Everything I Need to Know, I Learned from Theatre

The theatre is a wonderful place to learn a lot of life skills you didn't even know you needed.

• Go Big or Go Home
• Getting changed quickly in tiny spaces
• Dealing with weird smells and weirder people
• Having to put on your game face or change your mood even when you don't feel like it
• Flexibility in any situation because something is bound to go wrong at some point
• Avoiding things that are falling on your head
• Having a grading scale of how many days in a row you can wear the same thing before it's deemed too gross to wear again without a wash (pro-tip: It's not very many, but I think my scale is going to be put to the test in Nepal)
• Getting on with it even when you're exhausted
• Working efficiently and accurately with minimal resources and people, and maybe having to pick up the slack from someone who's missing
• Playing nicely with others
• Maintaining confidentiality even when you have the juiciest gossip (you never know who's listening)
• Going with the flow
• The importance of well-fitting shoes
• Ingenuity and creativity
• Paying attention to your surroundings and (hopefully) listening too
• Being fully prepared when it's time to go "on", and relying on all the practise and preparation you've done beforehand because there is NO GOING BACK

Many, if not most, of these points could apply to sports and other types of group activities that I have no idea about.  With 10 weeks to go, I'm trying to simplify my life and prepare as much as humanly possible.  It seems that most of the work of making lists is taking things OFF lists, and minimizing as much as possible.  It'll be nice to finally be there and be working with the kids, which is all I want to do anyway!

12 Weeks 'til Showtime!

The countdown is on!  12 weeks until I embark on the journey to Kathmandu.  It's been a whirlwind of announcing this decision, getting personal affairs in order, and getting stabbed with needles full of vaccines so I don't die from brain exploding diseases.

If you don't know the details of my volunteer trip abroad please visit this website for more info.

The flights are all booked, with a transferable ticket for the way home - whenever that is.  I'll be flying out of YVR just after midnight on the 2nd of December, and spending a 24 hour layover in Bangkok before connecting to Kathmandu.  My travel agent is still trying to figure out how or if it's possible to ship my teaching materials or if it's better to get all of it in Nepal.  This isn't the most straightforward place to get to, especially with a lot of stuff.

Volunteer BaseCamp is a Canadian organization that offers support for those wanting to volunteer abroad.  They offer facilitation and coordination between volunteers and placement opportunities in five different countries.  They provide accommodation and training for volunteers, and ongoing language courses and support with logistics.  There is also an opportunity to stay with a host family instead, which I will consider after getting settled in.  My placement isn't fully confirmed yet, but it will most likely be a centre with young children 5 and under, or somewhere with elementary school aged children.  I'll be able to run a music program for either of those age groups, and get some piano lessons going for those who are old enough and ready.

Learning a brand new language will be the biggest hurdle.  Nepali uses the Devanagari alphabet, as do other languages like Hindi and Sanskrit.  Learning the different characters and sounds will be the first step (and adding a new iPhone keyboard!).  I've acquired some good maps and books on Nepal, and am about to start reading the Little Princes novel, which was recommended by at least 8 different people and graciously leant to me by one of my best friends.

Over the next 12 weeks I'll be finishing up personal and medical preparations, getting all my students here up to speed and preparing them for the transition, planning more details with the team in Nepal, and organizing what and how to PACK.  I am terrified.