Time Warp

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 3^rd.  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 15^th 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?