Is this the real life?

wow all: lots to say.

let's begin.

First week at site, my new home, my next two years.

I was bitten all over my little body by bedbugs, recieved house guests in the form of rats, got some tupperware stolen by a child from my house (it was recovered, however), have been averaging about 4 hrs of sleep a night since my arrival, and i got locked into my house the first night and had to use my favourite bathing bucket as a susu (a potty). damn, and i am still so happy to be here!

it has been the roughest week in the UG yet, understandibly and now i am all on my own, and relearning how to take care of myself. this was most obvious the day i awoke to bedbugs attacking me and had to get down to business destoynig their existance. You know, when it comes to intects here, i am ruthless. It is a kill or be bitten/stung/killed situtation. even if you are an ant, i have not had mercy: i have taken to eating them. The white ants that is. they fly at night (ohhh ahh) and people break out of their homes at like 3 in the morning, grabbing these ants out of the sky, ripping their wings off and roasting them. and they are very delicious.

so, anywho, i wached all my clothes and sheets, had my bed dragged out into he front yeard of my house, sprayed with bug killer and then ironed the shit outta everything (casue that kills almost eery bug). and ironing is a chore in itslef when you have no elecricity.

I have a charcoal iron and it was all very Dr. Zhivago-esque, when lara irons in the movie witht her charcoal iron. for the first 15 min. it was very quaint and romantic, like most new expereinces here, then after the first hour, i just wanted to iron my eyeballs out casue i was so sick of it!!! I also was woken up at about 3am one morning to a rat trying to crawl into my misquitoe net with me. what took place afterwards could only be describied as a battle for the wills. we chased eachother around my bed and net, me hitting him with my feet and screaming, he juts running like a maniac completly confused.

But today, the brits move outta my home and i can fully moe into my own place!!! i am so excited for m space, no matter how small it may be. it will not have rats, no bed bugs and i will have a stove!!!

I have no interent connection in my town, but the nearest town to me does. It also has other PCV's, chinese food, cheese, and other play time activities.
My first week of work wetn swimminly. Very disorganized,a dn i am still not exaclty sure just what the hell i am doing, but se la vie. The people in my org. are all amazing and good hearted people. My supervisor and his wife cooked me dinner all this first week and they treat me like thier daughter.

Swearing in for the PC was excellent and emotional to leave all these wonderful people i have met the past 2 months (reference above photo); but we have a job to do and we all want to get to it. Here\s to my next two years!!!

For those of you who have facebook, there are some pictures thatwere posted of me on thre. for those of who dont, i will try tog et them linked to this blog. I, however, cannot post my own pics yet b/c i just dont have the technol. capabiltes for that.

So, I passed my Lusogo languge exam, I listen to the BBC every morning and every night by laternlight, I battle insects with great courage ( i think), I get crowed at by cocks, mooed at by cows (both of whom live in my front yard), grabbed at by children, bitten by everything, stared at by everyone (even the animals know that you are white and stare at you for it), and i am happy, could maybe be healthier: but good news: i got aunt flo!!! no, i did not think i was knocked up, i hadnt seen her since i was in philly for pc staging. and i am having normal bm's!!! so, now that my inards are adjusting to this life, my physical appearance is really taking a beating: these bed bug bites are not attractive folks.

but you know, this is the real life, just one of many potential "real lives" and i am glad that i have chosen this one for two years. talk soon,

lisab