ONE ACT OF KINDNESS

I am lucky to say that I have had more than one act of kindness this week and it is overwhelming when it actually happens to you.  It really does lift the spirit and until you are in a place that you know no-one and telling yourself that the first few weeks are always the hardest in a new place/new country, that that one act of kindness can make the difference, words just cannot tell you what a big boost it is when it happens.  So next time you get the chance to smile at some-one, say hello to someone, thank a stranger (or someone you know) you just never know what a difference you could be making to that person.  Coming from first-hand experience-just do it.

I have already talked about my first act of kindness and that was the hand of help from Clodagh.  I haven’t even spoken to her since I left Australia in March 2011 and I get this amazing email referring me to a friend of hers that is happy to meet with me this week.  He is currently overseas, but it was my first glimmer of hope and it gave me….. hope.  So I will, fingers crossed be meeting up with him this week.

My second act of kindness was a message from Claire on Facebook.  She has been one of my biggest fans of my blog and she messaged me a link at possibly looking at getting some work as a rep at one of the beach resorts with Thomas Cook.  It is something that I hadn’t even thought of and for people to take the time to send me a message with the link, something that has taken time and thought is very touching.  I think you become more sensitized as well when you are in a foreign city on your own and it is the small things and the thoughts that life the day.  Thanks Claire.  I did have a quick look at the link, but I think you may have to be British or if approved through the application process that you have to do training in London.  But the internet stopped working, so I will need to look into that option in more detail. 

My next act of kindness was a gentleman came up to me at breakfast yesterday.  He was a local and had an iron and a Blackberry in his hand.  First impression was I though he was going to ask for my charger for my Blackberry, why else would anyone come up to your table.  He told me he was also staying in the hotel long term and asked if he could take a seat.  Sure.  He introduced himself and we shook hands as I replied with my name.  We spoke only for a few minutes but he is Kenyan born living in Sweden for the last 25 years.  He asked what I was doing today and I said I was meeting a friend, but he said maybe sometime we could catch up for a drink or something.  It all sounded above board, I had a good vibe from him-so with my immediate no thanks entering my mind-I need to open up myself, accept these offers (it is ONLY a drink) as I need to do this in turn for me to be able to meet people.  I figured he is a guest in the hotel, he’s here for a while, we can have a drink in the hotel bar and if it gets dodgy then I can excuse myself and still be in a safe environment.  What have I got to loose.  So with that said I gave him my Kenyan number and we will see if he contacts me.  As he got up to leave, he said I just saw you sitting here and thought I would say hi.  That small act of kindness just made my day so far.  Even if he never calls-what a nice thought.

My last act of kindness was catching up with my friend George.  George was my tour leader on my 6 week African tour that I did in July 2011, he is a Kenyan boy, born and bred and I don’t know why I left it all week to contact him.  I messaged him on Friday and we arranged to meet up on Saturday at 2pm at my hotel.  When I saw him in reception it was so GOOD to see a friendly face.  It has been a long time, since I left London on the 6^th January I guess and what a smile I’m am sure I had on my face.  I asked if he minded going somewhere out of the hotel for a drink or some lunch.  I NEEDED to get out, and with George by my side it would be good to get out and get some bearings and ask some questions about…well everything.  Is it safe for me to walk around-how far can I walk-the things that had kept me in my hotel (amongst other things) I was able to finally get off my chest and ask a local.  We ended up leaving the city and went to a pub not far from George’s place and we sat all afternoon and just talked.  About our trip, the people on the tour, Kenyan stuff, jobs, visa’s and finally places to live.  Just that morning, I found a great web site www.buyrentkenya.com and was able to pull 15 properties that were all within my budget, in gated communities and looked like they were going to suit me fine.  I still had no idea on where they were all located, but I was able to hand the list to George and we eliminated 6 of them due to either distance from the city or the unsuitability of the suburb.  So we now have 9 properties to look at.  I am going to make a call to all the agents on Monday-make sure they are still available and set appointments and George said he will be more than happy to take me to all of them and check them out!  While I am doing that he is also going to call the agents and make enquiries on the same properties and see if the prices on the web site are mazunga prices (western prices) and see if they have a ‘local’ price to see if we can get it cheaper.  We’re going to try and get them all done in one day and then I should be able to make up my mind out a choice of nine, and I get to see the suburb and get a feel for it as well.  I feel 100% better already.  There didn’t seem to be many 2 bedroom apartments available, they were all 3 bedrooms, which is far too big for what I need but if it falls in my budget…why not.  When all my 20 boxes arrive from Australia I will need a place to store it all till I get around to unpacking it.  I told George my immediate task was to find somewhere to live-what I am paying for a week in the hotel is a month’s rent.  I would also need a bed, a couch, a TV and of course internet.  Anything after that can just happen at its own accord.  But then I did think about it and I will need a fridge and a washing machine and then other things can just be done as they come.  I felt like a new person sitting with George and laughing, I haven’t had a good belly laugh since leaving London and to just be out.  I was the only white face at the pub, I asked George if they get many mazunga’s through here and he said no not really.  But this is my reality and I have to get used to it.  Like Ethiopia, they aren’t harsh stares; they are more a ‘white person here’ kind of stares.  I mean it could have something to do with my extraordinary beauty as well…… right!  So George is going to be my right hand man in the coming weeks.  Like I said I don’t know why I left it so long to contact him, but I have now and THANKS George for a great afternoon-it is just what I needed.                       

So I have had more than one act of kindness this week and it really does give me hope that things are on the up.  I’m getting a purpose back and I even think that there is a bounce in my step. 

So please, remember next time, if you have a chance to give an act of kindness DO IT.  You just don’t know how much that small thing can/will make a BIG difference to some-one.