Jeans, Lemon Fanta, and Fresh Cold

I’m sick again.  Tuesday we travelled to Ganta to welcome the new Response Volunteers and, even though we got a UN ride, by midnight I was stuffed up and coughing.  How does this keep happening?  I started losing my voice yesterday afternoon and by last night it was completely gone.  No one could understand a word I was saying.

Ganta was fun, though.  We got there early in the afternoon and Matt K was already there.  He wanted to shop for jeans, exactly the same thing K and I had in mind.  We went to Beer Garden for pepper soup then headed into the market.  Oh, it’s a good thing I didn’t bring more money!  I somehow managed to buy only one lapa all weekend, a gorgeous purple and gray design.  All my money went instead to jeans and shirts.

After almost two hours in the market we went back to Matt’s for a fashion show and opened a bottle of wine while we waited for everyone to arrive.  They didn’t get there until almost 9:00!  We had all planned outrageous outfits to go dancing and that threw a big wrench in it.  We took them to dinner and everyone except Matt’s new roommate wanted to go home.  I know they had a rough day but: bummer.  We finally got them settled and found our way to the dance floor around 11:30.  At midnight there was a problem with the generator and the lights cut out.  I was just getting started!  It’s just as well, though, because an hour later I started losing my voice.

The next morning we took them to get egg sandwiches and they had orientation with their principals.  After the workshop we took them to do small shopping in the market and I spent what remained of my money on floor mats, jolof rice, and lemon Fanta.