After the party over the 4th, I went home. Promptly, 2 people from my village died, so the next four days were filled with visitation ceremonies, the wake, the actual funerals, and of course, more drinking. For my own justification, my life is definitely not one big party, filled with booze and good times. Alcohol just happens to be an integral part of the traditions here, and though I could refrain, I don't. The same could be said of American society, though most people I know are not the power drinkers I am currently surrounded by-- and I refuse to become such. I do have work to do here, right?

The problem is that when festivities occur in this country, alcohol is inevidibly involved, and therefore work projects are suspeded. When I don't surrender myself to celebrating with friends and relaxing and not worrying (as my personality likes to do), I find myself far happier here, without even having to become the town drunk.

I have a problem tooth right now-- perhaps an infection? Not really sure. I came to Tana to have it checked out by a dentist. Have to say, I'm a bit freaked. But on the bright side (I'm one of those 'the glass is always half-full' kind of gals), I haven't really been sick before. Plenty of volunteers have these disgusting stories of their intestines practically falling out, fungi I wouldn't begin to describe, not to mention the occasional random horror story (my brother had pink eye in BOTH eyes when he was a volunteer, his eyes swelled up closed for days). So nothing like that. Not even a toothache. But I have a really bad taste in my mouth, excess saliva, a site on my gums that is really suspect of an infection, and an over-active imagination. Two hours until I see the dentist.

So not much work is getting done here at the office here in Tana while my mind wanders here and there. Now that the exhibition is done and squared away, onward to up-dating the park's brochures, printing post cards, brainstorming for more publicity. Writing up a proposal to get money to bring water pumps to the park and village. Building camping facilities-- imagine taking a bucket bath in the woods?!? Towering mountains in front of you, lemurs around you. I can hardly wait.