The subject line (title) of this email (post) is my favorite government sponsored anti-aids campaign slogan. You see it on bumper stickers plastered to your typical tro tro (public transport vehicle). Imagine depicted alongside the slogan, a penis shaped bus driving into a condom, children waving happily from its windows. I smile every time. Oh Ghana.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
I'm sending out my Happy Thanksgivings a bit early this year, because I never know when I'm going to get to a computer. Plus, I anticipate being rather busy on Thanksgiving. We're (Peace Corps trainees) going to try to cook a Thanksgiving feast (to which we are inviting all of our trainers and PC staff), primarily over coal fires. We have delegated dishes- I will assist Team Pie. I don't think I have what it takes to be on Team Turkey. I have my doubts about our actual abilities in this arena. I could possibly be instrumental in the cornering of the turkey, but it's all fun and games then. But alas... 'Billy Jean is not your Pet...' I trust you know the tune. Regardless, this Thanksgiving should be a new experience, quite different from last year.
But I'm not going to lie and pretend like I've been doing nothing but having the time of my life. Yes, there have been amazing moments. For instance, every time I come home my host brother (who is 8) comes barreling across the yard screaming my name throwing himself around my neck in total ecstasy over seeing me again. How can such enthusiasm fail to be uplifting? But at the same time I've been running into more brick walls this month, and have definitely had moments of just trying to hold things together and not panic. Not too coincidentally, most of the stress set in alongside my week long site visit. It was nice to finally visit the town, house, and community I'll be living and working with these next two years- but also very daunting. My community is expecting a lot from me, and it's scary. Plus, there is just something about meeting the people who have invested their lives in your ability to transform their lives that is naturally somewhat sobering. How can I live with myself if I let them down?
I will live in a house, or rather will have one room in a house, within a habitat for humanity settlement. From what I can make out, habitat came with a work crew, built a huge block of houses, enthused the village (and had a ton of kids named after members of their crew -all of whom I am expected to know, by the way, because 'they were white' and also, very helpfully, 'named Millard')… but then moved on. Left behind were new homeowners who now must slowly pay off construction costs but without necessarily knowing much about the financial agreement they signed. Generally people are not used to saving money from season to season. Many people also just feel like since Habitat is a Western NGO, they can afford to give people the houses, so why pay? In the case of Wamfie, my site, about 131 people are so far behind on house payments (payments are made in bags of concrete, one per month) that their houses should be foreclosed. My job? Help them make more money.
There is a lot of momentum, for which I am grateful, but within moments of my arrival the community sat me down to ask me for my bullet point action plan for the next two years. It was sort of hard to say, “Well there is no immediate plan, per say… for now there is just me. You filed all that paperwork, dealt with all that bureaucracy, and in the end you got.... me!!!” (Unfortunately my ego is just not quite large enough to make that sound as fantastic as I feel it needs to sound to truly inspire people.)
Other news: We lost our first trainee. He ultimately decided his heart was with his girlfriend back in the states, so he boarded a plane home to pick up life where he feels he belongs. He should be proposing in about six hours, which is exciting… but the effect of his departure is kind of gloomy.
And then I have worms. Long thin slimy ones. I found them this morning after relieving myself on a piece of newspaper in the latrine and poking through it with a sturdy stick. I found eggs and worms. Quite frankly, I'm kind of amused, and glad it's something that can be dealt with easily. Plus, who doesn't love guests for Thanksgiving?
Love to you all, Happy (Actual) Thanksgiving!
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