September 22, 2009
I’ve really been trying to be upbeat, positive, and social the past couple of days and for the most part it’s worked. I’ve been happier, but the knowledge that I’m going to be in Senegal for the next 2 YEARS still creeps into my head on a daily basis. Today we planned on going to the internet café after class as a reward of being with our family’s for three days straight. I wanted to post my blog and check my email and revel in a few precious minutes of JCrew, is that too much to ask? Apparently it is. I switched computers three different times at the cyber trying to get an internet window to load to no avail. I was practically in tears when I just got up and left leaving the extra time on the computer and not even demanding my money back. It was just another instance of things not working here. I had really looked forward to the simple joy of internet for 35minutes after class and I walked away disappointed.
It may seem like a really small bump along the unpaved roads of Africa, but it’s those little moments of going back to my old life that are really getting me through right now. Plus, JCrew is having a sale on cardigans and I just wanted to see what was available. I was an integral part of the cardigan crew after all.
Before my extreme disappointment at the internet café, I had an uneventful couple of hours of class. Unsurprisingly my teacher was late getting back to the home stay village from Thies and then we just talked about the last couple of days instead of learning anything new. I think my new sense of calm is partially a certain resignation to the fact that pre-service training (PST) is the worst thing in the entire world. I would rather repeat business school than repeat PST. And that’s saying something. At this point I’m putting one foot in front of the other. The best thing that happened today was that I thought it was Monday when it was actually Tuesday! Score!
Today was really uneventful. I didn’t make small children cry or vomit so I think that’s a plus…
I think I’m going to attempt to make no bake cookies for my family tomorrow. Since we have guests/ it was Korite my family busted out a secret refrigerator so I will be able to cool the cookies. I think everyone would like them since they are pretty much balls of sugar and the Senegalese LOVE sugar. I think it’s going to be a challenge finding oatmeal, but I have nothing better to do than roam the market asking stupid questions tomorrow… other than riding my bike to the further/ supposedly better internet café!
Ok, this is a lame post so I’m going to end it. I hope everyone is well back at home and that everyone is writing me some sweet letters. I realized that I only know Matt’s and my parent’s addresses since I lived in those places so if you email your address I will write you a letter. I have infinite time on my hands people and I’ve found some pretty ridiculous post cards!
Here’s to another night of sweating under my mosquito net…
Messy, but Warm
7 years ago
Maslow said it best with his pyramid: if your basic needs are not met it is impossible to function at high levels. YOur physical envirnoment is so treacherous and it takes so much energy to survive your day you don't have any gas left to cope with these otherwise extraneous setbacks. Plus, JCrew is at the very base of the hierarchy, I definitly remember seeing it there in Psych 101 with food, water and shelter! You are doing a FANTASTIC job keeping yourself pumped up and flowing with the homesickness. No bake cookies are a great idea. If the fam doesn't love you after tasting that ambrosia there is no hope!!!!
ReplyDeleteSince I'm not sure if you have time to check out Jcrew, let me give you a sale update (note it took me a while to figure out "Carnidgans" were under "sweaters".
ReplyDelete1. Cotton-cashmere ruffle cardigan, featured in such colors as "spicy mustard" and "putty". It's only 20 bucks off, so I know you would wait until it got marked down again.
2. "Light Pink" (so light it looks yellow to me) Cashmere Cascadia cardigan. A steal at 70 down from 190 if it wasn't so ugly
3. A "Whisper Cardigan", which looks like a cross between a fleece vest and the saftey vests people wear while jogging in the dark.
But my pick would be a featherweight cashmere cardigan in either bright marigold or spicy guava (is guava even spicy?)
Anyways, I hope you can picture these in your mind for a little release. I think the Africa suits you just as well as anything on JCrew!
hi buddy!
ReplyDeletehaha matt's post is funny...i thought of you while i was shopping in the jcrew sale section yesterday. you are still and always will be an incredibly important part of the cardigan crew!
in other big news, word on the street is that cheesy bread is closed! (someone on dm told kaitlyn) so it looks like all of us will have to do without our fave late night food, especially because you are the one with the special ability to get mike and eddie to keep in-and-out open just for us until 3 a.m. :)
i'm very proud of you!
even if you are currently wearing some african dress, you remain an integral part of the cardigan crew....
ReplyDeleteto add to matt's great update, 'jenna's picks' were meh. they featured an old man looking sweater and a really weird looking paisley button up.
in other news, i laughed out loud about the child puking...although, i would guess its not the first time someone from 711 has indirectly made someone else puke...usually it involves juice though...
hang in there : )
-lindzers