pork, pigging out, and pigskin

Imagine a 30 foot long table covered in linen and platters and plates of food of all sorts. The line over 40 people long, salivating at such a spread. A lone Peace Corps volunteer(PCV) is at the dessert table trying to get a head start. This is where you can see into the working of a PCV's mind. As she is loading up her plate a brownie(one of hundreds available) falls from her plate onto the floor. Not just any floor, one of the few carpeted surfaces in the country. Finely dressed, a bounty of food, what does she do? Kick it under the table, nope, put it in a trash can, nope. Blow it off and put it on her plate yep. The only comments from those around us is that the floor is cleaner than most of our plates at home. Peace Corps, the toughest job you'll ever love.

Thanksgiving in Malawi contains many opportunities for thanks. It also lacks many of the things that you would normally relate to the holiday in the US. This year all of the peace corps staff were invited to the ambassadors house for a thanksgiving party. The ambassador donated a pig and a half and some drinks. We played tennis, tackle football, and swam in a nice swimming pool. I think that people were very thankful for things that might not always be on the top of the list, such as safety, health, and completion of our time here. Being in a safe country is something not to be taken for granted here. I think I was most thankful for a continued sense of awakening, both spiritually and physically. Being here has helped me to recognize what I can do without and what is meaningful.

The next few days will be spent dealing with bureaucracy as I finish my time here under my PCV contract. Then it is off on some travels towards Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and points beyond. I hope to update the blog occasionally.

Have a great holiday.