reflecting on business finds laughter

in the pics: "knee deep in finns"...a festival to celebrate all things Finnish. I missed it:( ; a drawing I did on my workplan book. i still like to draw; a drawing in MS paint by one of my students. he really likes to draw flags.

10/15

I thought peace corps would give me time to write, reflect. It has not. Or I have not allowed it to. I’ve found reading material that is interesting—good books at the PC office, and national geographic magazines in our school library. Deprived of the internet, I turn to other reading. It is good. I’m back to my reading and writing phrases I like…as you can read here
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<,link >>>to reading/writing blog>>>>>>>>>>
I usually write when I’m at stillness. It has been hard to come to stillness in Samoa. I’m not at ease (enough to write these thoughts). Like leaves on top of the ocean not finding deeper waters to express what’s inside. And there are so many ideas for school, computer classes. So much to know, to teach. So little time. I think the hot gets to me. I was looking at some playing cards with pics of seattle, and the mountain—with snow, weather cold enough to wear heave jackets and scarves. I miss that weather.

Tonight a good dinner that included bbq, chicken soup, and raw cucumbers (I say raw cucs because I learned I have to specify, or they might get cooked in with the soup. I don’t like that.) there were also the boiled bananas, which are starting to grow on me, as long as there is some kind of sauce to go with them. I always try to stock the ketchup and hot sauce.

I don’t want to read. I don’t want to write. I don’t want to work on the computer. I just want to sit with my (ginger) tea and look at the full moon. It’s amazing how dark it is with the moon behind a cloud, and how bright it is with no cloud.

I went outside after dinner with my tea, to see if I could find some poetic words in the silhouettes of coconut trees. Nothing came to me, except the mosquitoes.

Interesting piece of fact I found in one of our reports:
“Samoa is expected to graduate in 2010 from Least Developed Country status. The UN established the LDC classification in 1971 to recognize low-income states assessed as being vulnerable to economic instability, and in need of focused development assistance related to health, nutrition, education, and adult literacy. LDCs receive favorable consideration from the UN in multi-lateral trade concerns, development financing, and technical assistance. The UN also encourages other donors to provide the same consideration in financing decisions. Samoa would be only the third country, after Botswana and Cape Verde, to graduate from LDC status.”

I have also heard that it would mean less aid ($$$) from other countries if Samoa is not in the LDC status.


10/4
Sometimes I feel I can’t describe what is happening to me. I’m too in the middle of it. Maybe words will come later…after the experience. I’m too deep right now.

There is something about Samoans laughing about you. Or something you did—then everything is OK. It’s all OK if samoans get a good laugh about it, and then things go on. I know I approach things differently. That is one of the challenges. I must do a lot of silly;/weird things. I hear my name and laughing often. I’m glad I can provide barrels of laughter. Ahhh…reminds of my grandpa’s “bottom of the barrel” jokes. I can’t remember a good one right now.