divine angst

If you’re pre-law and tired of the admissions nightmare; if you’re a student and tired of classes or exams, or you’re out in the “real world” and you’re just tired of the daily grind, take a gander at this post about a Senegalese wedding—written by my friend Clare who is in the Peace Corps over there:

However, I’m very relieved that it’s over: those were two days of more being stared at, asked for everything ranging from money to clothes to my headlamp, and called “Whitey” in my own home than I’ve had to deal with in the past two months. And while I can appreciate the cross-cultural absurdity, shall we say, of having a circle of two dozen girls staring at me as though they expected purple monsters to sprout out of my head, or of making babies burst into tears of abject terror by simply looking at them… it’s still. gets. tiring.

I like Clare’s blog because it always brings me back to earth. She is having an incredible experience, half a world away, and she’s not just getting through the cultural experience but she’s also getting work done (or trying to!). My worries seem sort of unimportant compared to being felt up by a small girl who is astonished at the color of your skin—and who probably also keeps calling you “Whitey.”