What’s that
effect called, when you buy a green Subaru and then suddenly start seeing green
Subarus everywhere?
(You can substitute green Subaru for red convertible, pogo stick, shirt with a
unicorn on it, orange cowboy hat, dangly feather earrings, a tattoo of John
Lennon… whatever you like, really.)
Anyhow, it
happened recently to me with the Rocky Horror Picture Show. On my most recent visit to Labe, a bunch of
volunteers decided to watch a movie together because, well, most of us are
going through cinematic withdrawal and want to watch all the movies ever
when we’re in the presence of technology and stable electricity. We chose the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
It was
just as marvelous as when I first watched it when I was 15 years old. Only now, I understand the innuendos and don’t
wonder if all people from Transylvania are transsexual.
Upon
returning to site, I started reading “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” in which
Rocky Horror plays a fairly significant role.
Then I discovered, and promptly listened to in its entirety, the Rocky
Horror soundtrack on my iPod.
I’ve had “Toucha-toucha-toucha-touch
me” stuck in my head for the past 4 days.
Help?
Currently the
angelic warbles of Edith Piaf are doing their best to get me out of this Rocky
rut.
It’s a hot,
hot, hot Saturday in Ditinn. All the
laundry lines are laden with drying vestments, all the rice and sauces are
simmering in the shade, and I’m enjoying some down-time. Down-time from school?? You might be
wondering. Well, no. Not exactly.
I’ve taught a total of 2 English classes since the “ouverture” of school
on October 3rd. First, people
thought school was delayed because of elections. Then we learned this was misinformation, but
by the time folks started coming to classes, the feast of Tabaski arrived. To be exact: The feast of Tabaski (an
international Muslim holiday, called many different things in different countries,
but generally “eid al-adha”) was celebrated on October 15th in
Conakry (and, I would assume, the world over), but since our town had planned
on celebrating on Wednesday, we canceled school on Tuesday, Wednesday, and
Thursday. Thursday, it seems, was a day
of recovery after fête-ing so hard.
But I haven’t
let this delay drive me nuts (not yet)!
I’ve been teaching computer literacy to a group of students and a group
of teachers for the past two weeks. It’s
been difficult and has left me feeling like a stuttering numbskull because you
have to learn and master a whole new vocabulary to teach “l’informatique.” Go figure.
My favorite term is “double-cliquer.”
My least favorite is “enregistrer” because the Guinean French “r” is
trilled like an “r” in Spanish.
Try it… /on-rreh-jee-strrey/.
This daily
tongue-tying makes my fellow teachers chortle.
As with many mistakes that I make here, I’m thankful that this seems to
be an endearing one.
In two
weeks time, I’ll be traveling to Conakry to meet the other members of the Youth
Entrepreneurship Training Council. (I actually
don’t know if they’re called a “council.”
This will hopefully be one of the many things I learn during our
meeting.) The volunteers who developed
the program will soon be heading back to the States (in February), and it’s
time to hand over the reigns. I’m
excited that I’ll get to help put on trainings for PCVs and Guineans who want
to bring entrepreneurship classes to their schools and/or youth organizations!
Also, in a
little over 1 month, we’ll be welcoming the next group of trainees to
Guinea. This realization makes me sort
of feel like I’m living in a wormhole, as they’re portrayed in my favorite
Jodie Foster movie, “Contact.”
Everything is beautiful and scary and
colorful and speeding by at a nauseating pace, but when I return home it will
be like these past two years never happened for anyone but me. And vice versa, as I recognize that you are
experiencing a similar wormhole-esque journey, of which my understanding will
be very limited in scope.
I’m done
pelting you with whimsical (perhaps incomprehensible) talk of time. Let’s just say this adventure feels like it’s
speeding up every day. In less than a
year I’ll be seeing your lovely faces in person.
Makes you
feel all warm and fuzzy inside, don’t it?
