as fast as the world!

Monday is a holiday, Juneteenth. This is the celebration of the end of slavery in the US. Often for three day weekends we get off early on Friday if we are working and we did today too. 

We checked in on my wounded colleague and she really appreciated the love and attention. I remember when I had an "adventure" in Mozambique and the client, someone who worked for USAID, made a point of inviting me to her house and being extra nice to me. I had been warned that the head of the project would try to throw me under the bus and make it seem as though my being attacked had been my fault and not their negligence. Forewarned is forearmed and because she made it very clear that she liked me I was protected. I will always appreciate her doing that, so I understand this employee being grateful to not feel alone in a new country even though we are just doing what decent people do. 

Her specialist in South Africa said people with this injury are typically fine getting surgery in a few weeks so she is going to stay in town and get the training she was hoping for. She is going to move to a better hotel that should be far more comfortable. 

This is not my hydrangea but I love how beautiful the mix of colors is. 

The woman I did the author head shot for? Her first run of printed books has completely sold out and she has a publisher for the second book. 

I got to take pictures of the neighborhood children who are all about the same age. The little girl I often photograph expressed frustration with her tricycle. It doesn't go fast enough. How fast does she want to go? She paused and enthused, "as fast as the world!"

There is another article on how Russia's special economic forum is toxic now and no one wants to go. Not only are Western companies shunning it, but some Russian ones are too. The prices are skyrocketing, the opportunities to network with Western companies are gone. Before 2014 this was a big fancy event with expensive parties. 

Sweden is sending 250 mine detecters to search for mines that may have been scattered by the flooding.