Life After the Water Method

Venture Philanthropy

2009-03-04T15:27:00.003-05:00

I have been fiddling around on a website that is new to me. Accumen Fund is a new and exciting breed of social entrepreneurship nonprofit, incorporating venture capital ideas into the old model of fundraising and donating abroad.

This is what they say about themselves:

Acumen Fund is a non-profit global venture fund that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of global poverty. We seek to prove that small amounts of philanthropic capital, combined with large doses of business acumen, can build thriving enterprises that serve vast numbers of the poor. Our investments focus on delivering affordable, critical goods and services – like health, water, housing and energy – through innovative, market-oriented approaches.

Quite exciting, huh?

The founder, Jacqueline Novogratz, is someone who has struggled with many of the same questions that I have regarding both development and her life. She was jaded by failed development in Africa at a young age and chose to go into the NY finance world. With a new understanding of economic growth and entrepreneurship, she ventured back into the developing world, founding a number of microfinance institutions and eventually starting the Accumen Fund in 2001. She has recently released a book on the topic of development, The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between the Rich and the Poor in an Interconnected World. I will be picking up a copy shortly to take on my work trip to East Africa, which I leave for on Monday. I will be working with some of the same MFIs Jacqueline has dealt with. Sounds like appropriate reading for the journey!

Expect a review soon.

MK Made Me Do It!

2009-03-04T15:05:00.002-05:00

MK started her own blog, which inspired me to take a look at mine once again. I realize I have not had much to say for awhile. Why not? Nothing seemed as blog-worthy as my adventures in Guinea, which I have successfully mourned for over two years. I say "successfully" because I am now not only an evacuated PCV; I am more. But for awhile there, I was wallowing in in a bit of self-doubt, grief, and disappointment. And those things bred silence within me. Aside from the occasional BBC article link, I have been quiet for nearly two years.

But now, I am back and better than ever.

Thanks, MK, for the inspiration.

Ah, qu'est-ce qu'on peut?

2008-05-21T11:19:00.001-04:00

Guinea's Consensus Prime Minister Sacked

By James Butty Washington, D.C.21 May 2008
Butty interview with Toure - Download (MP3) Butty interview with Toure - Listen (MP3)

Guinea's consensus prime minister Lansana Kouyate was removed late Tuesday night by a presidential decree read on state television. Kouyate was appointed early 2007 by President Lansana Conte to ease months of anti-Conte protests that left over 100 people dead and hundreds more injured.

VOA's West Africa correspondent Nico Colombant said Kouyate has been replaced by Ahmed Tidiane Souare, a former minister of mines and of education. Colombant said according to agreements made with unions, President Conte was not supposed to unilaterally dismiss the prime minister.

Sidya Toure is former prime minister of Guinea and leader of the opposition Union of Republican Forces. From Guinea's capital, Conakry, he told VOA that the opposition was shocked by the sudden news of Prime Minister Kouyate's dismissal.

"We just heard on the evening news on the television, and we were really surprised because we didn't know that the problkem between the president and the prime minister was so big," he said.

Kouyate was appointed early 2007 by President Conte as a consensus prime minister to ease months of anti-Conte protests that left over 100 people dead and hundreds more injured.
Toure said the opposition was not surprised that President Conte did not inform the opposition about Kouyate's sudden sacking.

"We were not consulted, but this is not a surprise because when he was nominated we were not consulted too. The difference is that today the president has a new prime minister who was not nominated from the riots of last year. This prime minister is his (Conte's) prime minister," he said.

Toure said some in the opposition have known for some time that things were not going well between the former prime minister Kouyate and President Conte because they not working together.

President Conte has been in power for more than 24 years, and opposition parties have been demanding free and fair elections. In an interview with VOA last year, Kouyate said his government had drafted and passed what he called genuine election laws for the formation of a national electoral commission.

Toure said the political climate in Guinea has not been good because the opposition has been divided.

“During the first six, seven months we had unity among trade unions and political parties, and we tried to do something. But today the situation has changed. It’s not been a very good situation because we are really divided. This is why we will have the meeting tomorrow to have a common position,” Toure said.

Picture in the GSIS Newsletter

2008-04-01T11:25:00.001-04:00

My favorite Guinea picture made it into the GSIS newsletter! Check it out:

http://www.du.edu/gsis/pdf/alumni/newsletter/current.pdf

Siguiri Market Burns

2008-03-28T12:29:00.001-04:00

Fire ravages Guinea city

AFP
Published:Mar 28, 2008

CONAKRY - A major fire has devastated parts of a city in northeastern Guinea, including the central market where it began, though it was unclear whether there were casualties, residents told AFP.
The fire began accidentally last night in Siguiri at a store where dozens of fuel barrels were stored for sale on the black market, witnesses said. The store owner had been working among the barrels while smoking a cigarette, they said.
Nearly all of the central market was destroyed and residents were fleeing the blaze late yesterday.
Siguiri has no fire station, but employees from Ashanti Goldfields mining company, which operates nearby, had gone to the scene.
Siguiri is a mining city located on the Niger River near the Mali border and has some 60,000 residents.
Guinea has been hit by fuel shortages recently.

2008-02-01T23:26:00.001-05:00

It's snowing. It's also thundering and lightening. I'm confused.

2008-01-10T18:41:00.000-05:00

Guinea general strike called off
By Will Ross BBC West Africa correspondent

Last year's strike ended when a new PM was announcedAfter days of negotiations, trade unions in Guinea have called off a nationwide strike planned for Thursday.
There were fears the strike could have led to a renewal of violence which left close to 200 people dead last year.
The unions last week accused Guinean President Lansana Conte of breaking the power-sharing agreement which ended last year's violence.
They have now agreed to work with the government to ensure the deal holds, leading to a sense of relief.
It is a hand-to-mouth existence for many who simply could not have afforded to strike.
"We have decided to suspend the strike, taking into account the situation which currently prevails," union negotiator Boubacar Biro Barry told reporters.
"The government has made a commitment and we have no reason to doubt it, and religious leaders will be in charge of monitoring the implementation of the agreement," he said.
Violent protests
The trade unions said the decision was made in the interests of peace and even mentioned the forthcoming African Cup of Nations football tournament as one of the factors influencing the decision.

President Conte has clung to power despite poor health
In addition to the personal economic impact, the planned strike was also not popular with many Guineans because of the fear of repeat of the chaotic scenes witnessed one year ago.
At the time the government was barely functioning and the trade unions tried to force the ailing Mr Conte from power.
The move was hugely popular, so the unions brought the whole country to a standstill.
But protests soon became violent and when the president turned to the military, close to 200 people were killed.
Despite his poor health, President Conte clung on but agreed to hand over some of his power to a consensus prime minister, Lansana Kouyate.
But in recent months loyalists to Mr Conte, who found themselves sidelined from power and resources, have done their best to derail the peace agreement.
When the president last week sacked Communications Minister Justin Morel Junior, considered by many to be performing well, this prompted the unions to once again raise the red flag.
IMF help
Prior to Mr Kouyate's appointment, to say governance in Guinea was chaotic would be an understatement.
It was not uncommon for a cabinet reshuffle to be announced on state television and then cancelled the following evening.
Guinea was rudderless and corruption grew ever more rampant while the population grew ever more desperate.
What is worrying for Guineans is the return of these signs of trouble at the top.
The country is rich in resources, including bauxite needed to produce aluminium, and institutions like the International Monetary Fund have been trying to help Guinea back on its feet.
However, after years of misrule, that is a huge task.

And so it begins... again....

2008-01-06T19:20:00.001-05:00

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1105ap_guinea_strike.html

2007-12-23T13:19:00.000-05:00

Is everyone excited for Christmas??!! I feel like a kid this year - counting down the days! I blame it on the fact that last year, I was in Guinea, where it was 90 degrees. Last year, it was hard to listen to White Christmas without dreaming of a normal American holiday season. I was staying with my boyfriend for the holidays in Conakry, and his host family knocked on our door on Christmas Eve and gave us freshly-knocked-off-the-tree coconuts. They said, "we know this is a holiday for you, so, Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas)" It was so sweet. I just reread my blog entry from last year, and I realize how simple life was, and how happy I was. But still, it wasn't Christmas.

Without our families and traditions, it didn't really feel like Christmas. But this year is different. I am cooking Christmas Eve dinner at my mom's, and I am so excited! Here's the menu:

**Starter salad with arugula, shaved parmesan, pomegranite seeds, and a balsamic-orange vinaigrette**

**Roasted chicken with proscuitto-herbed butter, mashed potatoes, and proscuitto and goat cheese wrapped asparagus**

**Homemade apple tart a la mode for dessert**

I can't wait!! Plus the Christmas music, the gifts, the festive mood! And then on Christmas morning, my mom, Reid and I are going skiing! What a treat! I am so excited - more excited for Christmas than the last multiple years combined! I think it may have taken me a year away from my home in order to truly appreciate my family in my life, if that makes any sense.

I still wish I could be with my entire extended family. I have missed them more and more as the holidays have passed. Hopefully soon, I can figure out the $ and the time for a trip to good ol' Wheeling.

I hope everyone else is enjoying the holidays. Merry Christmas!!!

I have found my leaf sauce

2007-12-17T18:40:00.001-05:00

Last night, after a long day of skiing, Reid and I went to our newest favoritest Indian place. As I was contemplating what to get, I asked Reid, "do I feel like a saag?"

"Ewww... that's just leaf sauce! But with spinach, not sweet potato leaves." he replied. As many of you know, I LOOOOOVVED leaf sauce in Guinea. I would buy the ingredients for my family weekly so I could be guaranteed my favorite sauce once a week. I have missed it dearly since I have left. I have not tried to make it, as I don't know where to get manioc or sweet potato leaves. Lately, I have had dreams about slicing leaves in my hand with my family and eating leaf sauce over rice with my hand.

So, I ordered the aluu saag, and ate leaf sauce once again. It was a different leaf sauce, and I ate it with a fork, but it satisfied that craving, and I am happy.

Interesting article on irrigating the desert

2007-12-10T13:41:00.000-05:00

Timbuktu's Climate Change Fight

Eucalyptus, eh? I am always amazed by man's ability to overcome geography and climate. With appropriate investment and work, impoverished, land-locked nations may be able to overcome thier unlucky locales.

Hotel Rwanda

2007-12-05T12:22:00.000-05:00

Last night, Reid and I watched Hotel Rwanda, which was probably a bad idea.

After seeing Guinea fall apart for a couple of weeks last January--going to sleep to the sound of gunfire, seeing the black smoke of protestors, and living the chaos that is African political change--watching true war/genocide was a bit much. I think it just hit too close to home.

Interestingly enough, I only cried at one part - when the foreigners abandon the Rwandans. All the white people with their passports rush to get on busses to evacuate, and Paul learns that the rest of the world does not care and will not send any intervention forces. I think deep sentiments of guilt still linger in my heart, as I abandoned my family and friends for safety. And then for the American life. And I have yet to go back.

2007-11-29T13:14:00.000-05:00

Life is good.

I have finished my Masters.

Yesterday, I got an email from my favorite professor, George DeMartino, saying he had graded my "Substantial Research Paper" (SRP), and I had gotten an A! An A!

When I picked up the paper this morning, there was the following comment:

"Nicely done. Beautifully writtten and well argued. You demonstrate the theoretical sophistication of a scholar AND the writing ease of a journalist - a rare combination indeed."

I am so happy! I feel that my efforts in the last 3 years have finally paid off. This paper really brought the whole experience together - Peace Corps and GSIS. I invested a lot in writing it--so much so that I was scared for others to read it. But it has paid off, and I am very proud of my accomplishment.

So, now onto the celebrations!

2007-08-30T16:49:00.000-04:00

http://www.globalresponse.org/content/DU%20Chancellor%27s%20reply%20re%20Murdy%20Award.pdf

Korbel Dinner

2007-08-30T12:59:00.000-04:00

Absurdity. Closed-minded. This was just in the "Buff News", a little thing that goes out via email to students of CU Boulder regarding events, student groups, etc.

UNIVERSTIY OT AWARD CEO OF INTERNATIONAL LAW-BREAKING CORPORATION

The CEO of Newmont Mining, the world's second largest gold-miner, will be receiving the "International Bridge-Building Award" from Denver University. Newmont is alleged to be involved in police and military repression of Indigenous communities in the United States and Latin America where its cyanide, arsenic, and mercury-polluting mines are unwanted. Thursday August 30th on the South UMC terrace at 4:45. We bus to Denver and join the broad coalition event to stop the award.

These people know nothing of the work Newmont is doing. Please, everyone, shut up and listen to the facts. Please read Newmont's 2006 Social Responsibilty Report, which has been accredited by World Monitors, Inc.

2007-08-23T18:08:00.000-04:00

I received the following email this morning protesting the recognition GSIS is giving to Wayne Murdy of Newmont Mining. I am deeply embarassed by the GSIS community of students and faculty right now, as they refuse to open their minds and look deeper into the issue before opening their mouths and putting their signature on such a letter.

I am not shocked by the email I received, just disappointed. In the past, I would have also been appalled by GSIS honoring a man from the world of mining, but with further research, I see that Wayne Murdy is one of the few good men in a horribly corrupt business. He has a vision that I share - a world in which big business is no longer at odds with the advancement of civil society, development and the preservation of the environment.

I have been a part of the corporate programs that train Newmont in 21st century business skills that focus highly on ethics. I have watched the idea of sustainable development infiltrate the minds of the leadership of Newmont. It has been marvelous!

I have also lived in a gold mining town in Guinea, West Africa, and I know what kind of development occurs with such an extractive process. Lots of money pours in, helping greatly in the short run, but little long term development takes place. Wayne Murdy has a bigger vision, and I support GSIS' decision to honor that.

I suggest we GSIS students open our minds a bit and not condemn a man for his company's past, but rather thank him for his struggle to change its future.

If you would like to talk more about this and the good Newmont is doing, please let me know.

***************************************
Here is the aforementioned closed-minded letter:

Dear Member of the University of Denver Community,

If you share our concern, please sign the attached letter and send it back to sandras112@yahoo.com by August 24th.

On August 30th, Wayne Murdy the Chairman and CEO of Newmont Mining Corporation will be given a top honor at the Graduate School of International Studies' prestigious Korbel Dinner. This blatant conflict of interest with GSIS' values is inexcusable. Newmont mining is honoring someone whose company is accused of perpetrating the abuses many of us work everyday to prevent!
For more information about GSIS's honoring of Newmont, the Denver Post has published this article: http://www.denverpost.com/allewis/ci_6541381

In fact, Oxfam America is currently circulating the following letter about Newmont:

"Late last year, Father Marco Arana and Dr. Mirtha Vasquez Chuquilin were working on behalf of poor communities near the Yanacocha Mine in Peru, when they became the targets of death threats, harassment and surveillance at work and in their homes.

An investigation by the Peruvian publication La Republica revealed that a firm hired by Newmont Mining to provide security at the mine was involved in the surveillance."

If you are as appalled as we are, please join us in sending a letter of protest to the University of Denver administration with a copy sent to the Denver Post editor. You can add your voice of protest by sending your name, degree, graduation year, and current position (optional) to Sandra Sirota at sandras112@yahoo.com by August 24th. The dinner is at the end of the month, so we have a short time to make our complaints known.

Sincerely,

Sandra Sirota, Anne Coughlin, and concerned GSIS Alumni
**************************

2007-07-31T23:16:00.000-04:00

I would like to propose a toast to those going back.

Enjoy it for all of us.

Good luck guys!

New Post Needed

2007-07-17T13:21:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I haven't posted in a long time. I wish I could say I have been away from computers or been too busy or been doing at least something! But I can't. Truth be told, I have been too boring to write anything. I work, I eat, I workout, I sleep. Occasionally, there is a movie, a new restaurant, a new friend, but it never seems worth a posting.

America is just not as exciting as Guinea, although it is nice not to have to worry about survival every day. No bush taxi adventures here - I drive an Altima. No sheeps head-butting me - only dogs passing by when I walk in Wash Park. No hazardous bikerides through downtown Siguiri - I ride stationary bikes at the gym now.

So, pardon the boringness and lack of posting. I need to find the small inspirations in my life again.

Day in Summit County

2007-06-25T12:55:00.000-04:00

Reid and I just spent another Colorado-filled weekend. Saturday, we drove up to Loveland Pass and spent the afternoon in Keystone by the creek. Here are some pictures:

Reid along the trail:

Me in the June Snow:

Where are we going to go next weekend?

Failed State Index

2007-06-18T15:06:00.000-04:00

Foreign Policy's Instability Index of 2007

Please note Guinea is number 9, the highest Peace Corps nation on the list. Well, I guess Peace Corps isn't actually active there anymore. Crazy. I remember before I left seeing Guinea on this list and being a bit scared. I had heard stories of evacuation and all, and I was oddly fascinated, but I never thought it would be me. And now look at where I am...

Let's all hope for a brighter future for Guinea.

Day in Rocky Mountain National Park

2007-06-17T23:38:00.000-04:00

Reid and I spent the day in Rocky Mountain National Park, and on the top of Trail Ridge Road, we tried to take a picture. But it was so windy, Reid decided to take a video instead.

For more pictures, click here.

2007-05-15T11:30:00.000-04:00

I am about 4 weeks into the American dream, and I hate it right now. I am not sleeping enough, I arrive home tired and cranky to my boyfriend, and I don't have time to take care of myself.

The combination of working and grad school is kicking my butt. But it's going to be over soon, and I hope things get better once the Masters is done. But there's a part of me questioning whether this is the life I want or not. Don't worry, everyone... I'm not quitting my job; I'm not leaving the apartment; I'm not going back to Guinea. Well, not yet. But to a small piece of me, it all sounds appealing.

We'll see how long I last here in the real world.

2007-04-28T12:42:00.000-04:00

So, I was all excited to go to the Sushi Boat last night. I got all pretty after the gym, Reid looked good, we jumped into the car, and my spirits were high. After all, who doesn't love to go back to their favorite restaurant after a 16 month hiatus?

We drove all the way down I-25, exited on Hampden, made a left on Locust, and turned into the parking lot. But everything was dark. "Maybe I am in the wrong parking lot. Where did the Sushi Boat go?" I asked myself. I looked around a bit more, and then I noticed the last remnant of the Sushi Boat - a giant wooden boat on top of the building that used to say to me, "Welcome, Amy. It's great to see you again! Come and let me get you a caterpillar roll and an asparagus roll. We know they are your favorites! Oh, and for dessert, let me bring you two beautiful pieces of unagi." Well, last night, the boat on top of my favorite sushi place no longer talked to me. Everything was dark. The Sushi Boat had been boarded up and closed down.

Now, I know it wasn't the most popular place. I know the people of Denver always prefer the Sushi Den. In fact, before I left for Guinea, I called to make reservations for my party, and they asked me, "Wait, a reservation for 20 people? This is the Sushi BOAT, not the Sushi Den. Ma'am, did you mean to call the Sushi Den?" No I did not! I love you, my dearest Sushi Boat!

It makes sense they couldn't stay open. Often Heather and I were one of three tables seated on Friday night. But they never brought me a bite of sushi I didn't like.

They will be missed. Now, where am I supposed to go????

Let's Celebrate!

2007-04-25T20:26:00.000-04:00

This man is about to start working for a law firm:

Yes, Reid got a job! I will tell you all more about it (i.e. brag about my amazing boyfriend) soon!

Rainy thoughts

2007-04-24T10:14:00.000-04:00

I told Reid it never rained here. I told him it woud always be sunny. But today, it's pouring. Horizontally. It's cold. Honestly, it's the perfect day to stay inside with a great book, but I have to head to work instead. I guess most people have to do the same. Except for the last year and a half, I didn't have to. For the last year and a half, I was able to stay indoors on days like this, enjoying a cup of tea and some rest, but that life is over, isn't it? Instead, I trudge through the rain to come to work hoping my hair doesn't get wet, my computer stays safely dry, and my pants don't get ruined.

It's quite the change, but it is time....

Interview

2007-04-16T15:50:00.000-04:00

Reid has an interview today, and I am the one who is nervous. Well, so is he, but anyway....

I know he is going to be amazing and have a Denver job in no time!

Good luck, honey!

My Guinea Stuff

2007-04-13T19:02:00.000-04:00

I was evacuated in January. The stuff I packed in my house in Siguiri may get to me by August. Here's the email I received today:

"I’m sure many of you are wondering about the status of the baggage you shipped from Guinea. Here is what I can tell you: The shipment is being sent by sea freight and will not arrive in the United States for at least another three months."

Thanks Peace Corps for getting the job done, but in the lengthiest manner possible.

2007-04-13T00:17:00.000-04:00

So, it's supposedly going to snow tonight. Accumulation up to 12 inches in Denver is possible. I come home from Mali, barely escaping the oncoming hot season, but you know what I didn't escape? Denver's late spring snows.... Grrr.... I don't even know if I have gloves.

2007-04-13T00:16:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

2007-04-10T23:21:00.000-04:00

I apologize for the oversight, everyone, but I left something

out of the last entry that was critical:

THANK YOU, my MK, for helping me get a job so quickly and being a shoulder to lean on as I resettled. You have made my 1st month back so much better, you have no idea. I love you!

On track....

2007-04-08T20:19:00.000-04:00

So, life has been getting better. The apartment is lookin' good with its new furniture (pictures to come really soon, Guinea soon that is....), and I am loving living with Reid. After making a bomb middle eastern lunch for my mom and our landlord, we sit here, each in our comfy chairs, each with a laptop and a cup of homemade chicken soup (it's been snowing here). It's quite cute, really. And it feels right.

Oh, and sorry I didn't mention it sooner, but I GOT A JOB! I will be a program coordinator at the Institute of Leadership and Organizational Performance (aka, The Institute) at Daniels College of Business at DU. I will be helping to organize all the events of the Insitute, including Second Friday Seminars and the custom programs Daniels does for Denver businesses like Kaiser Permanente and Newmont Mining (they mine gold in Northern Ghana!). It's going to be a great job with a great group of people, and I can't wait to start. Although I know when I start, I give up the Peace Corps way of life (meaning 4-5 hours of work, MAX, a day). But it's gotta happen and I have to pay some bills, so "hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to the real job I go."

Life is going well, and it's only going to get better!

Insomnia

2007-04-02T03:36:00.000-04:00

I know I haven't written since I have been home. There's a reason. There's nothing I am comfortable with sharing. I opened up blogger many times to share the small stuff I have done in Ameriki. I got a fancy iPod. I have an apartment. I got a car. It's red and gorgeous, and the pictures would make you all smile for me. Especially if you knew how much I loved Ricki, my old car. My new car is like a revamped Ricki, and I am supposed to be happy. I was going to tell everyone about how great life was with this new red dream, but the truth is the car stresses me out.

Pretty much everything stresses me out these days. Readjustment's a bitch. So many decisions to make, no time to make them. And each time I make a decision, I second guess it every time I think about it. I got a new apartment which is pretty - just as pretty as my car - but it has caused me more stress than happiness. Is Reid going to like it? Are we going to make a good life there? Can I pay the rent? Where will my shoes go? Could we have gotten a cheaper one? But in the same neighborhood? Is the commute going to be annoying? Are the gym/ roads/ building/ supermarket going to be too crowded, making me wish I lived in the less hectic suburbs? I can't even list all the questions I have asked myself about every single decision I have made.

All this adds up to one thing: I feel more insecure and scared than I think I have ever been. Don't laugh. It IS more difficult than leaving for Guinea.

But, just as in the past, I know in my brain it will all work out. I know I will love the apartment, the car, the job, the classes. I know I can handle it all in the long run. I am good at this stuff. That's what my brain says. But my nerves say something different. I am terrified. I am out (way far out) of my comfort zone.

But life is dreadful inside the comfort zone. I can't stay in there too long. Every year or two I need to be scared. I need life to challenge me and I need to conquer it. And I will conquer it. But it's a process. And writing my first honest blog entry from America is a step in the right direction. I am being honest, not only with all of you, but with myself.

I am done ignoring the pain, the fear, the discomfort, the anxiety.... I am going to feel it all, be aware of it, and live. Isn't it times like this that make me feel most alive? I am experiencing the true spectrum of emotion, and in the ashes of a great loss, I am going to rebuild and live on. And I will be put together and happy again soon.....

A New Video (the other one disappeared)

2007-03-14T22:53:00.001-04:00

Back in the Developed World and Not Happy About It

2007-03-08T14:46:00.000-05:00

I am sick of travelling. I just want to come home. I really need to start living a life that doesn´t involve a backpack. I am tired.

I just found out the Nortons (the American missionary family) are going back to Siguiri, and it just breaks my heart. In fact, I teared up at this little internet cafe as I read their email. I am very jealous. I would give anything to still be in Bamako getting ready to go back. I am angry and confused. I know I have a lot to look forward to at home, but I truly feel like I had spent so much time working towards my second year, and it was all ripped away from me. I worked for a year to learn a language, make friends, feel comfortable, learn how to eat, do laundry, learn everything. The second year was supposed to be the comfortable time that was going to make up for all the hell I had gone through in the first. My projects were finally going to start working; my relationships were finally strong; my life in Siguiri was finally enjoyable. And then it was all taken away. All I want right now is to go back. I am grieving from a loss that was out of my control, and my life will never be the same. I need to find a way to let go and be happy again, but I am not really sure how to start.

After 12 days in Morocco, Reid and I have traveled about an hour down the coast from Barcelona to a town called Sitges - a cute village right on the Mediterranean. It´s gorgeous and the sun was out today and we ate cheese and chorizo and crackers on the beach, but I just wanted to go back to the hotel and nap. Who isn´t happy when they lie on the beach facing the green blue Mediterranean? I think I am depressed, and I need some support to start dealing with all of this.

At least I have a wonderful place to go home to. If I can´t be in Siguiri, there is no better place than Denver. I will be coming home soon.

2007-02-21T16:13:00.000-05:00

I am no longer a Peace Corps volunteer. I had waited so long to become a PCV, and now it's over. In a flash, it all disappeared. I finished up medical yesterday, my DOS and everything else today. And then I said good-bye to all of my amazing friends here. Now, I wait for my bus. It's over.

At least I have something good to look forward to. Slowly, we have been worki ng back towards the developed world. First we upgraded from Guinea to Mali. Tonight, I am flying from Bamako to Morocco with Reid and Sarah for 12 days. Another step up. After that, Reid and I are off to Spain for 10 days of so. And then, home to Denver.

I am not sure if I am ready for it or not.

But a good shower and comfy bed sure does sound nice. It's been quite a year.

Take a Peek

2007-02-18T15:18:00.000-05:00

The following statement comes from Omali Yeshitela, Chairman of the Interim Committee of the African Socialist International (ASI). The ASI has as its historical mission the unification and liberation of Africa under an all-African socialist government under the leadership of the African working class and poor peasantry. The ASI calls on all who receive this document to forward it to as many contacts as possible and distribute it around the world in order to lend support to the just struggles on the ground in Guinea-Conakry, West Africa.

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/02/16/18364399.php

Discuss amongst yourselves.....

Conakry Manifestations

2007-02-13T14:27:00.001-05:00

Found this video of protestors being dispersed by the military.

Martial Law Declared

2007-02-13T09:19:00.000-05:00

Guinea's military enforce martial law to end unrest

By Mohamed Camara CONAKRY, Feb 13 (Reuters)

Guinea's military clamped a security lock on the capital Conakry and other towns on Tuesday after President Lansana Conte declared martial law in the West African state to stamp out violent protests against his rule.

Heavily armed soldiers and police patrolled the largely deserted streets of the dilapidated seaside capital, enforcing a strict curfew that will only allow people out of their homes for four hours, between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Residents said they saw truckloads of helmeted troops in camouflage fatigues heading out of the city. Other major towns, such as Kankan and Nzerekore in the east, were also reported to be under tight military control.

"There is heavy deployment of soldiers at crossroads, controls have been stepped up," said one Conakry resident, who asked not to be named. Conte went on state TV and radio on Monday night to announce the military crackdown, which will last until Feb. 23. It was aimed at quelling a wave of riots and looting across the country that accompanied the relaunch by unions on Monday of a general strike opposing the president's 23-year rule.

Union leaders say Conte, a reclusive, chain-smoking diabetic in his 70s, is no longer fit to rule Guinea, the world's No. 1 exporter of bauxite. Foreign-run bauxite mining operations have been disrupted by the strike and protests. At least nine people were killed in clashes between protesters and security forces on Monday.

This brought to more than 110 the number of people killed since early January in union-led protests against Conte. The martial law decree gives sweeping powers to the military, which has backed Conte since he took over in a 1984 coup, to arrest anyone suspected of threatening state security.

The measures also forbid all public meetings and empower the military to censor newspapers and all radio and television broadcasts. The army can also monitor private communications, such as telephone calls, faxes and emails.

PERSECUTION FEARS

Union and opposition leaders said they were being watched and feared persecution. "There's no mediation right now. We're on the look-out because in a state of siege, the only order is military order ... we're all under surveillance at home," said union negotiator Ousmane Souare.

Unions resumed the nationwide stoppage after Conte named a close ally, Eugene Camara, as prime minister on Friday. Union leaders said this violated a power-sharing deal to end an 18-day strike last month which left more than 90 people dead and tested Conte's grip on power. Opposition leaders said they did not believe the declaration of martial law would stifle the popular pressure for change.

"Either Conte leaves or he names someone else. If he names someone and the people accept, things will calm down," said one political opponent, Mamadou Ba. "I don't think he realises that the crisis needs to be resolved through dialogue," he added. State TV and radio played music and repeated excerpts of the martial law decree announced by Conte, who wore a white robe and white cap during his broadcast.

Conakry residents said the sound of heavy gunfire was heard overnight coming from the November 8 highway bridge that leads into the city's administrative centre. It was not clear what caused the shooting.

It's Official

2007-02-13T09:14:00.000-05:00

Peace Corps has suspended its program in Guinea.

I am coming home.

Guinea in Flames

2007-02-10T09:12:00.000-05:00

Last night, the president, Lansana Conte, finally named a new prime minister for Guinea. His choice was Eugene Camara, a long-time friend of his who will never question his actions or actually assert any power. This is basically a slap in the face of the Guinean population, and the people are pissed. Apparently, they are out in the streets again, ready to die for change.

Today, the violence has been worse than the bad day two weeks ago. We are hearing reports of people dying all across the country. I have heard that the people of Siguiri have ransacked the house of the Minster of Finance (who is from my town), people burned a soldier alive who had shot four people in Kankan, and the president's entourage killed a young boy on their way to his hometown.

Doesn't look like we're going back....

BBCNews Article from Today

Conakry, 2 weeks ago

"We are ready to die for change."

Mudcropolis

2007-02-07T09:08:00.000-05:00

I am not sure if I am happy or not to be back in the simulated village of Tubaniso outside of Bamako.

Our trip to Djenne and Mopti was amazing, tiring, beautiful, annoying, energizing, and everything in between. On Friday morning, we left before dawn to catch a bus up the main paved road in Mali to the junction with the road to Djenne. This was a novelty to me because in Guinea, we don’t have anything but taxis (painful) and mini-buses (more painful). We were so excited to have our own seats in a bus and be on the road by 7:30, we didn’t realize there was absolutely NO VENTILATION. We were seriously trapped in a moving steamer for 10 hours traveling towards the Sahara. I think I would have preferred a camel. But we made it to the junction and got off the bus (the bus almost drove away with Reid still on) and waited for a couple of hours for our taxi to leave for Djenne. I learned that taxis are just as ghetto here as they are in Guinea when Reid and I stuffed in to share the front seat, but halfway to Djenne, the door flew open and Reid almost fell out. Yay, Africa.

We arrived before sundown, found a hotel, ate, and settled in. We woke up early the next morning for our grand 3 hour tour of the desert town. Djenne is a town made completely out of mudstone, lots of mudstone, and when you walk around, you truly feel transported back in time. Their mosque, the largest mudstone structure in the world, was huge and very impressive. Unfortunately, we “couldn’t” go inside (we could have if we paid the right person enough money), but the architecture was astounding. Guinea has nothing like it. In the afternoon, we took a horse cart out to a Peul village and a Bozo village to see more amazing mud structures and be harassed by more annoying children.

The next day, we took a minibus (more painful) to Mopti, a large port town along the Niger River. This is where the salt arrives from Timbuktu, which of course, made me the happiest person ever. I am officially obsessed with the desert and the camel caravans that transport salt and other goods. The salt has been mined from dried lakes in the Sahara for centuries and transported on the camel caravans to Timbuktu and then sent via boat along the Niger to Mopti. And there I stood, watching boats arrive from Timbuktu unloading slabs of salt. I tasted one. It was a huge dirty chunk of pure salt from the Sahara, transported for hundreds of miles via camel caravan and the river. Guess what it tasted like. Salty. But what an amazing trip that piece of salt made!

Our return trip to Bamako was similarly hot, sweaty, but fast. After a loooong trip to see some mud and taste some salt, I was glad to return back to hot baths and good (free) food. But this week, we are starting our In-Service Training, which means I am going to be sitting in 100 degree heat being trained on things that I may never be able to put into practice if we don’t go back to Guinea. Sounds like fun?

We still don’t know anything about returning to Guinea or transferring somewhere else. We are all just waiting some more, which is a bit painful, but I always said Peace Corps was going to teach me patience (and I'm alright as long as I keep getting per diem!). I will keep you guys updated as new information arrives.

Update from the Sahel

2007-02-01T15:21:00.000-05:00

It's hot, sunny, and deathly dry. Oh no! Where's my chapstick and water bottle? Looks like I must still be in the deserts of Mali.

After weeks of hell, my mom flew home out of Bamako on Tuesday morning, returning safely to America, where she can drink the water and not fear for her life. Since then, I have been hanging out at the training center (Tubaniso) where they are housing all of the Guinea refugee volunteers. The training center is a faux Malian village – with huts and latrines, but also running water, good food, and electricity. It’s very confusing – am I in Africa or am I in a simulation of an Africa village at some amusement park? Should I say good morning in English, French, Malinke, or Bambara? How do they get such fresh and delicious vegetables in the desert? I am so confused....

I have resigned to my fate - none of those questions matter. It's weird, but it will work.

Since arriving on Tuesday, we have also been doing a lot of nothing around here, although I have been going into Bamako from here to enjoy good restaurants and shopping. I can’t tell you how nice it is to not worry about anything right now. My mind is clear, and I think I am slowly starting to process all that has happened.

The most popular topic of conversation around these here parts has been "what are we going to do?" "Are we going back to Guinea?" I put my money on not going back ($25 dollars in fact, which ain't no chump change here). In order for us to go back, Peace Corps says they have to feel confident that they can take care of us and not worry about this happening again. But change in Guinea occurs slowly…. this is likely to happen again. "So, what if we don’t go back?" We can either accept the end of our Peace Corps experience with an “Interrupted Service” or we can transfer to a choice of countries for one more year or two (depending on the requirements of the country). “So, what are you thinking about doing?” has truly been the question of the week. There are many who are thinking about going back to the US. There are many that are excited to go somewhere else. I, myself, am not sure about that. Honestly, I am only sure about one thing – I want to go back to Siguiri.

But before we find out, there is a lot of waiting time. We have to see how things fall back into place in Conakry and across the country. I am going to try to make the most of my waiting time by traveling through Mali as much as PC will allow. Tomorrow, I am heading to Djenne for the weekend, where there is the largest mud brick structure in the world. I am so excited to see this country, and I am happy to be doing it without taking vacation time!

After this short trip, I am heading back to the training site for an In Service Training (IST), where we will try to stay on top of our work (whether we return to it or not). Hopefully once IST is done, I will be on the road again seeing the rest of Mali, all the while, waiting to hear that we are cleared to return home to Guinea.

First Trip to the Market

2007-01-30T09:02:00.000-05:00

Journal Entry from January 23rd, 2007
Siguiri, Guinea

At sunrise on the day after the chaos, right after the first prayer call of the day, gunfire rang constantly for nearly an hour. But by 9:30, the gunfire had all but ceased.

The military had set up a very visible and intimidating blockade about 50 yards from my front door to protect the police commissioner (the man the people had vowed to kill). I always thought I'd be safe living so close to the police station. But yesterday and today, it was the hottest spot in town.

Haidja came to my door and said it was safe to go to the market. She asked me if I wanted to go with her and the 3 other women in my concession. I said I was scared. She said it was fine - no more gunfire - and that we were going as a group. I agreed reluctantly, letting my curiosity override my natural instinct to go inside and hide.

So we left together but took a different route to the market - a much longer walk just to avoid the police station in between my home and the market. Along the road, there were smouldering piles of ash - remnants of the burning tires and chaos of the day before. As Jeff said, days later, Siguiri looked like a warzone.

I was terrified, especially as we passed the military men armed with automatic weapons. The women of my family made fun of me for being scared, but you could tell they were scared too. To calm us all, we walked arm-in-arm, protecting one another from anything that might happen. We walked down the deserted streets charred with yesterday's anger, hearing distant gunfire along the way.

I think I might have been certifiably insane for making the decision to go.

We reached the main road, which was eerily deserted, and crossed over to the market area. No need to avoid motos and trucks and cyclists - nobody was out except a few vendors. A block from the main road, women were out selling eggplant, rice, oil, leaves, and other Guinean essentials cramped into two or three blocks. The area was packed with women, everyone a little rushed and jumpy from the day before.

I wasn't really sure why I came. I didn't really need food. My knees were wobbly with fright the entire time. I kept looking for open doors to run into if the shooting started again. I was incredibly paranoid and anxious, and my heart raced the entire time. Being in a crowd amplified the fear, and I felt incredibly claustrophobic. I wanted to go home, but we weren't done shopping yet. And I wasn't going to walk home alone. I almost lost my family in the crowd and tears filled my eyes from the fear of being left behind. This all happened in a place I knew so well. A place I had visited everyday for a year. Now I was incapable of functioning.

But my family took care of me, and we made it home safely. As I approached my door, I saw Rob inside and screamed for joy/relief and began to cry. It had been a stressful 24 hours. But the worst was over, and the three of us were safely inside my concession once again.

Journal Entry, January 23rd

2007-01-25T15:53:00.000-05:00

It’s 5:30 am and I can’t sleep. Siguiri is silent. I am trying to figure out how to say goodbye.

Yesterday was the day I thought would never happen. I always thought Siguiri was safe and that all people cared about was earning money (not political unrest). I never thought they would actually join in the chaos.

But when I woke up yesterday (our 11th day of standfast), there was a strange electricity in the air. I knew something was wrong, but without knowing exactly what, I instinctively packed my evacuation bag in a frenzy. But when I was done, things were fine – both here and in Conakry, as my APCD told me. So, I started my day as normal. My mom made tea and ate bread. I pulled water from the well. I got beans from my bean lady. I showered. I walked to visit the patriarch of my family, El Hadj.

But the electricity was still there, and everyone felt it. I asked El Hadj about the strike and he answered, “people are going to die today.”

I returned nervous to my house and waited for my fellow volunteer, Rob, to show up, as he had been doing everyday during standfast. I stood by the front gate of my family’s concession and watched for him. He was late.

Then I saw the black smoke and smelled burning rubber. The people of Siguiri had started to protest by marching and burning tires near the market. My family was happy and everyone was dancing in the streets (so typically Malinke). “The strike is working!” they sang.

The protestors had blocked the main streets of the market and a truck was diverted up my dirt street from the paved road to get around the chaos. The people cheered at their own success as the truck passed. Then the women coming back from the market began to run. They were running home with giant baskets balanced on their heads. “What are they hurrying away from?” I asked my family, standing at the door to my concession. But they were too happy to respond.

But where was Rob? I was still watching for him to arrive. “He must have seen the smoke and turned back,” I thought rationally, but I was still worried. What if Rob never made it in today? What about tomorrow? Would he be stranded in Kinniebakoro, or would my mom and I be stranded alone in Siguiri?

Still standing at the gate, I heard my first round of distant gunfire. It was far away, but still frightening. And then we heard a closer round. Too close. Everyone fled the streets. My family and I ran inside and shut and locked the gate. It had begun.

My mom was inside trying to stay calm. We knew it was safe in my house with my family, but the loud gunfire nearby still shook us. My knees wouldn’t really hold me up, and my hands were shaking. The children were terrified and all I could imagine were my friends out there, possibly dying in the streets.

My mom pulled out the Scrabble board, our trusted distraction these last few days, and we tried to play. “Any word related to revolution, 50 extra points,” I joked. B-A-N-G was one of our words as the gunfire continued ceaselessly around my home.

After a couple of hours, it slowed down. 2 people had been killed, the city had been ravaged, and everyone was still scared.

Right before sunset, Haidja was going to try to go to the market. We hadn’t heard anything in hours, and some people were out on the streets again. Everything seemed calm, so I decided to go with her. On our way out the door, we heard gunfire again, so our excursion was cancelled and we went back to safety.

It had been a stressful day, but it did finally quiet down. My mom and I were processing all that had happened, when the phone rang. “You know the trip we were planning for your birthday to Mali?” Reid asked. “We might be going a bit sooner than expected.” My body tightened up, my throat closed, and tears filled my eyes. “How early?” I asked. “Maybe Wednesday or Thursday,” he answered. We were to be evacuated.

I have packed my bag already. I am ready to go. I just don’t know how I am going to tell my family.

It is still dark outside. The first prayer call of the morning has been shouted from the mosque. And the gunfire has already started. Probably to scare people. To keep them inside today. I don’t want to leave my life here, but right now, I am not sure I can make it through another day like yesterday.

And I am still not sure where Rob is.

Peace Corps Guinea Evacuated

2007-01-25T15:21:00.000-05:00

I am writing from Bamako, the capital of Mali, where we have been taken after evacuating Guinea. We (my mom and I) are both safe and very happy to be out of all the chaos of Siguiri. It's been quite a trip for my mom, and honestly, I doubt she will want to come back to Africa, after having a car accident, getting sick, and listening to hours of gunfire outside of my house. But we are safe now, so don't worry.

Here's a little of the story behind why we were evacuated. The labor unions of Guinea called for a general strike to start on the 10th of January, and they asked for the president to step down. Since then, protesters have taken to the streets, and the military has tried to force them back inside. It was violent mostly in the big cities, especially Conakry. In Siguiri, the strike was quiet until last Monday, when the villagers started to protest, burning tires in the street, diverting traffic, and calling for an end to the opression. The military answered with guns, killing two (one an 11 year old boy). My mother and I were trapped in my house downtown listening to close gunfire all day. On Tuesday things started off with 45 minutes of gunfire at dawn right after prayer call, warning everyone to stay inside all day. So we stayed inside most of the day. Wednesday was back to normal, but today, Thursday, the villagers were calling for more protests and a group of men were calling for the death of the police commissioner, who had killed the little boy. Luckily, though, we didn't have to stay in Siguiri for that. Peace Corps showed up at my door at 7am to evacuate the upper region of Guinea. The rest of the volunteers will be evacuated tomorrow and Saturday. Negotiations between the president and the unions are continuing, but we shall see...

Truly, it has been great to feel safe and secure here in Mali. We are hoping to get my mom on a plane sooner than expected so she can safely get back to America. I, on the other hand, will hang out in Mali to decompress and hope for a safe return to Guinea after the violence is over. It's been a rough couple of weeks, but things are fine now and everyone is safe. Thank goodness.

I will have access to email daily, so please feel free to write and expect a response shortly.

I miss you all and hope to talk to you soon.

And please send prayers/happy thoughts to my family and friends in Guinea. They are stuck there in the midst of all of this without Peace Corps to take them to safety. Let us all hope Guinea returns to calm before too many other people are hurt.

A White Christmas, huh?

2006-12-26T09:15:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I am in Conakry (again) after a relatively pain free taxi ride from Kankan. A group of 7 of us Haute volunteers came down to the capital to celebrate Christmas with everyone else in the country, and the house has been full of ex-pat style Christmas spirit ever since we arrived. We have eaten well, exchanged presents and listened to Christmas music with our Peace Corps family for days. It’s strange celebrating a holiday like Christmas in a tropical Muslim country. It’s hot, humid, and there are no decorations anywhere in town! On Christmas Eve, Reid’s host-family knocked on the door and gave us just-knocked-off-the-tree coconuts. I suppose Guineans don't have the recipe for Grandma's Sugar Cookies, huh?

Christmas Eve dinner was spent at our Country Director’s house, but it wasn’t his normal Sunday night football affair with spaghetti. He had cooked us a beef bourgognais, which he had spent days making. Upon finishing the first round of salad, we queued up for the main course. Steve noticed we still had some dressing at the bottoms of our bowls. "You guys can rinse out your bowls if you want," he said. A few people heard and kind of shrugged off his suggestion. "No, you're gonna fuck up my sauce," he semi-jokingly clarified. I suppose after putting so much work into a delicate dish for a gaggle of uncouth Peace Corps volunteers, I would have felt similarly. It was pretty funny. We all realized how unrefined we have become!

After that, Reid and I were exhausted, so we decided to head home. By the time we got home and showered, it was eleven o'clock, so we put on the Motown Christmas CD we borrowed from a friend, opened the bottle of white wine (you know it's a special occasion when I write bottle rather than box), set the alarm clock for midnight, and sat in front of the fan on the couch sipping away. The alarm went off, and we kissed and danced around the living room to Marvin Gaye singing "Purple Snowflake". It was simple and romantic. We wished each other a Merry Christmas, felt lucky to be with each other, and went to bed.

On Christmas morning, I forced Reid to wake up around 8 (he did so begrudgingly), so I could open my presents. Each present from him was wrapped individually and put into a cute stocking. He got me nail polish, good soap, a planner, chocolate, earrings, and drumroll….. A CAN OF HOEGAARDEN BEER! You guys know how much I love that stuff! And he found it here in this country and spent a small fortune on the one can. What an amazing boyfriend, huh?

The rest of the day was spent shopping and cooking. All of our friends were heading to the islands for the day, but Reid and I stayed around, wanting to treat our closest friends to a special holiday dinner. We heard a rumor about a man who raised pigs for the ham-hungry Christian minority, so we got his number and tried to call all day, but of course, the call didn't go through. The plan foiled, and we had to go with plan b: steaks. We found the one grocery store open (We thought no Guineans would close down for a Christian holiday, but, alas, they did.), and we bought the foreign ingredients we needed that are unavailable in local markets here, like Gouda cheese. Then we got in a cab and headed over to the African open-air market by the Peace Corps house. We bought four kilos of meat cut right off the cow. The butcher was so hard at work, I to turn away to avoid catching a bone shard in my eye. He gladly plopped our nearly nine pounds of fresh flesh into a bag, and we continued back to the PC house to start working.

We had the most delectable Christmas dinner. We seared pepper coated, several-inches-thick steaks freshly cut off the still identifiable skinned cow at the market. Then we put them atop sautéed mushrooms and onions that soaked at the bottom of the pan in a red wine marinade. As they cooked, the steaks kept their moisture, became perfectly pink in the middle, and caramelized the onions and mushrooms, while turning the marinade into a yummy gravy perfect for our roasted garlic mashed potatoes whipped with real butter (Real butter may sound like a negligible item to note, but it is a real treat in Guinea where refrigeration is hard to come by). To complement such deliciousness, we steamed julienned green beans and carrots mixed in crushed cashews and butter sauce and mulled red wine with whole cloves, cinnamon, and oranges. We finished off our Peace Corps Christmas feast with a round of savory baked apples cored and stuffed with a melange of Gouda cheese, dates, raisins, butter, then sprinkled with cinnamon. The best part was that dessert had yet to come. Caron and Eldon made a chocolate peanut butter fondue in which we dunked apple, banana, coconut, and pineapple. The whole meal was so delicious, I could barely move afterwards. But the best part was sitting around a table with some of my favorite people, enjoying their company and sharing a special meal together. That’s what the holidays are all about, right? What an amazing Christmas! (and we didn’t have to do dishes!)

Christmas Dinner At the Cky House

I hope you all had an equally enjoyable Christmas, spent enjoying good company, good food, and some surprise presents. Although it’s sad not to be home, I truly do love being here and the holidays have not been as painful as I had expected.

Now, I am going to remain in Conakry for the next couple of weeks to start research on my graduate school paper and work on my projects that need internet. But on January 8th, my mom arrives in country to spend a month with me here in Guinea! I can’t wait – that’s truly the best present ever (sorry, honey, it is even better than a can of Hoegaarden). But I will be around, so please email or call if you get a chance!

ps - thanks, Reid, for helping me write all of this blog entry!

A Long December?

2006-12-13T03:52:00.000-05:00

Since arriving back at site in early December, so much has happened. I was in some sort of a rut before, not getting much work done, and quite honestly, not enjoying Siguiri too much. It was a combination of no work to do and no Reid. But now, things have changed. Life seems balanced and days are passing by with lightening speed. In fact, I am unusually busy for a volunteer. And Reid just got an Areeba cell phone (a new provider), so we can hopefully talk easily and more often.

But really the thing that has changed is that things have really taken off with work. I remember Brad, a fellow PCV said that one day things just fell into place for him and work began to take care of itself. Well, I guess that's what happened to me this December. Here’s all that has happened work wise:

*I have started going to the local APROFIG chapter daily to help teach basic computer skills from Windows to Word and Excel. APROFIG is a local NGO that works for the advancement of young women, and they have set up a computer lab where anyone can sign up for classes and pay $15 or 90,000FG (a lot!) for 2 week courses. We are teaching them how to create folders, drag and drop items, how to open up programs, and how to rename files. It's difficult to teach someone how to use a computer when they have never held a mouse before! How do you explain the difference between a single and a double click... in french? Let me tell you, it's a challenge. But my students are so happy to be learning, they appreciate even my broken French attempts to explain simple things like putting a folder into another folder. In addition, they are in the process of setting up satellite internet here, so in January, inchallah, we can start internet classes also, which I will lead!

*My Federation of Artisans have grown energetic again, and they want to start real trainings on business strategies such as accounting and SWOT analysis. So, we are having a BIG meeting next Tuesday to discuss what I have to offer and what they want to learn. They will be a HUGE amount of work once we start that! So many of them don't keep any types of books regarding their earnings or expenses, and so many have no idea how to market or how to expand - it's going to be a rewarding project... if it doesn't drive me to an early grave.

*My Lifeskills counterpart, Moussa Diawara, started a theater group while I was gone that I am apparently president of (such a Moussa thing to do), and we have been going crazy preparing skits to do for SAG’s (the gold mines) International AIDS Week. They made two skits - one with a Imam’ daughter getting married, and he insists on having everyone take an HIV test before the wedding and one where a man is propositioning women, and the first says "no, I am waiting until marriage," the next says "only if I am your only girlfriend and we get tested first," and the last saying, "only if we use a condom"(the three ways to prevent STDs - abstinence, fidelity, and condoms). Our new theater group went to a different village each day with the health team from SAG to teach all different types of people about AIDS. Last night, we even did the skits for the female workers at the mines! I didn’t even know there were females at SAG! It went really well, and it was so much fun (pictures will come soon). Now, AIDS week is over, but we are going to continue our work, hopefully teaching the artisans of Siguiri next. We are also starting a training of peer-educators, meaning that we will extensively train a handful of Guinean youth to talk to their peers about HIV. Because we have so many plans and we have been working so hard, the SAG health clinic gave us a GIANT box of Prudence Plus condoms to distribute and posters to hang up when we teach. Let me tell you, I have so many condoms (multiple thousand!) in my house, it is somewhat embarassing. Anyone need any?

*I have also started SERIOUSLY thinking about my graduate school final paper - my SRP. I am settled and ready (finally, after almost a whole year!) to start the research. It has taken awhile to actually figure out what I want to study, and it has taken a long time to also form strong enough bonds to ask the questions I want to ask. I have sat at my breakfast table each morning brainstorming ideas and thinking of questions for my research. It’s getting exciting! I will keep you posted, probably too posted, I’m sure. (ps - about this, anyone interested in helping me, please let me know, whether you are a fellow volunteer or a professor or just a kind friend)

So, that’s the work side of my life. But that’s not all that happens here. I have also had visitors (my beloved Sarah and Diana), and we partied at SAG last weekend with cool (not sketchy) miners. We had a BLAST hanging out with them - they’re a crazy bunch, and they took pity on us living the village life, so they treated us to prawn and lobster dinners and bottle after bottle of delicious wine (notice, I said bottle, not the boxes us PCVs are accustomed to). They were so kind to treat us to a night of good food, good drinks, and good laughs. As I said, they are a crazy bunch - imagine a bunch of middle-aged South Africans dancing around to heavy German rock like Rammstein, drinking whisky, wrapping everyone's head with red duck tape and then blowing up condoms on their heads. It was a blast. The highlights included drinking delicious wine and beer, watching the South Africains rock out to German music, dancing in circles with (oh, I forget his name), and of course, the GIANT PRAWNS! Pictures will come soon.

We also recently had a wedding in the Bereté family, complete with drumming and dancing. I danced and sang all night with my family, and we had a great time. The best part though was taking a break from dancing, and sharing a giant bowl of rice with the drummers, who were all hilarious men. We sat there, under the full moon, mixing rice with sauce and eating with our hands out of the same bowl. It's really one of my favorite things here in Guinea - sharing a bowl of rice with new friends or my family. I know the hygeine part is a little sketchy - everyone scooping up huge handfuls out of the same bowl and eating and licking their hands and doing it again, but I just love the comraderie of sharing a meal like that. After the meal, we went back to drumming and dancing, and I snuck out early to go to bed.

So, December has been quite eventful around here. But what do I have planned for the rest of the month? How am I going to finish 2006? I have visitors coming the weekend, I believe. And hopefully, we will once again party at SAG and have a good time. I also plan to do A LOT of work before I leave for Conakry for New Years. Inch Allah (with the help of God), all will work out. Thankfully, I have internet again in Siguiri, so please feel free to say hello - I'll get back to you quickly!

Happy holidays to everyone, and I will talk to you again soon!

Escaping Guinea – A Trip to Senegal

2006-11-23T08:42:00.000-05:00

After over 10 months in Guinea, I needed a vacation. I needed to pamper myself for a few days. I needed to eat well, feel clean, and explore a new place. Finally, last week Reid and I went on our much-needed trip to Senegal. Dakar seemed like the developed world to us, and although we had not left the continent, I felt far away from the Africa I have grown to know. We flew from Conakry to Dakar for an 8 day trip to heaven. It was an amazing trip, and I could have stayed there forever, but now that I am back in Guinea, I feel refreshed and ready to face another few months.

When we arrived in Dakar on Tuesday night, chaos was there to greet us. We exited the airport with the plan to find the #8 bus into town (yes, there's public transport!), but that was obviously easier said than done. We saw a #8 bus and its engine was on, but it was empty and everyone swore to Allah that it wasn’t going to leave. Ever. And no more were coming. This left us only one option they told us – their expensive taxi. We have learned to never believe an African when they are trying to sell you something, so we decided to stick it out and wait to see if another #8 bus came.

While waiting, a man came up to us and tried to sell me euros, shiny euros at that. I just arriving in Dakar – I don’t need EUROS! He offered me CFAs, the currency of Senegal (and some other West African countries, but not Guinea), and I jokingly said “ok, I would like to buy CFAs. With which currency? I have Guinean Francs – want those?” He looked horrified and turned around and left, obviously not getting the joke. You see, the Guinean franc is worthless outside of Guinea. It’s a “soft” currency, only to be used in Guinea. The rest of the world won’t touch it, as it literally devalues every day. So me offering someone Guinean francs outside Guinea is ridiculous, even if they are a money changer. That’s how we Peace Corps volunteers joke around in West Africa.

Anyway, the bus arrived and we got on board to head downtown. Having no small change and being clueless as to where we were going, we were a bus driver’s nightmare. But he was a friendly man who took pity on us and found us change and let us know when to get off with a smile and a nod. Dakar was a great place – everyone was friendly and helpful throughout the trip. It makes traveling by the seat of your pants a lot easier and more enjoyable.

Picture Below: View from our Bungalow, Toubab Dialaw
The next morning, after a wonderful pastry breakfast unlike anything in Guinea, we took an hour long cab ride down the beach to a town called Toubab Dialaw, an old fishing village with rocky beaches and a burgeoning European population. We spent three nights there, in a bungalow overlooking the ocean. The hotel was breathtaking, offering a beautiful tranquil environment - perfect for a romantic vacation with your honey! We spent our days there taking walks on the beach, watching sunsets, swimming in the ocean (without getting staph infections), listening to Wolof drumming, and eating well. What the locals say about Toubab Dialaw is true – it is Paradise.

Heading back to Dakar on Saturday, I was sad to leave the beach but excited to see the city life. In Dakar, we ate even better (see Reid’s description below), listened to more music, and enjoyed shopping and seeing the sites. We spent our days wandering the city and becoming familiar with the culture and people.

_____________

Why I Love Dakar by Reid MacHarg

The best marker of Senegal's lead on Guinea is that people have disposable income, which provides a market for finer things. As a result, Amy and I ate so well! In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I feel it's not totally inappropriate to spell out the decadence. Honestly, I'm still recovering and readjusting to the Guinean diet. We totally indulged in much missed calamari cooked in curry or with green peppercorns; duck a l'orange; cheap but decent white, red, and rose half liter carafes of wine; Cape Verdean cuisine; Vietnamese; impeccable Thai; Senegalese beer called Gazelle, which comes in 63cL bottles; exotic cocktails with lychee, ginger, sake, grapefruit, etc.; a West African tea called Ataya prepared in its time consuming traditional manner with mashed mint; espresso; croque monsieurs; panini; grilled prawns; fresh salads sitting at a cafe on the island ile de Goree containing tuna, grapefruit, lettuce, avocado, shrimp and corn; orangina; three cheese pizza with mozzarella, roquefort, and gruyere; Parisian pastry chops and chocalatiers; prosciutto with either goat or blue chees sandwiches on fresh baguette; ice cream; chawarmas and kaftas; a fish and shrimp melange in saffron sauce; yassa; and grilled fish on the beach. When we weren't relaxing on the beach, we were eating the smiling in front of mouth-watering meals. There were few moments when I wasn't full.

Before I move on from this subject, I have to give adequate acclaim to the Thai restaurant Amy and I went to on my birthday. It's the most beautiful restaurant I've ever been to. There was a thai garden outside complete with ponds, fish, waterfalls, and beautiful lighting. Most impressive was the giant jade face affixed to the wall with water flowing over it making it a fountain. I was already blown away by the ambience, but the food knocked me over. Seriously, have you ever had that first bite from your plate that is so good it makes you feel light-headed? I had to put down my fork and steady myself with a hand on each arm of the chair- that good. I ordered slow-roasted duck in a light thai curry with white asparagus and vermicelli. Amy got red curry and coconut prawns kicked with keffir lime leaf. I had a bite and it made my eyes roll back in my head. We figured we were on a roll, so we threw economy out the window and embraced hedonism: We asked for the dessert menu. It was easily the best nine dollars I've spent in life. I got lychee sorbet with lychee fruit, caramalized ginger, and a sprig of mint. I almost cried when it was gone. For those of you who don't know what lychee is, I highly recommend it. It's often in cocktails and desserts. It's light and slightly sweet with a texture a little more structured than watermelon. Amy ordered fried bananas with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. Hers was good, but I was really happy to have mine. It was so good that when she was done with hers, racing the rapidly melting ice-cream, we demolished what was left of mine together. Romantic? I think so.
As we sat there with a melody of flavors massaging our senses, we began to notice that we had closed down the restaurant. Every one else had left, and the waiters had started their clean-up duty. I guess the adage held true that time flies when you're having fun. We had spent three hours there in revelry. We got the check, paid the bill, and meandered out.

______________

photo below: buying silver jewelry in Goree

I don't think I could describe it much better than Reid. The food in Dakar was amazing. We ate at this amazing Cape Verdean / Portuguese / African restaurant called Chez Loutcha 4 times, always wanting to go back again the next day. For anyone headed to Dakar anytime soon, let me know, I will give you directions! Nobody will be disappointed by the range of choice and the quality of food and service in Dakar - not even those from the developed world!

We spent our last day out on Isle de Gorée, drinking beers, relaxing, and taking in the atmosphere. It's only a 20 minute ferry ride from the port of Dakar, but it felt like another world. There are artists selling the work all over the island, and it is impossible to leave the island without buying jewelry (you all know me - it's impossible for me to leave anywhere without a new story-worthy piece!).

While wandering the island, we happened upon a gorgeous tree with a huge sheep standing nearby. The sheep seemed friendly, friendly enough to pet. But when I went to sit down on a branch and take a picture, the giant evil sheep stormed towards me and head-butted me in the leg and stepped on my toe. Now, it hurt, but not enough to not laugh about it. I think it was by far the funniest thing on the trip. Luckily, as Reid was preparing to take a picture of me, he caught the Evil Sheep Attack on camera! It was hilarious, and it made our day at Isle de Goree even better. Returning to Dakar by ferry at sunset, our last day in Senegal was spent perfectly.

Overall, it was an amazing trip, a much needed one, that couldn’t have worked out better. I can’t wait to go back to Senegal (at COS time, when we are talking about over landing up to Spain), and experience more of the country. Anyone interested in meeting me there in April 2008 - let me know - it's AMAZING!

Thankgiving, Conakry Style

2006-11-23T07:20:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! This is only my second Thanksgiving spent internationally, but it’s definitely not as sad as the first. Sara, Chris, Josh, and Heather – do you remember our Thanksgiving in Freiburg? Do you remember having class that morning? Do you remember arguing over the last of the mashed potatoes? Do you remember how much we all missed our families? I sure do. This year isn’t as bad though.

Nadia and Chris at Thanksgiving 2001, Freiburg, Germany

First of all, it doesn’t really feel like Thanksgiving. It’s hot and humid, and there is certainly no talk of snow in the high-country. Second of all, there is no sign of Christmas yet. Nor do I think there will be here in my mostly Muslim home. It’s a strange feeling, although I am glad it leaves me a bit disconnected from the holiday spirit – it’s a little less painful this way.

I will, however, eat some turkey and stuffing tonight. We are having a HUGE Thanksgving dinner in the capital, Conakry, at the Country Director's house. I am really excited to eat Patience's amazing cooking and spend time with my adopted family - Peace Corps Guinea.

In the true spirit of this holiday, I do want to remember how thankful I am for my friends and family. Since I have moved to Guinea, I have become even more aware of how important you all are to me. I couldn’t be doing this without you. The support you have given me over the last year has been amazing, and I don’t even know where to begin to properly thank you.

Today, on Thanksgiving, I received two packages, again reminding me of how great my friends and family are. Just seeing the return addresses on the packages made me jump up and down – literally. Koumba and Aunt Lisa! Seeing those two names made my day – it didn’t even matter what was inside those boxes. Thank you, Schneiders and Koumba. I love you and miss you.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I love and miss you. I will write more soon.

Update

2006-11-12T13:07:00.000-05:00

So, I find myself in Conakry once again with free internet, so I figured a blog update was due. It’s been a hectic couple of months – traveling a lot and tiring myself out. Let me start back in October with the update….

I went back to Pita after I last wrote to spend a few more days with Reid doing nothing. We celebrated my birthday with a box of wine and a chicken. Guess who killed the chicken. ME! Finally, I did it and didn’t chicken out. (Wow, that was a bad joke). It was harder than I thought it would be – I learned every animal has a real desire to stay alive. But I wasn’t too traumatized to eat the tasty chicken.

My Birthday Chicken

I then went back to site before my mailrun day (see previous entry for travel stories), and I spent my real birthday in Siguiri. I was pretty scared to spend my birthday alone at site. Nothing feels more lonely than being alone on your birthday, I’d imagine, but my friend, Ibrahima took me our for a really fancy dinner at Djoma, the nicest restaurant in town on the top of a hill. It was really sweet, and I got to eat delicious meat brochettes and a salad and drink a coke. What a treat!

Then, the next day, I celebrated once again with the missionaries in town. It was their son’s birthday also, so I shared a cake with a 5 year old. It was really sweet of them to invite me over to celebrate with them – it made me feel at home… well, not quite. But it definitely made me feel less far. And that’s all you can ask for here in Africa sometimes.

So, after a joyous birthday, Reid arrived in Siguiri a few days later. Although he got sick from Haute, we had a great time swimming in the pool out at the gold mines, drinking beers, and meeting my people. Everyone was excited to finally meet the man I had talked about for months, and they welcomed him with gifts of rice, coffee, a hat from Mali, and fruit. We ate a lot of ice cream and Reid found me a meat man to buy brochettes at night. It’s funny – I go to Pita and find him a bean lady, and he comes to Siguiri an finds me a meat man. Reid was a bit overwhelmed by the Malinke energy, but he got along well with most of my family and my friends, especially my kids. We played monkey in the middle and had tickle fights and my kids fell in love with him. Everyone was sad to see him go, but we had to head down to Kankan for the Halloween party!!!

Halloween was a blast – I was an angel, and Reid dressed up as Bob Dake, a fellow volunteer that is more like a caricature than a real person. I love Bob Dake, and I love Reid, but in very different ways. I didn’t know who to kiss all night! It was a great night of dancing and drinking – you have to love a party in Haute! To see pics, visit my Flickr.com page over there-->

Bob Dake and His Angel

Unfortunately, Reid got a phone call while in Kankan that his house had been broken into and he had to run back to Pita with Peace Corps to assess the damage. Most things of value were taken, including a solar battery charger, CDs, protein powder, mayonnaise – everything. So, Reid is now planning to move sites, although we don’t know where yet. I will keep you posted.

After that, we all met in Mamou for Life Skills, a training on HIV/AIDS for volunteers and a counterpart from site. I brought my friend, Moussa, because he talks so much and loves to be the center of attention, so I figured he would spread the knowledge well. He is energetic and loves to be right, so I thought he should go around spewing true information if he is going to be going around spewing something. I didn’t really think it out though. I didn’t take into account my own sanity during the conference. His loud, aggressive character definitely got on everyone’s nerves. In the end though, he proved to be a great counterpart, performing well in our skits and writing songs about condoms and such. It was great by the end, and I do plan to return to site and work with him to educate the population on HIV/AIDS.

Me and Moussa, my Counterpart for LifeSkills

After Life Skills was finally over, I came down to Conakry to hang out for a few days before flying to Dakar for a beach and city vacation with Reid. It’s going to be great – I can’t wait! In a few days, I will be sipping cold drinks and eating wonderful developed world food on the beach! Yes, Senegal is the developed world to me now…. It’s sad.

I will be sure to write more after the trip.

On the Road Again

2006-11-10T09:09:00.000-05:00

[written on October 10 by hand in Siguiri, but typed up today]

Getting back to Kankan this time was again an ordeal. So you remember on my way to Pita, I arrived in Mamou at 3am and slept on a table until sunrise? That journey is a strong contender for the title "#1 reason Guinea sucks, but you just have to laugh about it." Can you believe that my return trip also put up a fight for that prize?

It all started in Pita when Reid and I left his house at 8am to walk (uphill 20 minutes) to the gare. I was placed in a beautiful, clean, well-running car to Mamou. I actually said to Reid, "well, maybe today won't suck like I expected it to..." Hah.

I arrived in Mamou safely in record time without pushing any cars. I bought a ticket for the Kankan car when they said was full and we would be leaving "tout de suite, " which of course means "right away" in french, but something more like "maybe before Tuesday" in Guinean. They also said the car was a Mercedes. "What luck I have today," I thought, "A Mercedes leaving rigth away!"

Well, tout de suite turned into a 6 hour wait and the Mercedes was in fact a Mercedes, but the man who put his daughter's name on his cars (that's the story right?) would have been furious that THIS was still called a Mercedes. Hey, at least it was a nice sea-foam green...

We finally get in the road, right before sunset, and I think, "ok, at least we're moving and I'm not too squished with 4 adults and 3 kids in the back seat." At sunset we stopped in Dounet to pray and break the Ramadan fast. We also picked up 2 more people going to Kankan whose car had broken down.

Alas, that was not my decision to make, so they climbed on in and "not too squished" turned nito me sitting in the front with 2 people in the driver's seat, 2 in the passengers, and 1 on the middle console facing backwards. Great. But it gets better......

At 2am, the "Mercedes" decided to not want to change gears. If we pushed the car fast enough, the driver could get into 3rd gear only and we could stay in 3rd and coast. Fine. I was pushing a car again. What's new? Stupid Guinea. But this time I have to jump into a moving car at 2am and be super squished in the front only to have to get out and push again 20 or 30 minutes later. Really stupid Guinea. Anyway, I arrived in Kankan at 4:30, made it to the hotel by 5am, slept for 2 hours, then rose again to go to the gare to get to Siguiri (via dilapidated minibus) before Conde arrived with my monthly mail visit from Peace Corps.

To end this great journey, upon arriving in Siguiri, as they were unloading my baggage from the top of the bus, I saw the Peace Corps car driving in the direction OUT OF TOWN! I had missed the mailrun, the only reason I had rushed home!

So, how does that sound? Worthy of the "#1 reason Guinea sucks, but you just have to laugh about it" prize? Stupid Guinea, but it's all an adventure, right?!

ps - Luckily I called our regional coordinator and he radioed Conde to return to Siguiri later that day with my mail, adding nealry 200 extra kilometers onto Conde's Siguiri mailrun day. Thanks Conde!

New Pictures!

2006-09-27T14:21:00.000-04:00

New Photos on Flickr! Check it out!

Update

2006-09-26T10:13:00.000-04:00

So, now that I am in Conakry with free internet for the first time in 4 months, I figure you guys should get a real update on my life. I have been away from site for awhile, visiting Pita, Labe, and Mamou for meetings and Reid-Amy time. It has been quite a trip. On my way to Pita from Siguiri, I took a taxi from Siguiri to Kankan, and then a taxi to Mamou, a junction town in the middle of the country. After a day waiting at the bustling Kankan taxi gare, I arrived in Mamou at 3 a.m, with no real place to stay. I should let you know that Mamou is known for its "bandits" that rob everyone during the night. It's a scary place. Luckily, Peace Corps has a good relationship with the agroforestry school there, ENATEF, so I went up there to find a place to stay. Well, at 3a.m, nobody was there, and no rooms were open. After some panicked searching, I found one building open - a building of classrooms. So, since I only had about 3.5 hours until sunrise, I squatted there, sleeping on a table, to avoid the bandits of Mamou. At sunrise, I left for the gare to get my taxi to Pita to finally see my honey. I arrived in Pita tired, dirty, and exhausted, but at least I had made it.

After recuperating from the 15 hours in a taxi and the night on a table, I had a wonderful few days in Pita, hanging out with the new ducks (see video below) and relaxing. Then, Reid and I headed up to Labe for my VAC meeting. In Labe, we visited Alfa's Garden (an amazing nursery to buy any type of Guinean plant) and killed a giant $4 chicken for dinner. It was a great couple days.

Then, I was supposed to head down to Mamou for a Youth Business Club meeting, but my taxi left late and then broke down en route, making me a few hours late. After the hour long hike uphill up to ENATEF, I arrived sweaty and gross, and found out I had missed the meeting by an hour or so. So, after a quick break, I turned around and went back to the gare to return to Pita, another 2 hour trip squished in a taxi. It was a wasted day and a wasted 40,000 Guinean Francs, but at least I was back in Pita by sunset.

A couple days later, Reid and I left for Conakry for our quarterly visit. Of course, we had to leave on the first day of Ramadan, when the whole country was fasting, but we made it here alive, after dealing with the issue - to eat or not to eat in front of Guineans. It was a good thing we made it here Sunday evening because Reid's eye had been bothering him for a few days, and there was a small black speck on his iris. It wasn't too bad, although it made him tired and irritated. But first thing Monday morning, we went to see the Medical Officer, and she immediately sent him to a Guinean doctor in town. The doctor scrathed the thing out of his eye (after applying anesthetic eye drops) and performed a quick analysis of the fleck or matter. Guess what it turned out to be. Metal. Reid had a small jagged piece of metal in his eye for 5 days. It's amazing what happens to us here in Guinea, and what we actually put up with here without immediately running to the PCMO. But, it's all taken care of, and Reid just has to continue putting in his eyedrops for a couple more days, and all will be fine.

Other than that, Conakry has been typical Conakry. Crazy dorm-stlye living, where there is always a mess in the kitchen and the water turns off a few times a day. I have been internetting a lot (hence, this blog entry) and relaxing with Reid, Rasa, and the other random mix of PCVs here. I plan to venture into downtown tomorrow to buy a plane ticket for a Novermber trip to Dakar and to eat gelato and Chinese food (maybe). Other than that, I will be working and relaxing a bit. Oh, and manuevering my way through my first Ramadan, attempting not to starve.

Please feel free to send me an email this week, as I will respond with lightening speed (yay for free internet!). Talk to you all soon!

The Ducks

2006-09-26T09:47:00.000-04:00

>
I would like to introduce you to Reid's Ducks - Bidon (Fatty), Kikeedee, and Middle Child

Reid recently bought three pet ducks, and they have been a constant source of amusement since I arrived in Pita. They have their own house to sleep and lay eggs in, and they have a beautiful pond for bathing. I spent the last week waking up early, putting coffee on to brew, and letting the ducks out of their house to be fed. Reid would wake up to the smell of fresh coffee and the sound of my voice yelling, "Don't hog all the food, Fatty! Let the others have some!"

Coffee Roasting in Pulaar-land

2006-09-26T08:31:00.000-04:00

Video of Reid and I learning how to roast coffee in Pita

_______________________

Last week, while in Pita, Reid needed to have his raw coffee beans roasted and ground, but he was not sure where to go. As I was walking home from the market that afternoon, I saw an older woman grinding coffee and I asked her if she would help us and teach us how to do it. We returned later in the day, and spent a couple hours hanging out, watching coffee roasting and playing with a great bunch of kids. We didn't actually do any roasting or grinding, but we had a wonderful time! Reid had fun throwing kids up in the air, and I practiced my non-existant karate moves with the kids, including fat-cheeked Bob Conde.

Let There Be MORE Light!

2006-09-26T07:46:00.000-04:00

__________________________________________________

Entry written out by hand due to lack of computer on September 5th
__________________________________________________

It finally happened!

After internet fled Siguiri, I thought my Posh Corps days were over. Even ice cream didn't make site posh to me. Hey, there is only so much sugar-flavored ice cream a girl can eat. But yesterday, everything changed. On my way back home from the office at noon, carrying pots of lemongrass and mint (a present to take to Reid), I stopped to say hello to the El Hadj Mr. Berete, the godfather of the family. I asked for the 10th time about electricity, but this time was different. With lemongrass and mint in tow, El Hadj led me to the family electrician, Moussa. We decided I would buy all the wire and switches and for $6, Moussa would give me light.

We spent the afternoon installing wire and sockets and by the evening, I was cooking with real, better-than-day light! And charging my cell phone! At the same time! I called my mom and paced the length of my room bathed in beautiful articicial light. I can't tell you how much easier cooking dinner is with light! And someday soon, I will buy a fan - how posh.

Funny thing though - As I was talking to my mom on the phone, ranting and raving about light, it began to pour and I had to put her on hold to put my buckets outside to collect the rain. "Hey, I still don't have running water!" I joked to her. But you won't find me complaining. I can't wait for the sun to go down tonight so I can have a reason to turn on my new lights!

Fall Plans

2006-08-31T08:17:00.000-04:00

Hey Everyone! As Labor Day approaches, and I regretfully have no day off from Guinea, I thought I would update you with all of my plans for the fall. September is shaping up to be a busy month, with a lot of traveling (Guinea style) around the country. I hope to make it back to site by the end of the month still in one piece.

During the second week in September, I am off to Pita to see my honey for a couple days. Then, we are headed to Mali-ville, in northern Fouta, to go to Potato Fete. Yes, Potato Fete. From what I gathered, it's a couple day event when we will hike up a mountain and celebrate the potato harvest with music, dancing, and of course, potatoes.

From there, I plan to jump around the Fouta from Labe to Pita to Mamou and back to Pita - a week hopefully filled of successful meetings, un-broken down taxis, and time with Reid.

The plan is to then head to Conakry for my quarterly visit. Every three months, we are allowed a trip to our national capital for medical stuff, admin stuff, free internet, and cheese. Yes, they have cheese in Conakry. Mmmmmmm.....

Then, I am off to Kissidougou to visit another SED volunteer and see her work with the Federation of Artisans there. Oh, and to get my first glimpse of the Forest and to eat pork, which I hear the Christians allow down there.

From Kissi, I am back to site for the beginning of October, where I plan to sleep Ramadan away. I have heard that nobody does much work then, so what else should I do when everyone is cranky and hungry from not eating or drinking all day? I am really excited to experience my first Ramadan, and even more importantly, the end of my first Ramadan in late October.

I hope all of your falls are as jam packed as mine! Enjoy the changing leaves and take a deep breath of cooler fall air for me. Talk to you all soon!

Ps - here's a map to get a feel for how much land I plan to cover (in bush taxis!).

2006-08-31T07:38:00.000-04:00

There has been an amazing new development in my family's concession and on my street corner in Siguiri. LIGHT! One day, I came home from Mandy's after dark, and upon walking into my concession's courtyard, I realized I hadn't tripped or stubbed a toe yet. Why? Because, I soon noticed, I could see where I was going! I was used to stumbling up to my doorway in the African darkness, but no more!

A single light bulb hung awkwardly with many exposed wires, changing my life after sunset. I now have no new black and blues on my shins and feet. I haven't fallen down the steps while brushing my teeth outside. And I can now easily drain my pasta's boiling water into the corner outside without fearing third degree burns. It's a new world for me.

After asking around in my broken French and even more broken Malinke, I learned that the tailor's mysterious husband has a new generator that is powering multiple family's homes.

This generator has changed my life in more ways than one. Another day, I approached the corner outside my concession and saw a new, but not-yet-functioning ice-cream machine. I thought to myself, "Wouldn't that be heaven?!" But I tried to not get my hopes up. I asked if they were planning to have ice cream one day, and they said they did - by Saturday, it would be running. Well, Saturday came and went, and I thought to myself, "Oh well, they meant A Saturday, not this Saturday. Maybe a Saturday sometime before the end of my service? Hopefully, but don't hold your breath, Amy." I was wrong! I could have held my breath! By Monday, it was up and running, dispensing a sweet-powdered milk flavored, COLD (in fact, FROZEN) substance onto a stale cone. Sweet frozen heaven! All powered by the generator Allah sent into my life.

It's a new world up in the Sahel!

And get this! We may be able to run a wire into my window and I can power 2 lightbulbs and a FAN (maybe)(inshallah!). But still, I won't hold my breath.....

Photos!!!

2006-08-13T16:29:00.000-04:00

I am attempting to upload some pictures. Let's see how many I get done!

From Pita in July:

Reid's House (Can you find Reid in the picture?)

Me by the waterfall where we had a breakfast picnic

_______________________________________________

From the Haute White Trash Trailer Bash:

G-11 decked out to party (check out Eden's fake gold tooth!)

The party was amazing - Haute welcomed G-12 with all we got! At first, we weren't going to tell the G-12ers that we had the themed party, hoping they would make it to Haute, see us in our White Trash costumes, and think we were all actually like that. But, we let them know, and they were able to take part in the theme. My vote for best costume goes to Julie who was a pregnant Walmart employee with her baby's daddy, Drew. You can't see my shirt in the above picture, but Bob Dake convinced me to wear a cut-up t-shirt saying "Jersey Girls aren't trash... Trash gets picked up." Yes, I made fun of my Jersey roots, but.... yeah, no excuse.... Anyway, it was a great night!

By the end of September, I will have time in Conakry to upload more pictures - check my Flickr website then!

Work Update

2006-08-12T13:29:00.000-04:00

For those who are interested in the "real" purpose for me being here:

Work has definitely been kicked up a notch. Before I left Siguiri for In-Service Training (IST), I was still trying to figure out what the people of Siguiri needed, small business wise, and what I wanted to do with my energy. With Small Enterprise Development, there is no formula. I can't just go to a classroom or a health center everyday and have work to do. Since I arrived in Siguiri, I have been focused on meeting people, getting to know their needs, and basically just trying to create options for projects. It's basically a process of making your job up as you go along, which is actually a whole lot more difficult than I ever thought possible!

But recently, I have really narrowed down the wide net I had cast and taken a specific direction with my work that I has made me really excited. Here are a list of my projects for the next two years, as of right now (yes, I have given myself actual position titles to make it sound better to all of you):

Assistant Editor, Aisha Magazine, a young woman's magazine focused on women's empowerment and education

This will take a bunch of work, which will include finding software to use for publishing (maybe Adobe!), raising funds, collecting submissions, having the group of girls at Aprofig choose which submissions to include and have the girls type them up, going to Conakry to focus on layout (unless we get our act together in time to train the girls to do this on their own), get it published out of Conakry, and distribute around the country to young women. Sound like fun??

Organizational Consultant, The Federation of Groupements of Artisans of Siguiri

Ok, what do you get when you put together a woodworker, a fabric dyer, a jewelry maker, and a photographer in the same room? Yes! You get the Federation of Artisans of Siguiri! I have been working closely with their President, Bangali Silla, for the past few months, and their board and I have finally come up with an action plan to strengthen their organization. Right now they are an unorganized mess, without an office, without many members, and without many organized thoughts. But we are going to change that! Here is what our action plan looks like right now:

Step One: Recruiting new members. This will include making a brochure, having informational meetings throughout Siguiri to explain the benefits of being a member, and then have one final meeting for those who are interested about how to become a groupement and how to join the Federation. From there, I can work with individual groupements to get their official papers and truly become a functional member of the Federation.

Step Two: Needs Assessments (done at the same time as recruiting). This will be a period of figuring out what the Federation can truly offer its members and what resources it has to do these new things with. We will use Fiona's Needs Assessment model to choose the three most pressing problems facing groupements of artisans in Siguiri, and then the Federation can devise real plans to help.

(These two different steps are critical: the first widens the Federation, and the second deepens it. What a great idea!)

Step Three: The Exposition! Ths is a "maybe" step right now. If we get our acts together, I would love to help organize an artisanal fair, where all members can market their products to the people of Siguiri. Hopefully this will increase sales, and it will sure be a lot of fun, with lots of music and a soiree!

That's it so far, folks! Let me know what you think! I will write more soon, hopefully, as more and more projects become more and more concrete.....

but for now, I am off to the rice bar!

finally a sophomore

2006-08-11T07:37:00.000-04:00

This past week, the new stagiers have arrived up country for their site visits, making our group from January not freshmen anymore. I left Denver exactly 7 months ago, yesterday, and it's a great feeling to not be a newbie anymore. I can't really believe I have been here that long, but the G-12ers (the new group) make me feel like an old expert on all things Guinean. We show them around Kankan, telling them which rice bars to go to and which place serves the coldest beers. It's quite a new experience to not be the one taking advice from your elders, but to be an elder yourself!

It's also been great reminiscing about my site visit so many months ago. I remember:
-tearing up on the porch of my office when my counterpart told me he was going home for the night and I was to be left all alone.
-feeling thrilled to walk out of town in the direction of Mali and see the sign that I was 70 km from the border
-almost dying on our crazy taxi ride back to Forecariah, and then pushing the taxi up the hill in Coyah
-being so afraid I wouldn't have food and wouldn't know how to get any, but then food (in ample amounts) would just show up
-not feeling confident in my Malinke salutations
-buying bottled Coyah water in Siguiri, even though there was a pump right outside
-being so impressed by Keelin's ease in crazy Siguiri
-crossing the Niger for the first time in a pirogue
-feeling like I had finally arrived in Africa
-my first Haute party :) and the morning after :(
-not knowing how I would ever actually be comfortable at site

And now look at me. I have started referring to Siguiri as "home." My work has been established, and I am settled. To the new stagiers, I probably look like Keelin looked to me 6 months ago. It's a great confidence booster and a reminder of how far I have actually come. I really love this job.

On another note, our monthly party theme for tonight is "White Trash Trailer Bash," and Bob Dake, one of our resident Southerners has taken charge in all the planning. He even helped me out with my costume, which you will all see pictures of one Guinean day sometime soon (aka, six months from now). The new stagiers are going to experience what the Haute is all about tonight, and they will soon understand why we all pride ourselves on being Hauters, the toughest, wildest region of all (sorry, my Fouta and Bas Cote people).

I will be writing more very soon. Bye guys!

6 months down

2006-07-31T09:32:00.000-04:00

It’s been awhile, huh? It sure feels like it. Thankfully, I am back to 100% on the health front, and I have officially passed the 6 month marker here in Guinea. I spent the last few weeks away from site – visiting Eric in Dabola, Reid in Pita, and then going to In-Service Training (IST) in Mamou. We had all been waiting for IST – dreaming of the day when our group would reunite at the end of the first three rough months at site. Adjustment has been difficult for all (and it’s not even over yet), but everyone seems happy, stable, and starting work at site. We did, however, lose another G-11er, Jen Carlin, who decided that Guinea just wasn’t for her after giving it a respectable 6 month try. Good luck, Jen, as you return back to the States!

I was lucky enough to spend the last couple weeks with Reid. We had an amazing time together, eating well, laughing too much, and enjoying the beauty of Guinea together. Pita is an amazing town – much smaller than Siguiri, but with running water and electricity and ice cream. Reid’s home is outside of town on a hill overlooking the breathtaking scenery of the Fouta Djallon region. We spent many evenings watching the sunset from his porch and we took a short day hike down to the waterfall outside of town.* I cant wait to go back in September to hike some more and see more of the area. The Fouta is so marvelous – the mountains, the greenery, the flowers, the strawberries, the cool air. Ahhhh, the cool air. I wore long pants with long sleeves a couple of days in Mamou and Pita. I had been wondering why I had brought jeans to Africa, but now I know – once or twice a year I may wear them while visiting Reid!

To be honest, my trip to the Fouta made me question why I was so adamant about living in Hell….I mean…. umm…. Haute. The Fouta volunteers have everything – the scenery, the climate, the electricity. (Not that they need electricity as badly as we do. I just want to run a fan!) But hopefully I will fall in love with Siguiri again once I get home. I am hoping to reconnect with some of the magic when I get back to site so I don’t stay too jealous of Reid and the other Fouta volunteers. So, tomorrow, I am off to Siguiri for a 6 week stint of work (broken up by one trip to Kankan for the G-12 site visit party). Back to work. Real work. Let’s see what I can get going. Wish me luck, and I will be in touch again soon.

Ps – internet in Siguiri is closed. Yes, the manager was embezzling, so the owner shut it down. Silly Guinea. I will be back near email by mid-August though, when I return to Kk.

*Pictures will be up soon. By “soon,” I mean “Guinea soon,” so maybe in a month or two.)

Protein Shock

2006-07-04T06:07:00.000-04:00

A couple of nights ago, after having a beer, Mandy and I wandered around in search of the hamburger bomb. Hidden behind the main road, enveloped in African darkness, the “restaurant” (and I use that term loosely) has all types of protein – meat, fish, chicken, etc. But the star of the menu is definitely the “hamburger,” aka – the “hamburger bomb” Served over a refreshing salad, a hamburger bomb is a hard-boiled egg, wrapped in ground meat, and fried. It was actually delicious and my protein-deprived body was happy for the evening. For all of those thinking of visiting Siguiri in the next couple of years, I promise to take you to this marvelous hidden “hamburger” joint.

Now you really can’t wait to come to Africa, can you??

“maybe-it’s-malaria” update

2006-07-04T06:01:00.000-04:00

Well, hello again to everyone! It’s been awhile, huh? Last you heard, I had malaria and was suffering a slow and painful death in Siguiri. Well, I should let you know that I am still alive and getting better, slowly but surely. We are not sure yet if it was malaria or if it was some malaria imposter, but I will let you know once the test results come back in a couple weeks. The “maybe-it’s-malaria” left me without energy for the longest time, and I slept more than I have ever slept in my life. The best part of “maybe-it’s-malaria” – if you can say that there is a good part – is that each afternoon, I would get the chills for a couple of hours. Now, in Siguiri, feeling cold is impossible, unless, of course, you get yourself “maybe-it’s-malaria.” Can we all yell a “hip-hip-horray” for maybe-malaria!

Note for all: being sick in the developing world sucks. Not because you get strange tropical diseases with unpronounceable names, not because there is a lack of good medicine, not because your mom is all the way in Colorado, but rather because you don’t have TV. I would have killed for a TV, DVD player and a stack of movies. But alas, even if I had those things, I wouldn’t be able to use them with my lack-of-electricity status. So, all of you with TVs – give them a kiss for me tonight. And be thankful you can rely on them for their amazing “escape reality when reality sucks” properties.

Anyway, continuing on… the fun part began when the malaria medicine kicked in and I thought I was getting better. I suppose my immune system had taken a beating from the “maybe-it’s-malaria”, and after arriving in Kankan for a security training, I got a staph infection. Not just any old staph. This one left me immobilized, as my right foot swelled up beyond belief and I was unable to stand or walk. Sounds like fun, eh? People had to go and get me rice or get me water. I was unable to do anything myself. Mike Fitzgerald, the Regional Security guy saw Reid the day after he left me in Kankan, and when asked about my foot, he said to Reid, “Man, that was fucked up!” I spoke with my PCMO each day last week, and we got me on antibiotics, and the swelling slowly reduced. What a health week, huh?! My body is officially at war with Guinea.

I am better now, still low on energy and still nursing an open icky wound, but better. I seem to have developed a common cold to add to the list of ailments, but I know I can handle this one. My goal is to allow myself time to rest up these next couple weeks before I head down to Pita to see Reid and then continue on to IST in Mamou. Wish me a “bonne sante” and send me positive health vibes from across the ocean, k? Thanks everyone! I will update in a couple weeks!

Little Parasites Trying to Kill Me

2006-06-19T08:35:00.000-04:00

So, apparently, there is a good chance that I have malaria. I have all the tell-tale signs:

fever (103.8)
chills followed by sweating
worst headaches of my life
body aches
fatigue
and it all gets worse in the afternoon

When I spoke with my PCMO, Dr. Traian, he told me there was a good possibility it was malaria. He told me I had to make the malaria slides - which involves pricking your own finger and dripping your blood on glass slides. It's not as fun as I make it sound, believe me. Eww.

I am on an anti-malarial (meflaquin) that I have taken weekly very religiously since leaving the US. So, this bout of malaria shouldn't be too bad. It does frustrate me that I take such a controversial drug weekly and I still get malaria. Whatever. At least I am going to survive. I guess I should be thankful that I take the meflaquin weekly, and that I don't have to worry too much about this getting really bad. In addition, I just started a treatment cycle of Coartem - 4 pills every 12 hours for 3 days. All should be good by the day after tomorrow.

Anyway, I do feel better today than I did yesterday, although it is not the afternoon yet, so it may go downhill later - I have no idea. What a strange disease - to get worse only in the afternoons. Weird parasite.

Eww. There are parasites running around in my blood trying to kill me. Gross.

Gendarme Encounter

2006-06-13T13:36:00.000-04:00

Today is the day of the BAC – the big exams for all the students. It’s a strange year for the BAC because all government workers are on strike, and teachers did not show up for work today. How are students going to take their final exams without teachers? I don’t know, but they have to. The students of Conakry and Kindia don’t like this idea too much, and they are striking as well, apparently. They are in the streets, demanding the same things that everyone else striking is demanding – lower gas prices and major changes in the government. But the students in Siguiri are taking their tests today – tests in chemistry, math, french, english….

The reason I am writing this entry is not because there is a strike going on – that’s old news. I have no idea what changes are going to come of the strike, if any changes come at all. I am writing this blog entry to share a very very strange experience I had today while biking up to ADRA.

I was biking, as normal, up the obnoxious hill upon which ADRA decided to build its offices. I am almost at the top, almost there, but I am stopped by a man in uniform who greets me with all the wonderfully long formalities of Guinean culture. I am worried – I have never enjoyed encounters with uniformed men too much. Men in uniform around the world are there to either give you a ticket, to tell you to stop doing something, or to hit on young women like myself. So, as he greets me, I am worried. Is he going to tell me that I can’t go to ADRA? Is he going to tell me I am doing something wrong? Is he going to ask me for a bribe to simply bike past him? He pulls out a paper and asks me “comprenez vous anglais?” I say yes, I speak english, and I am American. I look at the paper, expecting to see some official document telling me something important, but it is not that – it is the BAC english exam. The instructions say, “put these words in order or please match the two categories or answer the following questions in complete sentences.” It finally hits me – this uniformed man is asking me to give him the answers to the English BAC exam! He is going to get the answers and probably sell them to the students who were inside taking the test or something. I told him that I could answer the questions but I wasn’t going to because cheating is not fair. He explained that the students have so much to study for, and they just need some help in English, everyone’s hardest subject. He told me that only a few need the answers, and that I should help them out. I said that if I gave the answers to a few of them, it wouldn’t be fair to the rest who had spent their time studying. He looked perplexed, but after a moment, he thanked me for my time and let me continue on my way up to ADRA.

Uniformed men asking me to give them high school test answers? Talk about a flawed system…..

La Greve

2006-06-13T11:56:00.000-04:00

I am sure many of you have heard about the recent violence related to the general strikes in Guinea (ok, maybe only the two of you who read page 86 of the newspaper), but I just wanted to update everyone so I don't get any more worried emails. Just to let you know, we are all perfectly fine, and life is continuing for me exactly as usual. I got my bean breakfast this morning from my normal bean lady, Fatoumata - proving that everything is as normal as can be imagined.

So, don't worry about me - everything is perfectly fine here!

But here's an article about yesterday's conflicts from Reuters:

Calm returns to Guinea, general strike bites

Tue Jun 13, 2006 3:38 PM GMT
By Saliou Samb

CONAKRY (Reuters) - An uneasy calm returned to Guinea on Tuesday a day after at least nine people died when soldiers opened fire on rampaging students during a tense general strike in the poor West African state.

Traffic slowly returned to the pot-holed streets of the capital Conakry but banks, businesses and government offices remained shuttered as the strike against President Lansana Conte's disastrous economic record entered a sixth day.

Through the night shots echoed across the tropical port city as police patrolled, questioning anyone found on the streets.

Authorities blame the opposition for inciting violence during Monday's student protests over the postponement of exams.

"I toured the city last night and everything was calm, apart from certain neighbourhoods such as Cosa, Lambanyi and Enco 5 where our vehicle was stoned," a senior policeman told Reuters.

"We have opened an investigation to determine the causes of yesterday's violence. The students due to sit exams emerged with banners and signs already painted, so we want to know how they got them."

Long considered one of West Africa's most stable nations, the mineral-rich former French colony is increasingly seen as teetering under rampant corruption, economic decline and a fractious military.

Analysts fear a dangerous power vacuum if the reclusive Conte -- a diabetic in his 70s -- were to die. A cabinet reshuffle last month snubbed opposition calls for reform.

VILLA SACKED

Police and medical sources said at least nine deaths had been confirmed after rioting in Conakry, the eastern town of Nzerekore and the northern city of Labe.

In the capital, Monday's rioting caused extensive material damage and the local press reported that protesters had sacked the suburban villa of President Conte's brother.

In Nzerekore, some 970 km (600 miles) southeast of Conakry, residents reported hearing shooting throughout the night.

"The central police commissariat of the first district of Nzerekore was attacked and all the prisoners were freed by the students in broad daylight," one source said.

Protesters also attacked the Chamber of Agriculture, an organisation very close to President Conte, the source said.

In Labe, an opposition stronghold some 430 km (270 miles) from Conakry, roads were deserted after the authorities sent young army recruits to reinforce police.

The unions have demanded the government reverse a 30 percent increase in fuel prices announced in mid-May, which they said obliterated wage increases set a month earlier. A litre of petrol costs 5,500 Guinean francs ($1.20) in a country where more than half the population lives on less than $1 a day.

Conte held an emergency meeting with unions on Monday, a government source said, but it was not clear if progress was made.

Union leaders at the Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinee (CBG) -- the world's largest producer of the ore used to make aluminium -- decided last week not to follow the strike call due to the strategic importance of their sector. CBG is controlled by Alcan and Alcoa.

"Make DU Proud, Son"

2006-06-09T12:12:00.000-04:00

Good luck, Jim, as you embark on this great adventure we call Peace Corps. Paraguay is going to wonder what hit them.

Keep us all posted as often as you can. I can't wait to see you in Denver in two years and three months!

Ramblings

2006-06-07T21:51:00.000-04:00

I'm back in Siguiri, whether I want to be here or not. One minute I am excited to be home and pulling my water again, and the next I am wishing for running water. It’s good to be home though, especially because now I have a stove! And guess who’s getting cooked tonight – Miss Sweet Potato-head. I can’t wait to have some sweet potatoes with fried eggplant and a tomato salad . Life is good with a stove. No rice and sauce today!
I am coming back strong with work. My first morning back, I met with a new groupement who makes big rice cooking pots (marmites) out of old aluminum cans. It was basically an introductory meeting, and I am going back tomorrow to see how their business actually works and if there is anything I can do to help them.
I also came to ADRA today to check up on my grant proposal, only to be told it has been cancelled. Thanks to the gods of development bureaucracy, I am free from Food For Progress. And Mandy told me about a new project I can work on that sounds a lot less daunting and a bit more fun. We are going to have a trash clean-up in nearby villages! Yay for cleaning up the dirtiest prefecture in Guinea!
Overall, I am very happy to be back, although the countdown to IST (aka, next time I see Reid) is constantly in the back of my mind. I am sure I will settle in again and enjoy my time at site this month.
I wish everyone a happy June, and I will be in touch again soon.
Ps – there is a general strike about to commence in Guinea, so I may be away from email for a couple weeks. I am not too worried about anything here, as everyone seems pretty calm in Siguiri. I hope ADRA stays open so I can work (and have free internet time!).

Enemy #1 - Dust.

2006-06-07T12:58:00.000-04:00

“If it is not a worm, Amy, you must be allergic to dust.”

--Dr. Traian, my Medical Officer

This is by far the most amusing thing he has ever said to me, and as a PCMO in Guinea, he says some pretty amusing things. The best part was that Reid was sitting in the office with me and he couldn’t help but laugh. I was being told that I am allergic to dust, and I live in the Sahel, one of the dustiest, dirtiest, driest places in Guinea. We have storms made of DUST! My home is covered in a new layer of dirt and dust everday, forcing me to use my patron broom every morning.

It is kind of funny, if you think about it, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck. With proper care, however, it should be alright. Incha Allah (With the help of God).

Marché Noir

2006-05-31T10:02:00.000-04:00

In accordance with the Posh Corps/Peace Corps contradiction, I spent the majority of my day yesterday dealing in the Black Markets of Conakry to purchase a working cell phone. Let me tell the short version of the story: With 5 people in tow, we were dropped off in downtown Conakry, right across from the BiCiGui, the main bank here in Guinea. Now, this is not a place of orderly lines, and let me put it this way - there are none of those numbered ticket dispensers as there are at deli counters back in the States. When we entered the office of the bank man, there was already a crowd of people, and more kept filing in. Luckily, this bank man likes to help the foreigners, so we didn't have to wait tooooo long. Then, out by the teller, the five of us stood in blocking formation, much like defensive football players, spread out and pushing forward, so no Guinean could cut in front of us, and so we could one day be at the front. The teller lady clearly didn't like us, and she called for those behind us to step ahead of us for service. This was all Rasa's fault (sorry, hun!), as she had been there the day before and had a tiny altercation with this teller lady. As soon as the teller lady saw her in line, we knew we were screwed. Anyway, eventually, we got to the front of the line and received our money, our last chance to withdraw cash before the strike that may commence on Monday.

At this point, it was time to step outside, into the Conakry heat of midday, to hunt down some SIM cards. Let me explain why this is so difficult: It is not easy in Guinea to get a cell phone. Hence, why I have not bought one yet. There are no Verizon or T-Mobile stores in strip malls here, where one could go in, sign up for a plan, get a free phone, and walk out a happy customer. In fact, there is nowhere to go to get a cell phone number because there simply aren't any available. Sotelgui, the main mobil phone company here does not have enough numbers to meet demand across the country, so buying a phone number is nearly impossible. However, the day before yesterday, Sotelgui released thousands of new numbers across the nation and lines formed in all cities, as people waited (impatiently) to get their hands on a SIM card. So, back to the story... Jan and I left the bank before the rest of our entourage in search of the as-valuable-as-diamonds SIM cards. We wandered the main street in Conakry, asking street vendors where we could get our foreign hands on them. We found one man selling them on the street (illegally), but he only had a single card left, and we needed 3. Upon understanding that we need more than 1 SIM card, a street vendor in a white shirt and shiny green track pants offered to take us (for a charge of 5,000 guinean francs) to where we could buy them. "Biensur!" Jan and I exclaimed. Paying the equivalent of $1 was defintely worth it! So, he quickly led us down a street, hopping over puddles and curbs, turning corners, and we end up outside the Sotelgui office, where hundreds of people were in line tying to legally buy phone cards. We asked if there was any other way, and our shiny-green-pants-man took off again, stopping at another street vendor, asking if he is selling numbers. The entire interaction was incredibly shady, sketchy, strange, and mysterious. But, alas, there were 3 SIM cards, and the man had only marked up the price by 30,000 guinean francs. 6 extra bucks.... worth it to me! So, we spent the next hour testing them all, putting them in a phone to see if they work, calling other phones to find the number - and all of this is difficult in Guinea, as the network is often so busy, calls take many tries to go through (forcing 0ne to ask why they are selling more numbers). Eventually, it all got done, and we just had to finish filling out "paperwork," which didn't even ask for our names. We were handed falsified receipts, stating that we paid the legal price for the cards, not the black market price, I guess to make the transaction look legitimate...?

The whole process took hours in the midday Conakry heat, and Jan and I had not had breakfast, and we did not have enough water. I was a bit cranky and lightheaded when the ordeal was over, but we met up with Reid, Murph, and Rasa, and had an American lunch of pizza and burgers at La Gondole. Overall, it was my most productive day in Conakry. In fact, it may have been my most productive day in country. And now I have a cell phone! Who knows how well it will work in Siguiri (the network isn't very good out there), but at least I will look cool, carrying around a clunky Nokia everywhere I go.

My mom asked (while I was recently talking to her on my shiny new cell phone), "how do you plan to charge the phone, Aim?" Good question - even though I don't have electricity a home in Siguiri, innovative Guineans have solved the problem. I can pay a man on the street to seel me electricity. He will just plug it into a looooong extension cord attached to a generator, and let it sit on the street for an hour or so until it's all good and charged.

Conakry

2006-05-29T18:12:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone! I made it to Conakry after the aforementioned two and a half days of hell. The ride to Kankan was smooth, but from Kankan to Dabola, I had to ride in a minibus, not an actual car. I have told you how many people they squish into the taxi cars, but let me tell you – they squish more into the minibuses! And just to let you know, that road between Kouroussa and Dabola is still potholed. And the minibus only took me to Bissikrima (20km from Dabola), where I had to wait hours for another taxi to leave. I thought we wouldn’t make it to Dabola, but we finally got ready to leave, and things started looking promising.

Until the car wouldn’t start.

Men had to jump off the roof to push it to get the car to actually turn on! And then we had to do it again when we stalled out going over a giant pothole. And again after a speed bump. Then, we started cruising. Thank goodness, I thought. But then, the driver began turning off the engine each time we cruised down one of the small hills out there. Then he would try to turn it back on as we approached the next uphill. It was an adventure, as taxi rides here always are. But I finally made it safely to Dabola and had to find my way to Eric’s house. Luckily, I found the police station, and a very helpful man took me right there. Boy, was I relieved to find Eric at home! (I wasn’t actually sure he’d be there at all, as there was no way to let him know in this country of poor communication that I was planning on visiting him from 350 km away).

My evening in Dabola was full of good food, intellectual conversation, cold sodas, and being caught in the fiercest rainstorm ever. Josh, my APCD picked me up in a Peace Corps ride the next morning, and we continued down the road to Tolo, Devon’s site, where Reid was waiting for me. It was really magical to finally see him again. 6 weeks is too too long. I never want to do it again.

On our ride down to the big C, things kept getting greener and greener. I had forgotten how colorful the world could be. Everything in Haute is brown with a teeny bit of green mixed in. Everything in the rest of Guinea is green, straight green, nothing else mixed in. We stopped at numerous roadside fruit stands, where I went CRAZY! So much color, so much fruit! I didn’t realize how deprived I was in Haute. I bought pineapples, mangos, papayas, tomatoes, eggplant… so much color!!! I still love Siguiri, and I can’t wait to get back, but I am going to take back a GIANT box of Bas-Cote fruit with me!

Since arriving in Conakry, life has been mostly a vacation. Reid and I have spent most of our time together, and each day our only main activity was going to the market to buy ingredients to prepare grand dinners. Let me describe the dinners to you:

Day 1 (with big group): Indian food. Marinated chicken, lentils, vegetables, and nan.
Day 2: (with Ali) baked fish, fried eggplant, with a cucumber salad dressed in a mint yogurt, and pita
Day 3: (with Ali and Zach) baked fish with pineapple, roasted sweet and plain potatoes, and giant salad
Day 4: olives and feta for an appetizer, pineapple-basil roasted chicken, roasted green peppers stuffed with a melange of tomato-basil couscous and Comte cheese, hummus, cooked cabbage, and a salad.
Day 5: Steak with blue cheese, steak fries, steamed carrots and green beans, and tomatoes with basil, garlic, and feta
Day 6: Baked fish again, this time baked with lime and basil, and served with a mango-cucumber salsa. Served with sautéed eggplant and zucchini and a salad of greens, avocado, blue cheese, and balsamic.

Each day got better. Can you believe we prepared such extravagant meals here in West Africa! Imagine what Reid and I could prepare if we had a Whole Foods nearby! The last few days have been less focused on food, as Reid came down with the Guinea-bug, and hasn’t been eating at all. It’s strange to be eating more than him right now. Usually I count on him to clean my chicken bones! But, I am sure the Guinea-bug will say Au Revoir soon, and Reid will be back to normal.

Yes, Reid was supposed to leave last week. Yes, we have spent a week and a half together. No, he is not faking his stomach problems to stay in Conakry longer to be with me. You can ask Steve, our Country Director.

Since Friday, things have taken on a different tone around here. Henry McKoy, the Director of the Africa region, arrived in town, and we have focused all of our attention on impressing him. An informal dinner at Steve’s, a visit to the PCV house, a formal cocktail party at the Ambassador’s…it’s all been quite amusing. I told Henry McKoy that we had met before – at DU when he came and spoke to my class, and after reminding him of our first meeting, he proceeded to tell everyone “our story” – from the Ambassador to our Country Director to our PCMO. The man would not stop telling the story! But I enjoyed his visit and all the free food, beer, and wine that came along with it. Please, Peace Corps, send your officials to Guinea anytime!

It’s sad – I have a lot more to say, but no energy to write it. I suppose I will finish up all the story telling later.

Ps – if you send me packages with food inside, THANK YOU! But say it’s oreos or granola bars or whatever in its own unopened packaging, please wrap them in something, and put them in sealed ziplocks. And then maybe another ziplock. And then some steel contraption. And then send it over here in an armored car. Otherwise, the mice get to the food, and I open a package of empty wrappers. Seriously. No crumbs, just wrappers. It’s the saddest moment I have ever lived through – picture it - so excited to open a package from a loved one, I see the oreos and scream, only to find the packaging chewed open and every last crumb of oreo gone. Sniff, sniff.

pps - FISH HEADS!

The Update. Life is BUSY!

2006-05-11T07:10:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! I returned from Kankan safely, after a few days of partying American style and talking on the phone. That’s all I did the whole time. Partied and talked. Sometimes I even did them at the same time. What a weekend, huh? I will post pictures some time next week when I get to a computer that has anything better than Windows 98 and a crap internet connection.

By far the best part of the weekend was talking to Reid. I didn’t realize how much I missed him, and how hard life is without him. Although site is perfect, it would be perfect-er with him here. Luckily, after many hours of talking on the phone, we worked out a plan to see each other NEXT WEEK in Conakry. I will have to be there for a meeting, and we are both allowed to take our quarterly visits there. So, one week from tomorrow, I will get to see Reid! I absolutely can’t wait to see him – I am worried that I am not going to be able to leave him again and come back to site after our visit.

Ok, enough of the mushy, love stuff. I know that’s not why you people come and read my blog. Here’s something else to chew on….

Things are going well in the hottest part of the hottest part of Guinea, although my health has had some major threats recently. I have battled dysentary (thankfully it’s not the hookworm that Keelin has), and I am currently battling an annoying staph infection because I scratched my mosquito bites. People warned me, I knew it would happen, but scratching the bites just felt so good! It wasn’t worth it though – I know now – because staph is no fun, believe me. My cuts aren’t healing, and my lymph nodes are swollen and sore. The most annoying part is the fly issue. All of my open, unhealing wounds attract flies like nothing else, even though they are covered by band-aids! I seriously feel like one of those starving African kids with flies all over their bodies that you see in charity ads on TV, although I don’t have an extended belly or anything – just the flies. This is a lesson for everybody – don’t scratch your mosquito bites or flies will never leave you alone and staph is no fun.

Anyway….coming back to site a couple days ago was difficult. Kinda like returning to work after a long vacation at the beach. I just felt unmotivated and lost. When the PC vehicle drove off, I nearly cried. I didn’t want to be back in Siguiri, even though it has treated me so well. But since Tuesday, I have tried to get back into the groove of things. I had a fingernail painting party with the girls in my neighborhood, I have spent time reading with Aisha, I visited Aliou (our SED trainer), and I have gotten back to work at ADRA. Things are slowly falling back into place.

Today and tomorrow are devoted to getting a rough draft of the Food for Progress grant together. Ask me more about it if you are interested. It is super exciting, but it may only be super exciting to me because I am a nerd. Saturday, I am biking the 3 hour trip to Niandankoro to pick up my stove that should be at Melinda’s and then biking the three hours back. It will be a day full of sunscreen, chugging water, and sore derriers from the bike seat! Sunday, I am heading up to St Alexi with Rob to introduce him to the gardening groupement and eat chicken. They gave me a chicken last week, but I wasn’t sure what to do with it, so I told them to keep it and we can prepare it and eat it together! Seriously, was I going to bike home 3km with a chicken strapped to my handlebars? Maybe next time. On Monday, I am going to do a grand tour of town with the president of the Federation, Bangali. We are going to do “how are you doing” visits to all of the groupement members I have worked with so far. It’s basically just to say hi and to show that I am still invested in our work together. I am really looking forward to it, although I know it is going to be exhausting. Finally, I have Tuesday to myself. I have so much stuff to get done – laundry, packing, cleaning, etc – before my trip to Conakry. And Tuesday looks like it is going to be my first day off since Kankan, and my last day before Conakry. The next day, I am off to Kankan to get to Dabola to get to Conakry. Yes, it is a two and a half day trip to Conakry. You can make it faster, but there is a PC car passing through Dabola which will pick me up there, and there arent daily cars to Dabola from here, so it turned into a 3 day trip. Living in the northenmost prefecture of the easternmost province rules.

I am quite the busy young lady, aren’t I? Who ever thought my Peace Corps experience would be so busy that I wouldn’t have time to read or write letters or get bored?

Just Cultural Differences or Right vs. Wrong?

2006-05-11T06:44:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, the most horrible thing happened. Although it has happened before, yesterday was the worst. Djenebou, my favorite young girl in my host-family, lost her shoes and had to come home without them. Her mother got upset, so, as usual, Djenbou was slapped and hit. But yesterday was different. Djenebou’s mother went crazy – beating her mercilessly in our concession, in the open, under our mango tree. I stepped in and yelled that it was not right to hit a child and finally Djenebou’s mother stopped. After it was over, a couple of my family members and I spoke in broken french and malinke about child abuse. They don’t see it as child abuse. I said that in America, it is not right to hit your children, and Adama replied by saying that Guinean children don’t listen, even when you yell. So, you have to hit them. I tried to explain the punishment approach. If Djenebou looses her shoes, she won’t be allowed to go outside the concession for three days or she won’t be allowed to do this or that. I don’t know how much my family actually liked the idea, but maybe after time, it will catch on, taking the place of physical abuse. I don’t know. But all I can say is that I am trying. I know it’s just a cultural difference that I should learn to accept, but I just can’t. Now, the communication lines are open, and we can maybe talk about it some more.

2006-05-03T05:30:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow, I am heading to Kankan with Keelin, Rob, and my counterpart, Fodé. Although I have been very very happy at site, during those moments of lonliness, isolation, and boredom, I have been dreaming of Kankan. A month ago, it seemed so far away, but now it’s here and I can’t wait. I will get to see my fellow volunteers to see how everyone likes site; I will get to eat Mexican food; I will get to eat chicken; I will get to party (Haute-style) for Cinco de Mayo; I will get to talk to my mom and Reid on the phone (knock on wood); and I get to relax and only work if I want to.

I can’t believe that only a month ago, I was arriving at site. I was terrified, not knowing how I would eat without the Kouyaté family in Forecariah to feed me. I wasn’t sure how I would start work or how to find my way around town or how to do anything. Now, I am settled in nicely (although I still don’t have my griage or furniture). I have fallen in love with Siguiri, and I am kind of sad to know that I am not going to be sleeping in my bed for the next few nights.

I really can't wait to see how everyone has been doing at site. I hope we all made it through and plan to stay!

Sad Amy

2006-04-28T07:39:00.000-04:00

I miss Bob Dake. That's all I have to say for today.

My New Favorite

2006-04-27T13:13:00.000-04:00

I am in love. 3km away from Siguiri, high on top of a hill, lies St. Alexi. It is a town full of Christians (not a single Muslim), with its own simple church and a giant mango plantation. I have begun to work with a group of masons up there, and each visit gets better and better. They are incredibly welcoming, like all Malinke, but St Alexi’s has a special appeal – honey wine and pork. And that is why I am in love. See, Muslims don’t drink, so Guineans are not very creative with their spirits. Skol, Guiluxe, pretty much all you find around here. But those Christians up on the hill have a special home brew made of honey that is absolutely delicious. Muslims also don’t eat pork, but up on the hill the Christians do. I tried to explain bacon to them, and I am convinced that by the end of two years, I will be eating BLTs and sipping honey wine with the Christians up on the hill.

It's a Little More Wild in Haute

2006-04-27T13:12:00.000-04:00

And that’s why I came here. There’s more music, more smiles, more yelling, more laughing, more colors. The people are incredibly animated – my host family most of all. I live with the Berete family in “downtown” Siguiri, and each family member is crazier than the next. They will yell at each other for 10 minutes and then start laughing, signaling the end of the fight, I presume. The main man of the house, El Haj Sekou Berete, welcomed me warmly, and we chatted in English (he has been to the US 3 times – from New York to Seattle, he says.) As a young man, he sold African Arts, so his family’s home is full of piles of wooden stools and masks. I have said when my mother comes to visit, she will surely want to buy something (don’t worry, Mom, the stuff is gorgeous – I know you will agree). Our conversation abruptly ended that first day when we heard yelling from outside and he left to calm the quarrel. Seriously, everything is a bit more wild in Haute – especially the people. It seems like I am seeing Guinea in color for the first time.

Peace Corps vs. Posh Corps

2006-04-27T13:10:00.000-04:00

Guinea is a rough Peace Corps country. When I told an RPCV from Guinea Bissau that I was coming here, her wide-eyed response was “that’s hardcore.” It scared the shit out of me last September. Now that I am here, I understand. Electricity is hard to come by (although I bet in the next two years, the electricity will work again in Siguiri), and running water is even less available. The handful of “highways” are often kilometers of potholes – hell, the road into Conakry, the capital, isnt even paved! Guinea is hard core Peace Corps.
Here in PC Guinea, there are those that truly live this hardcore experience – those out in the brush of Haute eating too (prnounced “toe”) for breakfast, lunch and dinner, without a single French speaker in town. I am not however, one of those. Most SED volunteers aren’t – we can’t do our job in the brush – there isn’t the opportunity. It means that we live like Kings in Guinea. Some of us even have electricity (ohhhhh, I am jealous!). We, those living like kings, are known as Posh Corps volunteers. Now, I may not have running water or electricity, but I have pizza in town. It’s too cher to eat daily, but once a month, I can eat PIZZA. There is also an ex-pat store at the South African gold mines where I can buy tequila or brie or cornflakes. Note – at the gold mines, there’s also a POOL! It feels like a resort. Now, it’s far out of town and there are super sketchy miners all around, but hey, if that’s not Posh Corps, I don’t know what is. The last thing that is definitely Posh Corps is the computer right here (powered by a satellite and generators). How lucky am I?
Don’t worry everyone – I am still having those Peace Corps experiences. Sitting around drink tea in the shade with a bunch of men speaking Malinke, a language I don’t understand; being the most popular person in town because I am the “tubabu muso” (white lady); riding my bike many kms each day; being a bit lonely at times; craving an American movie and sushi. It’s Posh Corps at times and Peace Corps at others. A nice balance that will make these next two years quite enjoyable.

Onto another subject – my work here. Many of you have asked about what work I am planning to do. Here goes. I am a small enterprise development volunteer, which means I work with entrepreneurs to improve their businesses. I can teach simple things to Guineans – Profit=revenue-costs, a concept foreign to many businessmen here. Crazy, huh?

Here is a list of things I have doen so far, during my first month at site:
- worked with ADRA, a large NGO. I am working on a grant proposal for Food for Progress for them.
- -met with the Federation of Groupements of Artisans here in Siguiri. I plan to help them get a bit more organized.
- Met with a mechanics groupement and talked about procuring supplies for fixing cars. Now, in order to buy the things they need, their mechanics spend a few days at the gold mines to have cash to buy the part. That’s not good business. We will fix that. I will keep you updated.
- Met with the masons of St. Alexi to drink honey wine and talk about forming an official groupement and its benefits.
- Met with a car body repair groupement and talked about getting oxygen gas at a better price from Conakry. We will work on this more – I will keep you posted.

Here’s what I plan to do:
- work with other groupements to streamline their businesses.
- Teach CV writing and interview skills at ADRA, as their employees will be out of a job when ADRA leaves Siguiri by the end of the year.
- Help ADRA with closing their microcredit program – sending all beneficiaries to Credit Rural
- Do computer training at a young women’s organization, APROFIG
- Help organize the production of “AISHA”, a young women’s empowerment magazine. Geordie, please help!
- Start a young women’s business club where I would teach basic business skills
- Possibly adopt Mandy’s beekeeping project in Tiguiberry (?? – I have never much liked bees, but I do love honey!)

So, that’s what I plan to do. I also plan to work hard on my French and my Malinke and bike a lot a read a lot of nerdy econ stuff to prepare for my PhD. Overall, it’s going to be a busy couple of years. Wish me luck!

second post from site, an hour later

2006-04-12T07:10:00.000-04:00

dude, it's going to be 106 degrees today in bamako. bamako is the closest city to me that weather.com reports. it might be slightly cooler here, but it's probably more humid too. damn haute. but i love it here anyway, don't i? yes. yes, i do.

first entry from site

2006-04-12T05:48:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone!! I am finally in Siguiri and doing very well. As I am sure any RPCV will tell you, the first week at site is full of ups and downs. My ups have included:

-finding my way around this HUGE city alone
-finding a family to eat with… kinda
-meeting the owner of a café which I have frequented daily
-and using my Malinke successfully with older women who love it when you speak their language. Let me give you a sample conversation:

Me: I Ni Ke ( thank you, but it’s a greeting)
Them: N Se, I ni ke (I am here, thank you.)
Me. Tana ma si? (is there evil ?)
Them: tana si te. Tana ma si ? (there is none here, is there evil there ?)
Me: tana si te. (there is no evil here).

I especially love when men say ‘N ba’ instead of a woman’s n se because it means something like ‘I am here and you can thank my mother for it.’ I like that. ( speaking of which – it’s my mama’s birthday – everyone call Pat Klein today and say Happy Birthday!)

anyway, continuing the ups list:

-Pulling my own water out of the well for bathing and fetching my own cleaner pump water for drinking (which is down the street a bit and water is heavy – I may pay someone to do this for me in the future)
-Buying veggies for making my OWN dinner – I haven’t cooked for myself in months!
-Buying fabric - yay clothes!
-Not buying jewelry – I have held out so far. This is the only place in this god-forsaken country that makes jewelry – how did Yamilee know to put me here? It’s all local gold too – so gorgeous and cheap by American standards. I will buy some soon.
-Taking a walk out the road to mali alone yesterday morning – greeting everyone along the way
-Realizing they have COCA COLA LIGHT here in siguiri, but it’s pas glace (not cold)
-Ordering customized furniture from my new friend, Kante, at the carpenter groupement.
-Buying Kante and I warm sodas. He’s a very good new friend.
-Running into my other counterpart in the busy streets of Siguiri– I hope he stops by to see me later today!

Ok – now for my downs this first week, which have been fewer than I imagined –

-Not having a key to my door when we arrived and having to break the door open
-My counterpart is in kissidougou for the week. Hopefully he will return soon!
-Not being able to sleep a wink due to the heat.
-Waking up in a pool of my own sweat
-Missing my mom
-Missing Reid
-Missing everyone else
-Realizing that there is NO electricity in Siguiri – which may force me to invest 300,000 Guinean francs (60 dollars) in a generator simply for the benefit of a fan at night
-Realizing there are NO cold beverages here bc there is ABSOLUTELY NO ELECTRICITY.
-Damn the lack of electricity.
-Oh, and trunks cost 3x as much here as in Kankan. Now I have to trek down there to buy a few.

Oh, and I am not sure whether to put this under good or bad, but I have lizards in my bathroom – big ones! And I saw a little one in my bedroom yesterday. Oh, and I have most of the other usual guinean houseguests: spiders (giant ones!) and ants, but there have been no roaches or rats YET. I just jinxed it, huh?

Well, I will leave you all with that. I should be back at internet in a week or so – it’s a long uphill bikeride in the haute heat, but it’s worth it! Keep sending emails and care packages. I need the love.

You guys don’t know how much you are missed. I love you.

Rain dance?

2006-04-07T18:30:00.000-04:00

t’s fucking hot

It’s fucking hot. That’s all we say around here. Seriously, it’s too hot to do much between the hours of, well, all the time. The volunteers in the cooler mountainous Fouta region took a hike a few days ago. I also took a hike here in the hot savannah – I hiked downstairs to get ice cream and then came back up to the bureau. Let me tell you – Haute is HOT.

Last night there was an hour long break in the devil’s heat – it rained. It rained like I have never seen it rain here in Guinea. Since arriving in Africa last January, it has “rained” twice, but after seeing the rain last night, I don’t consider those other two times real rain anymore. Last night, you could feel the humidity building and the breeze pick up. Slowly, thunder and lightening approached, and we headed back to the Kankan hotel before the sky ripped open. Sitting outside, enjoying a Fanta and some French fries, I felt my first rain drop. I almost cried tears of joy. It sprinkled for a bit – not enough to force us to move inside though. I went up to my hotel room and began reading, thinking the real rain would never come. Then, after a half hour or so, the sky let loose and all I could hear was the deafening sound of rain on the tin roofs of Kankan. I ran out to the covered balcony and just watched it POUR. I watched the beautiful rain and felt it cool down the air and I actually got goosebumps. I sat on that balcony for an hour, just listening to the wonderful sound of water falling in the savannah. It was amazing.

And then it got hot. I woke up in the middle of the night sweating, wishing it would rain again to break the heat once more. I guess, as we approach the wet season (which is still actually a month or two away), the rains will become more and more frequent, and then after months of rain, I will crave dryness once again.

But right now, I want another rain. Anyone know a good rain dance??

The Stories of Two Guinean

2006-04-05T08:20:00.000-04:00

There are two people in Forecariah that I will not soon forget

There are two people in Forecariah that I will not soon forget. Their characters have been forever imprinted in my mind, and I believe they are two of the strongest and most human people I have ever met.

The first one I would like to tell you all about is Aminata Kouyate, my host-mother. Aside from her physical beauty, she has a charm about her that is difficult to describe in words. Her strong body carries the heaviest bidons of water with grace and ease, in a manner that leaves me speechless every time. She is the first to rise and the last to bed, and her entire day is spent taking care of her family and taking care of me. Her smile and charm warms up the coldest of strangers, but there is also a force within her that makes me sure that she is the strongest woman I have ever met. She is tall and thick, and she moves in the slow Guinean manner with purpose but not haste. She performs her thankless job everyday with little reward, and I could not thank her enough before I left Forecariah for all that she had done for me. She is a woman I will work to model myself after. If I could capture a hundredth of her charm and beauty, I would be satisfied.

The second Guinean I would like to tell you about is Oumar, Eden’s host-uncle, and the generous owner of The Plantation. Oumar studied botany at University, but never took a job in the field. Instead, he became an artist, a difficult profession in a country where few have disposable income. Oumar met a woman and had two children with her, but she left him because she believed that an artist could not properly support her and her children. After separating, both of Oumar’s children passed away, so now he lives alone at the age of 45. Since his wife left him, however, Oumar has had great success with his painting. He traveled to France to show his work, and he sold many of his beautiful African paintings that were directly inspired from his Guinean environment. He now lives in Forecariah at the Plantation, a hotel with a bar and nightclub. He welcomed all Americans with his endless generosity, and he always said that we were his family. He treated us as such, he argued, because his sister is now living in San Francisco, married to an RPCV, and he hopes that someone welcomes her the same way he welcomed us. Oumar often has so much energy about him that he can’t stop dancing. He loves American music, and he is often found dancing alone as if no one is watching. At other times, though, he can be found sipping a beer and smoking a cigarette in a somber mood alone outside his bar. These are the times when Oumar seems most human – you see his loneliness and solitude for an instant, but as soon as he sees you arrive, his mood changes and his smile lets you know how welcome you truly are.

These two Guineans have struck a cord of beauty within my soul. Their strength and their warmth capture what it means to be human, living the same existence as the rest of us. This beautiful humanity is what brings us together as a race, as a people, and I am lucky to have found this common humanity in a place so far from my home.

In Kakan

2006-04-03T20:42:00.000-04:00

I have been spoiled recently.  I am approaching an
entire week in Guinea with both running water and
electricity.  In fact, for four days, I had AIR-
CONDITIONING.  After the farewell ceremony in
Forecariah, we spent a few days in the capital of
this lovely country becoming volunteers and getting
prepared to go into the field.  Although the water
in Conakry was off about 12 hours a day and the
electricity in Kankan wasn’t working upon our
midnight arrival, I still feel like I have escaped
the developing world for a week.  I also have eaten
well – hamburgers (with fries, egg, and piment on
top), schawarma sandwiches, cold sodas, cheese and
wine, yogurt, etc, but due to the consumption of many
raw tomatoes and/or sketchy bisap juice, my intestines
and I are at war again.  It was worth it though.

So, we all successfully swore-in as volunteers on Friday
in Conakry.  It was a really meaningful moment for
me – one that I had waited over two years for.  Our
Country Director, Steve, quoted one of our PCTs during
his speech at the Affectation Ceremony: “I don’t plan
to move mountains while I am here, but I do hope to
move a few stones.”  Now that we are official volunteers
and we are heading out to site, I am ready to begin
working on those small stones.

The rest of our time in Conakry was spent eating
protein-filled food, visiting Marche Niger (the
largest marche in West Africa – a frightening
place!), going through one can of Skol beer after
another, and just getting ready to say good-
bye to the group that we had grown so close to.
Spending our last days together as a group put a
lot of stress on all of us.  We wanted to make the
time special; we wanted to go out with a bang before
parting ways.  I definitely left Conakry on a high
note that included a dance party on the roof, a
date on the beach with wine and cheese at sunset,
and a hysterical prank pulled on Ping, one of
my favorite people in Guinea.  I spent quality time
with Reid and my other friends before Sunday
morning, when we left.  It was harder to say
good-bye than I thought it would be, although
it makes sense it was difficult.  I am leaving
most of my support system to venture out alone
to the savannah of upper Haute Guinea and I
won’t see my new-found but very close friends
for over 3 months.  But come July 1, I am free
to leave my work-zone and venture around the
country, visiting Fouta to see my favorite non-Hauters.
It’s going to be a rough but fun three months –
with many ups and many downs, and I seriously can’t
wait until In-Service Training in mid-July to
see everyone and hear how everyone’s sites are.

But right now, I am chilling in Kankan until
Saturday with all 13 of my Haute peeps.  Basically,
we are here to recover from our emotional
departure from Conakry, purchase things for moving in,
and just have a good time.  Today, I am just hanging
out at the PCV house, recuperating from a very rough
ride from Conakry to Kankan yesterday.  After only
getting an hour and a half of sleep on Saturday
night, we left Conakry at 9:30am in one PC vehicle jam
packed with 13 new volunteers.  Typically, we are
just left to make our way out to site on our own,
but due to numerous reasons =(including the lack of bush
taxi safety and the lack of enough move-in allowance
after a year full of inflation), we were taken to Kankan
together and we will be carted out to site by PC
beginning on Thursday.  If you think a transatlantic
airplane ride is rough, you haven’t ridden in a bush
taxi.  If you think a bush taxi ride is rough, you
haven’t ridden with 12 other people in the sideways
PC SUV.  We had negative leg room and the ride was 15
hours long.  Some lowlights of the trip included
stopping too much and wasting time, trying to figure
out how to make the most out of the available room in
the truck, hitting my head constantly while trying to
sleep against the window whenever we went over bumps,
and the horribly potholed road between Dabola and
Kouroussa.  I still don’t understand how one of the
three or four major, paved roads in the country
can suck that much.  Anyway, here are some highlights
to balance out the lowlights: Geordie’s spray bottle fan
contraption that sprayed a cool mist of water on you,
buying a Snickers bar at a gas station, a bruised but
delicious papaya, and most of all – getting to see the
Fouta people unexpectedly in Mamou when we stopped for
lunch.  I thought I had said my final good-byes to
everyone, all teary eyed, in Conakry, but when we
stopped for lunch in Mamou, the Fouta-bound bus pulled
up 20 minutes behind us to dejeuner as well.  It was
perfect to get to see Reid one more time, unexpectedly,
and spend a happy 20 minutes with him eating mango and
meat on a stick.

The rest of the week here in Kankan is devoted to whatever
we want to do.  I plan to shop a bit tomorrow and also
open my up-country bank account.  On Wednesday night, a
huge Kankan party is planned for all current and new
volunteers, and the theme of the party is “Haute Couture.”
Get it?  We are in Haute Guinea, just in case you didn’t.
Some people are going all out - having outfits made or
going dead tubabu* shopping.  It should be a great
welcoming party for us new volunteers – I can’t wait!

On Saturday, I will leave Kankan for Siguiri with Rob,
Geordie, and Cathleen.  Luckily, PC is taking us all
directly to site, baggage and all, and although it’s
another long PC-SUV day, I still think it is easier than
getting to site via deplaced bush taxi.  After Saturday,
I will be alone at site.  Not really alone – there are
100,000 Guneans and Malians in Siguiri, and one other
American – Mandy, a former PCV who ETed to take on a
full time job at the NGO she was working with.  Keelin,
a health volunteer and Rob, an AgFo volunteer are also
both a short bike ride/pirogue ride away, so I am
not too isolated, for a Haute Guinea volunteer. Still,
it will be a challenge unlike any other I have ever
faced.  And I absolutely cannot wait to get it started.
Wish me luck, and please stay in touch.




*By “Dead tubabu shopping” I mean “used Western clothes
shopping”.  Kinda like going to a thrift store.  It’s
called dead tubabu because tubabu means white person in
Malinke, and the locals think that a person must have died
to part with such amazing clothes.  On the coast, it’s
“dead fote shopping”, in Fouta, it’s “dead porto shopping”
and here in Haute, it’s “dead tubabu shopping.”
Guinea and her languages…wow!

Don't Cry for Me Forecariah!

2006-03-29T15:54:00.000-05:00

Hello again from Conakry! We left Forecariah today, after many parties and many tears. This morning, when I came out for breakfast, my host mom, Aminata, was cooking rice and crying. She said she didn’t want me to go. I really had the best family possible – I could not have asked for more. After the Farewell Ceremony, there were more tears, as I hugged to Kouyates good-bye. Mory, my SED trainer, kept reminding me that I will see them in a year when we return to Forecariah to help out with Stage again, and although that helps a bit, I was still not ready to say Au Revoir.

But now, we are all in Conakry, living it up. Air-conditioning, cold beers, papayas, schwarma, etc. On Friday, I will officially become a volunteer, during a HUGE PC Guinea ceremony – 45th Anniversary for Peace Corps and 20 consistent years for PC Guinea. It’s a big deal around these here parts, enough to repaint the entire PC Guinea compound in Conakry, if that tells you anything. It’s kinda like in Europe when a city becomes Europe’s cultural capital for the year, they power wash all the monuments and have great cultural events. You just gotta make sure you’re there for the right time, just like I am here at the right time in Guinea.

I am so excited to head out to site, although it's going to be VERY hard to leave not only my host family, not only the other Forecarians I love, but also my American friends. Why does Siguiri have to be so far away from everyone?! I know it's right for me, but c'mon - I am basically going to be in Mali!

I will be around email for the next week, as I will be in Conakry and then Kankan. Send emails and comments - I will actually respond punctually this time!

week 9

2006-03-11T07:07:00.000-05:00

hello again! wow - talk about a great couple of weeks! since site visit, things have gotten a lot more real> i started truly appreciating how good i have it in Forecariah. sometimes class isnt as stimulating as i would hope, but otherwise, i cant complain. hey, when your life is made of mama Kouyate's beans every night, sitting under the mango tree, going to chez vicky for a beer, and that great moment when your fan turns on halfway through the night bc the current came on, you can't complain, right?

let me recap the last couple weeks. the trip beack to forecariah from kankan was an adventure. it was the most horrible bush taxi ride, full of 2 flat tires, an oil leak, an overheated engine, avoiding the gendarmes, and running out of gas. no kidding. and we ran out of gas about 5 km from kindia, a town with a gas station, and the 6 of us GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND PUSHED. i am serious. picture it - guinea heat, long bush taxi ride, almost home, 6 fotes (white folk) and their guinean driver start pushing a car uphill and then have to chase it down the hill, only to have to push it up the next hill. it must have been a scene. finally, we made it home to forecariah, where we can now laugh about how we had a close brush with true disaster.

since being back in Forecariah, life has been good. i have learned how to incorporate more protein into my african diet, which inclusdes a sardine sandwich with cucumbers, onions and garlic a couple times a week. this past weekend was perfect - let me tell you about it. friday night, we had a perfectly guinea-ed down PC party. Saturday, i spent the day under my family's mango tree with reid. and on sunday, i had the perfect date. my man killed me a chicken, and we had a chicken and potato dinner with lots and lots of piment (see pictures). talk about the good life. i am apparently not allowed to take part in the whole chicken killing thing - it's not a woman's place, but Reid did a wonderful job, and i ate well for the evening.

this week has been just some more chilling in forecariah. hanging out at the kouyate house, meeting my new APCD, who seems chill, and preparing for the PCT talent show. you can see pictures of the talent show on the flickr site also.

hope all is well with everyone who is reading this. i love you guys and miss you tons.

i will be in touch again soon!

back to Forecariah

2006-02-24T11:02:00.000-05:00

heading back to Forecariah tomorrow morning at 5am. another loooong day riding across the country in the bush taxi. my site visit has been perfect - i have fallen in love with haute, and i have bonded with my fellow hauters. life is good and only going to get better.

i will be away from phones/email/functioning post office for the next month or so, so wish me luck with my last 5 weeks of stage. i will talk to you all soon.

lots of love,

aim

comment noted

2006-02-24T10:53:00.000-05:00

and then deleted. i doubt tuna or tampons will affect my cultural exchange.

thanks for stopping by.

wish list updated

2006-02-23T09:54:00.000-05:00

I am actually finding that Guinea has NONE of the products that I was told they would have! Life here is going very well, but our dependance on certain things is starting to wear on all of us.

here is some stuff i need, some stuff i crave, and some other stuff that would just make me smile:

cereal - oatmeal squares and kashi
parmesan cheese
junk food
TUNA pouches
hot sauce
red pepper flakes
trail mix
wheat thins
dry pasta sauce mix
oreos
spices
gum
granola bars - cliff!

shampoo
deodorant (dove)
tampons
ziplock bags and tupperware
face wash (oil free)
crystal salt deodorant stick - i'd like to try it

old magazines
duct tape
a hug

and here is my address in Guinea:

Amy Klein
Corps de la Paix Americain
BP 1927
Conakry, Guinea
West Africa

Last days of site visit

2006-02-23T09:50:00.000-05:00

I walked 2 hours towards Mali on Tuesday night with Fode. We passed baobab trees and cows and many mosques. On our way back into Siguiri, as the sun was couche-ing, we heard the call to prayer. It was the perfect evening, even though I stepped in goat poo, got called “tubabu” 36 times, and tripped over a mango tree root. It will be the perfect bike route once I move here – I have decided to make it all the way to Bamako one day!

Yesterday was the perfect Africa day as well – I took a pirogue (a large canoe) across the Niger from Tiguiberi to Kiniebakoro to visit Rob. We got to see part of the Fete de Conde, where men dress up in straw outfits and flashy masks and chase children around town to the beat of Malinke drumming. The pirogue across the Niger was the most peaceful time I have had here in country. It was exactly as I pictured my life here to be. And the baobab sitting up on the high bank on the Kinibakoro side was the perfect “bienvenu” for us.

Now that I have been to site, I am finding it hard to think of going back to Forecariah. I think it’s because I am scared of forming closer relationships with the stagieres who are heading elsewhere in Guinea. I don’t know how often I will leave haute – I don’t know if there is any reason to ever leave – it’s perfect here. I guess I will leave only to see my friends in the Fouta. I am going to miss them so much.

But I am going to put this thought out of my mind and return to Forecariah not afraid, not already saying goodbye. I hope everyone else will do the same. Either way, this last month with my 37 Americans is going to be….. ummm…. it is going to be.

A note from my new home

2006-02-21T13:00:00.000-05:00

Hello from Haute !!

Although it is the hottest region of Guinea, it’s also the best, and according to my Prefect (the head guy around town), Siguiri is the hottest but also the best city in Haute!!

I arrived in Kankan after a long bush taxi ride on Sunday. The taxi was hot and crowded but not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Sarah, Alex, and I shared a taxi with our counterparts – that’s 7 people, including the driver in a compact car. 2 passengers in the front passenger seat and ‘ passengers in the back! We were packed in like sardines in a can of sweat for 8 hours, but it was a great ride! As we left the fouta region of central guinea, the hills became drier and less compact. Just like the guidebooks said, Dabola is reminiscent of an old town in the wild west. But for lunch we didn’t have steaks, we had rice and instead.

As we entered deeper into Haute territory, the hills flattened and the savannah truly began. It's super dry and super hot up here, but the landscape is one I could not have even imagined. Its more amazing than I ever would have thought. And this is my new home.

From Kankan, my CP and I came up to Siguiri, a short 3 hour drive north, during which you cross the Niger. Yes, I have crossed the Niger River, one of the lifelines of Africa. And I will cross it again tomorrow when I walk to Rob’s site, except this time, I will take a hand bridge, whatever that means.

Anyway, let me tell you about Siguiri some more. My CP has introduced me to some great people. He and his colleague at MGE are both great men (and attractive too!) they have made me feel at home, even though I am staying in a transit room in their office. I teared up a bit last night when Fode said he was going to go home; I have come to rely on him so much, I was afraid to be alone!

Today Fode rounded up an entourage of people from the groupement federation to present me to all the local officials. I felt like a celebrity – driving around in a car with people staring, off to meet the big wigs. 1st we met the local sage, an old man dressed in traditional clothing. We presented him with 10 kola nuts and 5000 Guinean Francs (about 1 dollar) to bring us good fortune during my trip and for my work; he said a prayer for us and we were on our way. Then we went to meet the Prefect and the Director of Microrealization for the entire region. The prefect has a daugter living in Arlington and a grandson at St. Cloud, so he and I talked a little hockey. Who would have thought I could talk college hockey to the Prefect of Siguiri? Strange things happen in Guinea! Anyway, we also met the head of police, the mayor, the head of the gendarme, and the head of the military camp. It was a long morning, but i am glad we gdid it. so far everyone seems super welcoming and nice.

Since arriving in Siguiri, I have eaten like a queen, receiving plates of delicious Guinean food from everyone I meet. Rice and sauce, couscous and chicken, fried bananas, oranges, peanuts, rice pudding… and yes, I said chicken. I am truly living like a queen. Tonight, I get to eat ‘TOO’, pronounced ‘toe’, a Haute Guinea specialty! i cant wait!

Even though these days have been stressful, hot and in French, I am the happiest girl alive. Life doesn’t get much better than falling in love, and I am in love with my new home and my new life. I am in the perfect region in the perfect country at the perfect time in my life. I may never come dwn from this Guinea- induced high, unless that spider over there takes another step closer to me!

Love you all. Keep sending those great letters and emails – I appreciate them so much!

I will write again soon.

Siguiri Girl

2006-02-17T13:02:00.000-05:00

So, i find myself sitting in front of a computer once again with so much to say and so little time. Let me start off by saying THANK YOU to everyone who has sent letters. I have received quite a few – at least one every mail run! In addition, I have received a package from my mom – the best packagge ever containing tuna and granola bars and deodorant. What more can a girl in guinea ask for? Well, we will get to that later – I am starting a list of crap I would LOVE to receive here – refer to the bottom of this page.

Anyway, things are moving quite quickly here on the other side of the atlantic. A week ago, we had our site announcement ceremony, when all of us trainees found out where we are going to live the next couple years. I had specifically asked for Haute Guinea – a region in the NE – and I wanted to work with womens advancement and/or microfinance. I also dreamed of being FAR up north in the desert near Mali. When my APCD called out my name and said SIGUIRI, I let out a little scream – it was EXACTLY the town I had hoped for!!

Let me tell you a bit about Siguiri. Its in the FAR NE corner of the nation, 3 hours from Kankan, the regional capital, and 5 hours from Bamako, the capital of Mali. Siguiri is the 3rd largest city in Guinea, apparently, with a population of over 100,000. Located on the main NE road in the country that connects Conakry to Bamako, I am far away but easily accessible, given time. Gold is mined outside of town during the dry season and exported all over the world. I have heard that Siguiri has PIZZA, ELECTRICITY from 6pm-11pm, and INTERNET!! Oh, and theres a pool I can use for free at this ex-pat place outside of town! I didn’t reallywant a big city like this, but listening to all the ammenities I will have and comparing them to the other sites, I am pretty psyched! Plus, I will be living about 5-10 km from the Niger River – how cool is that! I will have to cross the river to get to my nearest american neighbor, Rob R. I am replacing a volunteer who quit Peace Corps a few months back bc she was offered a real job at the NGO she was working with; so, shes still there in Siguiri. I will hopefully meet her this coming week and get all the inside info on my new city.

Right now, though, we are in Mamou for counterpart workshop. Its cooler here – I actually slept with a blanket last ngiht and had goosebumps this morning after my shower. I already miss my host family – especially junior’s smile and the beans Mama Kouyate (my host mom) cooks for me every other night! I also miss bucket bathing. Running water is quite overrated!

This morning, I met my 2 counterparts (cp) – yes, I got two, even though most people only have one. This morning after an icebreaker, we got to wander around to find our cps and I just kept asking everyone “siguiri, siguiri”. I found one of them, and not knowing I had 2, I sat down with the first one and began to try my luck at a flowing french conversation. All of a sudden, we were interrupted by my other counterpart and the two kept claiming I was theirs. They fought over me for a minute until we realized I was the american for the both of them. They would have to share. One of my cps, named Fode Konate, works for a microcredit and training org that works directly with a federation of groupements. My other cp, Oumar Camara, works with a group that trains young women to use technologie and understand basic business strategy. So, I got exactly what I wanted – I get to workwithg young women AND microfinance AND groupements!!! My APCD truly made the perfect match for me, or at least I think so now!!

After a couple of days more in Mamou, we head out for site visits, so I will see if I really am in love with Siguiri, like I think I am. We leave with our counterparts and apparently I am not staying at my future house, I am staying with one of my cps and his family. Or at least that’s what I think he said! My french skills are getting pretty good, but sometimes I am not sure I understand everything they are trying to say. After 3 nights in Siguiri, we are all meeting up in the regional capital, kankan, to get to know the town. We then travel back to Forecariah together via bush taxi. I am not looking forward to that LOOOONG overcrowded bush taxi ride from one corner of the country to the other.

Its going to be strange to head back to my training site after visiting sigiuri. I wonder if I will be more focused in class or if I will be more distracted and impatient for training to be over. Either way, I think I will be ready for training to be over in March, although the thought of leaving my American friends makes me sad already. The coolest people are heading to my region, so I will have great neighbors, but my two closest friends are going to the Fouta, not Haute, and I am scared I am never going to see them again!!

Ok, time to wrap this long entry up. Let me start a list for things I want in care packages. Don’t feel pressured to send me care packages – letters and emails are wonderful! But if you are looking for soomething to send, here are some reccommendations:

Oreos
Tuna
Tampons (ob)
Lined notebooks (only graph paper here)
Pens that actually work
Highlighters
Old magazines (Economist)

A Trip to Civilization

2006-02-04T07:10:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!!!

we have taken a day trip to conakry, the capital, to use the internet and eat hamburgers, so i have about a half hour to update.

our training site, forecariah is amazing. we are about 50 KM from the sierra leone border, near the coast, and theres a great mix of people in our town. although we are in the bas cote region, where there are mostly susu, my town has peuhls, malinke, and sierra leonians as well. my host family is amazing. i think they are the best family in town. my dad is a french teacher and my mom sells beans and onions in the market (which i eat every night for dinner now). when i moved in it seemed like there were hundreds of petits running around, but now i have learned their names and we have become good friends. a few run out along our path every day to greet me with hugs when i come home from class. i have really bonded with my 20 year old uncle, mamadi, who is studying economics at university. i have also bonded with my aunts, but thats more difficult as they dont speak french, only malinke.

i am cohabitating with a giant spider named gertrude. she is the size of a drink coaster and we are fast becoming friends. i am also cohabitating with giant roaches that run fast and fly faster. we arent as good of friends yet. everyday brings something new to enjoy... sometims its a pineapple, sometimes its a letter from home, some days its just a cool breeze or a bucket bath at 5pm. i really love it here and i cant imagine being anywhere else.

send my love to everyone. i will update again in a few weeks from mamou. that will be a fun one, as i will know my site by then!!!!!

ps.... look at pictures on flickr!!!!! http://www.flickr.com/photos/amyeklein/

first few pictures

2006-01-18T15:04:00.000-05:00

so, i am exhausted and refuse to go out to the bar tonight, even though it may be my last chance for awhile. so, i have quiet time at the computer, when everyone else isnt trying to use it too. i am trying to upload photos to my flickr site, and it is slow, but i will get there - visit and enjoy.

another wonderful day in guinea!!

2006-01-18T08:41:00.000-05:00

stomach still alright!! i am one of a few in our group who hasnt been sick yet!!

In Love

2006-01-17T08:44:00.000-05:00

hey everyone! i made it here safely and we have begun training in mamou, a cool and dry city in the mountainous fouta region. i have already made great friends and i absolutely love it here. so far, my stomach is alright, but everyone else is getting super sick. i have been told to just wait - it will be my turn soon!

let me tell you a bit about my day - i wake up and bathe in coooooold water, use a flushing pit latrine and then head out for breakfast. we usually eat baguette and a hardboiled egg or peanut butter. then off to orientation. not too much fun, but at least we get to sit outside and listen to the sheep baaaaaa and the monkeys jump in the trees. it is super distracting to have monkeys around during class time!!!! for lunch, we have rice and sauce - same for dinner.

each day has been different, and i am truly having a wonderful time!! dont worry about me - i am in good hands with pc and i have made good friends already. i will try to post soon, but i cant promise anything!!! love to everyone and i will write soon.

Done

2006-01-10T02:33:00.000-05:00

Heather said that I have been saying good-bye for too long. I think she is right. The last couple months have been exhausting. But it's over now. Well, almost. The only person left is my mom.

I don't want to cry at the airport again, but I have the feeling that I won't really have a choice.

But other than that, I really can't wait for tomorrow - the stress of packing and saying good-bye will be over, and I can just start this thing.

Philadelphia, here I come!!!

A Fellow MI

2006-01-08T19:57:00.000-05:00

Today, two days before I leave for my Peace Corps service, I had lunch with a man who I know will make the best Peace Corps volunteer the world has ever seen. He is a fellow MI student, so we have struggled through the last year and a half together, and he has been there to keep me sane at school and to help me get pumped up for Guinea. He and I have discussed our hopes for Peace Corps service, our anxieties, our insecurities, and our future aspirations. He has been a good friend, and I wish him the best of luck with getting the perfect assignment.

Remember, you and I are made for this, and we are going to kick some butt over in South America and West Africa, respectively.

I feel lucky to have a such an inspirational friend going through the same thing right now. Thanks for always reminding me why we are doing this.

Saying Farewell

2006-01-08T19:32:00.000-05:00

Pictures of My Going Away Party

At the Sushi Boat:

Anna, Issa, Pei, and Fritz:

Laura, Rae-Anne, Walter, and Anna:
Larissa, Pat, Brian, and Sarah:

Kate and Cate:

Our Last Sushi Bite Together for Awhile:

At The Lounge Later that Night:

Going Away Party Reservations

2006-01-06T15:18:00.000-05:00

Approximate conversation when Heatherfeather called Sushi Boat to make reservations for my Going Away Party:

Sushi Boat: Good Afternoon, You have reached the Sushi Boat. How can I help you?
Heatherfeather: I would like to make a reservation for a large party for tomorrow night.
Sushi Boat: How many in the party?
Heatherfeather: 22.
Sushi Boat: This is the Sushi Boat on Hampden. Did you mean to call the Sushi Den?
Heatherfeather: No, I meant to call you.
Sushi Boat: The Sushi Boat?
Heatherfeather: Yes.
Sushi Boat: Oh. GREAT!

No, it's not the prettiest sushi place in Denver, nor is it the most popular. But they have superb sushi and I have always liked how unpretentious they are there. Can't wait for some good sushi with all of my friends!