Training

I am a few days from being done with two weeks of training. I spent 20 hours in transit with 7 months worth of luggage to reach all my lovely training sites so it's been pretty tiring. Not so thrilled with most of the content and definitely could have condensed it into a week but the area around Montreal was absolutely beautiful with all the leaves turning red so that helped. Now I am spending a week in Toronto finishing off my training and getting everything else ready. I am enjoying having a little space to my self too. But I am getting pretty close to being ready as far as having all the necessary arrangements made. If it wasn't for the 40+ hours it will take me to get there, I would probably start getting excited right about now!

This is where I will be working (the University of Dar es Salaam):

View Larger Map

isn't technology cool?!? The map is fully interactive so zoom on in and check out my new neighborhood. I guess the training wasn't entirely useless...

the anglo-crew:

On my way

I am writing from the ever so exotic location of..... Ottawa! Ok, so I'm not yet in Tanzania but I have said my goodbyes and packed my stuff and will now spend two weeks in training in Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto before heading overseas September 30th. I will be working at the University of Dar es Salaam to build the capacity of their HIV/AIDS committee as part of a program at U of T's Centre for International Health to increase the role of Universities in combating the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Or something like that... it's all a little vague but soon enough I'm sure it will all be clearer. I have spent the last two weeks quickly pulling together all the necessary fragments for this experience (visa still MIA) and am looking forward to two weeks of relaxing with all the new people I'm meeting. Already regretting the lack of sweaters. Anyway, stay tuned here for updates on what I'm doing, where I'm going and, of course, photos.