23 September 2010

Another birthday

Tuesday felt like much more of a celebratory day than Monday (my birthday) which was spent getting lost among crowds of fresh-faced 18-year-olds in itsy-bitsy shorts and walking in circles searching for a restroom because I just couldn't get the street grid figured out in Foggy Bottom and was suffering from tummy troubles. I blame the clam bake. It was fun, but not very gentle on the belly. Probably the wine and beer and more wine didn't help too much either.

I went to a law school fair at GW on Monday. It is kind of silly how ill-equipped I am, at least clothing-wise, for the United States. I wore what are probably my nicest top and skirt and felt very very scruffy. It doesn't help that my feet are now shaped to only fit into chacos. I tried to wear my favorite pair of comfy 2-inch heels. They sliced up my achilles AND my in-step! yikes. I will need an entire wardrobe rehaul before trying to reintegrate here. Somehow I'm getting the feeling that the 'readjustment allowance' just isn't going to cut it. Especially since I've already received (and spent) one-third of it.

I was really surprised by how old I felt on Monday. Every law school recruiter I talked to asked me when I had graduated from Notre Dame (as opposed to when WILL i graduate). There's an upside to the 'older' as well: I felt like I actually knew what I was doing walking around the fair. I had good questions and was able to build rapport with the recruiters much better than the sophomores walking around asking everyone "What can I do NOW so I can guarantee getting into your school?"

I wonder if I'll qualify for the Older and Wiser Law Students group (OWLS) when I finally get back to school.

Chance encounters

Updating from a Megabus. I am in the top level front seat on my way from DC to NY.

I am currently adventuring on the East Coast of the United States. I've been visiting family and friends and law schools. My most exciting stop so far has been to a Trader Joe's in the middle of Washington D.C. I had no idea TJ's was in town until I saw a girl carrying two of their distinctive brown paper bags on the metro. I watched enviously as she flouted the rule against eating on the trains and enjoyed some stuffed grape leaves. The first thing I did after arriving at my aunt and uncle's home (after a metro ride to the end of the line and a 40 minutes driving with two missed signed and subsequent u-turns) was look up the location of Trader Joe's in DC.

So exciting to discover my favorite California shp on the other side of the country. I wandered around the shop for ages before finally selecting some chips and salsa. I headed up to the checkout line, which was surprisingly quick considering how long it was! When I reached the cashier, a thirty-something black man called Gregory, he asked me, "Where did you get your shirt?"

I replied, "Togo." We had a short moment of surprised silence and then began chatting.
He's from Kpalime and I explained where I live and a little of what I do.

As I headed out to meet some former PCVs for dinner, I couldn't help but smile at the joys of chance encounters.

12 September 2010







I'm in California!

This means I've been able to upload my COS Musical...
Part One Part Two

And here are some photos from Camp UNITE