Returning to Ghana, after being home for the holidays, I feel a little bit like Bilbo. Except the opposite. After living a life of adventure (kinda,) stress (sorta,) and exertion (not really at all,) I'm torn away and sent to a life of comfort and relaxation. This life is largely spent swilling all types of strange brews, eating decadent foods, and sitting in front of the fire. After returning, things will superficially seem the same, but there will be something missing. Just like Bilbo. I'm not actually sure about this yet, as I've only been in Ghana for about 18 hours. But I imagine I will constantly have a feeling that there is something missing. Quite a bit missing, in fact. But despite the constant complaints and sufferings, like Bilbo I fully expect to look back on the adventure as a worthy chapter, or three, in a book that will be written by my future self (or ghostwritten, if I ever make any money.)
I don't know if that comparison worked. It was a spur of the moment type thing and I decided to go with it. I'm not going to reread it, specifically because I'm worried it's not going to make any sense and I don't want to rewrite it or fill the space with something else. I'm a big fan of always passing the buck, especially to people who are currently enjoying the first world while I'm not.
Anyway, I am alive here in Ghana, with my bags, my health, and as much of my sanity as I can really hope for. Also, I have two miniature ceramic houses modeled after real houses in Amsterdam that KLM, Royal Dutch Airlines, gives to all their first class passengers. Whatever else happens while in the Peace Corps, I will look at those houses and know that it is all going to be okay. Right now I am still in Accra, but will back to my village tomorrow. I was concerned that this departure from the States would be significantly more difficult than the last one because the excited anticipation is not there. But it really wasn't too bad. Flight was delayed, rebooked and got first class. Thought I lost my bags, didn't. Thought PC staff would kick me out of the Accra office today, they didn't and are letting me stay until tomorrow. All in all, a painless reentry into this unreal reality. I'm sure I will be fighting emotional surges when I get back to site and really leave the first world (Accra is basically 1st world,) but a significant is excited to get back and get things going again so I'm not too worried.
A brief reflection on actually being at home: It honestly felt like I never left. I was a little worried that conversations and interactions with my friends and family would be a little weird or strained. But that wasn't the case at all. Among my friends, everything was natural and wonderful and if anything, we've all grown up in the last year and are more honest and more appreciative of the relationships we've made and maintained. One of the things I was most worried about were stupid conversations about Africa and my life there. I have no problem if you're not actually too interested in Africa or my life there, but I hated the idea of people asking me things like, "how's Africa?" or "what's it like there?" Recognize that it's a real place with real people inhabiting it and ask real goddamn question. But almost every conversation I had about it was great. Intuitive questions with followup questions were the norm. The few times I got sucked into bad conversations I was able to get out of them rather quickly, aided by the fact that the people I was speaking with were not those I was too worried about insulting a little.
As far as family goes, there were some significant changes. My brother is now officially more successfully than me in life and has a job that anyone would be envious of. Unless you're deaf. In which case you probably wouldn't get the job anyway. His success is a little annoying to me, and might be the beginning of some nasty complex but probably not. Mostly, it inspires me to try and kick his ass, both professionally and physically. Neither, of which are likely possible at the moment, but we'll see how things turn out down the road.
Both my parents are still kicking. Mostly each other, but if there are small people or food or music around
they're easily distracted. Not unlike said small people. They took excellent care of me and it was tough leaving again. Tougher then the first time but the separation will be shorter because they're going to come visit in March! (They think they're going to enjoy themselves. They'll see just how much after I shove them into a seat on a tro between two market ladies with a basket of live chickens for three hours on a dirt road. Muwahaha.)
The other major development in family news is that I can now be referred to as uncle, in the traditional sense, by two people. People is a very generous word for them. Turds is more accurate, at least in terms of size and affinity. Turd number one, my nephew Judah, does refer to me as uncle, regularly and with great enthusiasm. It's impossible for me to explain or overstate how happy it makes me to hear him yell "Uncle Joe!" when I walk in the door, without prompting or even actually seeing me and proceed to run and headbutt me in the balls. In addition, since I've been in Ghana, my sister and her husband have produced a second turd. She's a little slow. She still can't speak or walk or really even eat, but she is so f**cking cute. And she's super happy all the time. I'll always take happy and dumb over grumpy and prodigious. She is only 8 months old so I guess she still has a chance to make something of herself. If not, she's cute enough that marrying rich will be a reasonable fallback. In her defense, she was able to pull herself up to standing using a chair for support which is apparently an accomplishment at 8 months old.
That's about it. After this post I feel I can take a nice long break from blogging. I've done my share. Shutup.
Update after being back in village for a week:
Things aren't so bad. Life in the village is the same as it ever was and will likely ever be until they get electricity, at which time it will essentially remain the same except increase in volume. Projects at site are somehow progressing. Everyone was happy to see me and I was happy to see them. I also managed to give presents to most of the people I felt obligated to give presents to, which I was slightly worried about. These presents included: The travel pack KLM airlines gave me on the way over, a bunch of pens with lights on them (thanks to Kolga Shields. Any chance I can score a salary as a marketer or something?) and a mostly used sudoku book which I'm going to teach to the guy I gave it to this weekend hopefully.
