Nacaroa (almost) becomes a city

Some exciting changes have happened since I last posted. First of all, I’m writing and posting this from the comfort of my house. How is that possible??
Well, first, the town generator that worked for the first three weeks I was here started working again at the end of June, and I finally got my house hooked up to it at the beginning of August. Why did it take so long? Various reasons, the most amusing of which is that the electricians went to jail for stealing gasoline. So I’ve been hooked up to the generator for a few weeks now, and life has great! I have electricity from 6-10 at night, so I can easily plan lessons, read, play games, etc after dark, and I can also charge my phone, computer, and iPod at will.
So that’s how I’m writing this from the comfort of my house, but how am I posting this? Last weekend I bought an internet flash drive that I can use to get internet via the cell phone antennae. Now the cell phone reception comes and goes, but when there’s good reception I can check my mail, post photos (which I plan to do within a few days) and whatnot.
I also would like to comment, with regards to “The story of the Rat and the Foreigner,” that I have had only 4 rats in my house during the 8+ months I’ve lived here. I don’t want my sister to be afraid and decide not to visit me next year. The story itself is, unfortunately for me, 100% true; it really happened, but it only happened once, and it’s not an experience that my dear Emily is likely to have when (not if) she comes. If my parents were to come the rat would be the least of their worries; for my dad (the Wise Father) because he would be worried about so many other things, and for my mom because she would be practical after reading this and bring rat traps. (Rat traps, which I was silly enough to decline in a care package after several ratless months.)
Other exciting news—I’ve started dating another teacher who works at my school. His name is Sambo (pronounced Sahm-bu), and he teaches something called design, which seems kind of like drafting/geometry/architecture, kind of like scientific, measured art. He is also one of the stars of Nacaroa’s soccer team. Like my guard, he doesn’t exactly understand my fear of rats; his house was full of them, until a few weeks ago when I convinced his to get rat poison, and he killed 10 rats in 2 days. He does, however, understand about 50% of my sarcasm, which is way more than anyone else here. Sarcasm just isn’t used here, which is very sad for me, and my futile attempts have often led people to think that I misunderstood various conversations.