If you haven’t heard me complain enough about the internet and electrical problems of India, then read this blog. It’s really not that bad, but it is pretty easy to complain about. It makes it feel like camp, more than ever. It’s like we are in the 1980’s, when they invented electricity.

They call it current over here. If there is no power, there is no current. Everyday, almost guaranteed, for at least 2 hours, there is a power outage, and usually during the most inappropriate times. Like when Ray just begins printing a 300 page document, or just when I start talking with friends on MSN, India Power Corporation says, “No way, white man, you can’t steal my power. Go back to Canada, where power is plentiful and your father the engineer could build you a mini power plant if he wanted.” In Canada, as kids, when the power went out at school, we got excited because sometimes if the power was out long enough, for some reason, we got to go home. (Teachers are so lazy) But here, if the kids got to go home when there was no power, there would never be school.

Along with this, is the fantastic ability of the internet. Obviously, no power, no internet. Same sort of thing. Internet stops working when you are in the middle of something very important. In the middle of listening to means, the internet connection goes out, or, the power goes out and knocks out everything, including my heart. And when it does work, the miracle of dial-up makes you question whether it actually is working. Plus wireless through 4 concrete walls doesn’t help.

I have become quite the solitaire champ. My average time for a completion is 140 seconds. Each time I don’t win, however, I wonder if there was a way to win when I quit. Does anyone know the basic probability of solitaire? Any formulas? When I’m waiting for internet to load, I play solitaire. I also play the game of how many ants can I kill. Usually there are 5 or 6 running around on my wall, and it’s a fun game to catch them with my thumb. There are ant guts all over the wall. I bet I eat on average 10 ants a night.

But, it all just adds to the atmosphere. It forces me to get off my bed, stop using the computer, go play some football, do some reading, or hangout with the guys. But it does make it feel more like camp. Everything here has had that camp kind of feeling. Good and friendly environment, food cooked on a gas stove, flashlights, candles, walking in the dark, looking at the stars, playing football, the occasional leaf fire, the guys trying to look cool in front of the girls, great food, really dirty swimming pool, sandals, shorts, sitting in the sun, devos, hymns, bunk beds, cold showers, ants, skipping showers, not brushing my teeth, lawn chairs, flirty girls, shirtless dudes, forest, Ray the Director striking fear into the hearts of many. I hope that list helps you feel out my camp theory. Because it really makes sense.

Camp in January-May. Much better than snow-blindness.