La Fin de Ramadan!

It was the last day of Ramadan yesterday and I could not be happier, now I can eat without feeling bad when at the markets for lunch and wont be eating separate from my family at night.  By the time I am able to post this for you all, I will have been up at 4:00am to pray and eat breakfast, then will we be deprived from food and water till about 8:19 pm.  So it’s a good thing I will not be seeing any of you, because I have a feeling I will not be very friendly.  

Actually after I wrote this blog, I hopped into bed and started to read a book with my head light on.  I heard a knock on my door, and told whomever it was to come in.  I was in bed, under my mosquito net, in shorts and a tank top.  My brother had come to tell me the fete was actually tomorrow, and he was so embarrassed that he interrupted me, while I was in shorts and a tank top.  You would have thought he saw me naked, because he shut the door as quickly as possible!, lol  The fete was a lot of fun!  I got up and helped with the food, found out how to kill a chicken, how to pluck the feathers, and that all parts of the body go into the stew, feet, head, weird balls of somewhere inside the body, but it was great.  I got dressed up in my African clothes and my family loved it! We took a family photo, and then they each asked for an individual photo.  Quite hysterical! It was nice to have everyone awake and alive again and pretty much back to a normal life again.  Here I am acting like I fasted for the 30 days, which I didn’t, but excited to have my brothers come back to life!

I thought I would also update you on my weekend and Practice school!  This weekend, I did the usual, washed the dishes in the morning, and then the laundry.  I have to confess I almost lost my composure while doing the laundry.  I had 5 people watching me this time, with each person grabbing at my clothes, to show me a new technique to try.  At one point I thought I was going to loose it, and if they could have read my eyes they would have known I was about to break.  The worst part is, I have them grabbing at my dirty underwear, bras, etc, personal items, that I would only like to touch and not have people see!  The best part is that after this escapade, I decided I needed some space, so I told them I would be going to the office to work on my lesson plan and I would be eating lunch with my friends at the market.  At 12:30 I had 5 missed phone calls, and 2 text messages saying, “Please come home when you can, you should eat lunch here, we have made it for you, could you stop by on your break.”  I finally called back and let them know I already ate with my friends, but that I would be home for dinner… but that did not go over well, I was told to come eat again anyways, whenever I had a breaking point, so at 3:00pm I went home for a quick second lunch and was feed a huge meal, and told to eat well and that on the weekends I was to eat at home!  NOTE TO SELF FROM NOW ON!  Haha

I started practice school on Monday, which is pretty much like pretend teaching.  I am teaching the 9^th and 10^th grade to about a class of 25 Guinean students.  My first class when great in the morning!  The students were very attentive, and surprisingly we got through the lesson plan quite efficiently; then I had them play a competitive game at the end.  Then I went to my second class, and holy lord, talk about out of control.  I found out what it meant to loose control of the classroom.  Thankfully I was able to somewhat stay composed, and not show how flustered I was.  I made it through the lesson plan, but immediately after the class, I made rules of appropriate behavior.  Never again! 

One new exciting event happened today, I met Jonny Carson, the third person behind Hilary Clinton, who came and spoke to us about his experience in the Peace Corps, what his role was, and an inspirational speech, about how this country could be so great, if people were given the opportunity, and he said that we were the students opportunities to show them they can do and be something great.  One funny note, we were suppose to introduce ourselves, and I must have got nervous because I said, “I’m Stephanie Powell, and I'm from New Hampshire in the United States of America…”  Everyone including Mr. Carson started laughing!  I guess I’ll try again next time!  (Clearly we are all from America, seeing this is the Peace Corps!)

Hope everyone has faired the hurricane or tropical storm safely and well, I miss you all!

First Micro-Teach!

I just wanted to do a quick update:  I had an interesting yet sad story to share.  There was an incident back at my home site where a fisherman was at the waters edge and was attacked by an alligator and taken into the water and killed.  After this occurred the people in the town walked to the house I had told you about before which housed 4 alligators, (originally had 8 but four had escaped…) well the people went to the house of these alligators and shot the four other alligators and paraded them though the town.  Not sure if this is a normal response, but…. That’s what occurred.  And yesterday night I returned home and my host brother got me and told me to come with him, the people in the town had found the other alligator that attacked the fisherman.  They had taken the alligator to this main section of town and shot him in-front of everyone.  People came from all over to take pictures with the alligator, and watch the spectacle.  Quick interesting!

I really wanted to mention that I had my first Micro-Teach with real Guinean students!  I was super nervous, but felt confident with the lesson plan I had written.  I began by introducing myself then started with a basic exercise to ease into my lesson plan.  Unfortunately, I found out they did not know any of the prerequisites of how to determine angles, aka how to use a protractor and draw a certain angle.  Therefore I had to abandon my lesson plan and start from the beginning.  This was in an 8^th grade class too.  The experience was amazing, and let me know what I will be dealing with this year, and hopefully aid in increasing the level of literacy!  I spoke with my other younger host brothers who had friends in my class and his friends said I spoke quite well, nice and slow, and that they would attend my class everyday if I was there teacher.  (Hopefully he wasn't just being nice!)

Hope everyone is doing well!  I have another Micro-Teach on Friday, then next Monday I start teaching full time to real Guinean students for 3 weeks straight!

Also check out my hut I slept in at my site visit!  Quite cute huh! lol

Mon Première Voyage en Guinea!

I packed my bags, wrote a Birthday card to my brother and a Au Revior card to my family and said goodbye.  I went to grab my bags and walk to the Office to catch the bus, but my host mother insisted my sick brother get out of bed and carry my small bag for me the 300 feet to the office.  I felt awful!  After getting there, I hopped on the bus and found out that the number of seats we had on the bus, was not sufficient to bring us all to Mamou, therefore we fit 31 people on a 24 person mini bus.  We took off, and the views were just amazing!  Guinea truly has some of the most beautiful views, just green trees, plants, and vegetation with waterfalls flowing off the side of these amazing cliffs!   Of course I had to go to the bathroom after two hours on the bus, and there are not any rest stops, so we pulled over to the side of the road and a bunch of us volunteers ran into the woods with rolls of toilet paper.  Quite the experience!

Then we arrived in Momou where our counter parts, had also arrived.  There was running water, which meant an actual shower, a latrine that flushed, aka doesn’t smell and water to wash your hands.  I still could not use the water to brush my teeth but it was the first time I had felt completely clean and all the shampoo and conditioners had been completely washed out.  We were also made breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which our counterparts did not eat because it is Ramadan, but we had our very first salad!!!!!  And no fish, it was beef or chicken with peas or potatoes.  I’m telling you the simple pleasures!

After the seminar I ask my counterpart how we were getting to site, he told me he rode his motorcycle, therefore I would be traveling solo to the Village where he would meet me there.  I took off for Labe with some of the other volunteers in my area, made it through all the check points, past all the pot holes, which all the taxis swerve around, on the other side of the road even if there are cars coming on the other side of the road.  The taxi also had to swerve around the cows, goats, and sheep standing in the road that don’t know to move.  There were three people in the back of the station wagon, 4 in the middle seat, and three people in the front seat.  Quite squished! 

We made it to Labe, where another volunteer and I were suppose to be staying at the regional capital for the night, but it turned out, that we would not be doing that and waited instead on the side of the road in the middle of the city, with people watching us, until we had a ride to his site.  Finally 4 hours later, we hoped in a Honda CVR and took off down a rock road practically down the side of a mountain.  At numerous points, we looked at each other and thought; “If the breaks down work, we are dead”.  But once again the views were mesmerizing!

We arrived at his site walked around; I ended up having to spend the night there because there was not car going to my site.   Then the next morning I was told to be ready at 7:00am for a car to take me to my site.  At 7:00am I sat on the side of the road, and at about 12:00pm the car showed up and drove Matt, the other volunteer, and myself to my site.  We thought that would be a comfy ride, but again there was three people up front, and 4 people in the back of the small sedan.   I kept trying to call my principal, but he did not have any cell service, so I was told to go to the village and people would know where to send me!

I arrive in my village, and was met by my principal, and all the other important people of the village.  I was shown to my home, but before I even made it to my house, the principal said if the lodging was not okay, I could look at a different house.  I should have known that was a bad sign.  I was brought to a hut, which was so small, that when I extended my hands to the side, I was touching both sides.  Also they had just put down wet cement on the floor.  I tried hard to smile and say that would not work.  Then I was shown to another hut, which was larger and had tile floors.  I would be spending the next three nights there.  I was brought around to meet, what I felt like, was everyone in the community, then asked to come to a teachers meeting at the school.  I showed up with my Principal, and we began the meeting by introducing everyone, then next thing I know, only my principal and I were awake and working.  All the other people at the meeting have lain down and were talking a nap.  I was quite appalled, but my Principal said, “It’s Ramadan”.  Hmmmm.  My village is quite beautiful, lots of cows, and chickens, two Mosques, and lots of amazing views.

I asked to see what house I would be staying at, but was show 5 different houses, two of which I would be staying in a room in someone else’s house, one house, I feel in love with, and another one I was told about but didn’t see. Therefore I was left with absolutely no idea of where I would be living.  I stayed in my principal’s hut, which was quite cool, and really neat to see in the morning with the light coming in from the roof.  I was unable to speak with any of the women because they only spoke Pular, the local village language, but I attempted to help cook.  I was given a lot of great meals, no fish, mainly chicken, and beef, but I was given one meal, which I was explained was a laxative, “good for the stomach”.  I thought to myself that is the last thing that I need! Haha.

The next day I was to head to my regional capital; I was put into a taxi by my Principal, which had 4 people in the front seat, 5 people in the middle seat, and 5 people in the back, 3 people on top of the car, and all the baggage strapped to the top as well.  Next thing I know, about an hour into the ride, we are pulling to the side of the road, because the check engine light had come on.  I can’t imagine why, with all the people and baggage on and in the car.  If I were the car, I would have refused to continue on as well.  The problem was fixed after they opened the hood and poured water from a stream on the water.  A half hour later we were back on the road, and heading up the cliffs.  I arrive in Dalaba 2 hours later, excited to have made it, and had to find a taxi to Labe.  I hopped into a taxi, excited that I would almost be at the regional house with the other volunteers.  Two hours later I was still sitting in the taxi and had not moved and now had to go pee.  So I asked the men outside the car where the toilets were or if that was even possible.  He walked me to someone’s house, and introduced me to the family he didn’t know and said that the white person needed to go to the bathroom, could I use theirs.  They seemed happy to oblige me, therefore I was relieved to feel about 5 pounds lighter.  Then I hopped back into the taxi and thought, okay just a little bit longer and I will be there soon!  Two hours later, I am still sitting in the taxi waiting, until the driver says to get out and hop in a taxi heading to Labe right now.  So I hopped into this mini bus, which I had been told not to ride in, but at this point, I was about ready to ride a bike, if I had one.  Again, about 45 minutes later, I hear this loud noise and realize that we are pulling to the side of the road.  No big deal, just a flat tire.  Therefore everyone has to get out of the taxi, sit on the side of the road, and wait for it to be taken care of.  After 30 minutes later, I am told we are all set to go, but that everyone needs to pray first, so 15 minutes later, we all climb back into the bus and get going again.  I arrived in Labe, call the driver to get picked up and arrive at the house with everyone, pretty much in tears of relief that I actually made it!  I had left at 8:00am and arrived at 6:00pm!  Quite the ride.  Don’t even ask how much stuff was on the top of the car as well as how many people were on and in the car.

The regional house was nice, running water, city and solar electricity, a huge market.  I ate so many fruits, veggies, and cooked dinner with the other volunteers.  The first night we made mashed potatoes with garlic, then went out for cold beer and pizza.  Then the second night we made spaghetti with tomato sauce, baked macaroni and cheese, garlic bread, and squash!  I was definitely making up for the comforts I had not eaten.  Then the next day I found yogurt at a gas station and was so excited to eat it with fresh mango and oranges, until later on that night when nothing would stay down and I realized just how sick I was.  I should have realized that because the city power shut off at night that the yogurt had not been refrigerating. 

Then the next day we took off to return back to our host families.  We left at 8:00am in the morning and got to the first check point where the gendarme wouldn’t let us through because the taxi driver didn’t have the papers for the car.  Therefore, he knew a car full of white volunteers had money and demanded 40 mille francs.  Normally a taxi driver can get though a stop by paying 1 mille, but because we were there the price was jacked up.  This was a true awakening for me to see the corruption first hand.  There were 10 more check points, 3 prayer stops, 4 bathroom breaks, and lots of bartering with the gendarmes at the check points which took quite a bit.  Finally we arrived home, to our host families, and as I drove past my house I waved to my host mom and brother.  We got out of the taxis, which were then searched by our guards at the office, and I turned to look at the gates and my brother was standing there, ready to take me home, aka carry my bags.  I was so excited to be back with my host family, they all said how much they missed me, and I really had never been more relieved to be in a familiar place after such a crazy, long, mentally draining, uncomfortable, and alone voyage!  One more month before I will be there for good!

Mon Première Mois et mon Première paquet!

I was having a rough day, overwhelmed with French, the thought of teaching in front of 60 + students in one class, annoyed at being yelled to as the “Foté” (white person), and just plain one of those self pity days, until I walked back to the center and saw mail had come!  And there was the package with my name on it and a letter.  Dillard thank you so much, I ate the dried ice cream sandwich as soon as I got home, and cherished the taste of chocolate!  Right after that I opened the first package of peanut butter I saw!  I think you know me too well.  Also Patty thank you for the picture of New Hampshire, it made my day, and I showed my host family as soon as I returned home, which they loved and thought was a “beautiful place”!  Thank you!  Its official, West Africa does receive mail and surprisingly everything was in tact!   I do have to apologize because there is no such thing as mail to the US from here.  The only way mail can make it to the US, is if a volunteer is returning to the States, and then drops the letters at the Post Office; which just happened to be the case this week, so get ready for some letters!

I received my new African clothes from the tailor, two complete outfits, one, which I wore on Friday for my Peer Teach.  Check the picture out below for some of us volunteers integrating! I’m telling you, the community loves when we wear their clothes, so I am going to have to head to the market and get more fabric! 

This weekend I tried to spend more time with my family instead of with the other volunteers, and I had such a good time, hopefully my family felt the same way.  I am in love with my grandmother here, we don’t speak the same language, I speak English and some French, she speaks Pular and Susu, but boy do we get along well together.  We can sit next to each other all day, me repeating things she says while pointing to different parts on my body or waving in the air.  I have to laugh, but she is just the sweetest thing I have ever seen, never angry, and she loves to touch my hair, hold my hand.  I’m hoping your getting a nice image of the two of us on the front porch, in two chairs as close next to each other as possible, holding hands and repeating jibberish.  Haha

But Saturday I woke up early to do the dishes, my job in the morning, then washed my laundry, without a crowd to please, much nicer not to have the corrections and pressure on me.  Then once I hung my laundry up, I came inside, swept the house, (about a little bigger than my apartment in Boston) then the porch.  My grandmother made sure to let all the boys know, I had done more than them.  (They translated that for me) Then my mom asked if I wanted to prepare the rice, which I am quite good at, picking out all the rocks and washing it, then letting it sit.  After, she got out this large wooden bowl, and two large wooden poles.  This I found out is how you grind rice and corn.  So my brothers and I shared this task, two people at a time, alternate hitting the rice.  It pretty much turns to flour, which then gets made into a wonderful rice ball pudding.  That description might not give it justice, but its different than dead fish, so one of my favorites.  The only downfall of my willingness to help, was I split my hand open and it started bleeding which meant I was officially band from the afternoon activities and was summoned to sit in a chair and only watch! 

My host mom’s sister arrived, with meat, not sure how she brought this but when I saw it, it was setting in a pot, somewhat in the shade.  It was meat so I didn’t question it.  The lunch and dinner was amazing, and I ate as much as possible!  My host mom made sure to serve me seconds.  In this culture, when a person gets fat basically it means the family is wealthy.  So whenever I am told to go eat, “Il faut manger bien”, “Tu dois manger encore” (You need to eat well, eat more) I politely say I am full.  But my mother let me know the tailor I go to told her I am loosing weight, so now often times when I’m sitting serving myself she watches me, then throws about a pound more food on my plate. Haha The first time I have ever been told to fatten up!  Anyways the day was great except my host mother has 5 other sisters and at least four of them came over, laughing, dinning together, which made me miss my sisters and brother!  Love you guys!

Let’s see the next day, I got up and was banded from washing the dishes based on my accident yesterday, so I was sent back to my room to sleep.  If you thought I woke up early in the United States, I wake up even earlier here, seeing the Mosque sounds at 5:00am in the morning, also my host brothers are up shortly after that to eat breakfast before the sun rises and pray.  The rosters outside can’t figure out when they should be calling out, half the time, the sun has not even risen, on top of that there’s dogs fighting, needless to say, lots of activity.   Even though I’m awake I lay in bed until the sun comes up otherwise I would be hanging out in the dark because there’s no electricity! 

I am heading for my site visit on Wednesday for 11 days, therefore will not have internet access, but will update you on this new region of the country, supposedly cooler, with an abundance of vegetables, fruits, cows, and meat!  I will also be able to see what my new home for the next two years with look like.  Please pray for a house and not a hut!  I did find out there are about 20 houses in the village, aka a tiny village, so I will let you know if this is true or not! 

Happy early Birthday Mom, I love you and miss you a ton!  Give me a call on your birthday in the morning if possible!

Ramadan has begun!

If I were to ask what do you think Café Francais is… what do you think that would entail?  Well it consisted of a session for the volunteers to speak in French with locals.  Half way through the Café Francais, after eating a piece of bread and a hot café, I decided this was not a very conducive session for talking, seeing that one of my conversations with a local consisted of him telling me he plans on heading to the United States but just needs a VISA, would I be willing to help him get that… aka marry.  I pretended not to understand even when he asked if I wanted to keep meeting outside of class to converse.  I determined his knee touching me was now not on accident.  Our professors told us this was good practice for us to learn how to say no… thank you for the warning.

This week consisted of a lot of work and not much play.  I was able to head to the market to buy some African fabric and take it to the tailor to get a few outfits made.  I will take some pictures once the outfits are complete.  Quite excited, we were recently told we should be teaching in African attire, so that gives me a reason to get outfits made.  When I went to the tailor, she takes somewhat of measurements, then asked generally what you want.  In my little French, I was able to point and form somewhat of an outfit, who knows what she gathered from those movements. 

The rain has also started here, which is a blessing for me, mainly because it keeps the temperature down, allowing me not to sweat through my pants, quite an embarrassing moment when teaching in front of the class and the back of my pants are a darker color… not embarrassing, lol.

        

On Saturday, I helped my mother cook dinner.  I had to shuffle the rice in a large pan shaped basket, then pick out the rocks.  After I had to wash the rice, which I had no idea how to do, but my mother handed me a basin, where I poured water into the bowl, then mixed the rice around with my hands, then poured out the dirty water, then repeated numerous times.  Thankfully I didn’t have to do the cooking!

This weekend, we took off to a mini waterfall, which was quite fun, but we were unable to go swimming because of the large amount of rain and how strong it had made the current.  But it was beautiful; it was on the side of a mountain, which had waterfalls coming off the side of the mountain, a fog covering part of it, and then the large waterfall in front of us. There was also a restaurant at the site, where I ordered my first café au lait.  It was amazing! I have not had a cup of coffee since I’ve been in Africa.  My host mother calls it café, but its really tea, leaves soaked in water. 

Also, August 1, 2011 was the first day of Ramadan, my family asked if I was going to fast, I told them I would try the first day only, because if anyone knows me, I normally go 5 minutes before I need to eat again.  So I made it the entire day, I was woken up at 5:15 before the sun came up to eat; bread, peanut butter, a hard-boiled egg, and manioc paste.  You are also not supposed to drink water, but it’s too hot here for me not too, so I had a few sips here and there as necessary!  You could feel how tired your body got from not eating.  The idea behind the fast was something I was unaware of; the purpose is so that everyone feels the same hunger, poor or rich.  Also, families are supposed to donate food to the poor, obtain from swearing, hitting, sexual activity, drinking, smoking; to focus only on God and try to live the ideal life.  Its an interesting aspect of the religion I was not aware of myself.  But as for me, I will be enjoying food and water tomorrow! 

Also, I found out my site today, which is in the Fouta, the coolest part of the country close to the largest waterfall in Guinea! So excited, going to visit it next week!