MONKEY TALES #9
(9/19/03)
MONKEY TALES #25
(3/13/04)
MONKEY TALES #24
(3/8/04)
MONKEY TALES #23
(2/12/04)
MONKEY TALES #22
(2/5/04)
MONKEY TALES #21
(1/31/04)
MONKEY TALES #20
(12/22/03)
MONKEY TALES #19
(12/13/03)
MONKEY TALES #18
(12/6/03)
MONKEY TALES #17
(12/1/03)
MONKEY TALES #16
(11/22/03)
MONKEY TALES #15
(11/13/03)
MONKEY TALES #14
(10/24/03)
MONKEY TALES #13
(10/16/03)
MONKEY TALES #12
(10/11/03)
MONKEY TALES #11
(10/4/03)
MONKEY TALES #10
(9/27/03)
MONKEY TALES #8.5
(9/14/03)
MONKEY TALES #8
(9/13/03)
MONKEY TALES #7
(8/21/03)
MONKEY TALES #6
(8/14/03)
MONKEY TALES #5
(8/8/03)
MONKEY TALES #4
(7/29/03)
MONKEY TALES #3
(7/24/03)
MONKEY TALES #2
(6/29/03)
MONKEY TALES #1
(7/17/03)
"YO!"
(6/27/03)
|
Surprise! A whole week earlier than
I expected, but only because we had to break down and come into Franceville
for food and necessary supplies we don't have but need. So much yet so
little has transpired since Sunday...
1. So I've moved into my new house and...well...there I am. PC dropped
me off and then proceeded to install 6 new bolts (kitchen, bedroom, front
door) to further ensure my safety. Nothing like Fort Knox-ifying my (not-so-humble)
abode...makes me wonder what exactly I'm locking myself away from. While
it's nice to finally be on my own after 2 months, I didn't fully anticipate
how isolating it would be, especially since my house is huge and there's
only so many conversations I can have with myself before I run out of
new topics. Plus, people in Ngouoni just aren't that open and friendly,
and coming from Koula Moutou it's a huge change.
2. Thus, I've been cleaning like mad. Most of you should know that the
need to obsessively clean courses through my blood, yet for the first
time in my life, it doesn't bring me any sort of pleasure or act as a
soothing agent. My house is just too big and too dirty (the previous volunteer,
Sherri, was a total slob), so to say the task at hand is a bit daunting
would be putting it mildly. I've only cleaned the kitchen and one of the
bathrooms, yet I've already whipped through an entire bottle of bleach.
While I no longer have to deal with roaches, I regularly must scrape lizard/gecko
excrement off the walls and ceilings, while contending with an entire
colony of bats in the bathroom (they also "lull" me to sleep
at night, since one of the entrances is right over my bedroom wondow).
I'm pushing on thru, it's just taking a lot of pep talks and mini-reading
breaks. At least he green orgy couch makes me smile!
3. Yesterday in a fit of desperation to get out of my house (the garishly
yellow walls do nothing to soothe my mood either, but I'm hoping to find
paint today), I attacked my back yard. Now by "yard", I mean
the tangled mass of greenery/jungle that desperately wants to reclaim
my house for its own. I would have none of it. Thus, I took my machete
and began uprooting and whacking away the tangled masses of leaves, vines,
and trees, piling them in a corner. This process revealed a large sandy
mound, which I surveyed briefly before realizing that it would make a
perfect garbage dump. I dropped to my knees and with my machete and a
cooking pot, I dug 3 large holes (paper, plastic, aluminum)---the sand
and sweat were flying but it felt SO GOOD. Then, I burned the plants and
my paper trash in my new trash pits while doing a victorious jig. Leigh
Ann stumbled across me soon after and said I looked like a character from
Lord of the Flies-caked in sand and dirt, my t-shirt a mess, small bleeding
lacerations on my arms from the bugs, and my machete raised victoriously
while a maniacal grin danced on my face. I'll try and send pics post haste.
4. Food has been fun lately, tho I do miss my fam's delicious, ambeit
oil-laddened cooking. Lots of beans and piment, rice, hummus, plaintains
and peanut butter, Nido (powdered milk--I think I'm addicted), and last
nite Leigh Ann came over and we made tuna curry---took me to a different
world. I need to find greens today, so we're gonna peruse the marche after
this to see what we can snag.
5. Random news: We lost another one to the States yesterday. My friend
Em(ilie), the one on my website, decided to ET because she doesn't think
she could be happy for 2 years and she wanted to get out before school
started (she was going to teach English). I didn't even get to say goodbye,
since we were already in Ngouoni when she decided to leave. We're all
convinced it's because of her boy back at home, but she's happy now and
we'll stay in touch.
Alright, c'est tout for now, my minions. Some people don't write home
about the bad/depressing days b/c they don't want people to worry, but
I lay it all on the line b/c what's the point in pretending? Hope you
don't mind. OH! And "Mac" is my newest name, abbreviated from
McFail, because with a Leigh Ann and a Leah Ann(e) in the same town, it'll
make things easier. Plus, my first French teacher here, Djibril, gave
it to me, and one of my closest pals, Tony, always used it during training.
Thus, Mac it is.
One more thing...while I'm waiting on MY phone, Leigh Ann graciously agreed
to let me use her phone on Sundays. Thus, the number is 001-241-(61-39-00)
and starting this Sunday I'll have it. Take care, and don't worry...sometimes
this does feel like a level of hell that Dante missed, but it'll all work
out in the end, I'm sure of it. I'll try and respond to individual emails
next week.
All the gecko dung and bat guano you can handle-
Mac Attack
|
