Here is a link to a couple articles that were published in 2006 in a local paper.  http://www.altamontenterprise.com/Weekly%20Archives/2007/08-30-07/Regional.html

I translated for the 2nd one, which was really hard given the topic:  the story of Devota, a Rwandan refugee and one of our clients at the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants in Albany, NY (where I worked till baby wouldn't let me).

Dealing with all of the day to day needs of refugees in the US (doctor's appointments, phone bills, winter clothes...) we often forget that the people we see everyday are not just normal immigrants. We also have a policy of not asking people about their past (they have to go through that enough with all of the interviews at the UN and Homeland Security!) but instead focusing on the present and the future.

I had been seeing and working with Devota several times a week for months before this interview and knew a little of her story, but to hear it in detail and then have to translate it and put it into perspective for the reporter was very emotional. I don't think I got any work done for the rest of the day.

It is truly amazing what we human beings are capable of surviving and moving past. Devota is now working, her kids are in school, and everyone is speaking (varying degrees of) English.

It is stories like her's that inspire me to be thankful for everything that I have, to realize that no matter how hard of a day I am having I am still among the EXTREMELY fortunate of this planet, and to work to improve my relationships with all those that I come in contact with everyday, especially my closest loved ones.  For if we cannot even have good and honest relations with those that we are closest to, love and respect, how can we expect to ever have respectful and peaceful interactions with those that we vehemently disagree with? I hope that her story inspires the same in you.

Yes, we had a baby, so that's why I havent been on myspace forever and ever, and probably won't be again for a long time. Here are a few photos :)

Her name is Autumn Sky, born Feb. 13, 2008 at 12 mins. to midnight (almost Valentine's day, but she wanted her own special day), 8 lbs 14 ounces, 21 inches long, NO DRUGS, NO EPISIOTOMY (1 tiny tear that didnt need stitches): a successful BEAUTIFUL HOMEBIRTH attended by a Certified Nurse Midwife and a "Doula" (certified birth attendant). The labor went great, I had a great breathing technique and all was kept wonderfully calm by the doula (our wonderful neighbor and friend, Gethen). I laid on my side and breathed for about 4 hours (after walking and doing all kinds of excercises all day long to get labor going NATURALLY) and pushed for less than an hour (also on my side), all in MY bedroom on MY bed, oh it was WONDERFUL!

Baby, momma and daddy are all doing great.  Breastfeeding is now finally in the "easier than bottlefeeding stage" (has been since about 8 weeks, but that first few weeks, wow, work!). Cloth diapers only cost us $200 to get started and we'll never have to buy another thing again, and now that we've gotten into an every other day wash routine it is really pretty easy.

I quit my job and am enjoying our baby and the beautiful spring weather at our little 450 square foot cabin on 5 acres on a dead-end dirt road in rural upstate New York!

Happy, happy, happy family!

I am working on putting some photos up, judging by home much time it took to start, it will be a while before there is much to look at... but there are a few:
http://picasaweb.google.com/steffochka

Happy viewing!

Ok, so here's the scoop:

07/07/07 somewhere outside in Columbia County, New York

Go to this website for more info (I am trying to update it whenever I have free time--so not very often)

http://steffaandbob.site.voila.fr

 

Ok, so people are getting on my case that I havent been checking my myspace, but I have an excuse...

I have been ridiculously busy with my new job at the refugee resettlement agency AND trying to transfer 28 years of experiences, thoughts, feelings/neuroses/sillinesses/everythings to my soul mate, Bob Krisniski, and trying to intake everything that he is trying to share with me.

Anyway, I have a 50 minute commute to get back to him for a lovely dinner he is making me, and its Saturday and I had to come to work today cuz I was sick on Wednesday, so I really want to get home NOW, so that's all the info you all get for now. Oh, we are getting married July 7th or 8th in Upstate New York, NOT in a church, (preferably not even in any permanent structure).

If this is the first you have heard of this, and you feel that you are close enough to me that you should have gotten a personal email or phone call, I am sorry that I havent had a chance to tell you, it could be because:

1. I have tried to call you but you dont answer your phone or return your messages...

2. I have been trying to find the time to sit down and call you but I know I will need to talk to you for 1 hour and I have been too exhausted after my commute home in the evening and I have been even more busy and exhausted on the weekends... the time just keeps slipping by...

3. I dont have internet access at home, so the only time I have to write personal emails is after work, and I have been wanting to get home, so I dont stay late, but I keep telling myself I will take one evening to stay late and write everyone, but again, alas, that hasnt happened... 

So, anyway sorry sorry sorry, but that's  that. I'm getting married, now you know :)

Wa ha ha! I am one super happy girl right now!

Beautiful full moon!

Last day at the bagel shop!

Got my NY state driver's license!

In 1 week I'll be buckled in and taking off for Paris!

I am in the most amazing relationship (tee hee hee) I could ever imagine!

I just got the job I applied for at the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) here in Albany as the "Refugee Healthy Marriage Program Coordinator."

AHHHHHH! Life is GOOD!

The last few days have been insanely hectic... and it all culminated yesterday in the maternity ward of St. Peter's hospital where one of the refugee women I am working with had a baby boy!!! I missed the actual birth by about 30 minutes  but I was there for 7 hours translating anyway! Wow, wow wow wow wow! I really hope I get the job at the refugee center I applied for!

And I finally managed to sleep through the night all last night, well almost, till 5:30 is the best its been for awhile...

And in 19 days I am taking off for 2 weeks in France and 2 weeks in Ukraine! Happiness is!

I just found a great website! It shows you the current time for cities around the world, and you can personalize it to store up to 25 cities and always display their current times. With all the countries I call/skype it was difficult to keep them straight, but now that SOME of them have just gone in to daylight savings time and some haven't it has gotten even harder! The site also has a converter so that you can figure out when to call people, schedule online meetings, etc.
Here's the website:
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

And I wanted to tell anyone that happens to read this that I have Skype and am online very very often... if you don't have it, you can download it at skype.com, it allows you to do all the normal chat stuff (voice and webcam too), but also to call to landline phones and send international sms for really cheap. My skype login is s_t_e_f_f_a. Since my mobile phone's cheap times aren't very accessable for most people (or myself), I am trying to keep in touch with more people through skype, so get it, and skype me!

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