So, 8:30 in the morning and it’s already 100 degrees… If today’s like the last 3 weeks, by noon our thermometer will be 120 (in the shade). SIGH, I am slowly learning how to deal with the heat, heat-rash, etc.. basically just jump in the shower fully dressed and then lounge around in wet clothesJ Works great here at the hostel, but I’m still trying to work it out in the bush when I’m rationed to two buckets of water a day!
Anyway, I’ve been at the hostel the past couple nights to write my proposals for my two projects- grain bank (co-op) and chemical fertilizer bank. Though I really enjoy my village, its really nice to take a break in the hostel where there’s showers, fridge/freezers, an oven… So, only been here two days but definitely have caught up on my cooking- made French toast (twice), cookies, chili, and cake! In the bush it’s just so hot to turn on the oven during the day that I cook as small amount as possible- I’ve dropped in on my villagers more often for hura or tuwo (both made of millet- hura a milk and millet drink with pepper, tuwo, a ground millet gelatinous patty with sauce on it) which is really starting to grow on me.
About a week ago I held my first big all-village meeting- it was so nerve-wracking! I will never again complain about any form of public speaking in English; holding a meeting in a language I barely speak with over a hundred people may have been one of the most intimidating things I’ve done. It’s amazing the things you take for granted like ability to communicate. When I first decided it was time to have my first meeting I talked to my village chief and we discussed the day and time- we decided Wednesday at 4- except actually we discussed it as being ‘Foloa’s market day’ around the La’azar (4:00 prayer call). I love time in this country! Because most of my villagers don’t own a clock or watch nor do they even know what time it is ever, all that goes on is explained by the Muslim calls to prayer times (and even then its give or take an hour or so). Anyway, I show up to my own meeting at 4, and it’s only me, my women’s group leader, one of my good friends, and the village second-in-command guy sitting in the room… I couldn’t help but get that ‘nobody likes me enough to come to my meeting’ feeling and I was feeling a bit sorry for myself J Well, by 5:00, our little one room school house was PACKED from wall to wall, it was great! They explained the tardiness that they couldn’t come until the livestock came in from the bush from grazing, duh.. (Silly me, what WAS I thinking!) But overall, I was very pleased with how the meeting went- they understood all my questions and I got my answers, and better yet, I understood all their questions and was able to give them answers, so overall, a success.
For all of next week I’m here in the hostel as the RR fill-in (Regional Representative) while the current one (Marcus) is on vacation. I’m actually kinda excited for the chance to get all my proposals written out and sent in, as well as maybe get some future project proposals written for future projects I have in mind, basically just do a bit of 2-year-planning and get some things started. Either way, I’m SURE I’ll find some time within the next week to write again!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Happy Easter!
Well, the heat is a learning experience if nothing else... I've learned that everything's pretty relalive- when its 120 degrees outside, sitting in a 90 degree hut feels like air conditioning. No seriously..
I don't know how many times over this easter weekend we discussed how nice it was when it finally cools off for the day (at about 6:30 or so) and then looking at the temeprature and realizing its still over 100 degrees.
So, Easter was different but good- me and a few other volunteers from my region went to Easter mass in the morning, after which Leah and I made french toast for whoever wanted it followed by chocolate cake (thanks for the mix dad). So, it was a nice Easter over all.. no chocolate bunnies or marshmallow peeps (which would have been little more than chocolate or pink sprinkled blobs) and no hidden baskets or eggs, though, we thought about hidding stuff for people to find... without them knowing (You know, cell phones, shoes...). Easter Mass was really great- I've only been to this particular Catholic church one other time (for christmas actually) but the music especially is really fun. They use traditional drums and theres a lot of clapping :)
But moving on, village is really great- because it's so hot, there's really not much you can accomplish in a day. I've met with a womens group in my village organized by a local NGO a few times to get a little more familiar with their group and their work.
They have an Animal Fodder 'bank' or co-op, and they manage their own Caisse. They're a really motivated group and they really put in a lot of effort to their work. What I hope to help them with is to keep better records in their group and during meetings; they also really want to extend their 'bank' to also having a grain bank and a chemical fertalizer bank. So, my new project I'm going to take on is to get them organized and write a proposal for the funding of the initial grain and chemical fertalizer. I'm actually really excited to have my first 'official' project starting and I'll keep you updated. They were so excited when I agreed to look into the project and see of funding possibilies. What I think I'm going to do is Peace Corps Partnership funding, in which I write a proposal and friends and family, or anyone who finds it interesting can donate any kind of amount to it online. (don't worry, I'll keep you updated!)
Anyway, short post, but the internet is slow today and my hour's almost up! Happy Easter!
I don't know how many times over this easter weekend we discussed how nice it was when it finally cools off for the day (at about 6:30 or so) and then looking at the temeprature and realizing its still over 100 degrees.
So, Easter was different but good- me and a few other volunteers from my region went to Easter mass in the morning, after which Leah and I made french toast for whoever wanted it followed by chocolate cake (thanks for the mix dad). So, it was a nice Easter over all.. no chocolate bunnies or marshmallow peeps (which would have been little more than chocolate or pink sprinkled blobs) and no hidden baskets or eggs, though, we thought about hidding stuff for people to find... without them knowing (You know, cell phones, shoes...). Easter Mass was really great- I've only been to this particular Catholic church one other time (for christmas actually) but the music especially is really fun. They use traditional drums and theres a lot of clapping :)
But moving on, village is really great- because it's so hot, there's really not much you can accomplish in a day. I've met with a womens group in my village organized by a local NGO a few times to get a little more familiar with their group and their work.
They have an Animal Fodder 'bank' or co-op, and they manage their own Caisse. They're a really motivated group and they really put in a lot of effort to their work. What I hope to help them with is to keep better records in their group and during meetings; they also really want to extend their 'bank' to also having a grain bank and a chemical fertalizer bank. So, my new project I'm going to take on is to get them organized and write a proposal for the funding of the initial grain and chemical fertalizer. I'm actually really excited to have my first 'official' project starting and I'll keep you updated. They were so excited when I agreed to look into the project and see of funding possibilies. What I think I'm going to do is Peace Corps Partnership funding, in which I write a proposal and friends and family, or anyone who finds it interesting can donate any kind of amount to it online. (don't worry, I'll keep you updated!)
Anyway, short post, but the internet is slow today and my hour's almost up! Happy Easter!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Equestrian Center,Transportation and Post...
So, come tomorrow around 11 o'clock, Im on my way back to my village... It's been a looong few weeks and I am more than ready for a little village time!
So, recap on the past few days- left Niamey around 3:30 (bus was suposed to leave at 2, but I've moved on) BUT, and this is very exciting, not before I was able to go to the EQUESTRIAN CENTER of NIAMEY!!! (go ahead and read that part again) I was so excited when I found the place, I mean, who knew that a third-world country would have an Equestrian Center??? I didn't until I walked by it and had to go in.. there are horses... and they look well fed- something I havent seen in a while. I got so excited that I was telling anyone in sight that I ride at home, and that I jump and that I went to school for Equine Science, and that I love riding... and blah blah blah... Im not sure half of the people I stopped understood me; since it's Zarma land, most of them only spoke Zarma and French- neither of which I exactly know, but, fortunately a lot of the Equestrian vocabulary is french, so I think they got my point. I did tell them I was going to return one day and take a riding lesson- sad part is, its about an arm and a leg price... even after you convert it to US dollar.. hmmmm, and I might need to learn a bit more french if I hope to get anything out of it. I wonder if they'll need a housa/english/french riding instructor after 2 to 2 1/2 years... only joking (sort of).
ANyway, sorry about the side track, SO- we got on our bus, and 6 hours later we arrive- about 9:30 at night. So here I am with a backpack on, a huge box on my head, and I have this massive 'Al Hadji' bag (kinda a big square duffel bag type thing thats really cheap but holds literally EVERYTHING) that I was trying to carry along with it- poor Heidi and Lindsey had to help me out so we could get it all back to the hostel. My other option was to hire a small child to carry it for me, but I didnt see any around- when we stopped at this one village I payed a boy to bring me macaroni and sauce from a nearby place so I wouldnt have to get off the bus- I told him to put it in a plastic bag- actually, it sounds wierd, but EVERYTHING is in plastic bags here. Everything from flour and sugar, to water and cooked food is sold and stored in plastic bags. (you buy a bag of water, bite of the corner, and just drink it that way- its really quite convenient and I dont know why I havent thought to put water and leftovers in bags before)
ANYWAY, sorry about the side track, again, so, because I only have a market car directly to my village from a village on the main road on thursdays, I hung around at the hostel for the past two nights.
Postal service... As I'm guessing you'd guess, its not entirely reliable, however, we've come to realize that if packages are being sent somewhere NOT Niamey, they dont open your stuff- its great! So today, one of the guys in my region mentioned that when he went to the post office today he saw that I had three packages (thanks Mom, Dad, and Grandma/Grandpa Hadden!!!) So I treck down there, head in the back door, to the office and check our mailbox for package slips. (no key required- well, maybe if we actually OPENED to mail box, but they dont care if you just walk behind and check :)) So, no package slips, so I just head over to the stack of packages and sort through them until I find my three, then I ask the really nice ladies who work there if they'd write my slip up, as I sit and chat with them for a while. As you can proably tell, the mail system is a little more lax here than back in the US... So, after taking my slip down to the border customs guards (with Nigeria) to get is stamped, me and my three packages climbed aboard a motorcycle and headed back (dont worry, with a helmet, totally PC legal)
Either way, it was like christmas this afternoon and I think I may have had a few jelious stares from my fellow PCVs... Thanks tons for the packages!!! Now, the tricky part will be getting it all back to my village- it may have to go in incraments...
Anyway, thats about all the excitingness I have to report. In about a week and a half I have a team meeting back here, so hopefully I'll have some exciting stuff to report on by then.
Most of all Im just really excited to start working! I have a lot of project ideas, and I am a little nervous to put some of them into practice, but excited none the less. Maybe by a week or so Ill have a little of that to report on as well! Its starting to finally feel like Im a "real" Peace Corps Volunteer!!!
So, recap on the past few days- left Niamey around 3:30 (bus was suposed to leave at 2, but I've moved on) BUT, and this is very exciting, not before I was able to go to the EQUESTRIAN CENTER of NIAMEY!!! (go ahead and read that part again) I was so excited when I found the place, I mean, who knew that a third-world country would have an Equestrian Center??? I didn't until I walked by it and had to go in.. there are horses... and they look well fed- something I havent seen in a while. I got so excited that I was telling anyone in sight that I ride at home, and that I jump and that I went to school for Equine Science, and that I love riding... and blah blah blah... Im not sure half of the people I stopped understood me; since it's Zarma land, most of them only spoke Zarma and French- neither of which I exactly know, but, fortunately a lot of the Equestrian vocabulary is french, so I think they got my point. I did tell them I was going to return one day and take a riding lesson- sad part is, its about an arm and a leg price... even after you convert it to US dollar.. hmmmm, and I might need to learn a bit more french if I hope to get anything out of it. I wonder if they'll need a housa/english/french riding instructor after 2 to 2 1/2 years... only joking (sort of).
ANyway, sorry about the side track, SO- we got on our bus, and 6 hours later we arrive- about 9:30 at night. So here I am with a backpack on, a huge box on my head, and I have this massive 'Al Hadji' bag (kinda a big square duffel bag type thing thats really cheap but holds literally EVERYTHING) that I was trying to carry along with it- poor Heidi and Lindsey had to help me out so we could get it all back to the hostel. My other option was to hire a small child to carry it for me, but I didnt see any around- when we stopped at this one village I payed a boy to bring me macaroni and sauce from a nearby place so I wouldnt have to get off the bus- I told him to put it in a plastic bag- actually, it sounds wierd, but EVERYTHING is in plastic bags here. Everything from flour and sugar, to water and cooked food is sold and stored in plastic bags. (you buy a bag of water, bite of the corner, and just drink it that way- its really quite convenient and I dont know why I havent thought to put water and leftovers in bags before)
ANYWAY, sorry about the side track, again, so, because I only have a market car directly to my village from a village on the main road on thursdays, I hung around at the hostel for the past two nights.
Postal service... As I'm guessing you'd guess, its not entirely reliable, however, we've come to realize that if packages are being sent somewhere NOT Niamey, they dont open your stuff- its great! So today, one of the guys in my region mentioned that when he went to the post office today he saw that I had three packages (thanks Mom, Dad, and Grandma/Grandpa Hadden!!!) So I treck down there, head in the back door, to the office and check our mailbox for package slips. (no key required- well, maybe if we actually OPENED to mail box, but they dont care if you just walk behind and check :)) So, no package slips, so I just head over to the stack of packages and sort through them until I find my three, then I ask the really nice ladies who work there if they'd write my slip up, as I sit and chat with them for a while. As you can proably tell, the mail system is a little more lax here than back in the US... So, after taking my slip down to the border customs guards (with Nigeria) to get is stamped, me and my three packages climbed aboard a motorcycle and headed back (dont worry, with a helmet, totally PC legal)
Either way, it was like christmas this afternoon and I think I may have had a few jelious stares from my fellow PCVs... Thanks tons for the packages!!! Now, the tricky part will be getting it all back to my village- it may have to go in incraments...
Anyway, thats about all the excitingness I have to report. In about a week and a half I have a team meeting back here, so hopefully I'll have some exciting stuff to report on by then.
Most of all Im just really excited to start working! I have a lot of project ideas, and I am a little nervous to put some of them into practice, but excited none the less. Maybe by a week or so Ill have a little of that to report on as well! Its starting to finally feel like Im a "real" Peace Corps Volunteer!!!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
PICS PICS PICS!
Just a few quick pictures!!!Ok, so left to right, top to bottom: This is one of my villagers camel, in this picture he was hanging out at the well just getting a bit to drink...
Three of the boys on my village, kids are always so happy here it seems!This is a group of Fulanis near my village (when I went to a baby naming ceremony) I sat and chatted with the a bit, here they are resting in the shade making rope..
This is a little girl on her way back from the well- it amazes me that they are able to balance such large amounts of stuff on their head!! That is one of my goals while here.
This little girl is my good friend Mariamma- I love this picture because it completely captures her personality!!!
This is one of my Hakimi's (Village Chief) daughters-she's mixing together the millet and milk for the afternoon meal of Hura drink.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Niamey, Pictures, and Randomness...
PICTURES!!!! (FINALLY!)
Above Left: one of the girls in my village with a gord full of goats milk which she will spend a while shaking to then add to Hura, a millet-milk drink used for the breakfast and lunch meals. Top Right: Heidi, Lindsey, Myself and Colin, all dressed up for a night out after Kokowa! We were so excited that we didnt look 'bush' for once, that we took a picture... Below left, one of the more exciting matches we watched with a painful stratagy to get the other guy down... Below right, my fulani friend was showing me how he 'herds' the animals- or more accurately, how they'll just follow him. All the people in my village intrust their animals to the Fulanis durring the daytime to take them out to the bush to graze, and they return in the evening- you can see my Fulani friend in the lower right corner- he's a pretty cool guy, he's making me a sweeeeet fulani necklace while Im in Niamey.
The first week we were here in country I remember asking one of our language teachers what Niamey (capitol of Niger) was like... she replied, "It's just like America!" I rember thinking...um, no not really... Then, after 4 months in country and in the bush, I have returned to Niamey, and I swear its JUST LIKE AMERICA!!! It's crazy how living with nothing, in the middle of nowhere, and just making-do with what you have can change your outlook (or lower your standards of living...) but Niamey, which I was first thinking, 'oh no... I'm in a third-world country and I can't even buy deoderant' is now, 'OMG, they have EVERYTHING here, even peanut M and Ms!!!' (still no deoderant- don't worry, I have some from home).
So, yes, we (my whole stage) are back in Niamey for three weeks of training, called IST (In Service Training), before heading back out to the bush. It's really been interesting to see everyone after three months out (which felt more like 2 weeks) as well as to see how some people have changed so much in such a short period of time, myself included. I feel like we're all so much more self-sufficient and confident to just do our own thing. Also, I guess because we've all changed a bit, I may not be as close to some people as I was before. It was an interesting realization when I thought to myself, 'I need a break from all these Americans...'.
Anyway, its been an ok week of training, with two more down the road- it's been hard to sit and focus is classes after total freedom of bush-life- I think my attention span shrunk!
Either way, I suppose its been a nice holiday of good food, movies, resturants, going out, and speaking english- so I can't complain too loud!
However, on thing I've found frustrating is, once again, language. Just as I was beginning to feel confident and capable of conversing in Hausa, we head back to Niamey- Zarma land! So once again I can't fully comunicate with people (a lot of merchants speak a little Hausa, but not enough to have a decent conversation) and I'm worried the little Hausa I have is slipping away!
Anyway, So I have a plan... it's a selfish one, but here it is. I am hoping to buy a horse (or a camel). No, it will probably not help my village in any way, and strictly be for my benifit... Im hoping to save enough of my Peace Corps pay to cover most of the funds, but, I think I still need to do a little research on how much feed and care will cost in case I don't have enough. I'm pretty sure, if nothing else, a horse would be a great moral booster :) so thats my plan as of now...
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