Thursday June 28 2007

There has been a change of plans (how unusual). We were supposed to go to the other VOLSET office this weekend (the trip we didn’t go on earlier this week). But someone is having an introduction (which is a ceremony for two people who are getting engaged). Everyone dresses in traditional attire and it should be a lot of fun (although from what I heard these things tend to last up to around 7 hours-no joke).

We came into Mokono today (scrapped the idea of painting, going to the school or the office) so Joe and I could get traditional clothing. For the guys it is pretty simple-it is a one size fits all (basically) white gown with red embroidery around the neck which costs a flat 15,000. But not for the girls. They have these elaborate dresses with pointy shoulders and a wrap that have to be custom made, you have to pay for the material, the lining, the buttons, the other accessories, and the wrap-belt-thing. I’m pretty sure it is going to cost me 55,000 which is about $30 roughly. Ouch-I know, but from what it seems we will be going to many ceremonies during my stay. There has been another death in the village, so we will be going to another funeral (third one in the last 2 weeks), and then we are guaranteed to the wedding of the introduction people. So, I think I will be getting my money’s worth. Plus I think it will be cool to wear when I give presentations at home (to the different organizations that gave me money and stuff).

It is hard to say what is really happening this weekend or what we will do tomorrow, there are a lot of things that should be done, but I am just not even going to bother worrying about it. What will happen will happen, and there is nothing I can do about that. Take this mornings taxi ride for example, we get to the town where we generally wait about a ½ hour until we fill up-which we did, but no one was coming, so the taxi driver turned around and started driving down this tiny and extremely bumpy road for another good ½ hour. He eventually found some people and so we turned back in the right direction and headed back to the village and then on to Mokono. I will never get over the transportation here, it makes me want to laugh and cry all at the same time.