Hi there,
Nothing much to report this week. The work goes on. My mind has gone blank, and I really don't know what I should write about. Nothing really spectacular or interesting happened this week. Still no package yet. It's probably here, but customs and the post office need to figure out what they need to steal from it first and then how much they want me to pay for it before they say it's arrived. But I'm looking forward to it. No water boots necessary, I'm doing good in the rain. If you remember last year during the Rainy season, I was in 67ha, which is the lowest point in Antananarivo ( therefore, all other areas flowed unto it, literally, and unfortunately. That's probably why I got sick.) It's much better here.
Speaking of rainy season in 67ha last year, I am living in the same house with Elder S again, except that this time I'm not his companion, and it is hoped that no one will break into the house again and steal our stuff. We've made amends. And I beat him twice playing Settlers today ( I get pushed into playing that game everytime, and it's a panic-attack everytime. Even if I win I don't enjoy myself. ("I WON! 'sigh' thank goodness that's over! I'm gonna go eat something. Please don't ever make me play that again.")
Elder PJ S's great. He's always happy. He likes to give people hugs. I just kind of wait for the hugs to be over. Sometimes I wish I were one of those happy hugging people, but I've always felt that people didn't really want to hug me or me to hug them, they just felt compelled to because I was there, and the situation called for it. Maybe there's something wrong with me. I don't know-- I'll just have to add that to the check list.
I may be my own worst critic, but I think I'll be ok this transfer because Elder PJ S can't seem to stop saying how cool he thinks I am, and how he wants to be like me. Perhaps this will balance me out--Perhaps. He even said he was intimidated to be my companion this transfer because he had already, "placed me on a pedestal." I told him very frankly to take me off the "pedestal" as soon as possible before I did something embarrassing or stupid that would otherwise damage his good opinion of me. We're all just people here. So I think I'm off the pedestal, but the compliments persist. After walking away from teaching every one of our appointments, he has turned to me in wide-eyed expression and said, "You taught that lesson perfectly! Seriously, I've got goosebumps! how do you do that!" And it goes on. I'm still trying to figure out what to think of it. This is also funny because Elder PJ S lived with Elder S for 2 months before I got here, and has heard S's perspective on: "What is wrong with Elder Draper," and: "Why I hate Elder Draper," on several occasions and I still ended up impressing Elder PJ S. So I've got the embodiment of my confidence (Elder PJ S) and my paranoia (Elder S) in one house. It's like that Red Dwarf episode, you remember that one? Weird.
So in the mean time, I'm working on being more like Elder PJ S by being very complimentary of him as well, while tying to combat his almost excessive praise of me by applying brutally honest self-appraisal. I really suck at quite a lot of things--it's embarrassing to think about sometimes. But I think I'm doing ok, or I'm getting there at least.
Well, I love you all. Have a nice day and I'll see you in May. Veloma!
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