Our normal, is close to what normal was in Finland, but there are some differences. The little guys go to school instead of daycare. They go from 8 until 13. After that they either come home or go play at their grandparents place - Africa (as J calls it). We finally have domestic help. I survived the first year without any help - a rarity here, actually I didn’t know anyone else without help - even the help have their help... With growing workload and the kids starting school it made sense. So in the mornings when I drop off the kids, our Nanny/Housemaid cleans the apartment, does laundry and prepares lunch. I like to pick up kids and finish my workday at home. So at least I’m around, but there is a second pair of eyes and hands too. It’s nice. I get the cuddles, someone else deals with dishes and cleaning up their mess ;). Interestingly it was a real inner battle to me.. I'm a Finnish woman, I can do everything!!! But does it make sense to push so hard in everything that you feel too exhausted to sleep?? In the end it didn't. House has to be cleaned daily here, open windows and dust just make it necessary. Laundry is done by hand. I say enoguh of being the superwoman. Now I have more energy for work and to actually be with my kids because I don't have to be doing everything constantly.
On Wednesdays we have Suomi-koulu, so we head out of the door, and do a merry-go-round with the Karani kids. Drop off J, pick up their youngest, when I finish their class, they bring J and their older kids, grab the miniz and then in 90 mins pick up the group, while I finish the classes with the actual school age kids. And rush to grab my boys before heading home. It’s what you would call “controlled chaos”.
On Thursdays I go coach for two hours, Fridays four hours, and Saturdays 5 hours. They stay home with baba and the dada (swahili word for sister, used commonly for maid/nanny). Or sometimes tag along for the Sat class. Sundays are home days and I try to keep it empty - you know, not exit house at all. Recharge. Relax. The whole family together. <3
I've noticed though that I need to wake up and smell the flowers more. I want to transfer our mini balcony into a nice outdoor space. It is not that now, but still everytime I take even 10 minutes to sit outisde I feel better. My new way of dealing with three consecutive days of coaching is to work from home on Thursdays and sometimes even on Fridays. I feel extra productive and yet somehow the fact that I can have a slow morning, skip the shower and getting ready and just step outside and start working gives me enough strenght to handle the rest of the week.
I'm having that perfect moment now. Just because it's Thursday, I love it. Radio Aalto keeping me smiling witht the newest Bruno Mars song "uptown funk" and crazy stories. My morning coffee. Birds are singing. Sun is still soft enough. Work is getting done like a breeze... Catch me on a Satuday afternoon when I'm dead exhausted and maybe they have switched off electricity and/or water..That part of my life I hate. But luckily you can always jump into a bajaji and go to Peninsula "bubble" (The highend area where most expacts live, and with rents starting from 1200 usd/month just not where we can stay) where things work and food tastes like home...
That's our life here..
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