well through cards, emails and phone calls over our 2 months staying in Colorado for my cervical herniation/fusion surgery and recovery. Our hearts are truly grateful and we feel tremendously blessed by so many, during this time. THANK YOU so very much for your many faithful prayers, for your kind and encouraging words, your love of Christ shown to us ~ know how very much this means to us and how much we appreciated them all!

Above, is the numerous 'get well' cards I had received through the postal mail. And, if you look towards the bottom of this picture, you will see there are two rows of square colorful print cards....these lovely little 'get well' cards on the inside were creatively; written, drawn and colored by many children attending VBS at our home church of Jefferson Center Presbyterian Church! What a wonderful surprise this was ~ THANK YOU!

Your kindness, love and thoughtfulness will always be remembered!

Love the Look?

~ Love the Look? ~

This is my new look for 6 weeks post cervical surgery/fusion! It's not very fashionable, however it's very necessary to wear. I'm to wear this cervical collar at all times except while; showering, sleeping and eating. Since this photo, I've added some color to my collar wardrobe...it's a little more fun to add some color to your collar!

What was found.....

~ My post operative surgical cervical herniation/fusion X-ray ~

After arriving in Colorado on July 9, I promptly had an MRI and an appointment with an excellent neurosurgeon in Boulder,CO. My MRI results showed that I had a disc herniation between C4 and C5. When the neurosurgeon said to me that I was at risk of spinal cord injury due to the severity of the disc herniation....it really hit me, just how serious this was!

On August 6, I went into the hospital for the repair to the disc herniation and fusion between my C4 and C5 vertebrae. The X-ray above shows the plate and screws (the fusion part of surgery). Two screws were drilled into my C4 vertebrae and two screws were drilled into my C5 vertebrae to hold the plate in place. In time, this will form a fusion of bone bridging the C4 and C5. I'm truly grateful for my sister who is an amazing compassionate surgical nurse at the hospital where I had my surgery at, for the very gifted neurosurgeon who preformed my surgery and for the wonderful, caring nursing staff and all those who had a part in my surgical case....they were all absolutely compassionate and gave me the utmost care during my 'out patient' surgery. To all, I give thanks to God for!

My unexpected episode!

~ My unexpected episode! ~

The day spent in Oxford was one of fascination in learning the history and also with an immense headache. Despite this immense annoying headache, I enjoyed my day in Oxford very much!

I was not able to shake this headache all day, and later in the wee hours of the morning (Monday, June 29), I had not gotten any relief from my ibuprofen that I was taking. Well, all of Monday and Tuesday I had spent laying in my dorm room flat on my back or sitting in this position (pictured above) unable to open my eyes much due to the extreme amounts of neck pain and headache!

I'm truly grateful for all those who I was attending training with, they were extremely caring and compassionate to me during this time of discomfort! Unable to get out of bed, due to the discomfort, many of my new friends made during this training would bring me my meals from the cafeteria and tea and cookies during our scheduled break during our training. They would stop by just to sit with me, to check on how I was doing, and to pray for me. What a comfort to have so many care for me and show the love of Christ at this difficult time. By Tuesday morning, Trace was sent an email to fly out of Bangui and arrive in the UK as soon as he could. He arrived that Thursday, July 1...we give thanks to the Lord for providing for his travels to be with me so quickly! After Trace arrived, we needed to make some decisions and travels plans back to the USA for me to have an MRI of my neck and treatment of what may be needed.

Oxford, England

~ Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford England ~

Off to Oxford England we go! On Sunday, June 28 there were 5 of us from the personnel administration training in Horsleys Green that jumped into a taxi van to travel about an hour away to arrive into the city of Oxford, established in 1231!

Here's a little bit of our day spent in Oxford....we began our day with attending Christ Church Cathedral (pictured above) for a time of worship and to take in the rich history there. It is unique as a college chapel and cathedral in one foundation. Originally the Priory Church of St Frideswide, the building was extended and incorporated into the structure of the Cardinal's College shortly before its refounding as Christ Church in 1546, since which time it has functioned as the cathedral of the Diocese of Oxford.

Next...we walked all through out our day taking in all the beauty, charm and history of the many different colleges within Oxford. All in all, there are 45 colleges according to the University of Oxford's web-site. What a marvelous day spent walking along the same streets as C.S. Lewis meeting J.R.R. Tolkien in 1926.

A day to discover....

Today, myself and three others are taking a small journey to Oxford, England...a day to discover!

~ The animal lover in me ~

~ The animal lover in me ~

This may come as no surprise to some, especially those who know me well, that I love animals! In my previous career as a veterinarian technician I have cared for; dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, 'pocket pets' (hamsters, gerbils...etc) and most recently a tortoise, these just to name a few. It is no wonder that as I have been taking my evening strolls that as I happen along a cute little critter, I can't resist taking it's picture!

As I walked out of the centre the other evening, this handsome horse whinnied to greet me! Each evening as I return home from my walk, this kitty has greeted me just at the crest the last little leg of the trail I walk. And, one evening as I was taking a casual walk around the centre, I took notice of this rabbit at first from a far. Please understant that since leaving the USA, in early 2008 I haven't seen a rabbit hopping along it's merry way! So, this little critter intrigued moving to scurry away....I thought, well that's' odd....as I approached a little closer and even closer, the reason became apparent as to why this little critter wasn't scurrying away. He couldn't see me....NOT at all! If you are able to see closely in this picture, it's eye(s) are closed, swollen shut! As I mentioned this to a colleague, she explained to me that there is a disease that rabbits do get in the UK, that causes this.

I have also been keenly observing a type of bird here in the UK as well. As some animals and birds have a routine, this bird definatly does. It perches itself on the very tip top of a pinetree just outside my window....and each evening, it sings a little song, it's a lovely little song.

I only have a few short days left in the UK, I wonder what other type animal I may come across during my stay?!

The Parish Church of All Saints in High Wycombe

~ The Parish Church of All Saints in High Wycombe ~

There has been a Christian community in Wycombe for nearly 1,000 years, and they, the present congregation, are the inheritors of their predecessors' task of building the Kingdom in this part of England.

Bishop Wulfstan of Worcester consecrated the first church on the site over 900 years ago. The builders used some material s from an even earlier age - it is still possible to see Roman stone in the walls, from a nearby 2nd century villa.

The church was rebuilt in 1275!

The Rose

"The rose speaks of love silently,
in a language known only to the heart."
Anonymous

As I have walked along each day throughout the little villages in the UK, I'm so taken by their beauty. One will see, wild roses growing along the pathways, beautiful rose bushes in and around peoples homes here and archways with roses fully in bloom.

Quotable Quotes

~ Quotable Quotes ~

"Hide not your talent. They for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?"
- Benjamin Franklin

This is definitely something to ponder and pray about, do I have a gift or talent that God has given me that I'm not using or maybe don't even know that I have?

Dorm life

~ Dorm Life ~

I had not ever gone to college or university, so living a dorm life is a new thing to me. Later today, I will be meeting my new lady roommates, I believe one lady is working in Cameroon and I'm not certain what country the other lady is working at. As you can see from the photo, it is a small room, what you are unable to see in the photo, is to the right of me (while I was taking this picture) there is another bed. Directly across from this bed, there is a closet, which is good size to hold our belongings, suitcases...etc.

Curiosity kills the cat!

~ Curiosity kills the cat ~

A couple of days ago, I walked into the building where they serve our meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) at the center I'm currently at for personnel administration training in the UK. I look over at this vending machine, filled with many tasty treats and this candy bar just happens to catch my eye. Well, I have to say the title caught my eye; 'YORKIE' It's NOT for girls! So, now I'm curious...what does this candy bar taste like, what is in this candy bar....NOT for girls? One thought that ran through my mind....ah, it's about the marketing. Well, it worked...it had me curious enough to buy it from this vending machine. What I found in this tasty little candy bar...simply 'chocolate', milk chocolate in fact. So, curiosity killed this cat!

Which way shoud I go?

Which way should I go?

Yesterday, as I took a walk through a lovely little countryside road not far from where I'm staying in the UK for a week of training for my work, I happened along this stone mile marker. I wasn't' sure, do I walk to Oxford, London or maybe I should just walk to Wycombe....since it's only 5 miles to reach that destination. A bit of information, the distance of travel in the UK is measured in miles, not kilometers.

This past Saturday, I had decided to take a nice long walk to a little village called; Stockenchurch. It took me about 2 hours round trip. I so enjoyed walking along, having the opportunity of seeing the beautiful countryside of the UK. Beautiful lush fields of green pastures, with horses, sheep and cattle.

~ Picture of the Week ~

~ Picture of the Week ~

This beautiful set of white blossoms are found on a tree just behind the home that we currently living in.

Now that's a leaf!

Well, I knew that there would be large palm trees swaying in the breeze and certainly bugs grow bigger in Africa, but the size of this leaf amazed me. Now that's a leaf! After seeing this leaf, I thought maybe it's a good thing they don't have the season of fall here in Bangui. Could you imagine racking up a whole yard of these leafs?!

How romantic!

How romantic....Trace shows up with these beautiful and extremely sweet fragrant bouquet of flowers! There is a gentleman who sells them along the street, not to far from where we live. Not long ago, Trace arrived home with these beautiful flowers....to say to me; "I love you".

My usual place....

This is my usual space while I'm at work. However, my work really begins at home each morning, around 7AM. I have the ability to set up my computer at home and use a program to write my work emails ahead of time and then save them until I reach the center, where I work. I usually finish writing emails at home by 11 AM, I have my lunch and then I'm ready to catch a taxi to work (which is normally at 12:30PM). Once I arrive at the center, I simply connect onto the Internet, bring in all the "receive" emails and then "send" the emails that I had written earlier that morning. Afterward, I will look through each email while I'm still there at work and if there is something that has a need for an urgent reply, I will write my reply and send it along. Otherwise, I will pack up my computer, take another taxi home and once I arrive back home....well, by that time it's time to start dinner. The next day, I begin this work routine all over again...Monday through Friday, well except on Wednesday.....however, that's another blog entry. Look for that blog entry soon!