Being Grown Up

It's such a funny place to be, your twenties :o) Part of my time here, I feel like a baby because I am usually the youngest in the group I hang out in, the youngest at work, and this is the first time I am living abroad etc. However, then I have weeks like the end of this past one that remind me I am in the world of grown-ups and have to be one myself sometimes. We had a big meeting on Thursday with the branch of the UN that has been funding our program the last two years, only to find out they have a much smaller budget to work with this year so things like music therapy will be the first to go. Luckily, they did not cut us right there on the spot, we have two weeks to send in a proposal providing evidence (qualitative and quantitative) about music therapy with refugees and stating that it does work. I am really hoping that they decide to continue funding the project. As much as it helps to give food and shelter to a group of people, if you don't treat their psychological needs as well, they will never truly overcome some of the struggles they need to in order to live successfully on their own. Many of the goals we are working on with the kids is obviously emotional expression but also focusing on social cohesion, positive peer interactions, increasing self-esteem, creative expression.......and all those goals will hopefully help each individual know themselves better and function more positively around others. In the long run, that could mean staying in school, going to college, getting a job, working well with others/interviewing well, having the confidence to follow their dreams. I know I am starting to sound like I am full of false hope but I really believe that if we address these issues now with kids, they will succeed later in life rather than dwelling on the past. We will see what the UN thinks.

I have apparently attracted ever germ that I have been exposed to so I have a pretty bad cold right now, the kind where you wake up feeling worse than when you went to bed but hopefully it will pass in a few days. Luckily, my landlord is also a doctor! So that is pretty handy as well :o) One of my work colleagues was at the hospital last night getting tested for swine flu...I will keep you updated on that story.

Friday, we played some more soccer and man, each week I feel like more of an old lady. I'm sure it didn't help that I had a cold but after the game, my knees hurt, I was sore all over, haha. I'm getting old! :o) My bed and Aimee's bed in our new apartment are not the best for sleeping. We really need to find some foam to put on top of it or something because both of us of are more sore in the morning after trying to sleep on these beds. I'm just full of complaints today, haha.

I'm going to get ready for work but I will talk to you soon! sending hugs, xoxo