Great News!

Well I have two really big pieces of news. I’ll start with the biggest first. I found a place here in Bangkok called Crepes & Co. who sell.........CANADIAN PANCAKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes that’s right a little taste of heaven a million miles away. I had heard that Crepes & Co. was a good place to go for breakfast and brunch and didn’t know before heading there that they sold this most majestic meal. When I read on the menu that they had this little taste of home I nearly shouted out for joy. I’m in no way homesick and I don’t want to give off that impression but those pancakes, dripping in maple syrup sure were good. Unfortunately I did not have my camera with me so I can’t share a picture but not to worry, I’ll be going again and next time with my camera.

In other news, and my second piece of news which isn’t really that big, is that I went to the Chinese New Years celebrations on Monday night with some friends and we had a great time. There was dancing, music, some fireworks and lots of incense burning at the nearest temple giving off a very good smell.

Part of the celebration included releasing small birds (maybe sparrows not sure) from a cage. Although I don’t have a picture of this I did take a video and I've learned how to post video's so expect these in future posts.

With regards to work it’s pretty much the same story since the beginning of this year. Really busy. I’ve been given a lot of additional responsibilities which I am happy to receive as I feel far more involved with what’s really going on than when I first arrived a very long four months ago.
I’ve just past the halfway point and I can’t believe that I have so much time left. It feels like I began my contract here such a long time ago with everything that I have done. Hard to imagine everything that will happen in the coming months.

What an experience.

Andrew

Bonjour...

Bonjour, ca va?

The most interesting news I have to share is that my French level 1 course has started so I’m slowly learning the basics and trying to practice what I do know as much as possible. Still very early though but I hope to have a good foundation by the end of the course in April.

The work at the UNDP RCB is really starting to pick up. Beyond the jobs assigned to me on my ToR I have been tasked with putting together the Workplan for 2009 which is very near completion now. All that remains is update it once Delger comes back from holidays/sick leave and add inputs from the Capacity Development (CD) global team workplan. In addition, I am now the focal point for a CD Institutional Networking Event/Fair and the focal point for the RCB’s CD Brown Bag Lunches which is the easier of the two as once it is organized it will essentially run itself. Outside of work I have been putting together necessary documents for a MDG Campaign which I am proposing to the Deputy Director for the MDG Campaign in Asia. Working with me on this is Julian (the guy in the picture of the last post) and we think we have a good idea for them. Not sure at this point if they will be very receptive to the idea however as we have still not been given a time when we can sit down with the Director and really discuss it with him. On the positive side though Dipa Bagai, head of CD here at the RCB, is really supportive of the idea so at this point it’s a little bit of a waiting game.

This weekend I’m thinking I will finally go to the old capital. Something which I have been meaning to do since the first week I arrived. A motivating factor of my going there is to try and spice up these blogs. As more time is devoted to work and finding employment after this placement, it is becoming more difficult to find interesting things to write about. Unlike when I first arrived when everything was new and exciting, now things here seem common.

I’d like to thank my Aunt Leo and Uncle Glen for sending me a box full of all things Canadian. When I was opening it I was really excited. It was the closest feeling of Christmas I’ve had in near two years. The postcard of the Loon is now firmly attached to my office wall.

The picture for this post was taken in Cambodia on a regular digital camera but the quality is amazing so I thought I would share it.

Au revoir,

Andrew

Busy Beaver

The holidays are over and the office is once again busy with activity. Currently I am working closely with the Capacity Development team in finalizing the Workplan for 2009. This is great for me as I am developing a clear picture of their activities and what is coming up in the new year. Work still continues on the publication and I have put together something resembling a first draft for the introduction.

Last week was particularly busy with meetings and new responsibilities and this coming week will be even busier as I have more meetings and complete several tasks for projects which I am the focal point for. Good times but busy.

It’s not all just grim work though. This is a picture of a friend of mine in the office right beside mine taken at the end of the day on Friday by an intern from Spain. I’ve kept the picture which I told him would go immediately up on the blog.

Andrew