The Fiery Ox* is my best friend from where I grew up. He's in the Peace Corps in Lesotho, a tiny mountain country landlocked by South Africa. We've been writing each other, but really not enough. I'm fascinated by what he's doing: I get the impression that the Peace Corps is much less about young Americans helping poor countries, than it is about poor countries helping young Americans. He was never given an outlined plan or schedule. Instead, he's just been planting vegetable gardens and teaching a bit at the primary school, interacting with locals along the way. His letters make it sound almost normal, but other sources I've read indicate that Lesotho is extremely poor, with all the motivated people moving to the South African cities, and everyone who remains living simply on subsistence farming. This summer he finishes his tour of duty, and I think we might go traveling about Africa together.
And now, my life: a highlight from CBMN at nonstop's house last night:
nopey (to the only girl present): So when are you going to introduce me to your hot friends?
loompa: Well, let's see... there's [this one]-- oh no, wait, she's off the market. Yeah, her father just passed away...
la grizzle: Sounds like she could use a new man in her life! (along with a chorus of similar responses around the room)
*Fiery Ox is actually the English translation of a Lenni Lenape name that I picked for him when I was his Vigil guide, way back in the day.
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