So I must apologize for my laziness (note the 20 day gap) and for leaving some people hanging at my last entry.
I am actually doing very well.
Most of the frustrations I expressed in the previous post have subsided and I have begun to accept my way of life here. Many changes will soon be upon me however. First of all, my volunteering partner and good friend Larissa will be heading back to Sydney on November 12 and so I will find myself teaching without another volunteer until at least January. This prospect makes me a little nervous but I think it will only intensify my experience here--force me to focus more on the teaching aspect and whatnot. Second, my other good friend and traveling buddy Emily (who teaches at another school) will soon be leaving not long after Larissa so if I don't make some more friends soon, my social life looks as if it might subside a little! That's not to say that I haven't made more friends--simply put, Larissa and Emily have been my confidants. I'm really going to miss them.
Another upcoming event is my week long trip to Togo and Benin! I'll be leaving this coming Saturday with my friend Tom (ok, I lied, I do have a social life) and we will make our way east through Ghana into Togo and then to Benin. I'm really excited at the idea of visiting some other African countries (I didn't really consider traveling around the continent) and even more so at the prospect of trying to pull some French out of my brain (both countries are french speaking). Luckily, Tom is french so I guess I don't have to worry too much about remembering the few bits of french I learned in high school. We'll see how I do!
Anyways, the weather here is only getting hotter as the dry season approaches and I can't help but think that maybe I'm actually losing tolerance to the heat (it just LEACHES the energy out of you!). I mean, shouldn't it be getting colder?? You know, like winter time? Christmas? I have to say though, it's definitely nice not having to worry about bringing a jacket with me everywhere!
Hm... anyways, there's not much more to be said other than that I still have yet to embark on ANY of my planned projects (including additions to this blog) and that I should probably stop taking so many naps. Like I said, the heat just knocks me out!
Hope all is well with everyone at their respective homes.
Love,
Kristina
3 comments:
I miss you. I am going to NY, to see a boy :), for Halloween weekend. Crazy, yes. I wish you were here to talk to about it, but i am glad you are having great experiances. p.s. I broke up with kyle.
How is you're health? How has the food been?
Hi Kristina,
this is Carol from Jumpstart, remember we talked about my Peace Corps experience right before you left.
I would guess it's not the heat that's making the naps so necessary, it's the culture adjustment. All of my fellow Peace Corps volunteers did a huge amount of sleeping in our first six months in country. It just took that much time for your brain and body to adjust to all the changes.
Everything that you can do on automatic pilot at home, walk to the store, buy food, lock your door, cross the street, etc. you now have to devote attention and brainpower to. That's very tiring. And very normal.
I have been enjoying your blog. And on the positive side, I know that a lot of my friends who were teachers in Azerbaijan had the same sorrows about the corporal punishment, but were able to convince the teachers to stop with a variety of techniques. Have fun on your travels.
Hi Kristina,
I'm a friend of your dad's from his work (and hiking buddy).
He told me what you were doing and I think it is very admirable; and simply put it is amazing that you are willing to make all the sacrifices.
Thanks for helping to make the world a better place. We need more people like you.
Good luck!
Ed
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