post-holidays update

The holidays weren't quite what I was expecting. . . I suppose I was hoping for the American-style family days except in hot weather. The festive season brought people home who are working in Gauteng Province. Almost everyone spent their time at the local shebeens until they passed out or their money ran out. Plus, there were firecrackers going off at random times of the day accompanied by shouts of, "Happy!" The first time I heard them I thought they were gunshots!

Internet is now only 5 rand on hour! A whole hour is about the same price as mailing a letter, a little less than a dollar. I haven't been feeling the letter writing business lately. It's not that I have more to fill my time (I don't); it's more that I realized that I'm living beyond my meager peace corps means and the amount of letters each week was getting pricey and it takes so long for a letter to get here and even longer for it to arrive home. Plus, my life is dull. I swear. I spend mutliple hours reading each day with highlights of selected telephone calls and text message conversations with other peace corps volunteers.

With that said, a few people have mentioned plans of packages. Could you post a comment or e-mail me if you have sent one with when you sent it and to which address. If I know about it, I can corner the post office workers.