WEEK 44 PART 2

I am feeling a little bit proud of myself since I have been able to update this thing twice despite the fact I have just spent the last 24 hours traveling and very few sleeping. Part of that is my own fault since I can't say no to my new friends and their obsession with watching the Manchester Chelsea game until the wee hours. I am exhausted and have not even finished downloading my cards. Instead I am rambling to myself here.

I feel a little out of my comfort zone. I am usually surrounded by other photographers most of whom are my friends. Here I'm all by myself. I realize how much I rely on the sounding board of others and not on my own instincts. It's kind of nice. Jarring, but still nice.

 I started shooting the Operation Smile job this morning following around one doctor, a nurse, an administrator and a line of parents and kids. So far my mission has required a lot of waiting around. I spent time in the hospital with the doctors today waiting to see patients. I spent time with patients waiting to see doctors. The first time I did this for Operation Smile it was a little more buzz since I saw the front end of the mission before kids had their surgeries and before the scars healed. I am happy to say six months on these kids are gorgeous. It makes me pretty happy to see the end result turn out so well for such a great group of kids. 

The people are friendly despite all they have gone through in the last few months since the violence erupted during the election. Kenya still seems to me coming back. I hope to start working a little on repatriation as soon as my time with Op Smile is done. By then this should be my new comfort zone.