So I have less than 3 months left. I've outfitted my house to good standards. I still live in a shack by western standards I am sure. But I have a fridge, lots of books, furniture that isn't a plastic chair. I've got pretty curtains and just a variety of nick-nacks that most people here don't have or don't know what they are. Honestly though, the majority of what I have has been collected over the years and passed down from volunteer to volunteer. I counted once, I've got over 200 books! You think I schlepped them over here? I may have brought ten.
Anyway, the vultures are starting. Every day I get some phone calls saying "Oh your leaving soon, can I have this?" I get these phone calls from people I don't even know! Or people I haven't heard from in MONTHS! There are some people I wouldn't mind giving things too. I'm going to do that. Other things I want to sell. I'm not going to sell them at full price - or even a markup (I'm not the Bush Administration) But it's things I paid for!!!! Last night was the worst of the phone calls. I got a phone call from someone yelling quickly HEY HELLO GUY, I WANT YOU..... then the phone would cut off. Needless to say I was a little freaked. I sent a message out and found out who it was but the phone network has been very weird recently so I couldn't get to talk to him. He wanted me to give him my laptop and camera... for free... grr. Today I got two phone calls asking for my iPod for free. Maybe I should do that since it's broken. One of the phone calls was from a student from Homoine. My best student.
Really you think you know people. I almost feel that Africa is more materialistic than the west.... well maybe not.
1 comment:
wait till you come back. Just wait!
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