November 22

Today I had my first Thanksgiving out of the country.

It began by removing bags of fish heads and tails from one freezer and transporting them to another. Then we took other fish heads and moved them to the first freezer.

I got fish blood on my shoe.

Ew.

Then I went trapping, which happens to be my favorite activity. Amy, Natalie x2, Emily, Jackie and I were on the boat. It was girl talk time.

Girl talk cannot be divulged.

We didn't trap any sharks but we caught three fish and I got to throw the crazy, struggling things back in the water. That was fun.

In the afternoon I was at the aquarium. Nothing exciting.

Then we had Thanksgiving dinner! We went to a restaurant called Kaai 4 and had strange food for Thanksgiving. Roosterkoek (yum), maize, chicken, cauliflower, mashed potatoes with green beans, ox tail (???), and green sweet potato.

It was delicious.The only thing missing was pumpkin pie. And peanut butter pie. And green stuff (no celery, please). And dumplings.

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And now a Thanksgiving day rant.

I find people very curious. Perhaps this is because I have spent plenty of time from the outside looking in. Since I am not particularly extroverted-- not really a go getter, but will engage if spoken to-- I am able to watch and carefully observe actions and interactions.

Very curious.

I know individuals are "wired different" but being socially forward seems like so much work. If you're friends with everybody, are you really friends with anybody? There are some people on this trip and in this group who I feel like only engage me because they think I'm "that kid that stands alone."

It is just curious.

Perhaps it is strange to others that I like to be alone. I don't have to be in a group to be happy. Actually, I'm quite content to spend time with myself. Shouldn't that be viewed as a good thing?

I don't want to make it seem like I'm that weirdo standing in the corner --- I'm not. At work, whether it be on the boat, at the aquarium or elsewhere I converse with those few around me. And ah-ha! That's the difference.

Big groups are overwhelming.

You what Thanksgiving was tonight?

Overwhelming.

And a contributing factor was that was not drinking (a wise decision after my escapades last Friday) and most others where. And yes, I understand that it's easier to be social when drinking.

It's too much work to actively participate in so many conversations.

This is a little bit in-cohesive.

This trip and group of people offer such a weird dynamic. I sit and I watch people disregard relationships at home, lose a bit of dignity (I might have lost some of mine as well - no hate), and just want to drink everyday. I'm heavily generalizing; this does not to apply strictly to everyone.

But I am too lazy to participate. It's not in my nature. I know, I'm 22 going on 80.

I also understand their point of view: What happens in Africa, stays in Africa.

But it doesn't. Everyone here is growing and changing. What you choose to do here directly, one way or another affects your life and future decisions at home.

So in conclusion, I find social activities exhausting, I like small groups of people, I like to people watch, when you are out of the country in close quarters with so many hormones strange decisions are made.

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On this Thanksgiving day I am thankful for my friends who are not needy, thankful that I am single, and thankful that I don't force myself to be the social butterfly that I'm not.