Eczema Gross!

Finally on the slow and sweaty road to recovery. Recovery? You ask... well let me fill you in. I am currently in Conakry living the sweet life with good food and AC. However, I did not come here on a fun visit. I came here because I needed some medical attention. It all started a month ago when I found a cyst under my armpit and over the course of said month is morphed into a staph infection. So after much debate, I hoped into the regional car with my favorite chauffer Conde and made the two day trek across the country to the capital. Upon arrival our doctor looked at my monster staph infection and could only say 'wow' which was reassuring. However, I was in good hands and paid a visit to the Guinean International Medical Centre which is a Guinean hospital. Not to offend or scare any of you but I killed a massive cockroach in the waiting room, and the neighborhood cat hangs out in the ER, just to give you the level of cleanliness/sterility. Today I finally had minor surgery to drain all the pus out of my infection and now have a small tube in my arm which is taking care of the remaining pus. It was totally gross, and of course I asked to see the extraction... also gross. I have a few more visits to my favorite surgeon at CMI and hopefully I'll be in the clear, though one can never tell.

Its seems staph wasn't my only problem... turns out that I also have a parasite. And to spare you the details I spent a lot of time in the bathroom. Now I am on the mend and am enjoying the company of the PCV's visiting Conakry, the AC and free internet of course. I do have so work to take care of while I'm here, some other chose (things) and I believe one more round of antiobiotics (which are injected into my butt, tmi I know) and I should be heading back to Kankan before I know it.

Also made an awesome discovery today there is actually fresh made tofu in Conakry. Though it is not my favorite it was a great find and of course nice to spend some time with my favorite APCD. I've also eaten pizza everyday this week and will probably add on a few more slices before my depature.




PC Compound in Conakry, and our sweet rides.

A lovely picture of my staph infection. The monster on the bottoms is the one that was surgerized today. Gross.

Shout out to newbies....

Education, Guinea, Peace Corps, 2008

Just wanted to shout out real quick to those of you who will be receiving your invitations tout suite for PC Guinea! If you have any questions, concerns or otherwise don't hesitate to contact me!

amy.hylinski@gmail.com

Rashes a plenty...

Well I have terrible news... I am allergic to the skin of the mango! This is a terrible discovery for me in more ways than one. It started out as a small rash around my mouth that I tried to remedy with a combination of hydrocortizone cream and benadryl. It has since spread to my cheeks, eyes, neck and now upper arms. Not to worry though, I spoke with our Doctor and I'm all medicated but just wating for the rash to subside. In the meantime im walking around looking like a pink marshmallow... and constantly being asked about my sante (or health). However now it is even more painful to walk around the mango filled city of Kankan, they sit there silently mocking from the bowls from which they are being sold, and from the heights of the trees where they sit just waiting to drop at any moment. How totally bogus. For the moment I am not supposed to be eating them, or probably even looking at them. After some time passes I will be able to eat them again, but someone will have to cut them up for me, good thing there are plenty of willing children that I can pay with candy.

In other news the Director of Peace Corps has made his way to Guinea. A few lucky volunteers are in Conakry wining and dining with him. He will also be visiting some of the site on the coast, unfortunately he won't be making it out to Kankan. Bummer. It is once again time for the monthly regional visit, a few fellow Hauters have made there way into to town and we'll spend the next few days as though we were in America though about a million times hotter. Zach and I are currently working on real work... well if you can call it that. In June he and I will be starting computer classes with our NGO so we're cooking up an action plan so that we're all prepared. Other than my rash covered body and the hot hot hot climate all is well. Mom and Dad, and Aunt Karen thanks for the mail! The charleston chews and trail mix...well I'll try to make them last, though I can't make any promises!

Road Warrior

45 miles and one sore butt later I am back in the grand city of Kankan. My trusty Peace Corps issue moutain bike and I finally made the 35 km trip out to Koumban to visit David for the weekend. Though I thought I would never make it. Despite the rolling hills and not-so rolling hills I rolled into Koumban only to be swarmed by all the village children...who directed me towards Chez David. There was no time for rest in Koumban, I took a quick 'shower' and was then whisked off to a meeting for all the women in the village... in malinke with a translator. 3 hours well spent I'd say. I spent most of the meeting shoo-ing away the children who were interrupting the meeting, and was then asked by the women of the village to go to the gold mines. No time for that of course. The rest of the weekend was spent making slingshots, eating mac and cheese (thanks david), listening to the video club next door and spending some good old fashioned time in the mud hut with David just chatting about life. I've also befriend his cat who slept with me every night and made David jealous. But alas back to life in the big city.

I made it home in good time yesterday but I am exhausted. No rest for the weary, its back to the grind. The mangos are falling off the trees like rain drops and I just can't get enough, It's about time! The mail run should be making its way through here in a few days...heres to hoping I got lots of goodies. My stash is running low! I just wanted to update you all quickly because I have to get back to work and the next two days I will be in a conference. But let's hope in the mean time I don't overload on mangos... but is that even possible?

I'm ET-ing

In other words I'm coming home. Things in Guinea just go to be too much, and I miss all the comforts of home. While everyone was so welcoming, and hospitiable it just wasn't enough to keep me here. I'm tired of pooping in a hole, eating rice and sauce (and poop) and speaking french...

APRIL FOOLS!!!


I'm sitting here in the computer lap with my fellow volunteer, leotard wearer and teacher extraordinare Felipe trying to figure out just how long I could pull this april fools joke on you all. However I just couldn't be that cruel. For the record all is well, well for the most part. We found out today that the price of gas has gone up 2500 GF, from 4500 GF to 7000 GF. This will effect other things as well, we've already noticed some price increases in electronics (felipe is in the market for a new phone) and I'm sure once I actually make it to the market today I will notice a change in food prices as well. There has been some talk that some boutiques might not be open tomorrow but for now nothing serious is going on. But now that the serious stuff is out of the way I'll tell you whats been going on with me.

St. Patty's day has come and gone, and along with that another visit from my surrounding volunteers in Haute Guinea. Of course the holiday wouldn't have been complete without a properly themed party, in this cause it was 'Naughty Leprechauns'. I would post pictures but I feel as though I might be violating some code of conduct or offended the ederly or make children cry. Needless to day it was a blast. The day started out with Zach and I searching the entire city of Kankan for ice. It was a wild goose chase in the sweltering heat, only to realize that we never were actually going to find ice. Though we did find a secret location with about 30 refridgerators, all powered by generator of course. We then shed our civilian clothes for lots (or lack there of) green. With food and booze a plenty we celebrated the holiday properly. After fete-ing like only PCV's know how I spent the next few days au village. I spent a few days in Mandiana, and Faralako. Well mostly Faralako. Much thanks to Jean for putting me up for a few days!! It was quite an experince. There are about 2000 people that live in Faralako, though that number is debateable because they are not actually sure. Life was so different from that of the big city of Kankan. By the time I left the village everyone knew my name and was asking when I'd return. I promised I'd be back to visit soon of course. However we celebrated easter in a sort of american way with an easter egg hunt! Though I am positive the children of the village had no idea why the white people were hiding eggs in trees and brush, they wore more than eager to seach for all the goodies. I also had the pleasure of meeting Jean's host mom, Hawa. She is hilarious. She only speaks Malinke so not only was she good for a few laughs but she taught me some new words as well. She insisted that Jean, Katie and I have babies because well babies are good, why else. I also scared the living day-lights out of her with my tigger. For those of you who know me well I travel with tigger everywhere. I did bring a minature version to africa and he even ventures to the villages with me. Tigger was sitting on the bed and Hawa asked to see him. My initially reaction was to toss him over to her, well this made her jump out of her chair and yell! She was terrified! We did document this event because it was just too hilarious not to. She refused to touch the stuffed animal and kept telling me it was bad. Oh how I miss Hawa already. I left Faralako with Katie to travel back to Mandiana so that I could take my very first solo bush taxi ride back to Kankan. The ride was eventful to say the least. It was a nine person taxi and there were about 15 people in the taxi, driver and apprentices included. I of course bought two places for myself so that I wouldn't be squished for the 4 hour ride back to Kankan and this totally pissed everyone off, oh well. We stopped about 50 times on the way home, you know to pick up various pieces of the car that would fall off, take tea in villages along the way, and a one point we even stopped to take all the stuff out of the trunk only to put it on top of the car and put the apprentices (who ride on top of the car) into the trunk... La Guinee. I finally arrived in Kankan covered in dirt. From head to toe covered in dirt. I got out of the car at the taxi gare and all the Guinean surrounded me and tried to clean me off, and laugh at me of course. I walked home from the gare, which is a hike, and everyone along the way asked me where I was going or would tell me I was dirty, like I didnt already know. I even saw the Peace Corps chauffer, Conde and he didn't even recognize me! After I finally made it home I cleaned off and took a nice long nap to the sound of the rain! It was glorious.

Back in Kankan life resumed as normal. I went back to work and started my Malinke lessons as well as teaching computer classes. I also attended class at the University in Kankan with my sort of boss, which was interesting, and kind of felt like I was back in college. Mostly because though most of the class I did a crossword puzzle. David paid me a visit, he was here to get his cat vaccinated but of course the vet was not in town...so I cat-sat for a few days. I went dancing with a friend of Daffe's who was visiting from Conakry, and few other volunteers. Though it was so sweaty, it was a blast. And of course now I want to go all the time, I've already been recruiting people. I've also been working with a tailor in town, appropriately named Mr. Sow and this past saturday we did a fashion shoot of his creations. It was an experience to say the least. Cathleen and I spent 3 shooting various shots of people in african clothes by the Milo River. The idea is that were going to make a magazine for him, and I'm going to help him build a website so that he can augment his clientel. Other than that not too much has been going on. The heat is unbearable and I'm still waiting for the mangos to be ready. So as I sit here and sweat to death I'll leave you with some photos...

Vogue photo shoot

my fave pic from the day

greatest model of all time
Mr. Sow.




My place of employment... MGE