Yep, Still Here. I Think?

What have I to report? If you ask me, nothing really. Life continues, just as it did back at Duke for those four years, when Duke Tennis and classes were the norm instead of Kinyarwanda/Tech/X-Culture and Med sessions. Everyone tells you four years passes by quickly, and even though you know it’s true, and it’s true the entire time you are going through it, it still doesn’t feel like it, no matter how much you realize it. It seems like no matter what, you’re left thinking that you should have made some moments last longer, stretched them out a little bit more. Those hours, weeks, and months which I tried to hurry along as fast as possible, tried to fold over into one another to make them pass quicker, it seems like such a ridiculous way of looking at things, doesn’t it?

I guess I’m one of those people always look forward, towards the other side of things. I haven’t even begun my real service, but I find myself thinking all about afterwards, once I return back to the States. Is that weird? It isn’t because I want to fast forward my time here, or anything of that nature, let me not be misunderstood, I’m very excited about what lays ahead here for me. Rather, I think it just reflects some pattern whereby I’m always trying to get somewhere, some specific place, but I’ve absolutely no clue where that place is (probably because it doesn’t exist). When I get annoyed with people – especially those close to me, my sincere apologies, please interpret such behavior as a reflection of my affection, because only with such people do I usually get annoyed – it’s usually because I somehow have managed to imagine they are delaying my arrival to this non-existent place I’m trying to get to.

Okay, I’ll spare any further narration of this internal monologue which fails to make much sense in the first place. How about some concrete updates bullet point style...

• I will be moving in to my new home on January 4^th, less than a week. Where the hell did PST go? And ya, apparently preparations are still needed before I can move into the place I’m actually supposed to be living/staying, hopefully it’ll be ready when I get there?
• Language proficiency interview is tomorrow…Maybe I should be, but I’m not particularly concerned….
• The physical degeneration I’ve witnessed in the mirror since I’ve arrived is a little depressing…No, I haven’t lost 40 pounds, but I’ve probably shed a little and my body composition has definitely changed (and not for the better). I guess spending my entire life as a jock has permanently made me acutely sensitive to such things. A serious workout regime is in the works after I’m settled at site…If for no other reason than to avoid remarks like this when I get back “Damn man, a couple years in Rwanda (most people would probably just say “Africa” I’m sure, but I’m pretending that at least they would say the name of the country I spent 2 years in) really did a number on you”…
• Not pumped for the onset of the dry season soon…
• The new academic year here starts January 10^th…Damn that’s fast approaching.
• A few people from MinEduc (short for the Rwandan Ministry of Education) came by Nyanza yesterday and held a welcome session/info/Q&A about education in Rwanda. Interesting.
• I find the idea of eating raw red cabbage really enticing right now. With some balsamic vinegar and olive oil and salt/pepper. Is that odd? Nobody judge me.
• I witnessed a bird drop the innards of some poor dead animal straight out of the sky this morning. Not particularly special to being in Rwanda, just found it funny/weird.
• I have a medical session/quiz in about….NOW….That’ll have to be it for this entry…