Saturdays...

So, this is an entirely inconsequential post, but the great thing about Saturdays in the Congo is that I can sit here, read Bret Easton Ellis, and listen to music without any external distractions.  I feel, that for all of the things that make Congo difficult, the fact that I can essentially choose what to do with my weekends and not have any exterior distractions is a definite plus.  In essence, this is one of the great freedoms of living in the developing world; your free time is your own.  For example, while I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Togo, I read more books in two years than I had in four years of college, including things like Anna Karenina and War and Peace which I wouldn't have tackled otherwise.  I also had long conversations about things ranging from the banal to esoteric and never had to worry if I was going to miss some obligation.

Of course, that isn't to say that I don't miss some of the distractions of the American experience, such as beers at the bar with friends, last-minute baseball games, concerts, and the occasional movie.  These things are all great, and if a shopping mall decided to open in Brazzaville with a movie theater, I would be the first in line.  That said, the simple pleasures of a book and some music courtesy of iTunes should not be scoffed at.