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When In Rome... or Africa!

My brother and I use to joke and say, “When In Rome” when you felt uncomfortable, but yet did the activity anyways.  Well this saying has now been transformed for me into “When in Africa… Do as the African’s do”

I am starting to understand the African culture here petit a petit, (little by little) but last night I was once again thrown off guard.  I was sitting out on my porch with my host brothers, when one of them pulled out a bracelet and said it was a gift for me.  Meanwhile, we already had this discussion about how I could buy myself my own bracelet, and that he did not need to do that for me.  Clearly, my franglais did not work, and the next thing I know I am having a bracelet tied around my wrist.  I thanked him, but was unsure what this now meant in his culture.  After this exchange, he asked if I wanted to go for a walk, I agreed.  It’s interesting to walk around here at night, it gets dark around 7:30ish, there are no lights, except a few flashlights, or lanterns.  But on this night, while most of the area was quite, the stars were shinning, the moon was showing, I heard a large amount of noise, and then saw the crowd.  Little did I know, that Africa uses a generator to set up a DJ in the middle of the market, to have a dance off.  My host brother tried to explain what was going on, and then asked me if this was common in the United States.  I tried to think of last time I saw street dancing… which was never.  So there I was watching boys battle each other in dance in the middle of a quite village with no electricity… Who would have thought?  Then my host brother asked me to take a picture together, which consisted of me looking at the camera and him looking at me… another cultural difference I suspect. haha A little strange… When in Africa!

The next morning I awoke early to wash some of my laundry.  I had such a large amount of dirty clothes that I did not dare bring the whole bag out, for fear of the look on my families face.  So they set me up, with a large bucket of water, a washboard, a bar of soap, and two other buckets with just plain water, and a fourth empty bucket.  My younger host brother started the washing so I could watch and see how it was done; then I jumped in a tried myself.  The trick of the trade is to bend completely in half, watch out for the knuckles and fingers, and just keep rubbing the bar of soap onto the clothes; you must rinse twice and twist all the water out, then hang up to dry.  After my brother continued monitoring me, my mom come over to add some input and my family living behind me sat cheering me on each time I completed an article of clothing, which was many.  At the end, I guess I had passed my African clothes washing class.

After that, I went to meet with the other volunteers to head to the waterfall.  I have never been more excited to see water, mainly because it would be the first time, in Africa, I have been submerged in water completely, and could not wait to feel what it was  like to be clean.  After jumping in, in front of this massive waterfall, I realized the current was a little stronger than expected, but I swam out to the rocks to stand below the waterfall.  Next thing I know, our African instructor is jumping off the rocks into the rapids formed from the waterfall.  Not having a clue what’s underneath the water, or how strong the current is, I thought… When in Africa… do as the African’s do!  Quite a rush, I landed safely in the rapids and rode them down a ways!  Later in the Afternoon a few of us decided we would swim to the other side so we could walk behind the waterfall.  I jumped into the current again, and rode it down to where a rope had been stretched across the river warning us not to go any farther.  I grabbed onto the rope only to determine the current was much stronger than I thought.  The rope was under water, which meant I was too, and because the current was so strong, my bathing suit top was now down at my waist.  At that point I didn’t care if anyone saw my chest, as long as I could try to get air.  Finally, I made it over to the edge, adjusted my bathing suit and continued on my voyage to walk behind a waterfall in Africa.  Well worth the struggle, it was beautiful and the sound was like nothing I had every heard.

The next day, I woke up and washed more clothes; this time it consisted of the neighbors coming over and sitting in front of me, critiquing my washing technique.  Literally, it was me, with my large bag of dirty clothes, washing, while a group of people sat in front of me, smiled when I rang out the clothes correctly, and got up and grabbed the clothes when I twisted wrong.  Quite the process, walking on egg shells while trying to wash!

After, I went to church to show my family that I am religious, even thought I don’t pray five times a day; then stopped by a friends house where some of my friends were getting their hair braided.  Next thing I know, I am sitting on a stool, my host mother has come over to give me elastics and my hair is being parted and braided like Alicia Keys.  Two hours later, my bum is killing from sitting, and we all look at each other, all four of us with a million little cornrows all over our heads, and just die laughing… When in Africa is all I could think!  After I walk home and my family is so happy to see my hair do, they’re all touching my head, telling me how beautiful I am, and finally asked if we could get a family picture with my camera.  Quite amusing!

Another successful week has passed, and my language skills are beginning to improve, I am becoming accumulated to the bucket showers, still have not joined the left handed club, but clearly have integrated due to my hair do.  Does it get any better than this… I don’t think its possible!  

MISS YOU ALL!

Intermediate-Low French

I had my first weekend with my host family!  On Saturday we were asked to come to the office to be given our bikes!  Sadly, that was a huge day for us, quite exciting!  After getting our bikes and a lecture on how to maintain, fix, and change any feature on the bikes, we were off!  A large group of white people cruising the small village.  It was finally a chance to ride around and see the sights of Africa; beautiful, green, large rice fields, mountains in the back round, and people yelling to the train of Americans.  Little did we know, that you really cannot ride that long in the afternoon because the sun is so hot and its so humid, half way out we all had to turn around. lol  The Africans were asking if we were tired and why we were turning around; therefore fitting the stereotype of being out of shape Americans. lol  The rest of the day, I relaxed with my host family and rode my bike as much as possible.

My host brother asked me if I wanted to play soccer later in the afternoon (or so I thought that was the request), so I invited the other volunteers to come along.  I showed up at the field, and realized my host brother did not have a ball.  He looked at me and said lets go.  I looked confused and then begin running with him around that large soccer field where there was a game being played.  I thought maybe we were doing a warm up run, but 7 laps later, I'm sweating, he's giving his friends high fives and I'm thinking maybe I'm the fool here.  That's what you get for being level intermediate low in French, non-comprehension!

That night the volunteers went out to the bar, which consisted of a hut, with one flashlight/ lantern by the beers and drinks, and the rest is pitch black dark.  I ordered a beer and was looking forward to a refreshing drink... I took one sip and it couldn't have been warmer.  I should have known, given the fact the bar was black.  Quite a difference than the bars in the United States, where the music can't get any louder and theres much to many lights flashing.  Talk about not needing beer goggles!

The next morning, I decided to go to church with two other volunteer, because religion here is very important, and practicing is even more important! (Especially because it is a mainly muslim community where they pray 5 times a day)  So I thought I would show my host family I was also religious.  We show up to the mass at 9:30 am.  At 12:00, I now am so angry, hot, and annoyed; the fact that we are in a 4x4  room, with a microphone, and two men speaking so loud into the microphone, I have a headache, my stomach is moaning, and I don't understand a thing.  I look over at my friends and we all just start laughing, it was either that or started to cry!  At 1:30 pm we leave church and I make the executive decision to do coffee on Sundays with a prayer at night.  Where was this generator power for the bar last night???

We also found out today there was an attack on the President of Guinee!  We have been told were fine here, and to remain calm, so I'll let you know if the news changes!

Depuis Un Semaine

Its been almost a week since I've been here!  Besides the heat, which I have still not gotten use to... sweating uncontrollably, we've been doing lots of language, math, health and safety lessons.  I've gotten every type of shot, am on malaria medicine, (having quite vivid dreams, a side effect) but have sort of settled into a routine.  At first, I was upset with myself because I was struggling trying to create a relationship with my host mother, but I've started to understand that I'm new and it takes time.  But I have been spending my days in class, after class I study while there's still light, then shower out of my bucket, then go out to hang out with the family.  The boys love helping me with homework assignments, which have helped forced me to speak French more and bond!  Then I head to bed, read with my head lamp, and wake up and repeat the next day.

The kids love seeing white people "Fote" (White Person) is what they call out to us, and rub our skin, love touching our hands.  I've been trying to learn as much susu, the village language, as possible, to respond to the people in the village as well as my host parents.  Last night, I was given my French name, which is kinda a big thing. Yannaty!  So I am now called that by my host family!  And have been told to only use that name from now on.

My next task is to learn how to wash my clothes and cook with my family.  Also the boys have asked me to play soccer this weekend!  Chat soon!

L'adoption

After leaving the capital for our a smaller city, we were sitting in a village building which all the Americans/ Peace Corps personal on one side and the host families on the other.  They begin the ceremony and start calling the host family names, then the names of the volunteers.  My family name is called, then my name is called, so I get up to greet them.  I go for the hug, like normally done in America, and then the French Kisses, four kisses exchanged on the cheek, where the father turns to me after and says to me in French ... "Only in America"!  I think maybe the hug and kisses is not normal for a girl to do to a man in Africa.  lol  Then the food arrived in a large bowl, and water in a bag.  I look to my host family as to what we are suppose to do with this large bowl of food.  They begin using their right hands, I join in...

Next the sons take my two large suitcases, my carry on, and back back and shove it in the car.  It is myself, the father, the five brothers, and my luggage... I'm sweating.  Then I get out of the car and meet the mother, her sister, her other sister, her grandmother, some one else's grandmother, then the family on the compound, the family down the street... etc.  Now I'm really sweating, lol  I've been introduced to so many people that only speak the village language, susu.  Hence the conversations went something like, "Tana mu fenen?" and I stand there smiling.  Finally, my family asks me to take a shower, cause they can obviously see I'm uncomfortable and drenched in sweat.  The best part is, I have to ask how you do this.  I am given a bucket, a mug, and a large can of water.  They pour the water in, and the older brother shows me how to do this as well as how to go to the bathroom over the small hole in the ground and no toilet paper.  That was quite a challenge to get the soap off my body and shampoo out of my hair, and I'll stop there.

I come back out to attempt to socialize with the family, where they make sure to get a chair for me to sit in, then dinner is served; the children, men, and myself all eat out of a large plate, they gave me a fork, and the rest eat with their hands.  I begin eating, till my mouth in on fire, and I can't feel my lips.  They use a lot of pepper, or so I've been told.  

Then the three young boys take me out to show me around.  The tell me to meet the rest of their family and their families pet.  So I follow them, speaking in as much broken French as possible.  The sons all speak French and susu, so I spend my time with them.  We enter the hut... and I see this monkey type thing, showing his teeth and jumping around, they ask me to pet him, and I think maybe not.

After, the next older brother asked me if I wanted to go watch the soccer game.  I see a soccer player walk by and see him in socks and jellies, the clear sandals I wore when I was 4...   I watch the game, where there are two small goals, the soccer players are wearing jellies... lol and try to understand how the rules work.  Next thing I know there is a large fight in the middle of the field and people are grabbing trees and pieces of wood to continue fighting.  At this point, my brother friends say that he should take me home.  I ask him later "is thats normal", and he says "no" laughing.  Whatever that means.  Then we walk around some more and I am trying to understand what he's saying, as I walk to someone's house, look into the cage and see three large crocodiles.  He later explains there use to be eight, but they've "gone away".  So I say what do you mean they went away.....  "They swam away" is all he says.  lol

Then I get back to the house, and its starting to get dark, my host family says I need to eat again.  So I am sat down and asked to eat again.  Avocado, tomatoes, potatoes, hard boiled eggs, mayonnaise, and then my mother adds salt.  Mayonnaise is the ketchup of Africa!  After eating as much as I could, them standing around saying, "Mange!" (Eat) I head to bed.  I had imagined it would be dark without electricity, but not this dark.  I put my head lamp on, brush my teeth with water-bottle water, and wash my face in the bucket of water supplied to me.  Oh boy, this should be fun!

La Capital

After making the 32 hour trip to West Africa,  I arrived at the airport quite tired yet excited for the new adventure.  I stood waiting with the group for our luggage which took about an hour to make it on the baggage claim.  The thought of having to lug my two large bags, each around 50 pounds each, and my carry on, roughly 40 pounds, to the SUV was unbearable.  But I made it. Our group of 23 people filed into the van/bus to head to the compound.  On our way out of the city, I learned quickly the rules of the road do not apply as they do in the US.  As the bus was taking the off ramp of the two lane highway, the taxis quickly starting heading our direction towards us, a one lane road.  We were able to just barely sneak by.  Not just that, there were no lines on the road, no traffic signs, and people running across the road, chickens walking by, people selling Nike's, and shanties filled the streets.  I was in shock.  We arrived at our gated home, then again had to lug our luggage into the house, and climbed into our misquito net bunk beds.

The next day, we had orientation in the compound, and went to a dinner party hosted by a volunteer whom lived close.  We left the compound to find shanties surrounding our house, a little boy standing in a bucket, with his mother washing him, rosters running around, and people everywhere stopping to look at this long line of 23 white people.  Quite the sight!

The next morning after returning home, I went for a run on the beach with some other volunteers, one of my favorite activites to do back home.  The beach was lined with trash, in the water, on the waters edge, and in piles leading onto the beach.  I was stunned.  the water was brown, a place we had been advised not to go swimming do to the amount of sewage that was deposited into the water.  I couldn't believe such a beautiful beach could look this terrible!  Althought it has been quite the experience, the people have been nothing but nice to us, and sometimes will respond with a Bonjour as well!

Tomorrow I will be heading out to a smaller capital, located again on the coast, which is suppose to be less poluted.  I will be adopted by my host parents and move in with them to continue my expeience, speaking only in French, and adapting to the African lifestyle!  Update you soon.  Hope you all are doing well!

I made it!

Bonjour!  I made it finally.  After two long plane rides and a bus ride to our post, I am safe and sounds sleeping in a bunk bed with a misquito net surrounding me.  Its quite hot here, but thankfully its rainy season so it tends to keep it somewhat cool.  I will update you on more once I have access on my computer and people not waiting to use the computer as well.  Chao