A Day in the Life of a PCV

5:00am wake up wondering “what is that strange noise”
5:30 wake up again, “seriously, what is that?”
6:00 Take down tent and go inside to sleep for a little while longer
7:00 Electricity comes on and so does fan – finally relief
7:15 Get dressed for the day in preparation for early morning vistors; bucket bath #1
7:45 Sweep out 2 inches of sand that have accumulated from yesterday
8:00 Boil water for tea and oatmeal
8:05 First visitor comes by
8:15 Second guest arrives
8:30 remember boiling water—oops!
8:30 Offer guests some oatmeal and subsequently hear how terrible it is for the next 30 mins
9:00 Visit friend at her boutique and meet up with half of Gorom; refuse first marriage proposal of the day; decide to stay for tea
10:15 Three rounds of tea is finally over; head to work
10:30 Talk about money management, the rising cost of wood, importance of quality vs. quantity
12:00p Walk home in the oppressive mid-day sun; eat a friend's restaurant too hot to cook
12:30 Bucket bath #2
1:00 Read some of Oprah's book club pick of the month
1:05 Friends stops by to chat and have tea
1:20 10 kids come by to check out the action and to stare
2:30 Three rounds of tea and the second and third refusals of marriage have been given
3:00 End of the afternoon break (“repose”); head to meet with group of animal herders to talk about obtaining credit
3:45 Everyone is finally here!
4:00 Time for more tea; I drink only one round this time
5:00 Meeting ends, set up next meeting date; promise to have more tea next time
5:15 Stop by my artisans to say “Bonsoir” and to see how a recent order is coming along
6:00 Head home for bucket bath #3
6:30 Receive evening guests
7:00 “What am I going to have for dinner? Popcorn sounds good!”
7:05 “Oh wait, my dad just sent me some protein bars. I'll have that instead.”
8:00 Meet with friends to have a beer and to greet everyone that walks by. “How can they see anything, it's pitch black and there won't be another moon for 7 days??”
9:45 Friend walks me home and offers to help me set up my tent
10:30 “Headlamp. Check. Ipod. Check. Water bottle. Check. Ready for bed”
10:40 “Oops, I forgot to take my malaria medicine”.
11:45 “Why did I drink so much tea?? I CAN”T SLEEP!”
1:00am “What is that strange noise?”