day in the life:5-8

I am not a morning person.

All those social graces don’t exist before 8:00. However, I’m not one of those not a morning person people that can sleep the morning away. But, before coming here I was totally a roll out of bed and head out the door person. Not here though. Here I’ve got a nice slow leisurely morning with a crazy thing called down time.

The alarm goes off at 5:01 (hey, ain’t that quirky?) but usually I am more or less awake and being serenaded by minions of roosters. I lay there composing myself enough to get up and say good morning as I shuffle to the bathroom. Then I troop back upstairs get dressed for a run and head back down to shove my shoes on. Then I go go go, by the time I get back I’m in a much better mood. Let’s here it for endorphins! I go upstairs get out of the sweatys, grab my towel and head back down. I brush my teeth and turn the hot water on on the water cooler to make tea later, grab my pot of hot water and head to the bathroom. Yes, my Auntie boils water for me. At first I felt super guilty and like a bad volunteer for taking a semi-warm bucket bath. Then I figured out my Auntie always boils her water for her baths. My site mate has hot showers. Other volunteers boil their water.

After my shower I still have an hour and half before school. This is when I drink my tea  (recently I’ve been rocking some tea sent to me from Boston!) and eat my mango (my favorite part of the day, for sure).  This is when I blog, or write emails, or journal, or do a crossword the whole time while having a bit of a dance party. Around 7:45 I get dressed for school and head out the door at 7:55 to walk down the street to start my day, always showing up right on time for class.