Weekend Update: June 25, 2011

Highs:

I fixed another volunteers toilet this week, perhaps making my biggest impact yet since arriving in Africa.

Made curry and onion rolex at my place during the week, got through the last week before payday by spending less than $1 a day for 4 days in a row, got to see some friends this weekend, and am actually working on my "projects" to a certain degree. I'm in the in-between phase when an idea still seems feasible and hasn't imploded on itself yet. So until then I'm in the good area where it feels like I'm actually accomplishing 10+ hours of real work a week.

Also completed my 8.5 mile run for the first time in about 3 months, with a decent time.

Lows:

Mosquitoes are preventing me from sleeping right now. Overall just not liking myself very much this week.

My org has a STV - Short Term Volunteer, which means people who don't know anything, about anything, convincing themselves they are solving problems when they are only creating new ones.

What I Did:

Researched Biogas till I came up to a virtual dead end. I don't really see a feasible option for my org. I'm convinced there is not a partner organization operating in this country capable of making the vision of a Biogas digester at my site a success.

Did some final budget work for the Boys Leadership camp grant, and it looks as though that will be submitted this week. Never been so happy in my life to push paper around.

What Is On The Agenda:

Attend the LC council meeting on Thursday!!! Really excited about the potential of working with a water user committee to try to improve village water sources.

Also working with my org on development initiatives / internal reporting.

What I'm Reading:

Continuing Without Remorse, enjoying it more even though it is a bit dark for my tastes. The Hero of other Tom Clancy novels is a murdering vigilante in this one, which I can't get behind.

Also finished the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, one of CS Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia.

Sanity Meter:

Sane. Level. Just annoyed by a lot of stuff, including myself.

Funny Story:

Was traveling the other day when we came upon a routine police stop. The mutatu was pulled over, the cops seemed to solicit their usual bribes, there were some words back and forth, and then the driver took off running into the woods.

We just kind of sat there and scratched our head as the police officer came back, and announced that we would have to find other transportation. It worked out ok for me as we ended up in a really comfortable car the rest of the way and didn't have to pay for the first leg of the trip. Not sure what the end game of the driver was, can't imagine his boss is going to be too happy with him abandoning a car.