Sometimes as things change they stay the same ...

As we do, routines occur in our daily activities. Sometimes
in the case of Peace Corps Volunteers it can provide some
degree of comfort. Especially in those times of quiet that
may come. The quiet being a time of zero to no activity.
Throughout my life routines have come and gone and have
evolved from one routine to another and on and on.
In every other country the routines varied. In El Salvador
it was hanging in the local tienda (store) with Mr Jose Zelaya.
Usually every morning at 8 it was to the tienda, cup of coffee,
discussion on any matter of the day. That went on for the
two years I was there.
In Senegal, it was the morning ritual of working the
demonstration garden from anytime around 8 to 11 or so.
For two and a half years it was in that garden and it was
a source of attraction and a meeting, motivating and teaching
place.
In Romania, it was the morning jaunts to the local coffee shops.
It was 9:00 a..m. to one of several joints. There was the daily
practice in the Romanian language thrown in with discussion
on issues and ideas.
So, here I am in Namibia and as of this point into the tour
(4 months) haven't really hammered down a routine as
of yet. There have been a couple fleeting ones but the one
aspect that has been constant is going to the garden at
7 in the morning. This is really out of necessity as that is the
time that the water is running (we have water for about 1 hr
per day, half hour in the morning and evening) so it is a
non-negotiable point.
But here is where the title of this blog article comes in. With
the addition of the two guys from Romania in the village
there is this eerie resemblance to the prior tour coming
about. It has begun that every morning I head over to their
place and we sit around, drink tea and guess what ... speak
in Romanian. Kind of like exactly what I had done for
two and a half years in their country.
I am debating whether this is the beginning of a new
routine or an extension of the old one.
It is just dripping with coincidence, irony, karma and
just plain meant to be and so ... as things change they
could just somehow fall into some semblance of
... they stay the same.
Well, a routine has begun and to state that it is exactly
a new one as it regards to the Romanian angle, to me,
can't be claimed as totally unique.
It makes it easy to adjust to this new one forming in
Namibia, I already know the culture and the language.
It is just that it is from another continent than the one
I'm on.