(This letter was written 7-14-08, Postmarked 7-15-08 and received in Westerville on 7-23-08. Jessica used a 750F Republic of Niger postage stamp - about $1.47 US)
Hey there!
You guys wouldn't even believe where I live! As the plane was landing all I could see was red dirt, sparse bushes and a few buildings. As soon as we got off the plane I started sweating, but the temperature was relatively the same as Myrtle Beach.
We got through customs and loaded everyone's bags. They all made it. Tondi, the training manager, met us along with a group of ten or so current Peace Corps Volunteers. We packed into two vans and made our way to Hamdallaye. There was one paved road - on one side I saw green fields of millet; on the other side of the road was burning tires, some buildings, and lots of people. I even saw a camel.
The first two nights we slept at the training site and we slept outside. Our beds were mattresses raised on a stick frame covered by a mosquito net. The first night was perfect. The second night was too humid.
Friday we had a culture fair with all kinds of different stations. For example: rope making, a blacksmith, music and dancing, preparing millet, hair braiding and henna (I got some orange henna designs drawn on my hands.)
Dinner and lunch have been fantastic. I've had rice and beans, lamb, goat (very similar to lamb) and couscous, as well as mashed potatoes.
Saturday was host family orientation day. We had our first language lessons. I was assigned Hausa (one of the two main local languages). We also had interviews (in French) to assess our proficiency level. Once I achieve intermediate-mid in French, I will be able to focus more on learning the local language.
I am very lucky because my host family assignment is with someone that works at the Peace Corps training site. I have my own hut with a "yard" that's gated. I haven't been in my hut much because I sleep outside when it's hot. I spend a lot of time with kids because if they're older than seven they speak French.
My hut has electricity which is great because the gas lantern scares me even though they showed us how to light it. P.S. - they showed us how to save money on toilet paper ... use your hand... we will see how that goes!
I spend a lot of time in the main compound. They have a fan AND a T.V. I watched "24" and "Transformers" in French today.
The kids took me to the market so I could buy a pair of flip-flops for easier use of the douche (shower) and the pit latrine. There are seven children in my host family, but there are five or ten more in the compound.
There are lizards everywhere. When they stop, they do "pushups" and then keep going. Tons of bugs, but no weird ones yet. I had one moment when I first arrived at the training site where I doubted if this was for me but so far, so good.
It's hard finding times to write but I will as much as possible.
Love,
Jessica a.k.a. Faiza (my Hausa name)
