9/30/83

End of the week. Not a real fulfilling one. I kept hoping that the return on our questionnaire for the employment & training survey would be of such magnitude that there would only be a small number of phone calls to make. Not so. As to date, only one of 25 or so questionnaires has been returned. Which means that I have many many phone calls to make. I've procrastinated all week which is ultimately a major mistake as Mr Scott has been out of the office and the phone relatively unused. As it is, I'll have to make calls amid his return, adding greater anxiety to an already difficult and anxious situation. Gads, I'm so stupid for being so frightened. I really hate this job!

Thoughts too about so many departures. Souman Ghosh left a few weeks back from CPU. Jim leaves next week along with other folks from our “morning coffee club”. Just as I was beginning to feel comfortable around so many other ex-pats; sharing the frustration and fears the silliness of some of the public service bickerings. It seems we just settle in, to be disrupted again. I envy their departure. Though I know our farewells will come all too soon (or perhaps not soon enough) I can't help but want to go, too. Dennis, the French agronomist, leaves around the end of October. The ec-31s leave the beginning of December. Leaving, leaving. It's nice to know that we'll be at least get a bit of a breather in the states for a few weeks in Dec. & Jan. Perhaps by then, things on my end will firm up but that may be too much to ask. I may float all the way until next December for all I know. Surely, I will (or have) learned to deal with ambiguity.

As for comings… EC-35’s should arrive sometime this fall. EC-36s will be part of a summer program, as PC Wash. is changing the arrival times of health & education people. They will probably arrive sometime next July. Deb's replacement will come 5 months early (if there is one) so that long overlap may allow us for an early COS depending upon circumstances. We could probably depart sometime in early November if we wished. I wish! But it certainly too soon for anything but speculation on that account. My energy is concentrated now on #1 Getting this blasted training and employment survey finished. #2 Setting this marketing intelligence project in motion. #3 Clarifying my role as Manpower development advisor. #4 Surviving until Christmas. 

That last item is the kicker in that we heard on VOA (Voice of America) that Eastern Airlines is in financial difficulties so they may file a Chapter 11 and go the way of Braniff and Delta. Great!? Just when the thing was all set and a very cheap price arrived at. Still haven't heard from Sharon Miller in B-ton about alternative airlines and schedules. Trying to work something else out. We may however end up with more travel time in the U.S. So another airline may work out well.

Well, on to the weekend. I'm going to try to make some calls this afternoon but I really don't feel up to it. But then, I'll never really feel up to it so I might as well jump in with both feet!