Exiguous

Exiguous (adj)- very small in size or amount

Behold! Exiguous thoughts from the past six months or so. Not so small as to qualify as "tweets" but brief in my terms.

1 July 2017- Ants are my harshest critics. They never fail to draw unnecessary attention to every crumb I drop and every spot I miss on my dishes.

8 July 2017- The head teacher of a school flat-out fell asleep in the middle of a meeting with me. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more awkward. I just sat there and waited until he woke up.

12 July 2017- Church conference in the U.S.: glass buildings, folding chairs, powerpoint presentations, suits, maybe communal prayers over banquet lunches.

Church conference in Zambia: a crowd of people in garishly bright colours jumping and singing in a circle deep within the trees. 

7 September 2017- I greeted a young man in Lunda and he responded with "Nyinka mali" [Give me money, spoken without respect]. Between that and all the CHIN-DE-LI! CHIN-DE-LI!s I got yesterday on my bike ride from Kalene, I'm feeling very grateful for my village and the respect they give me. Even if they don't come to my meetings or don't really understand me, they call me by name.

14 September 2017- Mice, ants, and goats destroy everything I love: A two-year journey in Zambia

17 September 2017- Prescott gave me a pineapple while I was out walking. I walked back to my hut with it on my head, in my chitenge, having conversations along the way about carrying things on one's head. I am a Peace Corps volunteer. 

22 September 2017- I didn't realise how much I rely on my neighbors Nick and Sid for social contact. Them both not being here this past week has magnified the feeling of cultural loneliness. Even if I don't see them, knowing they are only a few (or okay, several) kilometres away is surprisingly comforting. The normal approaches to handling loneliness don't work here. 

29 September 2017- I completely underestimated the difference being healthy would make in my service. The past few weeks of actual normal gastrointestinal health meant I had energy, dietary creativity, and much more optimism. Today is another sick day. I decided not to push myself to run this morning and it sort of set a precedence for failures (if mild ones) all day today. 

23 October 2017- My last pair of Locals slippers from Hawaii broke yesterday. I super-glued them back together but the end of an era is nigh. 

26 October 2017- A thought: our modern conveniences are what allow us to live independent, solitary lives, if we so choose. It no longer takes a village to raise a child, so we no longer live in villages. 

A work/life balance here is difficult because in addition to working, I have to do all my own time-consuming chores. In Zambian families, chores are delegated and divided, allowing enough time for school, church, field work, rest, and play. An empty day for me is still remarkably full, just through the necessity of everyday life here. 

7 January 2018- Sick sick sick sick sucks sucks sucks sucks.

 Part of me is saying GET THE HECK OUT OF HERE. 

Another part is saying you have to see it through, what would come now except regret and disappointment? 

Another part is saying just run away to Solwezi for a few days, or South Africa or home for a few weeks. 

Another part is saying Owwwwwwww