There aren’t any girls here. That’s not too surprising considering I am living in a monastery. Although, there is a considerable amount of female traffic through here in the form of older women (most of them married with the others being nuns). But there aren’t any girls that I can go and hang out with, flirt with, go on dates with, or anything that would be associated with the above. I take that back… there aren’t any girls that I can do that with without running into the whole cultural marriage issue, which I would rather avoid for the time being (and most likely my entire stay). And it sucks. As much as I love pushing the envelope a little…ok maybe a lot, I don’t foresee myself taking the plunge here.
And don’t get me wrong, I love being here; but Colin and I got to talking about this one night after I confessed that I had had and was having a difficult time with it. We determined that there is a kind of feminine energy or essence (other than feramones as I was quick to point out the more platonic side of the argument) that simply put - changes a situation. There is just something about ‘em that you (I mean “I”) can’t live without.
To throw a little humor into a rather lofty subject, I have been asked multiple times (translated for your convenience) if I am here to find a wife, if I am here to find another wife, how many kids I have, if I am married, and or is that you don’t want to marry a black person? Now imagine me being asked that by my students during a passing period. Ok now imagine me being asked that by the father of a girl who is of age while I am sitting in his house drinking his Tchuc. Luckily Tchuc makes my cheeks rosey red, after I have had enough of it, and I don’t think he could tell how flustered I was trying to respond. But it is difficult telling people in a culture that revolves around having a large extended family that I am 22, don’t have a wife, don’t have kids, have no money, and don’t have a job. If you ever needed an example of a BIG cultural difference, well there you go! It has taken me about 2 months, but at least with my students, the monks, and some closer friends I have been able to convey what it is that I am doing and why.
On that note, I can safely say that after attending an all male Benedictine boarding school, an all male Benedictine university, and volunteering abroad while living with yet again Benedictines…this is not the life for me. That is not to say that I was ever considering becoming anything other than a family man, because that is completely contrary to the fact. After seeing most importantly the way that my parents have raised my siblings and I along with my other relatives and friends of the married w/kids variety (including those around the world), I know that I am going to get married to the most beautiful girl in the world and have the most amazing children. If anything, I have learned more legitimately than most why it is that I want a family and why it is the only life for me. After all, how many people do you know who have spent 9, count it 9 years around monks, subtract the ones who are monks/priests and who are teachers at a Benedictine school = me…and maybe a few others, but not many. Trust me when I say that it is an interesting way of living, but it isn’t for me.
That said, there still aren’t any viable girls here (in the sense that I am referring to). And although Colin and I joke about the fact that we ended up here so it’s not too far of a stretch to imagine some cute French girls making their way down here; I don’t think it’s gonna happen…aka I am “stuck” here for another 7 months. Oh boy…
P.S. I am open for ideas of ways to make these next 7 months a little easier in that sense…
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