Stuff (email from Amy)

It rained today. You cannot imagine the sound of rain on a tin roof in October. It is unimaginably beautiful. It hasn't rained here since February. When I heard it I started laughing and I had this visceral joy. I went outside and I felt it on my skin and I started crying, my tears mingling with the raindrops. This probably seems really melodramatic (and it might be- It wouldn't surprise me to discover that a few screws are loose after my time here) but it was my real reaction. I hope it rains a lot. One drought year (like this year) is like a major depression for the people here. They have to sell some of their animals or they will starve and the prices are halved. But two drought years spell bankruptcy and World Food Programme emergency porridge and malnourished kids. The last really bad years were in the 80's. They were telling me about them and these things are recurrent. Anyway, rain is like hope. It is beautiful and it soothes the soul.

Tomorrow I go to Windhoek for a week for my final medical checkups (so they can make sure I'm not bringing back Ebola or Typhoid or something.) Exciting, but I'm trying to save up my money for travel afterwards and Windhoek is not conducive to frugality. So, hopefully I can resist the movie theatre and the used book store and the restaurants. Other than that, it's been a thoroughly ordinary week. Take care.