What have I been up to lately? It feels like forever since I’ve been on the internet but that’s not necessarily true. After IST (I had an amazing time living with my host family again) I participated in camp Hamdallaye. It was weird to be around 30 or so kids who all spoke English. We were working with kids from the American School in Niamey. It was fun but I spent the week in utter misery. I thought this was supposed to be the land of diarrhea. Let me tell you, I would take diarrhea over constipation ANY day.
I ended up rushing myself home just so I could lay in bed and pray for my bowels to start functioning again. Once they did, all was well in Niger (well in my world, that is). I went back to work at the inspection and tried using the internet at IPDR, the technical school. As my luck would have it the electricty cut off right as I was hitting enter to check my email. This has happened on numerous occasions but I was starting to feel cursed. Luckily, the next day I was able to get on. But slow internet is more frustrating than no internet at all.
Okay – now – what I have been up to. I have mostly been laying low, still trying to find more out about where I live. I did more school visits and attended a CAPED meeting which is basically teacher in-service day where they review the curriculum and teacher strategies although not much of this actually happened.
Valentine’s Day was cute. I went to a soiree (dance) at IPDR with a group of friends, one of whom has a crush on me. We danced the night away and I made it back home by 4AM! This is not a usual occurance.
It’s getting hotter and hotter which completely zaps my energy. I used to find reasons to get out and just ride my bike but now its so hot. My puppy is gaining weight. I got her after IST. She was a stray who would always hang around with the gaurds outside our hostel. I told them I wanted her and they caught her for me and kept her until I was ready to go to Kollo. I named her Leila. She’s much more of a happy dog now. She is crazy at night … again a result of the heat I think. She lays wround all day in the shade and then is ready to run when night falls and it cools off. I’ve had some pretty funny looks when I’ve been out walking her. Ticks have also been an interesting new experience. I’d never seen a tick before and one day I was petting Leila when I noticed something green on her neck. I thought it was a tumor but the next day it had disappeared. Then a few days later it was back and I was kind of scared.
I have also planned my trip home! I will get home the 22nd of July and head back to Niger the 10th of August. I am soooo excited but also nervous. I lost 50 pounds and I have a feeling I will be gaining a lot back … I mean the plan for my first night is to hit the Wendy’s in the airport, have a real dinner at Chipotle and pass out after a Tim Horton’s iced cappucino. But, considering I want to look good for Shiree’s wedding I will probably take it easy until the week after her wedding!
Still working on translating mass amounts of half written project ideas … basically I suck at life but I’m having a good time.
