Saturday, October 25, 2008

 

Tomorrow 29


Say hi to Mali and one of her granddaughters, Kadja. Mali and her daughters Betouli, Bouti, and Bebe have 'adopted' me and Heather. I eat lunch with them most days in Aioun. They are really wonderful people. I'd move in with them but they don't have a bathroom! ;) Kadja, btw, is Bebe's daughter and Bouti, who is 16, just gave birth to her first child, a healthy boy. The labor was only about four hours long, amazingly. I'm missing the baptism today. They wait a week to name the child and have a party. I think, actually, many cultures have a waiting period like that, right? It's related to infant mortality rates, I assume.

On to happier subjects. I took the GRE today. I think I did well on the verbal and written, and not so hot on the math. There goes my dream of an engineering degree. But now I get back to reading actual books and studying Arabic. I want to continue working in development in North Africa (and Haiti), so I need standard Arabic on my cv.

And I turn 29 tomorrow. Whew. I wish I could freeze this time. The future is right there, in front of me and I feel stronger and more ready for it than I ever have. Can we bottle 29? Every year holds the same promise, but it takes us awhile to figure that out. Actually, thank you Mommy (and Daddy). It's really your birthday. :)

This was written under the influence of MIKA. I think America needs more MIKA. "Love Today!"

Saturday, October 11, 2008

 

Second time around

Hmm, I voted for 'change' four years ago, when the only thing keeping Illinois liberals from giving up was a young state's senator named Barack Obama. I remember colleagues discussing a possible Hillary/Obama ticket in '08 (made us feel better about four more years of Bush).

Well, I did it again, only this time with my eyes squeezed shut and my hands clenched around the steering wheel. I have no idea where we're going, but I'm staying in the car! There is so much at stake now that baby steps won't help. It's time to leap forward. I hope Obama is up to it and I hope he understands that doing the right thing doesn't win you friends or get you reelected; it changes the world.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

 

Ch-ch-ch-changes



So, long time no post, again. Well, what's happened in between? I have five graduate school apps going (Vanderbilt, Marquette, Boston U, American, George Washington and now maybe Johns Hopkins). They shut down my site, Nema, and now I live and work in Aioun el Atrouss (addy: Sarah Bushman, PCV--Corps de la Paix--BP 4--Aioun el Atrouss--Mauritania). I have a new cat named Nema (she was given to me by someone there my last night). I'm moving in with a family here. I'm learning the Western African language of Pulaar. And I'm almost 29. Whew. Oh, and taking the GRE Oct. 25. The math setion is going to kill me. Seriously. "Quadratic what!?!" It's been over ten years since my last math class. I'm doomed. And I have a heat rash. Wheeee!

Otherwise, life is good. Check out Nema and my sitemate Heather's dog Nancy and then a pic of me and the other gals in Aioun. L-R Whitney, Susie, Sarah D., Heather and me in the back. Heather is holding a baby named Baba. :) Cheers!

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