June

Calendars and Americans have been trying to convince me lately that it is Christmas time. A small, silly part of my brain does the calculations - I came here in September and I've been here three months, so it must be December. But, the rest of my brain is too smart to believe something that preposterous. It can't be December if I am sleeping with the windows open and wearing sandals. It must be June. That is the only logical conclusion.

My parents arrive here tomorrow night. I am really excited, and a little nervous. I am worried about them being bored here, but the fact of the matter is that compared to the rush and efficiency that is America, Africa might be a little boring. Travel is a problem, too, when you combine my mom's bad back with the pitiful state of the roads here. I'm quire sure the next two weeks will be completely beyond my control, but I'm sure they will be good.

My Christmas present to myself? A real, custom-made, African djembe. Molly, Lauren and I each got one, and we are even learning to play them. We will be traveling minstrels before you know it.

My early Christmas present to you? Well, there are two - the first, and lesser in terms of excitement, is that I posted some new pictures on the website. I have always been a firm believer in save the best for last, and with that in mind, the second early Christmas present is this: I will be back Stateside on May 5th. I guess that is more of a really late Christmas present than an early one...

This is a picture I did not take of Lauren and Dinah doing an impressive showing of Walk Like an Egyptian, while Molly and I pretended to know how to play our djembes. Fine performances all around.