Short, sweet update.

Well this cant be too long cuz it's hard to type on an iPod touch. I'll try to hit the important points. I finally made it into my house and it's amazing. I have a breathtaking view of Africa from my veranda. It also looks over the river. My favorite thing to do after walking around speaking the language is to lay on my hammock and enjoy this view. Last week, I attended a elder society tribal dance. We danced the entire night because all of the paramount chiefs for the whole district came to my town. Approx 3 seconds after I showed up, I was promptly dragged to the middle of the dance in front of the town and in the middle of the village to dance. After this initial humiliation subsided, and I realized the dance was actually open to everyone, we danced around a bonfire all night in the worlds longest conga line. Men and women had their own lines and the men would sing in Mende and the women would respond in song. The elders led the lines re enacting tribal battles with swords and shields. So rad.

The next day some kids showed up at my house beating drums in my yard. They had dressed some kid up as rhe tribal devil and had their own little tribal dance in my front yard. It was hysterical

My neighbors killed a cobra on my front steps.

Someone gave Jessie logerfo a cow head in a bag w no skin on it.

Dia and Chrissy, in the spirit of Halloween, didn't have costumes so they walked all the way across kenema like robots. I love our group.

I have organized the teachers palm wine drinking committee. We drink wine and talk about important issues and cultural differences while they help me with the language. It's a very formal organization and I am the secretary. I even record all the proper minutes. It's really funny an surprisingly, very effective and productive.

I can also successfully cook my own African meals over open fire. I lit a fire and heated water the other mornin for coffee and bathing in 5 minutes flat. I did a passionate fist pump in my kitchen as this is a huge accomplishment.

I still get tons of gifts of fruit. A man gave me 30 oranges the other day. I looked at him an said," how am I supposed to eat all these oranges?"
Then, he looked at me like I was dumb and said, " one at a time." silly me. What was I thinkin?

I love teaching these kids. They want to learn an once we handle the language barrier, well be in business. I have the best job in the world. Even when I'm just hangin out not doing much of anything, I'm learning a ton and doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. How's that for a job description? Can't beat it.

Jessie, Andre, and I just spent the whole day in a swimming pool in makeni doing back flips, cannonballs, and having diaper float races before changing into the gear we bought today to head out on the town. I even fell asleep on a float in the pool sunbathing and woke up to and entire wedding party staring at the white lady asleep in the pool. that's wherebi'm currently typing this. And Jessie has the cuter house ever. It's like the keebler elf house with a cute little thatched roof.


Sorry for the format and unorganized nature of this update, but I couldn't leave it blank when I haven't been online in so long. Miss everyone, hope all is well, and the next one will be better. I promise....