WARNING: This post is, for the most part, fragmented sentences, and i digress quite often. I hope that it does not drive to many people crazy.
The generosity, support, and thoughtfulness that people have shown me since my arrival to Zambia has astounded me, and has brought me to tears more times than my pride will let me admit or count. So this Entry is a very big thanks you. THANK YOU, thank you, a million times thank you! Just seeing that the number count of people who have looked at the blog, who cares really if you submit yourself to my ramblings, has gone up by one, means a great deal to me.
On my not so hot days, I am forced to ask myself what is it that I am running from, why am here putting off life!? On the days where I am laughing at nothing and loving the beauty that encompasses me here, I ask how is it that I am so lucky, living here, living life (this is the strong majority of time, however my mother has pointed out to me that she thinks that I don’t talk about the struggle enough, and even thought she knows what I’m doing is a cake walk . . . I thought I would put in here that I have bad days where I think I am bonkers). As I completed my 7th month of 27 and I am finding what is important or intellectual in my life is changing (45 minute in-depth conversations on the best techniques on gathering and keeping your water supply filled. The feeling of deep fulfillment that comes from baking bread successfully on top of coals, in a frying pan. Sharing food and meals, becoming much more than the surface of those words; but really sitting down next to someone that has never tasted what you are about to give them and watch the experience shape and effect them. More bodily function questions, observations, and sharing than I ever thought I would be comfortable with. What is justice and why is it so hard to find? What is equality? Are our (peace corps volunteers) ego’s and statistical minds able to except the little change that we will be able to see by the time we leave. What is sustainable?) I am changing. Growing. In what direction I could not tell you. And it scares me. But such is life and growing up. By the way does it bother anyone else that in that new(?) Black Eyed Peas song they just throw around the old and beautiful Hebrew words mazel tov and laheim!? I think it bugs me because I don’t think Furggie knows what Hebrew is, but I digress, who am I to judge the lyrical genius of “Furgil-ishious”?!
So onto the topic of what I have been meaning to write about since I opened my computer tonight: “A Day in the life” (I just realized that I should have been naming my posts after songs a way, way long time ago) of ELO! Be warned that each day is different and none of this is truly everyday, but alas it’s the best I can do without you being here with me. Fly’s thought. Man. You never get used to the flys. They be every where! I feel like I’m in a save the children commercial sometimes!
Anyway a typical day for me starts for the most part by waking up and writing me “morning pages” so three pages of just stream of conscience writing, mostly about what happened the day before, what I dreamed about, and what I want to accomplish that day. During this time one of my 4 younger brothers will come by and whisper, that they want to play with the cat. And when I say whisper I mean shout. The cat stays inside. Next I fill my brazier (you can see it in the pictures bellow it’s a small circle that I fill with car coal locally man somewhere near by, not really a good thing) and get “fire” from my family. I make sure that the coals catch put a pot of water on for some kind of caffeinated drink, then either do some yoga or an 8 minute meditation. I get dress and get myself organized, if it is a clinic/”town” day I will gather my things up, but if its not I either go get water, start laundry, begin to make bread, of grab my book. Sadly this is where my day is going to have to end because the is where the consistency end. If its not a school/clinic/town day, I may go to my boma, work in my garden, read, bake, write letters, write, whatever to pass along the time. I really enjoy the challenge of cooking and baking over a temperamental brazier. So if there are any questions about this please let me know, I am sure I am leaving some things out but do not underestimate how long the simplest of tasks take here. Laundry is a whole day thing, and battling the rains make it even harder. On that note I will end this extra long blog post sorry about that! Hope to hear from you soon and thank you once again for all of the support!
And remember, "And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love . . . you make".
