new. This was especially true this past weekend. It
was our anti-Valentine's Day weekend and included in
the festivities were volunteers from the newest group.
Was that really how I was a year ago?
I do a lot of reflecting on my past life here and
today was no exception. As I went through my daily
routine I was interested to see how it compared to my
life in America. In America, I usually got up, went
to work for 8 hours, went to the gym, and then read
until bed (I know, I was a big ball of excitement.)
This was my day today.
Got up at 8 am.
Made oatmeal and tea while reading the latest
Newsweek.
Hand washed my laundry while listening to my ipod.
This was my first time washing to music and I rather
liked it!
Polished my boots. I can't go out in public with dirt
on my boots!
Choose outfit based on how many layers I could fit
underneath it.
Walk to school.
Meet with Crazy Organization Lady.
Feel guilty all morning about tracking mud into the
school. Where does everyone else clean their mud when
entering the school? Am I missing something?
Clutch the radiator with my hands because they are too
cold to write.
Plan English Clubs.
Fight with the teachers and director over stupid
Ecology Speech.
Call Jonathon to whine about Ecology Speech.
Go home and work on grant.
Dream about going to the gym.
Listen to Enna complain about Crazy Organization Lady.
(See! It's not just me!)
All of this seems normal to me. I really feel awful
if my boots are dirty – like less of a person
actually. While hand washing laundry I was thinking
that it wasn't all that bad and that I could continue
this when I go back to America. It conserves water!
And gathering around heat is normal. In addition to
holding the radiator in my office I stand against the
heated wall in my room all of the time. It's not that
it is freezing out, the rooms just aren't heated like
they are at home – actually, most of them aren't
heated at all.
Other things? Living without Internet is normal. Two
and a half hours on a bus that should take an hour and
a half is normal. Canceling a bus and waiting around
half a day outside (like I did on Monday) is normal.
Riding in a train and sleeping next to strangers is
normal – as is pretending I don't understand them so I
don't have to have that same conversation over again.
Sleeping on hard wood floors when traveling is normal.
Going days without showers is normal. Writing
letters in normal. That's by hand with a pen for
those who forgot what that is. Not understanding is
normal. In fact, everything that used to seem weird
now seems like a normal part of life. I'm just that
integrated.
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