I can't believe how much has changed over the past two years. I used to be this shy and quiet person who was afraid to put myself out there, to be seen, to make mistakes, to live. Now, here I find myself in Niger and I have no choice but to be seen. I am different than 99.7% of the population. And for once in my life, I don't (always) mind the attention.
I have just completed my first month as an official volunteer and it went amazingly fast. I remember how slow the first week in Hamdallaye was. The first three months, work is limited to integration and language aquisition. The first is no problem at all, and little by little (moso moso) my Zarma is coming along. I love the way that people greet each other here. It feels like a competition to see who can throw the greetings first and I feel lucky to be able to be a competitor now. It doesn't always come easy, but there are days when I can communicate so easily that I forget I am not speaking English. There are days I miss English. Luckily, I think I have found ALL the English speakers in my village.
The first month we were not allowed to travel outside of our posts except for emergencies. Thankfully I had none. Here's a little glimpse into my everyday, Nigerien, life.
Mon-Fri: Wake up between 6-7:30 and shower. Leave the house before 8 and before the heat really starts. I walk to to my inspection, stopping at the ecogar (motorpark) to find breakfast. ( An Inspection is similar to a school superintendent's office in the US) Usually cicenas which are fried dough balls made from bean curds. They are like spicy doughnuts and they are delicious. At the inspection, I greet my co-workers and either read, write, study zarma, or just chat with my co-workers. I also try to make observations about their different roles. Around 11 or 12, I pass through the market area and say hello to my friends. Then I hang out for an hour or two at another bureau. There's a guy there who speaks perfect English and French (also Hausa and Zarma, but the first two are more useful for me). I get home around 2 or 3 and am usually so tired from the heat. My walk is about 1 km, so I just take a nap. When I wake up I go over to my neighbors house to play cards, watch my favorite Brazilian soap opera dubbed over in French, and eat dinner.
Sat: I use this day to go to one of my favorite coworker's house. I like them all and it's hard to split my time, but this woman and her family make me laugh like no other. I adore her whole family.
Sun: I head to my counterpart's house. Before I get there I stop at a meat vendor on the way. Ibrahim* (names have been changed) hangs out there. He's one of the most amazing men I have ever met. He's almost 60 years old. He always dreamed of studying in America. His degree is in Psychology. But he could never finish the GRE for one reason or another. So he studied in France, Germany, and Russia. Not only did he study there but he became fluent in the languages on top of his native Hausa and Zarma. Yai! He's always interesting to talk to. He looks out for me too. Today, he helped me find a bush taxi to Niamey. He's like my Nigerien grandfather.
When I finally get to my counterpart's house, his wife usually prepares dan kali (sweet potato fries) for me. She's amazing. His daughters are always excited to see me which is a pleasant surprise. I find it hard sometimes to find female friends. If they are close to my age they are usually married or uneducated and therefore can't communicate with me in French. Granted I speak baby-zarma and that is, of course, no real use to them either. We usually just play cards and kick back. My puppy's brother still lives there. It's nice to get puppy lovin since I had to give my dog away here. It was too much to handle and I am never at home anyways.
I am really loving life in Niger. I feel like I can't say that enough. I have been blessed. I really like my APCD. I feel like she really understands who I am and that goes such a long way.
People in Niamey and my village know me. It's such a cool feeling to have people remember you after a month without seeing or talking to them.
I was recently in Niamey to celebrate my 100 days in Niger. My friend from Kollo, Omar*, came to visit. He lives in Niamey and works during the week in my village. We had dinner at my favorite little buvette. We ate together and I saw a familiar face. I was pretty sure his name was Djamilou. I yelled it out and he came over. I asked him if he remembered me. Without any hesitation he replied, Faiza (my nigerien name). He gave us a round of tea and chatted with us until I left for the hostel.
The next day I was getting set to leave. I HATE bush taxis especially when I am alone and have a lot of things. I had gone grocery shopping and had 2 soccer bags full of stuff. It was also market day in my village which meant there would be lots of (full) cars. I wasn't excited about trying to find my way back. Keep in mind this was the first time finding a taxi from Niamey to Kollo. I had come from my village before but it was always the PC (Peace Corps) who took me back. First, I had to find a city taxi to the tessum (motorpark in zarma) which is located in the Grand Marche. VERY INTIMIDATING ... fyi. I crossed the street and miraculously a taxi stopped for me and accepted where I wanted to go.
Because I am generally nervous around taxis (city or bush) I try to talk with the driver as much as possible. This was the best thing in the long run. I asked him how long he had driven a taxi, where he learned French, and then we compared gas prices. I was curious why city taxies went to the village before mine but not my village. After asking how much it would cost I decided that it was for sure in my price range and he said he would take me to Kollo. I was sooo happy there would be no bush taxi for me that day, mostly because of all my bags. He stopped to look for a document, probably to satisfy the gendarmes. Even though he didn't find it, he still took me. We stopped at a gas station and he bought 3 bags of water, one for him and two for me. He was a really cool guy. He even had family in Kollo. He said every once in a while he would buy bread and have them deliver it to me. He dropped me off and we exchanged numbers. It's always nice to know a taximan. (Actually I've already used him again when I came into Niamey today) He picked me up from the tessum and on the way to the bureau I saw the Niger jersey I wanted to buy for my brother. I was a little short on cash so he helped me pay and then didn't even charge me for the ride. Like I said connections are everything. Fondo ba nooru. That's a zarma proverb that means "Relations are better than money".
Monday, October 20, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
A Little Glimpse into my Life
I love Niger. My favorite parts of the day can never be predicted. There are some days when I loathe the idea of having to find a cab or a bush taxi ... dun dun daa. But then there are days when you find a driver who doesn't try to get more money out of you. Or you find someone willing to take you where you need to go on the first try. I also like walking around Niamey and having vendors remember you. I ran into Ousmane who I had negotiated cell phones with for some other stagieres. He saw me as I was heading into the bank and yelled my Nigerien name out.
Last night, in search for food, we stopped FINALLY at a little stand not far from the hostel. I started chatting with a Nigerien named Jamilou. He invited me to eat with him since I hadn't gotten my food yet but I declined since I was with my friends. I told him he could come over to our table. He came over and chatted with us in Zarma and French. I'm hoping my brain will learn through slow absorption.
Today, Maria and I walked around the Petit Marche. I didn't have anything specific in mind since my post is pretty much completely furnished. I was still looking for the Niger soccer jersey for my brother. The beautiful thing here is that you can ask a shopkeeper where to look and they will actually find it, buy it, and then resell it to you. They usually get better prices too. I found a nice tapestry of the mosque in Agadez and I'm debating between sending it home and keeping it in my house. I can't wait to go to the artisan's district. I've seen some beautiful sculptures and carvings that I can't wait to invest in.
With the good things also come the unnerving things. Kids and old women will follow you begging for money. It's so hard to just say "May God bring it to you" and keep walking. The young boys will often ask for cadeaux. They are easier to deal with. You just ask for a gift in return and when they say they dont have one tell them you don't either and they usually go away.
Thursday I move to my village. I'm sure this first month will be the longest but I am excited to play games and hang out with my villagers. I love talking to people. It comes so much easier to me. Maybe it's because I have to be more creative with communication.
Last night, in search for food, we stopped FINALLY at a little stand not far from the hostel. I started chatting with a Nigerien named Jamilou. He invited me to eat with him since I hadn't gotten my food yet but I declined since I was with my friends. I told him he could come over to our table. He came over and chatted with us in Zarma and French. I'm hoping my brain will learn through slow absorption.
Today, Maria and I walked around the Petit Marche. I didn't have anything specific in mind since my post is pretty much completely furnished. I was still looking for the Niger soccer jersey for my brother. The beautiful thing here is that you can ask a shopkeeper where to look and they will actually find it, buy it, and then resell it to you. They usually get better prices too. I found a nice tapestry of the mosque in Agadez and I'm debating between sending it home and keeping it in my house. I can't wait to go to the artisan's district. I've seen some beautiful sculptures and carvings that I can't wait to invest in.
With the good things also come the unnerving things. Kids and old women will follow you begging for money. It's so hard to just say "May God bring it to you" and keep walking. The young boys will often ask for cadeaux. They are easier to deal with. You just ask for a gift in return and when they say they dont have one tell them you don't either and they usually go away.
Thursday I move to my village. I'm sure this first month will be the longest but I am excited to play games and hang out with my villagers. I love talking to people. It comes so much easier to me. Maybe it's because I have to be more creative with communication.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Je Suis Volontaire
I am now, as of 9/12/2008, an official PCV. My close of service date is 9/11/2010. I left my host family yesterday which was really hard for me. I was very attached which isn't surprising since that's how it was for me in Luxembourg. It was hard not to cry because the excitement, fear, sadness and happiness hit me all at the same time. I carried my things up to the training site and just burst into tears. Luckily my friend was there to help me smile.
I just arrived in Niamey this morning for installation. I am one of the last to get installed on Thursday so I'll be hanging out until this Thursday with some important meetings scattered throughout the week. I can't wait to start setting up my house.
It's so hard to write sometimes because everything is all jumbled in my head. The Swear-In Ceremony was at the US Ambassador's house. It was a pretty simple affair. We had three PCTs give speeches in the local languages (Zarma, Hausa, and then French). Afterwards we had dinner in Hamdy with all of the staff.
The next morning I got to learn how to use the bank. Rather than going back to the ambassador's I decided to bush taxi back to Hamdy to spend our last free day hanging out. I live in fear of bush taxi's, but the experience gets easier and easier. I found a car right away and only had to wait for about thirty minutes. Now, knowing at least a little Zarma, I found chatting more enjoyable.
I had dinner one last time with my host family and then had tea with my Baba. I hung out in the boy's club for the last time and was accompanied by Hama and Karim up to the site. I planned on staying up all night because I didn't feel like unpacking my sheets and mosquito net, but I ended up falling asleep in the refectoire. Not the most comfortable. I woke up at 4:30 when people started to break fast (it's Ramadan). Before I left Karim presented me with a certificate for the Boys Club.
I just arrived in Niamey this morning for installation. I am one of the last to get installed on Thursday so I'll be hanging out until this Thursday with some important meetings scattered throughout the week. I can't wait to start setting up my house.
It's so hard to write sometimes because everything is all jumbled in my head. The Swear-In Ceremony was at the US Ambassador's house. It was a pretty simple affair. We had three PCTs give speeches in the local languages (Zarma, Hausa, and then French). Afterwards we had dinner in Hamdy with all of the staff.
The next morning I got to learn how to use the bank. Rather than going back to the ambassador's I decided to bush taxi back to Hamdy to spend our last free day hanging out. I live in fear of bush taxi's, but the experience gets easier and easier. I found a car right away and only had to wait for about thirty minutes. Now, knowing at least a little Zarma, I found chatting more enjoyable.
I had dinner one last time with my host family and then had tea with my Baba. I hung out in the boy's club for the last time and was accompanied by Hama and Karim up to the site. I planned on staying up all night because I didn't feel like unpacking my sheets and mosquito net, but I ended up falling asleep in the refectoire. Not the most comfortable. I woke up at 4:30 when people started to break fast (it's Ramadan). Before I left Karim presented me with a certificate for the Boys Club.
It was a perfect ending.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Last Week and a Half
So things here are snowballing so fast into swear in. On the one hand I am very excited and on the other hand I am scared. I'm sad to leave Hamdy and that I won't get to see my host family everyday. There's been some days where if I hadn't had them to go home to that I would probably have considered going home. They have made all the difference in my being successful here. I'll miss the other volunteers too. It's so easy when everyone is in such a close proximity to one another. Granted, my closest volunteer is only 18k away but still ... that's not 18 feet.
This past week I spent in MY village. It was so exciting to walk along the main road and practice my Zarma greetings since that and "ay go ga dondon Zarma cine" are the only sentences I can say (that means btw "I'm learning Zarma"). Each day I went to the inspection and a different coworker took me to their home for lunch. I'm really going to fit in where I work. The atmosphere is just so laid back and Nigeriens are always joking around with one another. They love to laugh and I share that quality.
Thursday I was sick which was no fun. I felt so bad for my coworker because he felt bad that I was sick at his house. He had just got done telling me that when it rains during someones visit it is that person bringing their family luck. Then in the span of 45 minutes I had to use their latrine 4 times ... in the rain and lighting. Not to mention, at this point in the week I had just run out of toilet paper. I am resourceful and used a pad and a dryer sheet to wipe but that only worked once. Then I had to buta it ... not as hard as the first time but definitely not an enjoyable experience.
But - I do have a normal bathroom set up in my house! My house is gorgrous. I live in a gated community and I have enough privacy ... almost too much, though. I live a roughly 25 minute walk away from the hub of the city (the area surrounding my work place). That means for me to meet people I have to stay out later. I will encourage people to visit me so long as it is during daytime hours. I am also hoping to get a bike. This, I'm sure, will only contribute to the forty pounds I have already lost.
Friday I headed back to the city. My bush taxis in Kollo are pretty exceptional. It was the city taxis that gave me the most trouble this time around. I was so tired, still stick, and just wanting to get somewhere that felt safe .... funny how standing in the middle of a busy street doesn't feel the most comforting. I repeatedly flag down taxis who aren't willing to drive me to the hostel. I get in one who says he'll take me (finally) but he says for 400 cfa ... this is double the price and not realllly worth it. I get out and finally ask to go to the PC bureau. As soon as I was in the car I felt like crying. I was so relieved.
This past week I spent in MY village. It was so exciting to walk along the main road and practice my Zarma greetings since that and "ay go ga dondon Zarma cine" are the only sentences I can say (that means btw "I'm learning Zarma"). Each day I went to the inspection and a different coworker took me to their home for lunch. I'm really going to fit in where I work. The atmosphere is just so laid back and Nigeriens are always joking around with one another. They love to laugh and I share that quality.
Thursday I was sick which was no fun. I felt so bad for my coworker because he felt bad that I was sick at his house. He had just got done telling me that when it rains during someones visit it is that person bringing their family luck. Then in the span of 45 minutes I had to use their latrine 4 times ... in the rain and lighting. Not to mention, at this point in the week I had just run out of toilet paper. I am resourceful and used a pad and a dryer sheet to wipe but that only worked once. Then I had to buta it ... not as hard as the first time but definitely not an enjoyable experience.
But - I do have a normal bathroom set up in my house! My house is gorgrous. I live in a gated community and I have enough privacy ... almost too much, though. I live a roughly 25 minute walk away from the hub of the city (the area surrounding my work place). That means for me to meet people I have to stay out later. I will encourage people to visit me so long as it is during daytime hours. I am also hoping to get a bike. This, I'm sure, will only contribute to the forty pounds I have already lost.
Friday I headed back to the city. My bush taxis in Kollo are pretty exceptional. It was the city taxis that gave me the most trouble this time around. I was so tired, still stick, and just wanting to get somewhere that felt safe .... funny how standing in the middle of a busy street doesn't feel the most comforting. I repeatedly flag down taxis who aren't willing to drive me to the hostel. I get in one who says he'll take me (finally) but he says for 400 cfa ... this is double the price and not realllly worth it. I get out and finally ask to go to the PC bureau. As soon as I was in the car I felt like crying. I was so relieved.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
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