Hello 2010!

HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone! Does anyone else feel like the song, "Party Like It's 1999" came out last year?!?! I'm still in shock that it's been 10 years-- a whole decade-- since Y2K. I still remember walking around ShopKo with my cousin around Christmas-time and seeing all the countdown clocks to the new millenium. Ironically, since the world didn't collaspe at midnight of Jan. 1, 2000, I'm now in Africa--of all places-- eating canned goods that were donated here from people who over-stocked for Y2K! :) Funny how things work out! :)

Last night I didn't exactly ring in the New Year in style...in fact I was soundly sleeping by 11 pm! haha...sad, but true. However, I celebrated (in my brain) the Hong Kong New Year and just happened to wake up at 5:55 a.m. this morning-- just in time to lay there for a few minutes, count down...10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...think "Oh, now it's 2010 at home", and go back to sleep...for at least 15 more minutes! :) So, that's gotta count for something.

Tonight I think I was able to partially redeem myself as I went into the village to read to some kids. After sitting down in front of one of the houses where some kids and women were gathered preparing dinner and attempting to learn some Ewe (the language that most of the people in the village speak)-- which consisted of a lot of laughing, I ventured over and read a story and played with the kids.

Then, one of the girls wanted me to walk through the village with her, which I was kind of excited about since there was lots going on. It seems to me that New Year's Day (night) is the bigger celebration...last night many people went to church from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m...wow! So, tonight many of the kids were dressed in new clothes; men were playing football (aka soccer), while a group of people were gathered around some drums nearby--singing and dancing. That's when it got interesting...someone told me that a lady wanted to talk to me, so I went to see what this lady I didn't even know wanted and was told they wanted me to dance! ha! So I did...one of their most popular dance moves is very similar to the chicken dance, so even with my questionable dancing abilities, I could manage that! (Dad, you'd be great at it...only a few days and you can try it out for yourself! ;)) They were pretty excited to see an "oburoni" busting the moves! haha...Needless to say, I didn't last much longer than a couple of minutes, because for some reason, I felt like everyone was staring at me...I can't imagine why!

So, that's how I rang in 2010...it's a little scary to think about how fast the last 10 years went and then realize that in another 10 years I'll be in my mid-thirties...yikes!!! Slow motion, please... :)