Here, There and Everywhere

Hello All!

As you may or may have not heard, I had the opportunity to visit my best-best-best friend Bethany in Africa as she completes a two-year Peace Corps service in Gambia.



Here is a reference map because on the plane over the South Africans thought I was going to Zambia. Even they didn't know where the Gambia was :).

After a marathon day of traveling which I really didn't consider when making the reservations, I landed in Banjul. Bethany was there waiting, and she brought her friend Heather and a much needed Twix bar. However, my luggage decided to extend it's visit to Dakar. I was told it may show up in a day or two. (There is only one flight between Dakar and Banjul each day.)

Fortunately, we were headed to the Peace Corps Stodge (A transit house for Peace Corps members, no Gambians allowed. Similar to a hostel or a college dorm). At the Stodge there is a glorious institution called 'The Free Pile'. Basically a pile of cast off clothing, underwear, or hygienic products. I was able to put together a couple of high-fashion, couture ensembles as exhibited in my next picture:


(Out to lunch with another PCV and her parents)

Thankfully, my luggage arrived, as promised, the next day. We were preparing to travel up country and I was glad to have my own clothes.

Traveling all the way to Bethany's village will usually take a full day on a good day. This time we caught a car which broke down a few hours from Basse. On the upside, we managed to catch a (packed) mini-bus going directly to her village! (which apparently almost never happens.)

This was my favorite time of the trip:

I brought about 40 pairs of children's underwear as a gift to her host family. Here the host moms are dividing it by a complex system of rules.


I met Bethany's dog and cat. She's still surrounded by animals; some things never change :).


We drank Lait (a hot sweet milk drink) and Attaya (Sweet chinese tea). Both were cooked by children over hot coals. I preferred Attaya to Lait. (I believe Bethany is the opposite, yet another difference between us!:) )


We attended a literacy class for women and participated in pre-class dancing...or flailing on my part.


I used my camera to bond with the kids. The children loved having their picture and would become too interested in my pictures to be fearful of my white skin. This was also one of the hardest parts of the trip for me. I have never had kids so afraid of me. This is due to how remote Bethany's village is compared to the capital. They don't see as many white tourists as people in Kombo or Basse.


On our last day in village, Bethany and I colored with her host siblings and played Chutes and Ladders. They were very impressed that I knew how to write their names on their papers, (with a little help from Bethany!).


Overall, Bethany and I were plagued by really bad luck, ie. the car breaking down, followed by really good luck, catching a direct ride to village. I can only assume that God was doing stuff.

It was also interesting to see in what ways Beth has changed and adapted and how she has remained the same girl I knew twelve years ago. I was impressed by her directness and assertiveness (she saved me on a couple of occasions) and her patience and tenderness with her host siblings. She maintains her love for all animals, including strays, and her passion and ambition to love people and make a difference.

I cannot wait until the dynamic duo is back in action in May!

Add Glitter to Pictures

The trouble with online shopping (read the reviews): ( PENS! )

Actually I have Beth to thank for this one...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTEBA768p9U

Letterbxing or Geo-Cacheing this Saturday...

We can do a city one or a hiking mountain-y one...I looked at a couple from this site

http://www.letterboxing.org/BoxByRegion.php?region=Colorado%20Front%20Range but they look a little old around 2004-ish

Sort by song title:
-First Song: (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear-Elvis
-Last Song: A Song By Emil Chau (Chinese Characters)

Sort by time:
-Shortest Song: Blank-John Mayer (00:00)
-Longest Song: Old Tarzan-Simons and Balentine (51:03)

Sort by album:
-First Song: Love Me Do-The Beatles (1)
-Last Song: Emil Chau (Chines Characters)

Top 10 Most Played Songs:
10. Loving Me 4 Me- Christina Aguilera
9. Julia- The Beatles
8. Drive My Car- The Beatles
7. All Your Jeans Were Too Tight- American Music Club
6. Jumper- Third Eye Blind
5. Two of Us- The Beatles
4. Carry That Weight- The Beatles
3. Alive-Pearl Jam
2. As the Story Goes- Jackie Chan
1. Blank John Mayer

First five songs that come up on Shuffle:
1. In the Still of the Night- Billy Ekstine
2. Lucky Man Lynyrd Skynyrd
3. A Whiter Shade of Pale- Procol Harum
4. Happy Dayz- Devin Thompson
5. I Me Mine-The Beatles

Search...
"Sex", How many songs come up?: 13
"Love", How many songs come up?: 136
"You", How many songs come up?: 227
"Death", How many songs come up?:0
"Hate", How many songs come up?: 13
"Wish" How many songs come up?: 3
And the grand total: 2015 items, 5.1 days, 6.91 GB

create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands

I'm 41% Dixie. Barely in Yankeedom.
http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/yankeetest.html

Once you are tagged you MUST write a blog about your 6 weird habits/things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose the next six people to be tagged and list their names.

1. I read by word shape and not letter sound so unless I'm concentrating through and though are the same words (high on the ends low in the middle) I also will replace words or rearrange words without realizing it
2. I can't do addition or subtraction in my head without grouping (36+22...6+2=8 30+20=50 50+8=58)
3. I day dream a LOT...in the same thread, I have really vivid dreams in color almost every night.
4. I like to eat butter on saltines
5. I sleep diagonally across my bed...and I don't tuck my sheets in, me feet are almost always uncovered, but my shoulders are almost always covered

nowwwwww... I choose mycoffeebreath, rimac80, tecrogue, user_0 and I don't have enough friends not tagged yet

News from my hometown...

I wanna know where the gold at!

REMIX!

If you're interested

I think it's free, but you have to pick up tickets because seating is limited. If anyone's interested in going I'll try to find some more information.

It's been quite a while since I've updated...

It's my last semester at dear old CU.

I'm taking, Spanish 1, Nazi Germany, Nietzsche, Art and Psychoanalysis and Nutrition. I seemed to have failed in planning my semester around no reading and no writing, but whatever.

Yes, I'll be going on the retreat (I'm not entirely sure that's grammatically correct), but I'll need a ride from Boulder since I don't get off until 5:30.

In response to Karen's post, I'd be a doctor, pilot, history detective, or a UN diplomat...I am pretty much completely unsuited for a desk job (But I think the diplomats have desks at the UN?).

yep.