Vertical Integration

I read an article today about how nations in Africa should vertically integrate many of their industries and form strong cartels with other countries in order to manipulate world prices. For example, instead of selling cocoa beans at depressed world prices, Cote d'Ivoire should buy the technology and produce chocolate. Then, they can band together with Ghana and use their market power to put pressure on prices and earn more in the long run.

My thought: great idea. Africa should act like OPEC and force wealthier countries around the world to pay a fair price for commodities. It may help end international exploitation. But where is Africa supposed to get the capital to invest in vertically integrating their economies? I guess it takes money to make money, and without capital, this plan will obviously never get off the ground. But I like the thought that nations in the developing world could unite (as OPEC did) to raise world prices to a fairer level for coffee, cocoa, diamonds, etc. Unfortunately you can't control supply effectively with the unprocessed agricultural goods that Africa produces- if you hold back on exporting cocoa beans, they will simply rot.

Ricki Catastrophe

Let me set the stage: yesterday evening, I was pleasantly on my way to Anna's house to go on a walk with her and her dog, Mya. I am singing along (as always) with the radio, and driving north on Colorado Blvd, and I see the light directly ahead of me change to yellow. But I had plenty of time, so I continued forward. As I make it through the intersection.... BOOOOM!

Some lady hit me with her Camry. She was making a left hand turn onto 6th Ave, but instead of waiting for me to completely pass before she turned, she just drove into the back of my car. Thankfully, nobody in the situation was hurt well, besides Ricki... my honey... my love... my car.

Let me show you pictures of Ricki's new scar:

Ok, so I know it's not that bad. Not worth the $ to get it fixed or the chance that my insurance payments may go up if I reported it. The car is over 10 years old. It is time Ricki has a solid scar. He really only had the slightest of scratches before. Maybe this dent will give Ricki some extra character.

I keep trying to be positive about it, but in reality, Ricki had plenty of personality before. He didn't need one ounce more. Poor Ricki.

Finally - another post-salsa update...

So, after two weeks off, Anna and I finally returned to La Rumba. I don't think I realized how much I missed it! It was great to get back out on the dance floor. In fact, at 1:30, when they turn those lights on, I wanted to keep dancing. I would have stayed all night if they let me!

So, apparently, Anna and I look like sisters. Tonight, 4 or 5 guys asked us if we were or just said that they assumed so. In the 5 or 6 years I have known Anna, no one has ever asked us that. I take it as a HUGE compliment, as Anna is gorgeous - in fact, there's no better compliment.

Completely off subject, I went to an RPCV get together last night. The other Anna (RPCV Cameroon) invited me, and I got to meet Shelby, an RPCV from Guinea. Now, I had come to believe that no PCVs ever returned from Guinea - it was like the Bermuda Triangle to me. You go, and for some reason, you never come back. I had just never met anyone who served in Guinea! And over the last couple years, I have met my fair share of RPCVs from around the world, so it was strange to know no one from the country I am headed for. But, apparently, RPCVs from Guinea do return, at least sometimes. Shelby offered to call some other Guinea RPCVs to prove to me that even more exist. But, to tell you the truth, I liked the Bermuda Triangle theory. I was still going to go - the theory wasn't scaring me away. In fact, it was adding more adventure. So, I am kinda sad to hear that so many volunteers actually return. No, changed my mind - it's a good thing. Yes, good thing. Yay for meeting Shelby!

And Shelby cleared up something else. She said, "don't listen to Peace Corps. Bring a f*cking raincoat."

Leslie Homemaker

Quote of the day (me to my mother who is teaching me to sew):

"You know, Ma, I am no Leslie Homemaker or Sally Homemaker, or whatever her name is. See, I don't even know her name, how am I supposed to thread the sewing machine properly if I don't even know her name?"

So, yes, I am learning to sew. And believe me, I don't know if I have ever been so domestic. I am attempting to make a skirt. A very pretty skirt - brown and green and white. I will show y'all a picture when I am done with this little Leslie Homemaker project.

On the Peace Corps front, I OFFICIALLY got the invitation packet today. I knew I was going to Guinea, but for some reason, it meant a lot to me to have it in writing. It meant so much, I teared up a bit. Those of you who know me well would expect nothing less.

There were moments before that packet arrived that I thought the conversation I had with Echo at the PC was a dream. But now, I know it wasn't a dream. I have the Invitee packet, and it's real.

So, now things to do: go to the dentist for that night guard so I don't ruin my teeth with my grinding at night, get more passport photos for my visas and official PC passport, call the loan people for my legal clearance (stupid student loans!), write my aspiration statement, ummm - I am sure there is more, but I didn't get to finish going through the packet. I do have over 4 months before I leave, though, so I doubt I need to be doing it all tonight.

It's been a good day. Any day someone asks you if you want to move to West Africa is a good day in my book. Maybe not everyone else's book, but certainly in mine.

Good night everyone!

I rule.

Today, my daypack and I had some issues. Basically it was because I hated the thing. When I bought it, I thought I would be super-cool because I had a pack that had a hook-thingy specifically for an icepick. How hot is that? Ok, maybe you have to live in Colorado to understand, but it's cool, believe me. But, after I had brought this pack home (displayed on the left), I realized I didn't carry an icepick...like...ever. Yes, I was an icepick-poser. The pack also had a hip belt that I thought would be useful for making long journeys with a heavy load, but I never used this feature either. Like the icepick loop, it kinda-sorta really got in the way.

The reason that this is such a big deal now is that I am trying to figure out my budget for the stuff I need for Guinea. It's gonna be expensive, so I am going to try to spread the spending out (to successfully moderate my cashflow). Anyway, since I HATED my stupid pack, I thought I might need a new one. But, alas, I realized that I could just use a pair of scissors and try to cut off the unwanted appendages. At the worst, I would hate it more and still have to buy a new one. So, I went to it and tried to cut off the offending pieces. Then I realized that this is a true Jansport pack that even a giant grizzly bear couldn't rip apart. I simply couldn't cut the thing! After a bunch of yelling, cursing, and scissor-induced hand cramps, I successfully discarded the hip belt and the icepick loop, along with this hook thingy that was supposed to do something that I never figured out. I won. I defeated the daypack and saved myself between $50 and $100. I rule.

When I was describing this to Heather, she thought that by "daypack," I meant "fanny pack" and she didn't understand why I would want to cut off the hip belt. To this, I have two things to say:

1) Heather, Amy is way too cool to ever own a fanny pack (ok, I had one back in the day, but I came to my senses like almost everyone else). I am too cool to even own one of those "not real fanny packs" that Colorado people seem to think are ok just because they are on the trail. Those things are just updated fannypacks, people - they are JUST AS BAD AS THE OLD KIND!

2) If I did own a fanny pack, I would definitely try to alter its form by cutting off its waist strap thing. That may be the only way to make it look completely un-fanny-pack-like.

Anyhow, we are missing the point of this post, which, as previously stated, is that I rule.

"They call us the nation of a million poets," said one man. "We should be called the nation of a million hypocrites."

"We're nomads," one senior party member told me. "We move from place to place and set up home wherever it's convenient. We're nomads in politics too."

BBC News article about reactions to the recent coup in Mauritania

I am still fascinated by this country and its people. Hopefully, I will have time to visit while living in Guinea.

Dinner with My Girls

Had Aimee, Anthony, Rae-Anne, Anna, Sarah, and Brian over for dinner tonight. So, I guess it wasn't just dinner with "my girls." It was dinner with my girls and any significant boys in the picture.

Which leads me to a HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT!

AIMEE IS ENGAGED! This was the first time we all met Anthony, but he seems perfect for her. I love seeing my friends so happy. I will write more about it later, but in the mean time, I will placate you with some fun photos. I have realized that I make only ONE funny face when told to make a funny face. I need to expand my repertoire, don't I? I will practice. In fact, that is why I am not writing more now - I need to go and work on my funny faces in the bathroom mirror. Wish me luck!

Us Girls:

Aimee and Anthony - Aren't they the cutest together!?

Anna and Me Doing my ONE Funny Face:

Ok, this one isn't from tonight, but it shows that I always use the same face.

And I may spice it up with a slight variation. This one is called Moose or Mousse?

4 hour lunch

Today I had a 4 hour lunch with an RPCV from Cameroon named Anna. Looked at pictures, asked TOO MANY questions, and listened to wonderful stories. I am so grateful that she took the time out to sit down with me and talk. I really appreciate all the RPCVs that have shared their experiences with me. I don't know if I would have the courage to go to Guinea if I didn't have them in my life.

I am beat now, though. After the long lunch, I picked up MK, and we were going to go to Capuvino to get work done, but we needed to destress a bit (we are both approaching major change and freaking out). We spent a little bit in Wash Park, but then decided we needed to go to REI (the one I had never been to downtown). Anyway, we finally made it to Capuvino afterwards, and I got a couple hours of French studying in. Yay for French!

Ok - I have developed a master plan for learning French over the next 5 months:

-Finish 103 at Alliance this fall (while also taking classes at GSIS)
-Take the accelerated 104 class at Alliance right after Thanksgiving (4 days/week X 2 weeks)
-Work on conversation for an hour/week with Salimata (a Senegalese woman who works at Alliance)
-Work with Anna on conversation. She has also agreed to help me with specific vocab and sayings I will need as a PCV in West Africa
-Continue texting in French with Heatherfeather. Heck, I learned how to say honey rabbit (lapin de miel) tonight!

Ok, now that it is documented, I have to do it, right? Can everyone promise to keep me accountable with this? I would greatly appreciate it.

Sweet dreams!

Freedom in Poverty

In 1958, Charles de Gaulle offered the French colonies a choice between autonomy as separate countries in a Franco-African or immediate independance. Sekou Toure declared that Guinea preferred "freedom in poverty to prosperity in chains," and Guinea became the first French colony to gain independence.

Unfortunately, Sekou Toure turned out to be not a nice man, and he led his nation down the wrong path after that, but isn't that a moving idea? It makes me sad that such a concept was used by Toure to gain power and continue to subjugate Guineans. In 1976 Toure charged the entire Peul population with collusion in an attemot to overthrow his government. The alledged leader of the plot starved to death in prison, while thousands of Peul went into exile.

And, no, I am not researching Guinea at work..... ok, maybe I am. What are you going to do about it?

This girl took a rain coat!

I found a blog of a woman who is serving in Guinea. Apparently she has sent a letter to her friend and he has put it online, but before she left, she had blogged about getting ready and all.

And on her packing list, what did I find???? "waterproof windbreaker", aka, a light rain jacket! See, I am not the only one!

What the.....?

Quote #1: "Guinea is one of the wettest countries in West Africa, and May to October is the rainy season. Conakry receives over 4m (13ft) of rain a year."

Source: Lonely Planet Online Guide to Guinea

Quote #2: "Items to Probably Not Bring: Rainjacket (they are often too hot to even bother with)"

Source: Peace Corps Welcome Packet, What to Bring Section

The one things I have decided to buy is a good rain coat. It rains 13 ft every year in Conakry! Who the hell wouldn't bring a rain coat?!

What am I getting myself into?

After salsa....

Yes, again, you all can have a post-salsa update. Had a great time! Sooo glad Simon came out with us - he is one of my favorite people to dance with. And he said I had improved a lot! Yay!

But now, Simon is moving to the garden state. Yes, my home state of New Jersey. Why didn't I stop him, you may ask? Because he is going there with a purpose - to get his Masters at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public Policy at Princeton. Have I told y'all that I have the smartest friends ever? It says something that I feel like the underacheiver in this group - and I am in grad school and leaving for Peace Corps! But let's face it - I am not nearly as amazing as my friends. I feel very priveledged to have such inspiring people in my life.

One funny thing that happened tonight at La Rumba - I was dancing with a new guy, and he asked me what I do here in Denver. I told him I am in school, and he asked in shock - "wait, how old are you?" I said that I am 23 but that I am in grad school. He just said something like "oh, ok." But as we were dancing, I thought that in 5 years, I may have the same response. Well, hopefully I will have the same response. Only the question will be "What are you doing here in _____?" "I am in school." "How old are you?" "Ummmm.... 28. I am getting my PhD." Goodness, am I ever going to be done? But I guess I don't mind.... there is nothing I would rather do!

Spoke with Kerry, an old friend from Peace Corps today. He made me feel more at ease about actually getting cleared for Guinea. Things are looking good! Other than that, I am just getting some stuff done around the house... for some reason, I felt the need to get all my books organized in the basement. Some have been in boxes, some have been on different shelves, etc. But now they are all on a set of shelves in the basement. As I was looking through them, I thought about choosing a book or two to take to Guinea. Are there any books I could read over and over again? Any recommendations? What would y'all choose if you were in the same position?

I am not too worried about reading materials - in pictures of the Peace Corps Office in Conakry, there are HUGE shelves with many many books that have been left by volunteers. So, there will be some variety. Plus, I expect care packages from friends and family in the states with books inside. No need for cookies - they will be stale by the time they reach me, but books will be the perfect gift. (This is not a subversive hint for those of you who will want to send gifts, rather it is an honest recommendation.)

Ok, I am going to jump in the shower and maybe think about what I am going to wear salsa dancing tonight (you thought I would miss a week?)!

Another response... sorry guys!

Chad_Small...

Niger is NOT like Somalia or Zimbabwe, where people in power have been known to hold food from their own starving citizens.

Snelling, a Red Cross worker in Niger writes:

“Walking around the village, it is again clear that the problems here are far more complex than a straightforward shortage of food. I pass a stall where skewers of beef grill slowly over a charcoal fire. A bag of flour sits inside the door of a local trader. There is food around, but another nuance that demands understanding here is that Niger, like everywhere else, has its own haves and have-nots…. According to reliable reports, the drought last year did not erase as much of the annual harvest as people think. Natural causes played their part, but so did the remorseless pressures of the open market. ” Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4742301.stm

Again, I agree that in some instances African governments are responsible for their people's misery, but in the case of Niger, it is not the government. It is imperfections in the market that have caused hunger. Imperfections happen - supply and demand are not perfect. Things lag, and market distortions take time to correct. Unfortunately, in this case, the distortion is not being corrected by the market quickly enough to stop children from dying. Hence, my conclusion - complete free markets are not the best route for Niger at this time.
________________________
Regarding subsidies.... they are clearly leading to lower and more irregular agricultural profits in Africa and the rest of the world. When western governments ARTIFICIALLY lower the cost to their own farmers to produce a good, it drives down international prices (econ 101). Farmers in Africa cannot compete with these ARTIFICIALLY low prices. They cannot sell abroad; they cannot even compete in their own localities. Talk about market manipulation!

A true capitalist would push for free trade, allowing the world market to be guided by the same laissez-faire economics that you espouse. This would force inefficient American and EU farmers to be more competitive. If you believe true capitalism is good for our national economy by principle, shouldn’t it also be right for our international market? Hence, both you and I should agree that American, EU, and Japanese agricultural subsidies should be lowered.

A Public Response to a Comment Left on My Blog

Chad_Small said...

Capitalism does not make the rich richer and the poor poorer. The truth is that capitalism in a true form (not Socialism) give everyone the opportunity to succeed. The problem lies in corrupt governments pure and simple. Why is Africa poor and starving? The governments do it to keep themselves in power. Give any African nation a decent government and a open market and the people with rise up and lift themselves out of poverty. All the aid in the world has done very little in the last century, nothing will change until the people and leaders remove the corruption and strive for progress through industry. It is the only way they will stay the tide of poverty. Without capitalism they will stay poor and starving and nothing the governments do will fix it.


________________________________________

To Chad_Small....

Thank you for sharing your opinion. I agree with you that many governments in Africa could do more to allow their people to rise out of poverty. However, I was referring to food shortages that were originally said to be caused by locust invasions and then droughts. The BBC News correspondent that I quoted said that the market itself was the reason that famine was affecting Niger, not the drought, and certainly not governmental action. Apparently, there is more food to go around than thought, but only the rich can afford it. So, there are men stuffing their bellies with meat, while children starve bc they don't have any grain. There is nobody else to blame besides the free market, in this case.

Again, I would like to reiterate that I agree with your statement about certain governments forcing their people into poverty (i.e. Mugabe's Zimbabwe), but in Niger it is the fault of a dysfunctional market, clear and simple. Market distortions happen, allowing some to starve, and this proves that humanity cannot rely on the invisible hand alone to guide us.

One last remark: I do not think that it is as simple as you put it. There are governments in Africa that are free and fair with open markets, however, the people are still impoverished. Maybe this is due to Western businesses and governments driving Africa down. Let me bring up Western agricultural subsidies as an example. This is just one method that the US, the EU, and Japan have used to hold Africa's economic head underwater.

The international market is distorted as well, and this distortion is allowing innocent people to be exploited. Maybe you can ignore this, but as an American, I feel pretty guilty about it.

Guinea

Guinea

January 10th, 2006

**pending only medical and legal clearance.

------------------------

CIA Factbook: Guinea

Pictures of life in Guinea and a Peace Corps Volunteer

------------------------

I will write and explain more later. I am starving - havent eaten yet today, and I smell bad from working out - I need to shower.

Coup in African "M" Country and Then Some Proselytizing

So, the military of Mauritania overthrew the ruling government. They did this while President Taya was away at King Fahd's funeral in Saudi Arabia. "The African Union said it was concerned about the situation and condemned all seizures of power."

I wonder how this will affect Peace Corps there. Since Mauritania was my first choice, I am a bit concerned, but I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Here's a link to the whole story
______________________________________________
I have also been following the diary of Mark Snelling, a Red Cross worker in Niger. He and his team are struggling to get things running and start handing out the food. He wrote this of the famine:

"According to reliable reports, the drought last year did not erase as much of the annual harvest as people think. Natural causes played their part, but so did the remorseless pressures of the open market."

Niger is becoming an example of how capitalism is a fierce monster that works only to make the rich grow richer and the poor become poorer. And now those poor are starving. Starving. Watching their children DIE because they have no food. This is absurd.

Can you imagine being the poorest people in one of the world's poorest countries and having to watch your children die? Then can you imagine being this person and trying to comprehend the wealth of some in your country? Some are grilling meat nearby, according to Mr. Snelling - can you imagine passing that smell and trying to understand?

Now, can you imagine, as an American, facing a starving woman from Niger, looking in her eyes, she looking in yours - both of you trying to figure out why you will get to live and she will die?

The answer to this question of why? Capitalism.

[ok, I am done....stepping down from the soapbox now]

Can you think of a better reason....

to wake up a half hour early than...... (drumroll)........


to go to the doctor's office to get the TB test injection before work????


Yeah, I can too. I hate waking up early (the theme of my blog, huh?) and I hate shots (eeeewwwwwww!), so this morning, I was NOT a happy camper. Plus, I have to do it again on Wednesday to get it read. But then I am done with Peace Corps medical!