Trip out East

Ten months in country and here I am making my first trip out East… in fact, my venture out of my region. Trekking across Niger in the back of a Peace Corps ambulance is not the African safari one might envision. There’s not much in the way of scenery. Lots of red sand, dry bushes, a village scattered here and there. There are no lions, no elephants, and no giraffes. Rather the animals on MY Nigerien safari are goats, cows, and donkeys.

Although it’s not quite what I imagined when I heard I’d be living in Africa, there is one undeniable fact. There is a majestic presence in the simplicity of the terrain and its inhabitants. Now, when I use the word simple I do not mean, “oh the simple minded Africans” because in reality the culture here is much more layered and complex. But simple in the vast majority of people expect nothing of you except a sincere greeting. Most Americans would think they’re being taken when someone immediately opens up their home, their world, and their life to them but that is just Niger’s nature.

We pass a small grove, a miniscule oasis. I notice the building shapes have changed. Where I live most building are rectangular where as now the buildings are circular. There is still a lot of mud housing but there is more architecture involving millet stalk. The shape of the buildings tells a lot about the socio-economic status of the village. Rectangular, mud buildings signify a wealthier area.

I stopped writing because the road got bumpy. I arrived in Konni with no problems. The hostel here is just a little different than ours. The biggest difference is that bathroom and shower areas are outside. I wasn’t planning on using a latrine again but you do what you gotta do. The hostel even has a dog! The tallest and sweetest dog in Niger... his name is Gouley. I had hoped to go out with my demysters and see their villages but it didn’t work out that way. My second plan was to go home with a volunteer from my stage. But, she lives pretty far and I’m a somewhat nervous traveler. So I ended up just staying in Konni at the hostel. It worked out in the end because I saw 2 people I knew (one from Hamdallaye and one from Niamey).

On Monday night my friend Karimou beeped me (call and hang up). I hadn’t talked to him in awhile so I decided to call him back. I asked him how his family was (his wife just had a baby a month ago) and he asked me what I was up to. When I told him I was on vacation in Konni he told me that our mutual friend Hama was also in Konni for work. Later that night I got a call from an unknown number. It was HAMA! I was so excited. Karimou must have called to let him know.

The next night Hama came to the hostel to pick me up and show me where he lived and works. It was so close to the hostel. It was so good to see Hama. I know he likes me but we’re able to maintain our friendship. I call him my crazy (ay follokom) and we always end up laughing. I also spent Wednesday night with Hama and some of his friends from work. We talked about all kinds of things and I just looked up at the starts feeling completely content.

Recent Activities + Homesickness

Wow - so in one week I will be 23! I joke with people that I'm officially old and while I know that it's not true ... I can't help but feeling a little old. Speaking of old, Joshua (my youngest brother) turned seven yesterday. What a little man! I am trying to think of another time when I've been on my own for my birthday. College doesn't really count because you go out with your friends and I still managed to see my family on or around the actual day.

Here I am in Niger, almost at the 23rd and though I am surrounded by friends and a surrogate family here I still can't help but feeling a little homesick. This feeling is compounded by the stress stemming from a lack of measurable success. I feel perfecftly content knowing that I am VERY integrated but if someone happened to look at me in Kollo they might think all I do is hang out. The truth is I've got so many ideas, even a few in real stages of movement (i.e. awaiting funding, permission from school directors) but for whatever reason nothing is completely getting off the ground. Now, this lesson has been pounded into our heads since day one. I know things are slow but I want so bad to be able to feel a huge success.

For the moment, I am counting all my small successes (these are probably the ones I'll remember most, anyways) such as being able to have a complete conversation in Zarma, being greeted by almost everyone on my way to work, cadeaus, kids art ...

Also, I want to thank everyone who have been sending letters and packages. They make my weeks and months here. Just a funny story to share. A few packages ago I received a bag of Skittles. Now I had been craving these so bad that as soon as I got home I ripped open the bag and went through 1/4 of it. Now, in the heat of the moment this seemed like a good day.... The rest of the night I spent moaning on my couch about a tummy ache (this was in between the fitful boughts of sugar-induced coma). But true to form, I repeated this same action four days in a row. I can't really tell you if I honestly expected different results.

Now recent activities:

In a bid to have something concrete to do each day (besides making an appearance at my inspection) I am trying to host an English study table and club. The director was making it very hard on me to just do the table like I wanted (an open forum for students to come to me ... on school grounds ... for help with homework). He wanted me to lock a number down for a group but I struck a compromise and am now doing both a club and a study table. But - I won't know for another week if he'll actually let me use the (abandoned) library as my workspace. None the less I am excited to have something to plan and look forward to three times a week!

I have one field trip and one book club waiting on funding. Keep your fingers crossed. I am still researching book donation sources as well as trying to carve out details on an art project I want to do. My neighborhood kids love drawing with me and I want to do something with that.

I also recently got to host two demysters (demystification was when the trainees got to spend a weekend with a volunteer to see what life is like for them). This wasn't quite typical since the two new volunteers were transfers from Madagascar. They had been there for 9 months but none the less it was a good time. I literally gained 3 pounds from all the food. My counterpart made us hashed chicken and kudu ku (sweet potato fries). My neighbor made us chicken and rice, and another neighbor made us masa and macaroni with meat sauce. We walked around Kollo and stopped at all my usual hang outs. We went to the Sunday market and took a tour of the river. That was a first for me and I enjoyed it as much as they did. We followed it up with dance parties on my porch to Nigerien music. Don't forget all the leemy haari (mmm popsicles)