Thanks for the DVDs, received today. “I watched Shakespeare in Love” with friends in town and have brought the rest back to V. What a wonderful thing TiVo is [that is, copied TV specials thanks to TiVo]. It’s so nice to have a full day of calm in the village, making the rounds and stopping to talk in each cooking hut along the way with mothers and friends, then come home and watch an episode/movie by candlelight while I eat my rice and ro [vegetable stew, with meat or fish if available or tiny shrimp–not Rachel’s favorite!].Don’t know if life can get much better.

I can’t believe you [Dad] sent me cupcakes. Had forgotten they existed. Am saving them as a special treat when I finish my upcoming regional youth seminar in R next week. The Endangered Species Dark Chocolate is wonderful. Did you try a piece before mailing it–or was that the post fairy? [He did not; musta been the post fairy!] I’m eating the little Snickers as I write this [the letter has greasy finger marks on it] and remembering when you would bring a bar home in Tunisia and put it in the freezer, then bang it on the kitchen countertop so it fractured into lots of yummy frozen fragments. In Tana I noticed they now sell Snickers bars. They cost 2,500 Ariary each–what I spend on food for a day in the village. I couldn’t bring myself to buy one. Do you think the relative economics were the same in Tunis? If nothing else, Peace Corps has taught me to appreciate things. I hope I always remember that, even when back in the U.S. [where she is planning to be this Christmas!]

It’s so good to be home in my village again. A little girl (10 or so) from the village was bitten by a “sick” dog and died while I was away. I wonder what could have caused that… Don’t think rabies develops that quickly. It’s so frustrating having no capacity to determine causes of death here.

On the 11th of Sept. I’ll be leading a health/environment training seminar for select youths from M, V. and R’s regional environmental clubs. Will teach about local biodiversity, conservation strategies, family planning, and HIV/AIDS prevention. Am working hard preparing lesson plans and organizing the excursion.

At the end of the month I’ll be up-river to participate in a “checking-out the situation” trip (with WCS staff) in the village of M and to help train local community forest management council leaders to begin a system of ecological monitoring and human disturbance evaluations along a series of rainforest transects within their zone of conservation. Should be interesting work. Hope all is going well on your end, too. Much love, Rachel”