Up and down, the roller coaster ride that is Peace Corps continues. From the intense highs of this past summer to the lows of this past month, I'm sure that our experiences here mirror those of anyone's 'normal' life back in the states--the extremes, I think, are merely more accentuated by being here in a place so far removed from home and from everything familiar. I don't want this to be a depressing rant or for people to think that we are having a horrible time--I just wanted those of you who care enough to read to know what is really going on in our lives. With that, story time. We explain in our own words.

Scott
"Once upon a time there was a young prince name Ttocs, married to a beautiful young princess, Nire. Ttocs and Nire lived in a far away land--a magical land of beauty and bounty surrounded by lush jungles and expansive seas, the land called 'Senippilihp.' Though Prince Ttocs and Princess Nire did not rule the kingdom of Senippilihp, their light complexion and long noses combined with their relative giant-like height was highly regarded by the Senippilihp-an people. Ttocs and Nire loved their life in Senippilihp--simple comfort and friendly people. Life was good for the couple.
Now, Prince Ttocs was thought to possess magical powers by some, as he had, not ever since living in Senippilihp, succommed to the evil diseases that continuously stalked the land. So it was with great surprise when Princess Nire found Ttocs in bed one morning with a head boiling like fresh, hot magma. Nire mixed some potions and tended to Ttocs with the loving care she was known for far and wide. Ttocs beat back the evil disease and was whole again, only to by knocked down by it again a week later. Ttocs was prepared for this battle, though, and fought back valiantly on his own, as his love was away on a royal mission of sorts with the fair maiden Hteb, who had come from afar to visit the couple. The disease was vanquished this time, but was wily and cunning and after a fortnight (that's two weeks to the fairy tale rookies out there) attacked yet again, rendering Ttocs utterly useless. Nire knew her kindness could only work so well against the disease and this time, communicated with healing entities from the enchanted city of Alinam, who instructed the prince and princess to proceed directly to the nearby city of Olioli. The pair fought in Olioli, together with the healers, for 3 days and 3 nights, but the mysterious disease would not reveal itself through any form of trickery or coercion. The healers of Olioli knew not what was wrong with young Ttocs, for it seemed as if the disease had retreated yet again. Ttocs and Nire returned home, dejected and exhausted at having been fooled yet again by the stealthy and cunning disease. Ttocs suggested the disease may have come from Ninjas visiting in the night, buy nay, with a wave of her hand, Nire dismissed the notion. They returned to their own abode by the sea for rest and recuperation.
As the pair arrived to their home, they were greeted enthusiastically by their two vicious yet gentle guardian cats, who protected the dwelling day and night--or so Ttocs thought. Ykcir and Ybbob, the cats of glory, had, alas, failed the prince and princess. To their dismay, Ttocs and Nire found they had had a visitor of ill repute while away--perhaps the ninja that Ttocs had suspected earlier? Whoever it had been, instead of leaving disease of any sort to confound Ttocs, they chose instead to take what was not theirs--a memory box, nay, a magical memory box, capable of oh so many wondrous things. It had stored written memories and picture memories inside its sleek, black body of plastic, and had allowed the royal pair to communicate, not through owl or looking glass, but rather through an even more lovely medium--Tenretni--to their friends and family far away. The local sheriff was summoned immediately, but could find no evidence to point to the guilty party. The prince and princess were saddened even more--they had recorded all of these memories onto another magical box, this one of happily humming silver--and this box, too was missing. The sheriff promised that the evil henchmen who did this dastardly deed would be apprehended, but Ttocs and Nire were not comforted. Alas, 'twas not the loss of memory in black and silver boxes that troubled them--No, that loss was difficult, but not lethal for them. What crippled young Ttocs and Nire was that someone from Senippilihp, from their own neighborhood perhaps, had taken the pairs' gestures of kindness of living in this wonderful land and ground them into the earth with their heel with this horrible act.
As Ttocs and Nire explored the nearby village in the days that followed, Ttocs, who earlier was known for being able to only see good in people, could now only make out the darkness in every heart that passed. Every smile seemed to him a fraud, every hand seemed guilty of taking not just boxed up memories, but his deep-seeded belief that all were good. Ttocs was saddened by his change of heart.
The Prince and Princess would not, however, let this unfortunate turn of events bring them down and defeat them. Nay, they were more powerful than that. The two would rise again and they would see this as this work, not of many, but of few. Ttocs' heart softened to those around him and his dim mood began, ever so slowly, to brighten. Prince Ttocs and Princess Nire would prevail. Oh yes, they would prevail."

Erin
"Scott got sick a few times. We finally went to the hospital. Blood tests showed nothing. Went home. Computer and external hard drive had been stolen. Sad that someone would break in, but we're better now. Scott wrote stupid story. The End"
:-)