17 February 2008

pretty days

It's a good thing we have a nice patio up on the sixth floor, or I'd never see daylight. I have run out of money and had to abandon my studying in coffee shops in favor of studying in the entertainment center in my apartment building. This has the additional bonus of allowing me to head downstairs for meals instead of paying actual cold hard cash for them. My grand total of spendage output for the last two days is $2.05. (Clearly I'm not including in that all ongoing expenses or the spendage output on the items already in the fridge. I still think it's pretty good.) I don't really ever leave the building now, though.

The weather was incredible today, and I took my study books up to the entertainment center and then, when it got too warm in there, out onto the patio. I had to turn my back to the sun in order to cast a shadow over my white pages of notes determined to reflect the sun. I think I might have sunburned my neck. I took off my light coat, and was almost too warm in my (also light) sweatshirt. It made me so happy.

And then, you want to know what I thought? Here I am in New State, sitting in the sun, and it's nice. But, over in East Africa, Bushie is in Tanzania. Maybe even in Arusha. I am burning with jealousy. I bet he's not appreciating it, I keep thinking, the way I would. I would love to be in Arusha, having the soup and bread with garlic butter for lunch at ViaVia, or in that little ju-eece bar drinking passion fruit juice, or just walking back behind Njiro with the kids shyly saying, "Shikamoo." You think they took him there? I doubt it. Can't burst the diplomatic bubble. What's the point of going somewhere if you aren't going to actually BE there? What a waste. Of my very own tax resources.

Nice weather always makes me miss Africa.

1 comment:

Monday's Child said...

just caught up with your blog... I attempted to have an internet free weekend.. HAH is all I can say to that... I've been a bit lethargic and sat down several times to write to you about that other thing and finally came to the conclusion that I don't particularly want to think about it now... maybe this is a good sign maybe this is a sign that I am coming to the end of a completely useless and long winded experience... who knows... I will write about it eventually and we can continue the conversation...


meanwhile, I know exactly what you mean re weather... when I was at uni in England and the sun woud come out and would go and sit outside and close my eyes and pretend I was back in Africa... often during the winter months I would crank up the heating, put on shorts, and just deny the cold hehehe... My housemates obviously thought I was mad.