"...the start of a beautiful friendship."

i've never seen that movie but have seen the ending enough to know that they drive off into the sunset surrounded by nothing but open space and more sunset.  just one road winding it's way through the countryside.  and that one road goes on for, probably, miles upon miles.  nothing but fields on either side of that one lonely road.    i lived part of that movie today. today some of the students in the engliish school and N and i went on a picnic and walked down that road.  we did end up walking aways but it was all worth it when we got to our destination.  what do you know!!  i've found a mini raccoon lake in B!  for those of you who don't know my family my parents have a house on raccoon lake in western IN and i go there often to chill and take a break from my life. now granted there is no lake and the amenities aren't quite the same but it's rustic, has a trailer, a firepit (well sort-of), and even has a well!  we had kebache, mini hamburgers, cleb, bread, voda, water, chips, and coke.  i think people here are amazed i can find something like that nice and beautiful.  while walking today i said "this is nice" and one young lady said "what? this?"(or at least that's how I took it). i can't remember ever before seeing fields...just fields and that's it.  and 1 road...and more fields.  anyway we had fun and even got a ride back to G. after lunch by the dad of one of the students.  
step 1 and 2 of operation "az ne iscam brumbe" (i don't want bugs) are completed!   yesterday N helped me put a screen up over my window to keep out the bugs and let in the fresh air.  it feels so nice!  i also made a homemade anti-flea control and set part of it out last night.  tonight i will use the lemon spray i made, thank you mom!, and we shall see!  i will say i slept soooo much better last night!  it also didn't hurt that there weren't any people who decided to party right under my apt till all hrs of the night and early am. too!
something i'm having a hard time getting across to people here is the attitude of not having.  i'm not saying that right.  i didn't join the corps to "have."  in fact quite the opposite is true and i'm having a hard time getting that across.  i think the idea of people going without is something they can't understand.  living with the minimum is one of the basic components of the corps (and i'm not saying that just b/c one of the staffers of the corps may be reading this!) that hasn't change over the yrs.  am i living like i do in the states?  certainly not!  could my life here be made easier if i had certain things?  of course!  but can i live without them?  yes!  n and i have had several talks about this and she's on the same page as i am now.  the thing i tried to tell her last night is that things do not make a person happy.  and if i want things that's what my money is for!  it's the not having that is going to make my experience much more fulfilling.  just the very fact i spent time with n putting up a screen is something not a lot of people, ok...in the states, get to do and i  have.  when i'm 50 and start with the "i remember when i had to..." stories  i can share that experience with my sister's kids.  i want to be tactful when i say no more but i have to get across the fact that this is important to me.  if not everyone in G has something i don't want it and if I do i will use my money.  one the other hand i've had to give myself a talk and tell myself i don't know G, nargis does and have to trust her on this issue and that was hard for me to remember at first.  ok enough of that!
i got a package from my siser and her family yest and was so happy!  i love those little mints!  thank you belieres!  i think that's enough of my rambling for today!