Joined the Peace Corps. BRB.

Oh, I see.

It’s dark outside when I walk to school in the morning these days. With the lack of street lights in the city, the thirty minute walk is unlit except for the ditches lining the streets. Early every morning, a small team of locals sweep the streets and sidewalks, gathering the dried leaves in the ditches before lighting them on each side of the street afire before the city wakes up. The rows of fire look like twin dragons racing up the street.

And the winter chill is back in the air – my favorite season (ha). The most common phrase among volunteers lately has been, “Was it this cold last year?” You can hear the sarcasm laced with a little fear in all of us that it’s going to be brutal like our first winter here. At least we know what’s coming this time.

There’s a noticeable decrease in energy among people as the temperature drops here. People are in a hurry to get indoors and are less willing to venture out of their homes. My students have begun grumbling about the weather as well, even blaming their poor performance on a recent test on the weather (nice try). I find myself zoning out as I walk from place to place, almost like the winter gusts are starting to freeze my brain.

I attend a local church here, but I don’t mingle much. As a Peace Corps volunteer, we do not participate in proselytizing at all, so it's important not to give that appearance in any way or form. Not to say that I’m abrasive or unapproachable to the congregation, but I don’t seek more active participation that I might in the States. But anyway, I was at church this morning and kind of standing there, staring into space like a zombie, when the praise music began. The song leader was a very young kid, probably only thirteen or fourteen, but her voice was incredible, I couldn’t believe it. Even more impressive was her enthusiasm and energy as she sang. Members of the congregation that were still groggy and waking up were transfixed and began clapping to the beat, dancing to the rhythm, and singing along. By the second song, the church had transformed from a silent room to a raucous crowd in worship. Even now, when I think back to this morning, I am amazed that one person’s energy could be transferred like that to so many people. It was like listening to a powerful speech by a talented orator – you couldn’t turn away even if the building were on fire.

In a word: amazing.

One last thing: remember my neighbor? I talked to my landlord about it and he came over today to speak with her about it. I expected to settle on a price between the three of us, but he arrived fully decked out in his customs officer’s uniform (complete with pointy hat, of course) and ate the lady alive in a harsh lecture. He told her that I was a volunteer, foreigner, and teacher, so I wasn’t going to pay and if she had other problems, she should speak with him because he owns the place (turns out he owns half the building). Then turned to me and said, “See? I told her.”

Yeah, I see.