Frustration and other joys....

Today was rather intense, interviewing media companies who had participated in my seminar. They had "homework" for me and for the marketing session which was conducted earlier. All groups, except two, copied the marketing template for a reader survey. ONLY two thought about whether the example would give them the info they would need to do what their media company needed to do. And then, their homework for me was to create a couple of goals, two objectives for each goal and two tactics for each objective. What a few did was to use exactly the exercise we did in the seminar which had NOTHING to do with their own company.

And so, I am needed. Today, there were no lunch plans so I walked down the street and had the world's best fish cooked in cassava leaves and wrapped in banana leaves and baked. With that were wonderful plantains and freshly cooked peas. Yum and the serving was so large that I will be able to enjoy the same thing for lunch. Beatrice, the house help here made ratatouille? (sp??) for me for dinner with rice and some fish. NO way I can eat all she prepared in one or even two days. She also cooks extra for herself and for the gardner but I could have six to dinner and we wouldn't eat it all.

I left her 30,000 Rwandan francs for shopping today and she gave me change plus I have a fridge and freezer full of food and this included her taxi fare both ways. So, less than $55. for meats, fish, veggies, fruits, rice, taxi and still some change. Not bad, at all.

Am enjoying my driver, DieuDonne (gift from God). He has an interesting take on race relations and had some stories to share about a trip he took to Germany which didn't end too well for him and his buddy from Cameroon. He appears to think I come from a very exceptional family which allowed for good relationships across races. Wanted to tell him about my dad disowning me when I dated Charles, a black man from Virginia but didn't. Dad came around eventually but that had more to do with the relationship ending, I think. But that whole experience did open my eyes and make me think and act differently...well, I was acting as I wanted, as usual. But it did affect how I approached races and cultures differently with my kids.

Speaking of whom...missing them terribly! Have a new publisher finally in Ft. Myers. Makes me miss Carol and the team she/we had. Oh well...progress and change are inevitable.