My PCV Life in Disney Songs

So I've been planning this post for a while. I have made a lot of people listen to me ramble on as I planned it. And maybe no one will find it quite as amusing as I do. Nonetheless, without further ado, here are the Disney songs that best encapsulate my life in the Peace Corps.

1. Belle (Beauty and the Beast)

Basically everything that Belle says in this song are thoughts that go through my head on...pretty much a daily basis: "Little town, it's a quiet village. Every day like the one before." Maybe that doesn't describe Peace Corps life so much as rural life anywhere in the world, but it's definitely something I've had to get used to as a newly minted citizen of a town of 200. I also am a fan of Belle's favorite method of entertainment: reading. If I am otherwise unoccupied, you can usually find me sitting on my stoop outside of my room with my nose stuck in a book. Finally, and most importantly, much like Belle, the moment I leave my house every morning, everyone starts yelling good morning at me. They might think I'm a "most peculiar mademoiselle," but they still do what they can to make me feel welcome.

2. Strangers Like Me (Tarzan)

Let's get this straight: as far as this song goes, I am definitely Tarzan. As I've written here in the past, now that I'm living in Ghana, I'm having to master tasks that most Ghanaian children learn when they're learning to walk. I've had to learn to fetch water, to cook with new ingredients, to talk in a new language. It's a rare day that I don't encounter something new and exciting--just the other day I was strolling around my town when some kids waved me over to watch them cooking a rat approximately the size of a small cat. I'm sure it was delicious. Also, there was definitely a point in my life when seeing something like that would have caused me to burst into tears, as anyone who remembers the Aunt Janet and the Cricket Incident can attest. So maybe I've toughened up a little bit. Anyway, now I get to spend all my time learning about the wonderful strangers like me.

3. I'll Make a Man Out of You (Mulan)

I had to really struggle to decide which Mulan song to include here, because to be honest I often feel like this awesome, pumped up, action hero Mulan, and I also often feel like the sad, droopy Mulan from "Reflection." But I decided to put a positive spin on it. Here in Ghana, a lot of people do not take me seriously as a woman. Not that there aren't plenty of people like that in the States, because there absolutely are, but it's a little more blatant here. But I've decided that if anyone is upset because they got daughters when they asked for sons, I'll just have to show them how badass I can be. Peace Corps definitely toughens you up in a lot of ways. I may not be quite as swift as a coursing river or have all the force of a great typhoon, but I'm a lot closer than I was eight months ago.

4. Let it Go (Frozen)

I kind of hate including this song, but also, it is so, so relevant to surviving as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Not the actual ice and snow part, since I don't remember the last day it didn't hit at least ninety. But as a PCV, you learn that you have to let things go. Someone showed up two hours late to a meeting? Let it go. Just got my third marriage proposal of the day? Let it go. Not quite sure if that's a spider, mouse, or lizard hanging out in the corner? Let it go. It also means letting go of things that are much more important to me. I'm not able to share all of my values and opinions here for fear of alienating the people I'm working with. I also have to look away, sometimes, from things I find disturbing or offensive. But with an Elsa hair flip, I, too, can become one with the wind and sky. 

5. There Are No Cats in America (American Tail)

Okay, so I know this one isn't Disney. But it's relevant! A lot of what we do as PCVs is teaching people about America. I have met so, so many people, here in my community and elsewhere in Ghana, who've told me that they would love the chance to move to America, where they assume things will be much easier for them. Obviously, a ton of Ghanaians love their beautiful country and would never want to leave it, but I don't think the dream of immigrating to America is something unusual. I try to explain to people that things aren't as easy or perfect in America as they might imagine it to be. I certainly don't try to paint America in a bad light, but I try to be realistic when describing the challenges of American life. It's also important for me to be realistic about the problems in America, too. Sometimes I find myself fantasizing about going back home and having access to cheese, coffee, and a toilet--so I have to remind myself that life back home isn't perfect, and that a lot of my nostalgia for it is just that: nostalgia.

Okay. That's it for now. There may or may not be a part two to this topic, since I have no shortage of time to daydream Disney playlists to my life, and I could go on for a while. Unfortunately I can't stream music at my site, so when I want to hear these songs, I pretty much have to sing them to myself.