Happy Holidays Everyone! It doesn't feel much like Christmas because its 9000 degrees in Guinea. A lot has happened in the past few weeks, so I'll try to recap as best as I can.... now to pick up where I left off.
My host family is great. I have a dad, mom and 6 brothers and sisters. I hang out mostly with my 17 year old sister and 11 year old brother Douda. Aissete, the 17 year old, speaks some english and she helps me out a lot my french. My host mom finally warmed up to me mostly because she thinks its hilarious that I try to speak puular - the native language that my family speaks. Now mind you I can only say like 4 things in puular, one of which is 'me hare' or I'm full. But she definitely appreciates the effort. My brother Douda or David is my biggest fan though, hes like my shadow. They are all so great and so patient while my French is improving. I've also been given an African name... Aminata. My little sisters name is also Aminata, so the usually call me Aminata 2 or just deux (2).
In some not so happy news, I thought that it I threw this in the middle you'd forget about about it later... but we've had 2 people ET or end their service already. G 15 is now 35 strong. We miss the 2 girls very much and it was really hard on all of us... I think last week was one of the toughest so far, but alas we trudge on.
In happier new we found out our permanent sites last Tuesday. I will be in Kankan, its a large city in Haute Guinea, or far far east Guinea. I'm working with an NGO, and most likely I'll be teaching people computer skills. And because I am a SED volunteer and totally spoiled in Peace Corps terms... I'll have running water and probably electricity! There are also other volunteers that are relatively close to me so theyw ill be able to visit. I'm really excited to have such cool people close to me. I suggest checking out KanKan on wikipedia or Google since my time on the computers is limited. Also come January, after site visits, I'll be able to tell you more.
Now for the title of this post. It started out as T.I.A. or This Is Africa, but has since been revamped to read T.I.G. or This is Guinea. We say it every time something happens in Guinea, that would be totally out of the ordinary in America, but such is life in Guinea. Here are a few examples...
Two young kids playing out in a thatch roof hut with a doll and knives, this is Guinea.
Your mom goes over the well to fetch you water from the well and her boobs are totally exposed (sorry for the faint of heart, but there are lots of boobs to been seen here... and not the good kind.)
the local kids play soccer in jellies (if you don't know what they are... google it).
You wake up in the morning with a cockroach on your head... TIG baby TIG.
Well we are in Conakry for about 24 hours for a Christmas celebration and are all desperate for computer time. So if this post is short and all over the place I apologize. But I am having a great time and can't wait to tell you more about life in Guinea when there is time. Hopefully I'll be getting my hands on a cell phone soon. Also I did get to talk to my mom and sister on the phone yesterday and it was great to hear their voices!
Merry Merry Christmas and Happy 2008!
Monday, December 24, 2007
Friday, December 7, 2007
Last Night in Conakry
Well had my first bout with illness today... I'll spare you the details but lets just say that toilet saw more action than I've seen in months (kidding mom). I wasn't alone though, there were about 12 of us. So I spent most of today watching movies, sleeping, trying to stay hydrated and hoped that soon I would see the outside world.
Tonight we pack up our stuff again because tomorrow we finally leave the comforts of the Peace Corps compound. Our training site is west of Conakry, I'm not sure how long it will take top get there but I'm sure it will be longer than I think. The Agroforestry people will be in a different town than the Public Health and Small Enterprise Development folks, but we will see them a few times a week for language training and field trips. Tomorrow is also a big day because we meet our host families. I'll have more to share with you after tomorrow, but I know absolutely nothing about them. Also after tomorrow no more english, only French. Only one member of our host family has to speak French, so if we don't know what to say in french we're in the dark. But it's part of the learning experience and part of immersing us in to the culture.
We've learned a lot in the past few days, and I don't want to bore you with details so I'll provide you with some interesting tidbits. One of my main concerns is with the bathroom. The Peace Corps compound has western style toilets that flush. While you can find those in other places around Conakry, they do not flush. Where we will be for training there is limited electricity and no running water... therefore pit latrines. A pit latrine is basically a hole in the ground, much like a port-a-potty but it doesn't get cleaned out. If its full they cover it up and dig another. And because its a hole, I'll be doing a lot of squatting... which we were showed how to do properly today. Now to get to what I really wanted to tell you... Guineans don't really use toilet paper, it is available but they prefer the water method. The water method involves a kettle of water next to your pit, and when you are done you fill your hand up and clean up... with your left hand. So your left hand is your 'private' hand, and your right hand is your 'public' hand. Your right hand can be used for greeting people and eating... your left hand not so much. So next time you're eating take a look down... is your 'public' hand clean? what about your 'private' hand?
Because our training site will have limited electricity so I am not sure how often I'll be able to get to the Internet, so keep checking in and hopefully I'll be able to update soon!
Tonight we pack up our stuff again because tomorrow we finally leave the comforts of the Peace Corps compound. Our training site is west of Conakry, I'm not sure how long it will take top get there but I'm sure it will be longer than I think. The Agroforestry people will be in a different town than the Public Health and Small Enterprise Development folks, but we will see them a few times a week for language training and field trips. Tomorrow is also a big day because we meet our host families. I'll have more to share with you after tomorrow, but I know absolutely nothing about them. Also after tomorrow no more english, only French. Only one member of our host family has to speak French, so if we don't know what to say in french we're in the dark. But it's part of the learning experience and part of immersing us in to the culture.
We've learned a lot in the past few days, and I don't want to bore you with details so I'll provide you with some interesting tidbits. One of my main concerns is with the bathroom. The Peace Corps compound has western style toilets that flush. While you can find those in other places around Conakry, they do not flush. Where we will be for training there is limited electricity and no running water... therefore pit latrines. A pit latrine is basically a hole in the ground, much like a port-a-potty but it doesn't get cleaned out. If its full they cover it up and dig another. And because its a hole, I'll be doing a lot of squatting... which we were showed how to do properly today. Now to get to what I really wanted to tell you... Guineans don't really use toilet paper, it is available but they prefer the water method. The water method involves a kettle of water next to your pit, and when you are done you fill your hand up and clean up... with your left hand. So your left hand is your 'private' hand, and your right hand is your 'public' hand. Your right hand can be used for greeting people and eating... your left hand not so much. So next time you're eating take a look down... is your 'public' hand clean? what about your 'private' hand?
Because our training site will have limited electricity so I am not sure how often I'll be able to get to the Internet, so keep checking in and hopefully I'll be able to update soon!
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Greetings from Guinea!
So now that I have time for a proper post I'll update you all a bit. After a full day of travel we finally arrived in Conakry yesterday evening. It was so surreal, actually I didn't fully realize where I was until this morning when I woke up to the sound of roosters calling all over the city. I was even up in time for the sunrise today! I joined some of the boys that were suffering from jet lag were already up but for my first Guinean sunrise it was amazing.
For the last day and half we've met the Peace Corps staff in Guinea and some of the volunteers currently in the country. Everyone is great. The Guinean people are so warm and welcoming, and they are so happy to have us here. We haven't had a chance to venture outside of the compound but we have running water and eletricity here, the lap of luxury. Right now I am actually sitting in an air conditioned room... defintely can't get used to that. But soon everything will change and we will be off to training and meet our host families. I get adopted on saturday!
There is so much I want to say right now but I'm not sure how to put it words. The country is beautiful, its nothing like I've ever seen. As we were traveling to the Peace Corps compound last night in our buses the streets were crowded with people. I mean there were people everywhere selling chickens, food, cigarettes and all kinds of things. Also there was traffic like you wouldn't believe, 76 has got nothing on Guinean traffic jams. We've tried Senegalese food, and I even ate a whole fish. We sampled some of the local beer and even spent some time on the beach playing soccer with the locals and hanging out at the beach bar. I have posted some pictures (because yes I am actually here) and I wanted to share some of Guinea with you. I am about to head down the swimming pool for a quick dip before bed.. yes an in ground pool. So Enjoy and I will be in touch!
The school next to the Peace Corps compound.
My favorite picture of the students next door.
Tourists.
Africa here we come.
The Early Risers catching the sunrise.
G 15 getting ready to leave for the airport.
View of the beach from the roof deck at the Peace Corps compound.
My first Guinean sunrise.
Sunset.
For the last day and half we've met the Peace Corps staff in Guinea and some of the volunteers currently in the country. Everyone is great. The Guinean people are so warm and welcoming, and they are so happy to have us here. We haven't had a chance to venture outside of the compound but we have running water and eletricity here, the lap of luxury. Right now I am actually sitting in an air conditioned room... defintely can't get used to that. But soon everything will change and we will be off to training and meet our host families. I get adopted on saturday!
There is so much I want to say right now but I'm not sure how to put it words. The country is beautiful, its nothing like I've ever seen. As we were traveling to the Peace Corps compound last night in our buses the streets were crowded with people. I mean there were people everywhere selling chickens, food, cigarettes and all kinds of things. Also there was traffic like you wouldn't believe, 76 has got nothing on Guinean traffic jams. We've tried Senegalese food, and I even ate a whole fish. We sampled some of the local beer and even spent some time on the beach playing soccer with the locals and hanging out at the beach bar. I have posted some pictures (because yes I am actually here) and I wanted to share some of Guinea with you. I am about to head down the swimming pool for a quick dip before bed.. yes an in ground pool. So Enjoy and I will be in touch!
The school next to the Peace Corps compound.
My favorite picture of the students next door.
Tourists. 
Africa here we come.
The Early Risers catching the sunrise.
G 15 getting ready to leave for the airport.
View of the beach from the roof deck at the Peace Corps compound.
My first Guinean sunrise.
Sunset.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
G 15
Greetings from the City of Brotherly Love!
Guinea 15, the 15th Peace Corps group to volunteer in Guinea since Conakry became the capital has finished staging (orientation, in non-peace corps lingo), our bags are packed and we're ready to go... well sort of. Tomorrow morning we are off to the clinic to get our shots, we then have some free time to take care of last minute things and then we are off to New York to catch our first flight out of the states headed towards our destination. After a connecting flight in Brussels, and refuel in Dakar we'll arrive in Guinea on December 4th.
Today feels much like Friday before I left home. I'm overwhelmed, nervous, scared and excited. Over the past two days I've met 36 amazing people who I am still getting to know, but at the same time I feel like we've bonded already. Staging was filled with ice breakers, and going over logistics, but as the chatter lingered amongst tables after group discussions were long over I feel as though we are well on our way.
As for my last night in America... I'm sitting here roughing it, with my laptop plugged into the wall, watching Desperate Housewives and Grey's with a full stomach. Exciting, I know. I have some paper work to finish up before the clinic tomorrow and I could use some sleep, who knows if the nerves will allow for sleep but I'm hoping!
I'm not sure where I'm going with this post because it's all over the place. But I want you all to know that I Love You (Aunt Karen, that one is definitely for you!) and I'll miss all of you. Think of me while I'm sitting on the plane with a sore butt and sore arms. I'll try to post in country because we'll have Internet access for about 5 days, and hopefully I'll have pictures as well.
G 15 Out.
Guinea 15, the 15th Peace Corps group to volunteer in Guinea since Conakry became the capital has finished staging (orientation, in non-peace corps lingo), our bags are packed and we're ready to go... well sort of. Tomorrow morning we are off to the clinic to get our shots, we then have some free time to take care of last minute things and then we are off to New York to catch our first flight out of the states headed towards our destination. After a connecting flight in Brussels, and refuel in Dakar we'll arrive in Guinea on December 4th.
Today feels much like Friday before I left home. I'm overwhelmed, nervous, scared and excited. Over the past two days I've met 36 amazing people who I am still getting to know, but at the same time I feel like we've bonded already. Staging was filled with ice breakers, and going over logistics, but as the chatter lingered amongst tables after group discussions were long over I feel as though we are well on our way.
As for my last night in America... I'm sitting here roughing it, with my laptop plugged into the wall, watching Desperate Housewives and Grey's with a full stomach. Exciting, I know. I have some paper work to finish up before the clinic tomorrow and I could use some sleep, who knows if the nerves will allow for sleep but I'm hoping!
I'm not sure where I'm going with this post because it's all over the place. But I want you all to know that I Love You (Aunt Karen, that one is definitely for you!) and I'll miss all of you. Think of me while I'm sitting on the plane with a sore butt and sore arms. I'll try to post in country because we'll have Internet access for about 5 days, and hopefully I'll have pictures as well.
G 15 Out.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Watch out Philadelphia
In a few short hours I'll be hopping in the car, crew in tow, to meet the people I will be spending the next 2 years with....in Philadelphia. I know it doesn't seem far, but the December Guinea Team is taking the city by storm!
For the next to days we'll be reliving the early days of college doing ice breakers, orientating ourselves only to hop on a plane a 2 days later to finally meet the life that awaits us in Africa. I'd be lying if I didn't say I wasn't excited, but I'd also be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit sad and scared. Sad for all that I'm leaving behind for two years and scared because I have an idea of what is waiting for me on the other side of the globe but I'm not totally sure. But I am excited to start this new chapter of my life! As I sit here and watch some last minute television and cram more stuff into my already overweight luggage I bid you all farewell, I'll catch you on the flip side (of the world that is)!
disclaimer: I should have internet access for the next few days, but once we board the plane monday I am not certain when I'll be able to update next. But keep checking in!
For the next to days we'll be reliving the early days of college doing ice breakers, orientating ourselves only to hop on a plane a 2 days later to finally meet the life that awaits us in Africa. I'd be lying if I didn't say I wasn't excited, but I'd also be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit sad and scared. Sad for all that I'm leaving behind for two years and scared because I have an idea of what is waiting for me on the other side of the globe but I'm not totally sure. But I am excited to start this new chapter of my life! As I sit here and watch some last minute television and cram more stuff into my already overweight luggage I bid you all farewell, I'll catch you on the flip side (of the world that is)!
disclaimer: I should have internet access for the next few days, but once we board the plane monday I am not certain when I'll be able to update next. But keep checking in!
Friday, November 2, 2007
Is this the real life, is this just fantasy...
One Month.
One month from now Audubon will be a world away. One month from now I'll meet a brand new group of people that I'll be spending the next 2 years with. One month from now my life will be packed in 2 duffel bags and one carry on. One month from now I'll be on a flight headed for Africa.
I still have a hard time wrapping head around the fact that I'm leaving because it still feels like a dream, but for the first time since I received my invitation it feels real, really real... that my life in one month will be nothing like I might have imagined a few years ago. But you know what? That's OK with me. I like not knowing whether the clothes I kept will still be in style by the time return, I like not knowing where I'll be living and the resources I'll have available or how close another volunteer will be to me. I am excited to learn a new language, culture and experience all that Africa has to offer. Of course I am scared beyond belief but that's part of life and the adventure. I just hope that you enjoy my hearing about my journeys. I know that no one really knows about this blog and that I am kind of writing to myself but I want to be able to share my life in Africa with all of you. I will update as much as I can in the next month. It will be quite hectic and probably boring to write about since I'll be bumming around and packing. But stayed tuned folks this is just the beginning!!
One month from now Audubon will be a world away. One month from now I'll meet a brand new group of people that I'll be spending the next 2 years with. One month from now my life will be packed in 2 duffel bags and one carry on. One month from now I'll be on a flight headed for Africa.
I still have a hard time wrapping head around the fact that I'm leaving because it still feels like a dream, but for the first time since I received my invitation it feels real, really real... that my life in one month will be nothing like I might have imagined a few years ago. But you know what? That's OK with me. I like not knowing whether the clothes I kept will still be in style by the time return, I like not knowing where I'll be living and the resources I'll have available or how close another volunteer will be to me. I am excited to learn a new language, culture and experience all that Africa has to offer. Of course I am scared beyond belief but that's part of life and the adventure. I just hope that you enjoy my hearing about my journeys. I know that no one really knows about this blog and that I am kind of writing to myself but I want to be able to share my life in Africa with all of you. I will update as much as I can in the next month. It will be quite hectic and probably boring to write about since I'll be bumming around and packing. But stayed tuned folks this is just the beginning!!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Guinea, no not the pig.
Well as many of you know I've joined the Peace Corps and will be heading to Guinea in December for the next 2 years or so. This is my first post (obviously) and I have a lots to do before I leave, but as things progress I will keep you updated on my travels. For your enjoyment I have posted another map of Guinea.
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