laughing cow

2 November 2008

Went to a Halloween party in Lome last night with a bunch of Americans. Very fun. I dressed as “La Vache Qui Rit” = wearing the complet that my apprentie pals finished while I was on AIDS ride. I made a snout and some horns out of toilet paper rolls and earrings out of VQR cartons and an udder out of a blown-up latex glove. Super classy. We arrived at the party just a wee bit early – the harsh normal lights were still on, the hostess was still putting on her costume and the punch wasn’t even set out yet.
It did give me a chance to have a chat with C (an intern at PLAN) and C? who works for PSI specifically targeting informal prostitution – primarily working with young women (even girls as young as 10). The project is very holistic – social counseling, education, etc. In fact it’s too holistic to fit under PSI’s health-restricted agenda so it’s currently being made independent. I would love to find out more about what she does (and how I could get involved).
I very unsuccessfully tried to make conversation with some of the Marines who work at the embassy – they were totally uninterested in chatting with me, perhaps I intimidated them with my challenge to their ‘beach boy’ costumes. All I did was ask for a song!
I got to know a couple of the current PCVs from before my stage better, chatting about what we’re doing after Peace Corps (what else, right?)
On a related note, I spent several hours today looking up MBA programs as a possible post-PC choice. I’m particularly interested in The New School in New York City, Yale University and UC Berkeley. All of their programs look like they would fit really well into a career track of NGO development/management and I’d be learning specfic practical skills. I have a lot of other options to look into, but it’s nice to feel that I’ve taken a gander at the MBA route and found it interesting. The difficulty with any ambition to go back to school is finances – how to pay for school, living expenses, and loans from my ND education?
So finding a job has to be my first priority, but I’m still going to study up for my GMAT, GRE and LSAT.


I am writing this while sitting at the taxi stand in Agoe waiting for my taxi to Mission Tove to fill up. I could take a moto – I have my helmet with me – but the last experience was so hair-raisingly unpleasant that I’m quite reluctant to try again. It’s only 2pm so I’m not in danger of getting stranded in the dark. I figured as long as I keep myself occupied and not idle, then it’s not wasted time – so blogging a bit is my occupation. I don’t really have enough money to be zipping about on motos anyway. They cost about double what a place in a taxi does.