Time for an update

Hi friends! Sorry I've been so quiet on this thing recently. I guess it's about time I tell you what I've been up to...

Soon after Thanksgiving we had our Inservice Training, where my training class shared some good stories and learned some useful stuff. Then it was the holidays, which I spent at the lakeshore with friends. Though I missed my family (and the culture of Christmas in general), I had a much better holiday than expected and made great Christmas memories (like being danced at by a bunch of naked African boys at the beach on Christmas Eve). Then January came and I got a Kindle in the mail and I turned into a hermit that showed up for classes and spent the rest of my time reading. (Seriously, I've read 15 books in 2014 already!) And now I'm finally starting work on some secondary projects, including working on a grant proposal to make a science lab for my school.

At New Years, I was thinking about how I've changed in the last year, and it's hard to say exactly how I'm different, but I definitely am. I suppose it would be accurate to say that I have not changed much as a person, but my perspectives have changed a great deal. For example, when my mom was texting me about the Grammies, I kept thinking about how much money must have changed hands for that event, how the amount of money owned by people in that room was probably almost as much as Malawi's entire economy, how ludicrously popular and ridiculously provocative our celebrities are, etc. I'm not saying it's wrong; I love American culture, but it is frivolous sometimes. On a similar note, when I see really skinny people, be it Malawian or models, I no longer have any sense on insecurity; that's been replaced by thoughts of disease and malnutrition. I still don't like being called fat (which has happened several times here, and would not happen in America), but I definitely understand why it's supposed to be a compliment. Also, I now find it perfectly normal to trust strangers with my life and argue with drunk people...

Anyways, I feel like I should be posting on here more, I just never know what to say. If people are willing to ask questions (in the comments, by email, or Facebook message), I would like to do a question and answer post here soon. Thanks! <3