And I'm Back!
Hello blog-readers! It’s been a while since I last wrote an update, and a lot has happened in the past 3 months! But first, check out an article I wrote for Investigative Africa’s website:
Alright, now for my update…
Well, it feels like I’m finally settled in back at my Gbarma Town home this second time around. While I don’t really have anything positive to report in regards to my medevac itself, I am very glad I was able to go home to see my friends and family. I hadn’t realized just how much I missed them. A big THANK YOU to everyone who supported me during those difficult 6 weeks I was home. I couldn’t have made it through and returned here to post without you! I love you all!
I have now been back for about 5 weeks. While the initial 2 weeks were rough with adjusting, again, to Liberian food, speech, travel, etc., I’m back in the swing of things. However, while I was home, I gained a few things:
a greater appreciation for American modern conveniences and efficiencies,
a greater love of American food (and subsequently, 10 lbs.),
and a husband.
Yep, that’s right. I even have a ring to prove it! It is turning my finger green.
“I get married when I reached America. I na think Peace Corps will allow me to return so I begin to move on wif ma life. I get a different job, I looking for a house to live in, and I get married.”
At least that’s the story I’m sticking to when people in my village ask, “Da rumors …dey true?” I don’t like lying to my villagers; however, it has greatly helped to reduce sexual harassment. I should’ve thought of detailed answers to questions people might ask, though. For example, one of my female students in the 10th grade asked if my mother-in-law loved me. “Of course!” I reassured her. Also, I had to give them my new (fake) last name and briefly explain how a simple courthouse wedding ceremony would go. I have no clue; I made it up. So this is definitely keeping me on my toes!
Anyways, I wish I would’ve come up with this scheme when I first arrived in Liberia last June. Men know refer to me as “Sis Bendu” and not just “Hey, baby!” Unfortunately, now all the hopes and dreams of the Liberian male population of Gbarma Town rest on Rachel for her to carry them to America! But, as she has “a 5-year-minimum dating requirement” and since she will only be here another 15 months, there is no possibility for her to help out any of the single men in our town. Rachel S., breaking hearts and taking names!
Since I’ve been back, I’ve also had some pretty amazing experiences. Here are a few of them:
The VP of Liberia, Joseph Boakai, visited Gbarma to have a birthday program. So Rachel and I got VIP seats right behind him, we got to meet him and his wife, the “Second Lady” (Ma Ellen is the first), and we also got to dance! I ended up dancing in the middle of a giant circle of Liberians, and people were clapping and shouting comments to me like “Da woman can dance!” I also made ~$140 LD (~$2 USD) for my efforts. People in the crowd were throwing money to me, and not just small money like $5’s and $10’s, but $20’s! One man even plastered a dirty bill onto my sweaty forehead, and it stuck! I gave the money to my friend and landlady, Johanna, to hold while I was breakin’ it down, but she never returned it. No big though, she cooks us soup (rice+fishy stew) pretty often these days, and she could use the money for future ingredients!
My town also ran out of scratch cards (for calling), so what did I do? I just jogged to Lofa Bridge, which connects the small Vaye Town (Gbarpolu County) to the much larger Lofa Bridge Town (Grand Cape Mount County). And there, they definitely have scratch cards. After I ran the 9 miles there, I had planned on taking a taxi back but then it rained. It was such a nice reprieve from the mid-morning heat, so I just got some bag water, chatted a bit with some Liberians, and then jogged home. Let me tell you, those 18 miles did a number on my feet, but it was a good run. People—some that I know and some that I don’t—that live in the smaller villages along the way waved to me and said, “Tank you,” for my effort in taking exercise. AND, my iPod lasted the entire time. Usually I’m pretty bad about rationing out use so my battery will last for those long runs, but I had good tunes to motivate me throughout the entire run. J
We made s’mores with some of the kids this past Wed. night. We had originally planned to invite more than 2, but we decided against it because it would’ve been too crazy and we would’ve had marshmallow casualties. In the end, the decision was for the best because Rachel and I each got to eat 5 s’mores.
I’m teaching the kids in my town how to play softball. They call it the “hard football” and think the gloves are for boxing, but we’re making progress “small-small”.
I recently taught my 11th graders mitosis and we did a Mitosis Dance to practice the 4 stages of the process: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! Last Friday we only had 12 students come to class, so 8 students of them were the sister chromatids, forming 4 chromosomes when paired up. We also had 2 students who were the centrioles and 2 students representing the nuclear envelope. I would narrate the steps and after I instructed them where and how to move, they’d do it. The best part was between metaphase and anaphase: I’d shout “Anaphase!” and the centrioles would pull the sister chromatids apart. The latter would then dance over to the opposite sides of the cell (opposite ends of the classroom) while singing “No Sleeping Tonight” to prepare for telophase. This activity was a great way for my students to practice a new concept with complicated vocabulary and steps. So I’d like to give a shoutout to PNH’s Mr. Duggan for inspiring me to make this Mitosis Dance. Back in 2004 when I was in his 10th grade Honors Bio. 2 class, he did this hunched over, wiggling dance to symbolize the sister chromatids of the chromosomes separating at the centromeres during anaphase. I never forgot that lesson and modified the idea for my own students. Thanks, Mr. Duggan!
Well, this blog post is already long enough. I’m heading back to site tomorrow morning so I’ll be without internet access for a while, but I’m currently uploading some photos, so check out what I’ve been up to these past 5 weeks. (Links coming soon!) J ~Dany~
Wow. You've been busy. The part about the marriage is pretty funny. If you'd like, you can use me as your fake husband; i don't mind. I'm glad that you are able to catch the rythm and get your dance on, sounds like you're getting good at it. Truthfully, i knew it was in you. I could tell on that night we danced. Keep groovin'.
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