sometimes you just need a little music

i had a good weekend. i had a weekend that made me want to smile again. the type of weekend where you expect nothing and are surprised by a boost in your soul. that is what this past weekend was like for me. after having some stressful weeks dealing with bugs and huts and being homeless WITH a kitten, i decided to take a break from my life here and visit a friend. i dropped my kitten off at the bug infested hut and fled, feeling depressed and confused about why i was in sa.

first of all, seeing a good friend always helps. sometimes you just need someone to slap some sense back into you. sometimes you need someone who will cook you a good dinner and let you watch an entire season of the office in a row on her computer. sometimes you need to spend time with a person who vows that she will also quit the peace corps if you quit. that is the type of friend i went to see. just by being around her, my spirits lifted and i felt like a) things would probably get better and b) i could do it.

as if that wasn't enough, we found out that one of my favorite south african bands was playing in town on that very weekend! i was super excited and demanded that we go, which, being a good friend, she agreed to. we went to the very odd festival that they were playing at, which was something like a farming fair. we wandered around and saw all of the huge tractors and the cows and the farming crap that i know nothing about and then we went to the concert. it was small and there weren't a ton of people there, which means that i was able to get nice and close to the band. and then, I ROCKED OUT! i listened to freshly ground play old songs that i love and new songs that appreciate. one song was clearly meant for me. it is called pot belly and the chorus goes something like: "fat thighs, flabby arms, a pot belly still gives good loving..." this is the reason i love this band so very very much.

sidenote- i also got to talk to my best friend dana (right before the concert), who had just gotten married and was at her reception. it made me so happy to hear her voice and to know that she was having the perfect day that she deserved. love you dana!

after this wonderful concert my friend and i went to a club where we danced our butts off. it was all the same crap music that i used to dance my butt off to in america and it made me feel like i was at home. it was exactly what i needed to feel myself again. what i realized was that i didn't need a new hut to live in. all i needed was some good music and a bit of booty shaking with some friends.