"Don't Think Twice"

Hello.

It's been a rare couple of weeks since I last updated for real. I'm doing OK. I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm amazing, but I'm not in the gutter either. The last update I gave was from frigging Zanzibar. A world of things happen in this place when you're not looking. I'll just jump around a bit and we'll see if we can't get yall' updated.

Some of you knew, some didn't, I was smoking again. I oficially quit again...kind of. I'm trying to just cut way down. There is another volunteer here named Gaylan from Canada who smokes. We're doing the 4 in 4 days, 3 in 3 days, 2...you get the idea. I'm hoping it works this time and no matter what, I can't smoke in the monestary in Nepal. I'll light up a smoke and they'll be like "uh-uh, no you di-it int"!

The three other Americans left the house. Ken is now in SE Asia (miss you brother), Sarah is probably in UCSB by now (how is Adriana), and Jamie is in Bagamoyo (did Jeff give you maleria?). How is a cowboy supposed to piss off the world and bomb people alone? Oh well, guess I'll just be peaceful and all that. The dynamic in the house has switched from loud to calm. Ruth is from England, Gaylan and Alicia are from Canada (and engaged). And there is still of course,Quinn, with whom this time in Africa has been made wonderful. We're all a bunch of readers now, yes even me. I've been reading books in 2-3 days. WOAH!!! Those of you who know me well know that I don't really read that much and this is amazing. The others of you who thought I read a bunch of books...SUCKERS!!!

I've started worshiping Bamboocha. I chant and bow. It's unhealthy.

Quinn and I went to the Bagamoyo Arts Festival which is put on by the Bagamoyo Arts College. The Lonely Planet says that the annual festival is the "pulse of the arts community in East Africa". The acts came from 12 different countries in Africa from South Africa and Sudan to Kenya and Tanzania, of course. It was amazing. There was traditional dance music with booty dancers (it's all about the booty here in Africa). We saw drumming, drumming, and more drumming. Why not, they invented it. There were a lot of kids acts. They flipped, contorted, balanced, and they DAAAAAAAAAANCED. One of the wierdest parts of the weekend was that Africans don't really applaude. An act would finish and a few people would kind of clap but mostly just sit there. I would yell and clap and make a fuss, but you know me. We got to spend some time with Jamie (who I get along famously with now) and her new roomate Jeff. Jeff got wasted every night he was there and I couldn't imagine why he was there? Its one thing to get wasted at home but in Africa? Whatever, maybe I'm the one missing out. We ended up hitching a ride home with a woman from Michigan who has lived in Tanzania for 10 years now. She is a teacher in Mwenge and had some wicked good stories for us. A great trip to the place that I supposed to be volunteering in the first place.

I whittled chess pieces with Gaylan out of candles. After we were done we played and I won. I knee hurts all the time, but has not gotten worse in the whole time I've been here. The water runs out constantly which makes for a stinky Nathan. There are so many problems with the organization that I'm here with I wouldn't know where to start if I had time to tell you. We're going to write what Bethany would call a "strongly worded letter" (Oh God I miss Bethany) to GVN. I rode on the dalla-dalla the other and it was as full as any vehicle I've ever seen in my life. I grabbed the bar on the inside and rode hanging outside of the van. Very African of me. My flight to Kathmandu from Bombay has been canceled. Everyone told me I would change when I came here but I have yet to see it, even though it's happening, and it will happen more later. I'm still Nathan.

Mama Rose is amazing as usual. She is a constant source of inspiration to me. Her, her boys, the kids. Mama teaches a class of about 50 while about 25 split off to get taught by Teacher Jennifer. Mamas class is comprised of 3-5 year olds. The 3 year olds don't know thier ABC's and count to about 3 and stall out. The 5 year olds can run circles around these kids. I decided that since I'm not the best teacher (what can I say, as much as I love them, I'm not a Day), maybe there could be something I could offer. I decided that with all the unused space Mama Rose has, she needed another space for the 5 year olds. I'm renovating one of the rooms in her school. These room basically havn't been touched in about 4 years and terrible things are going on inside. I'm halfway thorugh the process and it's the best decision I've made since I got here. This is a way my help can last way past October 15th. This is a way I can feel worthy of being around this group without feeling like I've taken more than I've given.

-Spray for bugs
-Get the big pieces of debris out
-Dust everything
-Clean walls
-Clean floors
-Paint walls
-Wrap wires and cover sockets
-Make chalkboard (this is where I am now, and you couldn't possibly imagine the project that this has been)

It's good work and I'm feeling good about it. There have been downers that I'm not going to go into here but like The Dude says "strikes and gutters". I guess the gutter balls and gong shows seem worse when you're quitting smoking. I've decided to give Mama Rose money every day I don't smoke to replace the packs. Not a bad idea but I'm wigging out and I need a smoke. This is a trip for the ages. It's all happening. I wish you could all see this with me. In a way you are all here with me. All of you make me who I am. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I guess I'll just keep on-keepin' on.

Salaama,

Nathan

ps-If the spelling sucks it's because I've run out of time at the internet cafe and honestly I don't care. I love you.