Blogger had a link to the blog of some Peace Corps Volunteer in Togo. On it, he posts videos of his experiences in the market, the classroom, driving through town, etc. And he tells a touching story about how a young villageoise discovers that black skin is the same as white skin.*
Watching the videos brought back some memories of my time in the Cradle of Our Fathers, especially the video from the classroom. But then I started thinking...
This guy has wireless internet access in his village, not just en principe?** And he has a laptop to upload photos? If you look on the right column, he also has email (obviously), a phone that apparently works that you can call him on, and Skype. He also has the nerve to ask for care packages (in padded envelopes, please). Why not just order from amazon.com?
There are so many things wrong with this situation that I don't know where to start. I could go on about how my life was much more difficult and how my experience was more authentic and the global village blah blah blah, but suffice it to say that I had none of those things.
The PCV-PCV bush taxi note sent via your student's-friend's-cousin-the-taxi-driver has died an unglamorous death and been replaced with a text message.
I bi di suffah sotay!
*Excuse me while I barf. I'm not sure I would have let the little bearer-of-giardia touch me, but if I did I would have yelled BOO! right as she did, making her scream and her mom laugh. And then I would have thoroughly washed my hands before eating the BBQd snails on a stick or sliced pineapple in a plastic bag.
**Franglais for "in theory," which really means, "we don't have it."
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2 comments:
I certainly hope you donated to his unsustainable, moneychopping secondary project. Because he'll make a difference.
I used to have to call the Communication Center, leave a message with the girl or guy there in the local language, ask them to give it to the Taxi driver, to then stop at the school's office, give the note to the secretary, who would hopefully get it to the teacher at the school. How different a world it is - in some ways - now.
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