Where have you been?!?

Where have you been?!? This is a question that I feel like I might get a lot in the coming week or two. Since last Sunday, January the 24th I have been helping out at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam. I am lucky to be an assistant to a very big name in the field and we have been working night and day (literally) trying to bring all the right people together since the festival began. While I was told that I would have a special position that would necessitate a bigger time commitment than most other volunteers, nothing could prepare me for the 81.5 hours that I've worked since last Sunday. Now some would think, this sounds like a normal North American work week (and a half) and they'd be right in some cases. However, I've tried to maintain my schedule of volunteering that I do for my research-such as the English lessons on Sundays, and now Mondays and Thursdays. The volunteering I do on Wednesdays (and now Monday's) for homework help, Fridays with the biking lessons still and Monday's for my own conversation circle with the ladies from the area. I also have my own language classes still, the bi-weekly meetings of the neighbourhood organisations and meetings to do with upcoming celebrations. I'm definitely as tired (and I've actually had a bad cough during the entire festival) as this schedule sounds and although it may sound ungrateful...I can't wait for the festival to be over on Sunday!

However, despite my weariness, there are some wonderful highlights from this past week and a half that I would never had had without participating. At the festival I was able to meet wonderfully talented film makers, directors, actors and producers all of whom were puzzled as to why I was involved but who welcomed me nonetheless. I shared a lunch with the delegates from a local Embassy. I was so very close to meeting the mayor Abutalleb and telling him all about my project! So close! I met a political analyst who will be filling me in on the current political climate from her perspective in the coming weeks. I have been fed and watered for the last week and a half for free (something which is good for the budget!). I had an article written about me in the daily volunteers magazine detailing what I do at the festival. I was able to receive an award on behalf of a couple of co-directors who were no longer at the festival - it was only in front of 400 people (ack!) and I was featured in the newspaper. I experienced all these things in addition to meeting some great people, which has made this week a fabulous memory.