Change of platform: www.dandocoaching.com

hello,

I will no longer be using blogger, please visit my website

www.dandocoaching.com

You will still be able access all of my old and new posts.

Farewell...

Hello again,

Finally the day is here, as of today I will no longer use my blog. It was a pleasure and a great adventure to be able to reach so many people from all over the world. I got many Thank you messages, emails from bloggers. I am very happy that my blog provided some insight, helpful information and tips about Kenya, Africa and life itself.

This blog meant so much to me, not only I discovered my love for writing, I felt fulfilment, courage and motivation to live in Kenya and travel as much as I can. My blog became a self helping guide for me, and a shoulder to lean on. Even in my loneliest days, my blog was always there for me...

I once again, settled and came back where I started my own journey in year 1998.  Being away for seven years made me grow and mature. Now, I can see clearly my vision and priorities. I feel fortunate to be able to live and travel outside of my comfort zone, and see so many places I have always dreamed about since my childhood. Through my journey, I met with many unique and fascinating people whom I learned so much from.

My journey does not end here, I am again looking forward to reaching to new people, travel and see more, and growing my new baby (life coaching practice:))

Remember, there are no limits in life, you look for it and you work for it. And never forget to live your present moment.

Thank you for being there for me...

Cheers,
Zeynep

It is ready:)

Hello bloggers, it has been some time that I have not found time to write. I have been very busy with finalizing paperwork for my business/practice and launching my website. Soon enough, I will no longer be writing here. My blogs will be posted on my website accordingly. It is a new adventure for me, and I am very excited. Starting my own practice was something I have been working on for so long. If you have time, please go to my website www.dandocoaching.com. Hope you'd like it:)

Cheers,
Zeynep

Very productive day:)

It was a very productive day for me, I missed writing so much that I am in front of my ipad since this morning, posting new pieces nonstop:) Thanks to my seasonal flu, I am in bed since this morning with a fever 39C!  but I am looking at the bright side, I was able to write and share so much:) Again like other cases, my husband ended up going to a business trip, I am really suspicious that he is planning his trips when kids and I are sick!! Too much of a coincidence there!!!

Anyways, I have taken all the over the counter medicine out there and nothing seems to work! I cannot eat or sleep! As far as I know people around us are also sick with this seasonal cold/flu!!! I even saw my sister in-law today at doctor's office! It became a meeting place for us lately. Either we go there for ourselves or take the kids! Today even the doctor was confused because of same last name on the patient list!

Writing always make me happy, it is kind a therapy for me:) I feel free and independent. Soon enough my platform will change and I will miss my blog. It was a great discovery in Kenya, and we became a good team last two years.

Garissa...

How can I not write about Kenya. I feel very attached for this country home for endangered species , beautiful climate, unique environment and of course its wonderful local people. I was speechless when I saw the Garissa attack on CNN and felt helpless, and remembered the feeling when West Gate attack happened few years back. terrorism is so close to us no matter where we are, and where we live. Unfortunately, It is part of everyday life especially in Middle East and Africa. No ones' life should end like this, we humans all deserve a decent life, humanly living conditions, and equal opportunities and fair endings... But is it possible? Can it be achieved in countries like Kenya, with a human life is so cheap and most cases worthless...

My sincerest condolences to 147 people whom viciously lost their life's. Their only goal was to get an education for better and humanly life...

My prayers are with families. Hope God will give you strength in this difficult time...

Spring break In Ft. Myers

After months of freezing cold weather in DC, our kids had a blast in Ft. Myers this past weekend. It was a long missed vacation for them since they were so used to play outside in pleasant weather in Nairobi. That was probably one of the best thing during our years in there:)

It was the best time of the year to visit FL before the temperature reaches 100 F with %100 humidity! I would never guess the weather would be this pleasant, it was 80s during the day with a nice cool breeze in the afternoon. Locals told us, if you want to go down to FL, months of March to May is the way to do it. Otherwise there are afternoon thunderstorms late May, and there is the tornado/hurricane season during the month of September. 

We have been in South Beach and FT. Lauderdale before, but I am not fan of these places. It was way too crowded, felt like a melting pot with too many people, lines were too long, restaurants were packed, definitely not a good fit for families with children. May be it has changed, who knows? 

When we heard about Ft. Myers from our friends that with its down to earth locals, warm hospitality, great beaches, pleasant weather and Southern charm we did not waste any time and bought our tickets. We were not disappointed. From airport to hotel it was lovely. I believe what makes the place warm and friendly is definitely it's people. And Ft. Myers had it all:) 

Majority of the hotels are only 20-30minutes of ride, aside from dining in the hotel there are so many options to choose from in an around the city centre fit for all budgets. Oh by the way, FL is famous for it's outlet centres! I do not do shopping when I am on vacation, but seen people with big shopping bags in the hotel:) I definitely recommend Coconut Point area, it is quite, charming and in land islands let you swim in the ocean:) I made our reservation through expedia, had the best deal so far once again! 

After the move

Cannot believe it is already four months since we moved back to U.S.! It just does not feel that way, guess it is because we moved into our own house and to an environment where we feel safe and secure. Never in a million years I would thought safety would my priority like this, guess you never know the value until you loose it!!

Anyways, kids were home due to Easter break, finally weather is warming up. I have been busy with gardening, tidying up our deck and doing last final touches throughout the house. When my husband got the job offer I expected to have small to big scale of constructions in the house since it has been on rent last seven years! There are few more items remaining, than we will be set. Hope we will not be moving again, but with us you would never know! 

I was always a fan of doing little changes in the house such as changing small furniture's, accessories little bits and pieces that will give a new fresh face to our house. With so many options out there now, it is a full time job! Too many options to choose from with quick delivery and return. Cannot believe how retail sales have changed last couple of years. It was such a relief for me after Kenya, and I am definitely enjoying being a good consumer:) 

One of the best website I discovered is wayfair.com, aside from amazon, target, and pottery barn and etc. Timely delivery and good quality products for best price. There are great deals every week for home furnishings. And of course a gem called 'home goods':) sister company of TJ Maxx specialising for discount home furnishing goods. If I have extra time during week, it is one stop I do not miss. Ok, I am not one of those shopaholics even though I may sound like one! But just get a quick glimpse of ideas is so much fun especially after three years of not much retail therapy. I must admit, retail shopping is one of the best therapy, even psychiatrists agree with that:) 

Finally found it!

It is never easy to create something from the scratch. After years of planning and much thinking, it is time for me to put it into an action! Everything was moving smoothly up until it was time to find a website and business name! Who would thought finding something meaningful and not taken already would be this hard! I have gone through thousands of webpage names, websites and ideas and got stuck for weeks. It just did not happen till yesterday! While I was working on the draft business plan, something just light up, and there it was! Without missing any time, I checked internet, luckily it was not taken. Soon enough I will be on a professional platform, a dream comes true:)

You will still be able to access my blogs, but they will no longer on BlogSpot. My new site name will be posted here accordingly. Is not it exiting:)

Homeschooling!

That's a perfect title for this post! Last week, my kids only went to school for a day, the rest of the week Fairfax County schools were closed! Since we moved, my kids hardly go to the school. Some days I see no reason for schools to be closed, but by night we receive an email from the county, and there we go again! My daughter has no complain though! She almost prays for snow every night these days! On the other hand, not only I am home with them I also have to keep up with her snow day assignments!!!! The problem is, I hardly understand the math problems, sometimes I start studying in the morning! So when we sit together, if she asks me a question I can have the right answer for her!!! Even my four years old now know when the schools are going to be closed. He basically takes a peek from his window in the morning, if he sees snow he claps his hands with an excitement and yells 'hey, no school today!'. Funny enough, when I go to grocery shopping, I see moms dragging their kids with them, and from kids' face I can easily tell they are not having fun either! Hoping this crazy weather, with a degree of no more than '-4C' almost everyday will be out of the door soon!

Have you ever feel stuck!

I always knew that I am not a creative person. I do not have inner voice that brings up ideas or exiting concepts, it is just not happening. And again I proved it to myself last few weeks! As you may already know, or learning now, I am in the middle of creating life coaching practise hence developing a website. Of course to be in the business I have to have a business name, but I am stuck! So much reading is no help, it has to come naturally but nope not happening so soon! I never expect to become a Van Gogh all of sudden, but having genuine creativity, just a little one, would not hurt! I have pretty much wrote and erased 100 + ideas on my PC. It got worse when I asked our brothers and their significant others' at the table during our Sunday brunch! All of a sudden they all became one heck of a hidden talent! But how can you own somebody else's idea, right? Or is this a way too noble of thinking in today's world? Just look around, do not we all inspired by each other?

"Security email"

This morning while I was going through my emails I saw the "security email" from US Embassy in Kenya. That reminded me I should take our names from their list, anyway. I could not help myself reading the email, let's call it an old habit! These emails meant so much to me, not long ago, only 3 months back...That made me think again how quickly a life can change for better or worse, and in some cases we cannot control it...Per the email, security has increased and there is a significant threat in Kenya for expats or western community. I thought about friends in Nairobi, how we used to worry about these threats, it almost consumed us all day. It was the only talking point when we saw each other at the school. Of course you never hear good things from people, bad news is the first one to spread too quickly! No matter what we talked about, life always went on, we did what we needed to do. And I know no matter how concerned they are, they have to go on with their lives in there. Whenever I see streets of Nairobi on TV or hear news about Kenya, I instantly stop what I am doing and pay my full attention whatever the subject is. I feel strongly attach to that country, and I do not think it will ever change. Because our three years in Kenya touched and left lots of marks in our lives, the and the bad...

Raising bilingual children

Raising bilingual children is a very hard thing to do, not only it needs patience, more importantly it needs consistency. I have seen many kids basically refuse to learn or struggle between two languages in some cases three languages.

I heard, in some schools, they are teaching children 2 or more languages, is not it kind a too aggressive? It is one thing to grow in a bilingual environment (patents are native speaker of another language other than residing country), but teaching them one too many languages at school, not sure. Besides learning another language takes a lot of practise and needs a natural environment, otherwise it just gets limited within the school and eventually forgotten. My daughter was learning French in Kenya, now Spanish! That would be great if she can have basic language skills, but if not, it is also fine.

I have seen kids whom could not even speak one language for years properly, put aside two languages, poor children because of their parents inconsistency they just get confused! Eventually once they get a hold off one, they totally ignore the second one, there goes all the efforts!

Through my observations, some cultures are very good at raising bilingual children, like Chinese or Indians. Both are very attach to their language, their nativity, cultures, religion and they feel proud. I do envy that. Unfortunately in my culture it is the other way around! I totally believe it is about being happy and proud with your nationality and in your own skin...

When I was young, it was so important to speak English that people would not care if you speak your native language or not. Unfortunately it is still the same case for some.  They just would not care...Me? You probably know the answer by now:) it is very important for me that both of my children speak their mother tongue clear and clean. As a parent I would feel very much disappointed if my kids would not speak Turkish. It does not matter if we would live here all our lives or not.  I strongly believe language what makes you different from other people, you are not only learning a language you are also learning traditions and culture...

Well, let me tell you, it is one tough job and getting harder when the kids grow up. I think the key is make them love the language and have them understand the importance of it. That's what I am doing so far and it is working fine with little of bumps on the road, especially with my almost 9 yrs old! It comes with the package:) Who could blame them? From children's perspective it is not an easy job and most cases boring and meaningless...

As parents' we dream so much for our kids that we forget the big picture, most of the time, they actual are our dreams...It is important to make sure that our expectations are reasonable within limits of ours and our children's.

Freezing cold in east coast!

So this is how it feels to live in -20 C! Either I am getting old and cannot remember clearly anymore or the climate in DC area drastically has changed! I wonder if there are still people do not believe weather shifts and climate changes!

Since we have arrived, the temperature is below 0 with few exceptions! Unfortunately that affect quality of life so much! As a person who always like outdoor sports and do it no matter what (I used to run even in unsafe areas in Nairobi!), I just cannot do it. This morning I had an attempt to run outside, but my body just did not like the idea! I just could not warm up, head to toe I felt the cold shivers and barely could not feel my toes!

Our parents are joking with us when we tell them how cold it is in here, and first question they ask is if we missed Kenya! Well from a climate perspective I am not going to lie, that was the so far most pleasant weather we lived in. But you cannot make your living decision based on the climate right, or can you?

When I left our garage this morning, I checked the temperature in the car, and it was showing 4 C, and I thought this is not bad, I can live with this. Once I opened the garage door and started driving, in less than 5 seconds it showed -15C! I froze just froze and stared at it without a glimpse! Coming back to quality of life, there is no doubt weather does affect it. Malls, indoor shopping centers and movie theatres are packed with people, there are no people outside! This morning our neighbor took their dogs outside, poor animals just run inside right away, like they saw a ghost, no kidding! Roads look like a deserted places, all cars are parked outside, very quite and calm.

So people who have no place to go, my thoughts and prays are with them. I read there are many government run shelters, and some parts of the city warm food service is being provided, and people are taken to shelters.

Stay warm and safe...

XOXO

Thoughts on public education in Fairfax, VA

No matter where you live, if you have children or even plan to have children, choosing a school becomes centre of life! That's true! When we bought our house, we heard so much from our friends about private vs. public schools, after school activities, weekend activities and academic curriculum in this area. With much of a resistance, slowly I turned one of those people, who talks about schools! It comes with the package, no denial here!

After living in three continents and three countries I came to a conclusion, there is not one rule but many. And that change where you live, what your expectations are, financial situations and the environment. As parents our priority is always our children's safety and well being. So when we were  living in Kenya we had no choice but private education and that's what we did. Same case when we were living in Turkey, we could not send our daughter to public school even though me and my husband always believe in public education.

After my husband got a job offer, we again decided to move:) but this time to U.S. With a relief, I knew this time it would be much easier, and finally we send our children to public schools. There, I started researching and reading parents comments and experiences for public education in VA and finally we were able to do what we believe is right as a parent.

First thing first, through Fairfax County Public School boundary locator www.boundary.fcps.edu , I was able to find which public school we were assigned based on our zip code. Through www.grateschools.org I was able to read and learn about our new school. I was very surprised to see all the information (ratings for cleanliness to safety to parent involvement to academic performance) was made public. It may be normal for some, but for me it was a delightful surprise:). After contacting school via email, school administration send us few forms and asked us to go to FCPS Center once we arrive to US. Due to growing up in a bilingual family and coming from non US education system she was required to get tests mainly on her language skills. After we arrived we took our daughter to the center and got her tests and there she was accepted right away. School was very welcoming, administration was so informative that I could not even compare our experiences last few years. It was always a hurdle to get information from school! I had to be always on top of the school and teacher to make sure everything was going well! Finally, registering our daughter into a school was an uneventful experience, exactly the way it was supposed to be...

When I went to drop off her paperwork, I was very impressed with what I saw. From class sizes, to big library to lunch menu to gym to music rooms and auditorium I just could not believe, and this is a public school! (Again, there is a comparison I just cannot help myself!) Probably people who were born and raised in here would not surprised as much as I am. But I do appreciate all the opportunities kids have in public education system. It is a luxury for majority people in the world...

I had a chance to walk around the classrooms while the children were in their class. I was utterly shocked when I saw kids sitting on the floor reading their books, while some were discussing their items with their teacher, some were even having their snack on their table while they were reading their book. It made me think my days in school, and how bored I felt, sometimes was afraid of my teacher, some days I was not even brave enough to lift my hand to speak...

Her new classmates were very welcoming, they all made her a welcome cards, and thanks to living in different countries and cultures my daughter was also became a very adaptive child. Day one she did not feel like an outsider...

It is a choice to make but a very important one. Due your diligent work, it is definitely worth your time. Education is a lifetime investment, it is not only academic decision there is also social aspect of it.

Cost of Living in Nairobi-schools, housing, food and etc.

For most of us, cost of living is one big question.

Before we moved here, compared with other western countries, I pictured Nairobi to be a very reasonably priced city (ok I am going to be honest, I thought the 'Cost of Living in Nairobi' would be cheap!), in terms of housing, food, schools, transportation and so on. To my surprise, this was not the case. Here are some facts:

Housing: The first shock I got was when we were looking for a house. If you want to get a house, either a standalone or one in a gated compound, be prepared. The price can be close to the prices in Europe. Probably, some of you will say I am either exaggerating or do not know what I am talking about. In Nairobi, there are specific areas for foreigners/expats. If you are not so adventurous you have got to live one of these expat areas, such as Karen, Runda, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Rosslyn, and maybe Wetlands or Kileleshwa. Since these areas have made names for themselves, and they are so-called 'safe and secure’ (do not trust this too much!), prices have gone up unreasonably. We all come from different backgrounds and have different expectations, but if you come from a place where you had a decent life, you expect a certain level of comfort. If you are single or a couple, you can still live one of these apartments, or maybe in other areas, but that is not possible if you have kids. You want to give them safety, security, space and freedom, as much as you can.  In order to get a nice and secure house, you’ve got to spend a good amount of money. Even though you are paying lots (or if you are lucky, your company is paying for it), do not expect much because of the poor quality of construction. By the time you are done with repairs, it will probably be the time for you to move!! And if you want to have a generator and extra water tank (after living here for over a year now, those are a MUST), you have to pay for them from your pocket (some companies cover it, some do not). But trust me-- with so many power and water cuts, you have to have them! Most companies have an upper limit for housing, and in some cases, it is only enough for an apartment....

Electronics, food and etc.: Here is another shocker-- the cost of food, housing products, electronics, and appliances. Most products that we are accustomed to using are imported, and they are highly taxed. Even though you can find them, they are not of good quality (I personally experienced this firsthand). So, I definitely recommend that you bring as much of your stuff as possible, anything you can think of. 


Schools: I hope your company pays for 100% of this, it is a huge burden because international schools are expensive!  The average cost is 12K to 18K (in US Dollars) per year (remember where are in Africa). This can go up or down depending on your kid’s age, but expect something around it. So here is a good reason for you or your husband to negotiate with the company. I have some friends whose company does not pay school fees, and some companies have a limit. 

Transportation: I have never used public transportation; it is mostly used only by locals who cannot afford to buy a car.  As far as I know, there is no government run transportation system. It runs privately. Per my conversation with local people, fees change all the time. There are no government regulations. Buying a car can also be very expensive. Since all cars are imported, they are heavily taxed. What you pay is mostly tax. Generally, expats buy 4x4s, which makes sense because road conditions are very messy...but as a small size car driver, I am so far very happy. I can fit anywhere I want, and it did not cost as much as a 4x4!

Cost of domestic help: Ok, I have good news! Compared with other countries in Europe, the US, and my home country Turkey, domestic help is very cheap. Surely paying more than average is your choice (which still is very little, when you think of what you pay for imported products!). I remember my days in the US when I only had one lady who came once a week and how much I was paying her and she was not doing much...When I compare it with the USA and Kenya, I guess my home country, Turkey, is somewhere in the middle.  In Kenya, we had lots of help from wonderful local people, which I appreciate. I have two ladies who have worked for us since we moved here.  What would I do without them...just think of washing the dishes all the time...


In the end, every country has its own dynamics. There are pros and cons. It is up to us to make use of what we have and adjust. 

Exciting developments

Since I became a life coach I wanted to have a website. Having a website is part of the job and todays' world without using social media and internet you are down to zero. I had one attempt last year but did not go well as I planned! I had this company from India which dragged the job on and on, never got it done! We were living in Kenya and I accepted situation and put a hold to my plans. So without marketing myself much, as a start I had good amount of clients last two years, sure enough having a website is great tool to reach people and eventually to potential clients.

Right after we moved back to U.S. I did not waste anytime, started interviewing web developers. As of last week I signed the contract and hired a professional web developer, if all goes well my website will be up and running. Soon my platform will change but will be continuing with my blog. However, I will no longer use BlogSpot, my blogs will be posted on my website. Is not that something? I am very much exited and looking forward to it.

Since yesterday I have been searching for website names, going over hundreds of samples and ideas, hoping to finalize it soon. It is not an easy job though, if you have any ideas feel free to drop me a message or email, my email address is nairobibloggerzv@gmail.com .

On the other hand I am planning to take writing classes, there is so much material out there, just do not know where to start, but I am loving it:)

My daughter started her new school

When my daughter started school in here a month ago, as a mother, I had some concerns. She went to an international school in Kenya that taught British curriculum, and I was not very happy with the quality of education she was getting. Unfortunately while we were living there she had to change two schools in three yers so we decided to keep her in her second school even though we were not satisfied. Let me mention, I am not one of those parents' whom are very ambitious, taking their kids from one class to another, but at the same time as a parent I wanted her to get a decent education where she would not feel behind once she attends another school in another country.

Once she started her new school in US, I noticed there is a difference between US education and private (British curriculum) education in Kenya. The problem was not the content, it was actually how that content is being presented to the children. Once she started bringing her homework, I saw she was having difficulty with the math problems, because she was not used to problem solving side of it, she was only doing calculations such as multiplications, divisions and etc in her old school. At time she felt like she could not handle these, they were too hard for her, and eventually she said she misses her old school, which was totally understandable. So, I decided to sit with her to assist her and encourage her everyway I can.

Other thing, literacy was totally different as well. She was used to do spelling all the time, she had spelling tests every other week in her old school, but here they do not do much spelling, there are lots of in class self-readings, writing and presentation. She used to bring a book every day, but was not doing anything else much. However, now she picks a book with her teacher's approval and do lots of self readings and discoveries. First time ever, last night, she wanted to read her book before she goes to bed, and as a mother I was very delighted to her that:)

Past and present...

When we bought our house years ago, our friends with kids told us this area has one of the best public schools in US. Having no kids at that time, we obviously were not much interested so we did not make our decision based on that, we just loved the house when we saw it in year 2003 (wow, I was even surprised when I was typing '2003', 12 yrs ago, no kidding!). Funny enough, we lived in it only for four years and decided to move to Georgetown, DC and than Istanbul and than Nairobi! It was a journey for 8 years. And finally we are back in our own house.

This morning while I was cleaning the snow on our driveway, our neighbours came over to say hi. They thought we just bought the house, when I told them we owned it for sometime but did not get to live in it for long, they were surprised. When I told them, we just moved from Nairobi they were even more surprised. After they left, I stopped and thought about that, whomever I talk to and mention where we lived before, people seem to be very interested, surprised and envy.  Later on, I was on the phone with my brother and told him I was out with kids playing with snow, he said 'that's so funny, only a month ago Dilara and Onur was so used to seeing monkeys in the garden now playing with snow!'. Honestly, I never thought that way! Things seem so normal to us can be very different and interesting for other people.

It has been almost a month now since we moved back to US. Funny thing is it does not feel that way.
 Probably after doing this over and over again, it just does not matter anymore, it becomes a routine:) Life style and standards make things much easier in here. Besides, even little things are very structured and in order that, so you never get to worry about them. I was taking these little things for granted before, now I do appreciate them. But isn't it life? Our experiences teach us so much that, our awareness and appreciation increase...

 I used to worry about little things so much (such as the food my kids eat at school, or hygiene when we go to a restaurant, or simply never ending power and water cuts!) that, at the end of the day
I would feel like my whole energy was just drained, and sometimes my morale would be very low...

It still is very fresh now, but I have no doubt in the future, all these experience, ups and downs, will mean much more to us...

A place to visit: Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum

If you live in DC area or plan to visit, single or with children, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is a must see. It is conveniently located on route 28, depending on traffic, 30 min. drive from the capitol.  Museum is pretty spacious, fun and informative without getting too boring. It is interestingly designed, architecture wise is very eclectic, 60,000 + objects are on display. There are big to small sizes of planes, making it hard to believe until you see it with your own eyes.

 When we drove to museum this weekend, we hardly found a parking space, but once we were in, never felt overcrowded. There are 3D simulators, workshops, exhibitions, imax theatre. So there is something for everyone. Even my 4 yrs old never got bored, which is hard for this age group! He enjoyed walking and running around the planes with an amazement:)

There is also a McDonald's for a quick bite, and besides no entrance fee!
http://airandspace.si.edu

All about TVT surgery

After getting so many questions via email and in person, I have decided to cover more about TVT.
To start with, TVT stands for 'Tension Free Vaginal Tape'. It sounds a little scary while I was typing:) To my experience, surgery is not scary but after what comes next can be a little!

What is TVT? and who needs it? TVT is a non invasive surgery to treat stress urinary incontinence symptoms. A narrow ribbon of mesh is placed under the urethra. TVT is kinda act as a layer of support when urethra is closed off when there is sneezing, coughing, or exercising. So the mesh basically exists on the lower abdomen through two small incisions, below the bikini line.  It is very popular past few years or so. If you are like me who had natural births, and anatomically I was also good candidate since my mom also had the same problems and at the end had the surgery.

What to expect after the surgery? This one is little tricky, after reading on the web I should say, there are really scary stories out there! If you plan on having a TVT surgery, get the information you only need, do not read excessively otherwise you can change your mind! Depending on your condition, one night stay may be required, or if you have no problem with urinating after surgery you may be send home. So like in any surgery, there are no definite answers. In my case, I had to stay two nights because my blood pressure was very low and I am kind a too sensitive to anaesthesia. By the way I was send home with a catheter which was a nightmare! I went back to see my doctor second round after few days later, it did not happen again!!! No matter how much you try if it is not going to happen, it just does not happen!!! So in a week I was again in surgery room, it was a quick one, they loosened the tape, and right after that I had no problem, it was  such a relief, believe me! There are no stitches or cuts, after the surgery you pretty much can walk and move around. The only problem is, you are not allowed to exercise neither do any lifting at all for 4-6 weeks. The reason, it is absolutely necessary for body to accept and hold TVT mesh. If the body does not scar the mesh, TVT surgery may fail. So you better do what doctor says. This is my 7th week and one more week to go! and believe me I have never had a week without any exercise in my life!

Again going back to my experience, in my second pregnancy, I complained about urinary incontinence to my doctor (in my third trimester, it came to a point where I rather would not go out, I opted stay home!), my doctor has mentioned about TVT and the benefits of it. Of course after the birth and busy life I had to put this surgery aside, I tried tp improve my condition using all technics out there, such as pilated or kegels, my problem has never gone anywhere. Whenever I got sick because muscles loosens I had the problem and believe I hated it, or when I went out for running I had to make sure to use the toilet! It is a very uncomfortable situation, and in young age you do not want to have this type of problems (ok, I may be 40yrs old, but still young:)) So, again with my doctor's advice in Istanbul, I have decided to go ahead with surgery this time. Ah by the way, have I mentioned patients are mostly woman! Are you surprised to hear this:)? Ladies, are not we the ones always have these problems!

I advise you to do your homework, talk to your doctor and make sure to ask any question you are concerned about. You can also send me an email.

Big 40!

I cannot believe I left 30s behind, just recently celebrated my 40th birthday in our new and old house (new because it has been renovated, old because we bought it 11 yrs ago but only lived in it for 3yrs! Is not that something:))

This year, I got to celebrate my b-day for three days! That, I call a celebration! And I deserved it, last three years there was not much of a celebration, I was home and made and baked my own cake! First year it was fun, but later on, nope!

So, on actual day, we went to Cafe Milano. It is classic Italian and one of the reputable restaurant in Georgetown. When we were living here years ago, it was our favourite stop for dining, and I loved their food. It was a lovely gesture from my husband:) Second night, one of our good friend, who happens to have same birthday with me, had a party at their house. And last but not least:) we had a dinner with our siblings at our house. It was a great night, my brother and his girlfriend, my husband's brother and his wife and son joined us. Great company, great food and wine, what can I ask more? And besides, after many years I gotta blow a candle:)

Back to square one!

Feels like every three years I find myself doing the same things over and over again, packing, unpacking, finding schools, settling into a house, and figuring out whats need and so much more.

Finally, last Thursday our container has arrived and it was so far the coldest day in DC area, -14C! That day, I have decided, after some point it just does not matter if it is -15 or -30C!!! Even indoors do not feel warm enough, cold just covers every inch of the body.

Anyways, having a big truck in front of our door and three guys carrying the boxes, again I could not help myself working along with them! Probably I worked as much as they did! Honestly, I do envy people who take things slowly, and can live with boxes for days sometimes even months. Me? Whole house was settled in 3 days. It is not a typo mistake! When I was opening the boxes without taking any breath, one of the guy's came and said I should do this professionally. At one point from outside it looked like we changed our roles! Was I surprised to hear that, not really. I seriously think about changing my career:)

My hands are still sore cause of unpacking 30+ kitchen boxes! They came in at 8am and left by 8pm, it was a long day, but a happy one:) Due to the freaking cold weather schools were closed, perfect timing right? We had to wear our coats inside of the house,  I thought the heater would just explode, it worked non stop!

Still no furniture!

We were so confident that there will not be any problems and we would have our stuff as planned! We shipped our items almost 2 months ahead, thought even if there is any problem we would still have more than enough time. Of course we forgot to count one end was Kenya and the other one was US. Our container had arrived as we have been told, which was fine. And our container put through extra security check due to coming from Africa, which was fine. What was not fine, our container was not freed because AGS (so called best international moving company in Kenya!) did not pay the moving company in US. We spent last two weeks wasting our time trying to reach somebody at AGS but no luck! Unfortunately company at this end told us, this is a routine when they work with AGS they never get paid on time! Is not that a great news! So here we are in our third week still waiting on to hear from AGS while our container is in storage waiting to be picked up, by the way have I mentioned the daily storage fee is just piling up too!!!!

Happy New Year!

So sorry my dear bloggers, with few days of delay, here it is:)

       HAVE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2015!

I promised myself, to:

Be optimistic
Not to forget to smile even in hardest times
Appreciate for everything I have
Help others in anyway or any form I can
Hug the people I love
Make time for myself
Write more:)))

How about you???

Sleepless nights and jet lag!

Have you ever had a jet lag? It happens after transatlantic flight, depending on time difference, body tends to stick to old schedule!!! it usually takes a week to adjust. Past week I ended up waking by 3am each morning, and turned from side to side until I fall asleep again. At least I did not make mistake of turning lights on or watching tv, those make situation worst! Than you end up living at night and sleeping daytime. It is much easier to plan kids' sleep schedule, luckily they both were fine.

I did not waste my sleepless early mornings for nothing, I prepared for driving license exam. Unfortunately my driving license was expired, and you cannot do anything without a license here! It is not only a license actually it is called 'ID', so where ever you go, bars, shopping, hospitals and etc first thing being asked is an 'ID'. Besides it is not a wise idea to drive with another country driver license, if it has not from one of few countries accepted by U.S government, if you got caught you are in big trouble!

When I was trying to learn all traffic rules, I remembered 1998, when I had my first driving license exam. I could not pass the traffic signs part, which was the first part anyway!!! So I had to retake it. Worst thing is, one of my dad's friend took me there, and I was so ashamed when I told him I could not pass! He had to bring me back next day!! I was only 23 and it was my third month in US, good old days... Than I thought about driving in Nairobi. From one place with no traffic rules to another one with so strictly enforced rules! 'Can it get better than this?' I said to myself! I was so used to driving around within my own rules in Nairobi that I was so concerned I would end up having an accident in day one in here! So I studied endlessly like a child until the exam day. My husband took me to DMV (Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles), I went in line again, it was like a dejavu after 15 yrs! Once my name was called, I was told that I do not need to take any of the exams, my license will be renewed. I was shocked, I either read the rules wrong, or my driver license expiration date has been noted wrong! So, I insisted on taking the exam, I said I studied so much I gotta take the exam. The women behind the desk just stared at me and said 'No mam, your driver license will be mailed to you in 5 business days!' My picture was taken , paid $32 and was at the door in 5 minutes. When my husband saw me he was shocked, because even though we had the same expiration dates on our licenses he had to take all exams! Lucky me:)

I did not waste anytime, and started driving my new car right away. After my old one in Nairobi, my new car felt like a Lamborghini:)