Merry Christmas

Namaste and Merry Christmas if I don't get back here before then.  Here's the latest...

I went to London after my visa run to Australia for a face-to-face interview for the World Centre Managers job.  The interview process took 5 hours and included a tour of pax lodge, a Skype call with the Sangam centre team chair in Peru, a written assessment on finance, an interview and time when I could ask questions.  211 people applied for the job and they picked me!!!  I was on the London Eye the evening after the interview with a previous Sangam volunteer when I heard the news.  We wanted to jump up and down with excitement but we though we had better not.  

This is one huge privilege and a journey that I’m equally excited and scared about entering into.  Donna finishes on the 18^th of December and I commence on the 19^th.  I have been busy cramming my head with as much of Donna’s brain as possible while at the same time being fully aware that we will not have a Programme Manager on the ground here for some time…another challenge!  

In other Sangam news we recently conducted an HIV/Aids advocacy seminar with 21 participants for 10 countries.  One of the highlights for me was the group putting advocacy into action as we joined other organisations from around Pune in a World Aid’s Day march on the 1^st of December. 

Sonu – my Sangam cat – has recently had surgery.  Someone asked me on Facebook what happened to her and I hurriedly answered that she had ‘her lady PARTY removed’!  Indeed she has.  She will have her stitches out Friday thank goodness – no more cone head!  She now has her own Facebook page (Sonu Barron) and is aiming to be the most famous cat in the world. 

Other exciting family news in that Dale and Yanny had another baby.  She’s very very cute and her name is Asia Jenna Barron.  I’m very excited about the middle name (of course) and will be doing my best to get across to Hong Kong during the Indian summer (April/May) to spend some time with them all.

Our next event starts on the 21^st of December with 30 participants for the UK and Australia.  This runs until January 1^st and the next event starts on January 3^rd so a very tight turn around for us.  Our annual centre team meeting runs for the 18^th to the 22^nd of Jan so I expect to come up for air around the 26th of January.  Until them I hope you guys have an awesome Christmas and New Year and do eat some Christmas fare for me!