"Mustique" 10/22/2002 I just spent an entire day reading a book. "Love In The Time Of Cholera" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Kind of a hard book to spend a whole day reading. Not actually the whole day. I had to clean up the kitchen from last night's tortilla making fiasco, do laundry, and some other housework. I spent the whole day at home waiting for the cable guy. And not surprisingly, they failed to show up. Seeing as someone (me) has to be home when they come, this can get interesting. Based on my experience so far with West Indian timing, they will probably show up in a week or two despite their 3-7 business day installation promise. Today was the 7th day already. Despite the cable business, I would probably have spent today at home anyways. Not a thing in the world to do. Can't really afford to go anywhere. It sounded nice back in March, but now? Is this the best thing for me to be doing with my 23 year old days? I am reluctant to try to start a project of my own with the schools, because the minute I do, computers will miraculously appear at the center and I'll have to abandon somebody. Oh, in case you're wondering, cable TV is incredibly cheap down here. I get the feeling that they somehow intercept the programming from the U.S. and just rebroadcast it; HBO, Showtime, ESPN, everything. A TV also came with the house and is just sitting there looking lonely. Anyways, I do not feel too bad about "wasting" a day. The reading was probably worth it alone. The other thing is that I sort of consider it the cost of getting to visit Mustique on Sunday. What a weird place. Mustique is privately owned by the Mustique company. The island is dotted with luxurious mansions placed as far away from each other as possible. It is dead quiet. A very stark contrast from my village of South Rivers. The beaches are made of beautiful sand, white with pink speckles. The water is as crystal clear and blue as you can imagine. There isn't even any trash anywhere to be seen. The roads are paved and smooth and you don't get begged for money every two feet. Mustique would be a great place to spend some time if all you wanted to do was chill on the beach and not have to worry about reality. Too bad it costs a bajillion dollars just for one night in one of these places. Normally access to the island is restricted to rich people. Occasionally they allow for special trips like the athletic team fundraiser we went on. It was me, Martha, and Kevin. Matt couldn't come because he is out of money already. The strangest part of the trip helped me to realize how much peace corps is already changing me despite having a pretty posh assignment. I am beginning to feel that desire for unattainable wealth that plaques the people here. That desire for status that causes parents to buy Nikes for their kids instead of school books. Sure I'm in the Peace Corps and I have cable TV and Mustique. That just makes it harder, because I am constantly teased by images of wealth that I could probably have if I had a job at home. Being around all this wealth I am also feeling unconvinced that Peace Corps even needs to be here. Layou, where Matt and Martha live definitely has a higher standard of living than my hometown of Salida, Colorado. This all weighs heavily on my conscience as I wonder what I am doing here. Am I going to be of any help to this country at all? All the while missing my family and my mountains. That's what I do all day, wonder how long till I freak out. Anyways, tomorrow I am going to go and try to play some rugby in order to get involved with something other than sitting on my ass. I just hope that I don't get any teeth knocked out.