The Update. Life is BUSY!

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?

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.

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

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

My New Favorite

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

thanks for stopping by.

wish list updated

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

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

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

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

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

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!!

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

In Love

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

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

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

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

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!

The Mango Test

Most of you know that I claim to be allergic to mango. Yes, I claim. I havent had mango in years - the thought of it makes my stomach turn simply bc I know how it might make me feel. But I am not 100% sure if it was definitely mango that caused that itchy mouth years back. See, the thing is that I am leaving for a mango-rich country in a week and I would really like to find out if this mango-allergy is real or not.

My mom (the retired nurse practitioner) and I talked about it today, and we are running a test. Tonight, I had my first bite of mango for years. Just a small bite, followed by another small bite 5 minutes later. Oh, it tasted goooooooood.

I haven't died yet. Just to let you know. Plus my mouth isn't itchy or anything.

I will keep you posted on this Mango Test in the next couple days - keep your fingers crossed for me!

So, apparently, distractions are pretty distracting.

It's so sad that I really have nothing more to say than that.

Ok, there is more to say....I realized something tonight while spending time with my new distraction. And I pre-apologize to all of you out there that I love. But I realized that I don't want to see you one-on-one the next few days. My going-away party is fine. Thinking about Anna's birthday on Friday is alright. I can't be confronted with too many feelings if a bunch of people are around. But real one-on-one time is too much. In fact, I have been avoiding it subconsciously at all costs, which has given me a real commitment-phobic approach to making plans.

I don't mean to be all maybe-ish and last minute with you, the friends I love, but I just can't do it. I am no good at good-byes. So I prefer distraction. It's my coping mechanism of choice these days. Although it's not working like I had planned. It's not making the thoughts of you leave my mind.

Boy, do I suck at saying good-bye. I let it get to me waaaaaay too much. One time I was willing to risk hypothermia while frozen tears ran down my face because I "needed" to walk home in -11 degree Celsius weather. I "needed" to walk bc I needed to vent some emotions after saying goodbye to a good friend in Germany. Luckily another good friend wouldn't let me walk and forced me on the bus, where I cried some more. But those tears didn't freeze to my face. Saying good-bye sucks when you let it get to you.

Saying good-bye in DC this past month had me in a similar position, although it was not nearly as cold. I found myself outside Dupont-North metro station, standing at the top of the escalator under a friend's umbrella, crying. I just wasn't ready yet. So he agreed to have one more cup of coffee with me, waiting to say good-bye until I was ready. After a half-hour or so, we agreed to laugh about the moment I stood crying above the escalator at Dupont-North in two years when I get back. I was ready. I am sure I will laugh about it one day, but I will always remember how it felt to not be ready to leave, then to finally have to do it, and how it felt to walk home alone in the rain.

Remember, you are talking to the girl who flew back to DC two weeks later so she didn't feel like she had to say good-bye when she left the first time. Remember that, Sara, dear? Maybe I should learn a lesson from you. You are always the one to avoid these emotions, to just light up a cigarette and walk away. But no, I know that as you walk away, you still feel the same things that I feel, only in your own Marlboro-Red kinda way.

So, my current plan of attack for these last few good-byes? Go with it. Feel it. Be in the moment - whether the moment is spent with a distraction or with my loved ones. Moments like this I will remember forever, whether or not they involve tears freezing to my cheeks.

Yesterday, I spent the day at GSIS. Yes, apparently I am one of those nerds that can't leave school even when she is done with classes. You got a problem with that?

It was the first day of classes for everyone else, so it was quite the happening place to be. I had lunch, coffee, and dinner with old friends. I sat down with Professor DeMartino, Professor Levine, and PVA to say good-bye. But I know I will be in touch with them - I am going to have a TON of unanswered questions from those readings I have assigned to myself over the next two years. Wow, I am really that nerd who can't leave school, aren't I?

Yesterday was wonderful. Yesterday was exhausting. I came home and called Heatherfeather crying. Emotionally, this is all a bit too much. But everytime I think of how sad I am to leave, I realize how blessed I was to have it so good for this time. That doesn't make the sadness go away, but it does make me appreciate it more.

Ok, let me share my new address with all of you. I have been hesitant to do this, simply because the address is making it so real. But I sent myself over 20 lbs of books today. I sent myself books using an address with the word Guinea in it. It freaked me out beyond belief, and I havent been able to eat anything since - my stomach has been going in circles. My BOOKS are headed there. And those of you that know me well understand that means, in essence, a part of ME is already on its way. So here goes - my new address for all the world to see:

Amy Klein

Corps de la Paix Americain

BP 1927

Conakry, Guinea

West Africa

There it is. And part of me is already on its way.

Reminiscing This New Years Weekend

I have decided that I am definitely not running away this time. I am too sad about leaving Denver to be running away. And I was way too sad to leave DC to have been running away then. What do these two facts mean to me during this New Year's time of reflection?

I have concluded that I have been the luckiest girl since I graduated college. As an "adult," I have really set myself up well and enjoyed the two lives that I have created for myself. DC was wonderful - I reconnected with old friends, I made marvelous new friends, I had a not-too-bad job, and I found the spot that I felt was home. Oh, and I cooked a lot of meatloaf for Chris and friends. When I left, I remember just thinking to myself, "one more month" or even "one more year." In fact, after leaving DC in early August, I returned for a mini-break two weeks later just to see Sara, Chris, Kerry, and everyone else. It was wonderfully reassuring that even though I had moved away two weeks before, DC did not crumble and vanish. I could always go back and celebrate the past - my wonderful year there. And go back I did. In fact, I have returned to DC four times during my year and a half in Denver. And even though I sometimes spend over a week, I never feel like I have enough time with my friends and with my city.

Coming to Denver was difficult - I complained of the lack of public transportation, the lack of decent Italian food, and mostly, the lack of Pikes Peak or a major body of water. But when I set up shop in Denver, I fell in love with life all over again. I got to know the shape of Mt Morrison and I grew to love the always-brown Green Mountain. I was challenged in school, challenged in my relationships, challenged by the Colorado lifestyle once again. I look back at this past year and a half and think of Fritz's parties, class with Dr. DeMartino, skiing with MK, Kate, and Mara, study sessions at Capuvino, salsa nights, Santa Fe, PVA's energy even early in the morning, reunions with my CC girls... the list can go on and on. I have really lived the most blessed life here in Denver.

As 2006 begins, I am not just reminiscing because the calendar reminds me to. I am reminiscing because I am beginning a new phase of my life, and I must leave a place that I have grown to love. I cried as the fireworks went off on 16th St., not because I am scared of this new adventure, but because I am once again wishing for only one more month, or maybe even one more year. But I have to remember that even though I leave, Denver is not going to crumble and vanish while I am gone, just as DC had not. The happiness I have felt in both DC and Denver will stay with me forever, and I can come back to remind me of that happiness any time I need to. I am not losing Denver; I am not losing DC. I am just working towards finding similar challenge and happiness in Guinea. Nothing is going to change in these two years, and all of my friends, family, and favorite mountains will wait for me until I return.


_____________________________

ps - I can say this with confidence - mountains don't fall, family is always family, and I have made my friends verbally promise to still love me when I get back in two years.

New Years, Denver Style

It is 4:41 a.m right now. And I have finished uploading the pictures of New Years 2006. Now Simon can't complain to me that I never email him pictures, right? I will write more about it later - I have a lot to say, but now is not the time. I am ready for a good night's sleep. Sweet dreams and happy New Year everyone!

Dinner at Brix in Cherry Creek:

Out and about on 16th St:

Simon refusing to wear the reindeer antlers:

But we finally got him to put 'em on!

Midnight Celebrations:

The Toast Between Two Friends:

Refreshment

I have been distracted the last couple days, and I have wandered away from my packing. It was something I needed - I was really starting to stress. In fact, I couldn't go a day without making progress in the packing arena. I wasn't sleeping well, and my whole body ached. But now, after a 2 day break, I feel refreshed, relaxed, and ready to finish getting ready. All I can say is thank goodness for distraction. I feel like a new woman.

But now, I am looking forward to this New Year's Weekend - I can't wait to see Lamont and Simon again (yes, it's only been 2 weeks since I saw them in NY). I just didn't expect to see these wonderful men so many times in December/January before I left. What a lucky chick I am to have such wonderful people in my life!

And then, after the weekend, I am back to the packing (hopefully balancing my recent new distraction with my packing needs). I can't believe I am only 12 days from leaving! I know this is going to be a great week and a half. And I have to remember to live it up, stressfree, and have some fun.

No regrets.

Bring it on, Guinea.

My friend, Bryan, is a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kyrgyzstan (sp?).

He sent me this picture, and even though I am in Colorful Colorado, I am jealous:



Soon, I will be sending home pictures like this. Well, not of mountains like this, but of foreign lands. I can't wait to go!

Night with the Girls

I love my CC girls. Whenever we get together, I feel great. Even if the whole group isn't there, it is wonderful (although we did miss Aimee and Larissa tonight!)

Anywho... Abbey is in town for the holidays so we made sure to get together and do something special. Want to know what the special thing was? Make biscuit pizzas. I was not familiar with this method of pizza-making. When deciding to do this, I believe my conversation with Anna went like this:

(please remember, my brain isn't working properly. It is on Winter Break after a TOUGH final quarter at grad school)

Anna: We should make pizzas on biscuits.
Me: Huh? Like biscuits?
Anna: Yeah, we used to do it in 4H. We can get those rolls of refrigerated biscuits and make pizzas. You just put your sauce and cheese and toppings on top and bake it!
Me: Ummm. Ok. Sounds good.

(long pause)

Me: Do you like roll out the biscuits?
Anna: Yeah, of course.

(still processing)

Me: Ok, can we get turkey pepperoni to put on top?

End scene.

But I wasn't the only one. When Abbey, Anna and I went to the grocery store, Anna recited the list of things we need for pizza: sauce, cheese, biscuits, turkey pepperoni, and Abbey interrupts with the same kind of questioning:

Abbey: Wait, why do we need biscuits?
Anna: For the pizzas.
Abbey: Oh, ok.

(pause)

Abbey: Wait, huh?
Me: I had the same problem.

It was a great night and I feel ready to leave.... no. That's a lie. But I will see Abbey and Anna for breakfast and a movie tomorrow morning, so I can squeeze in some more CC girl time before January 10th.

Here are some pictures from tonight:

Abbey, Sarah, and Anna:

Anna:

Sarah, the Sous-Chef:

Me, Mya, and Anna

Milton Friedman on Charlie Rose Tonight on PBS

Tonight, after a day of eating out and shopping for Guinea, I stumbled upon the Charlie Rose show on PBS and the guest tonight was Milton Friedman. This made me put down the remote control and hang around channel 6 for awhile. Here are some observations:

Milton liked to pick his nose every couple minutes. After awhile, you would see him raise his finger towards his nose and then the producers would switch to a different camera shot where we couldn't see it. But we all knew what Milton was up to.

Best quote of the evening:

"The biggest mistake Ronald Reagan made was selecting George Bush as his running mate."

Second best quote:

In response to the question, "so, in essence, are you a libertarian?" Milton says,

"I like to say that I am a republican with a capital 'R' and a libertarian with a lower-case 'l'."

When asked if he thought anything about Jimmy Carter, he said he never met him and then, when asked about his thoughts on Carter's post-presidency work, Friedman brought up "that house building thing." I think a man who has received a Nobel Peace Prize deserves more respect than that, don't you?

Surprisinly, we agree on numerous topics, but we come to these conclusions through very different lines of thinking. Things we agree upon:
*High government spending is baaaaaad. Although I only think that high govt spending on certain things is baaaaaad (ie, military spending or fresh lilies on the White House Xmas tree) .
*Milton and I agree on the elimination of farm subsidies
*We also think that legalizing but regulating all drugs would actually be better than the current system
*Flat tax rates are the way to go - ok, we have the same reasoning on this one. In fact, I quote good ol' Milton when i discuss this topic.
*Alan Greenspan is a god.
*George Bush Sr. and George Bush Jr. both suck.

Overall, it was a great show. I would love to sit down and chit chat with Milton myself, but for now, the Charlie Rose interview will have to do.

I am going to miss olives.

Got my flight to Philly

I am leaving January 10th, 12:48 pm from DIA. Direct to Philly. Staging starts the next day!

I am so excited!

Pittsburgh

This past weekend I went to visit my family in Pennsylvania/Ohio/West Virginia. The last few times I have spent time with them have been amazing. Although my mother and I are VERY different from those back near the Ohio River, and although I am pretty sure a few of them think I am CRAZY, I can relate to them in a way I just don't relate to the other people in my life. I guess most people feel that way about their family.

Anyway here is what I did this weekend:
-I got to see Heidi's wedding dress (she will be married this summer, and I won't be there)
-I got to know her fiancee a bit better. After all, he will be family next time I see him
-I got to play Mario Cart with Alicia.
-I got to eat Lee's spaghetti and meatballs, sans meatballs (we got there too late).
-Oh, and most excitingly, I got to go to the Ohio State High School Football Championships, where my cousin, Nick, played starting Linebacker for the WINNING TEAM! He's 6'4" and over 200 lbs (at age 16). In the picture, he makes all of us look like dwarves:

Ok, the picture isn't uploading, but imagine this: a bunch of tiny people next to two gi-normous football stars smiling whatever is beyond ear to ear (Joe on the left, Nick on the right).

Overall, it was the perfect trip.... until our flight was cancelled yesterday. I was lucky enough to spend 12+ hours in the Pittsburgh airport. At least they have great shopping. All I can think is that maybe I got the bad-airport kharma out of the way before this week's trip to DC!

It's weird to really start saying good-bye. I am going to miss them.

Biking in Guinea

Many of you have heard me talk about my ideal site in Guinea - a small village within biking distance to a town. Here is Bonnie's story about her 45 km bike to Labe:

"First time away from Home. We had to go to Labe for girls conference mtg. I was kinda dreading it, because I'm comfortable here and would much rather stay than either biking or ride bush taxi to Labe. We had no choice but to bike, because there is no car going to Labe the day we had to go. I had to first bike 17km to another village and stay over at Toni's (another volunteer who teaches English), then the next day we left for Lave at 7:00am. There is a mountain b/w her and I, and I have to push the bike up and down at some part, because I am just not Lance Armstrong. We didn't get to Labe until 2:00pm in the afternoon. The distance isn't bad, 45km, but the terrain is a killer. 2 large mountains, water puddles, gravels that seems to glue the tires to the ground, large rocks seems like steps that we must walk to get pass, I finally got a taste of mountain biking. The scenery is beautiful, especially through the yellow wheat (?) field that is waist high, imagine biking through sea of soft flowing wheat of mountains in the distance. We passed through a few small villages, and was fun to greet people along the way. Didn't like it once we got to Labe, all the people, calling us "Portos" (white people in pular), noisy, fumes, oh-la-la, I much prefer my small and friendly village. Stay at Labe wasn't too exciting, exchanged some stories & talked about what we do for girls conference, then we just sat around. The highlight is that I got to talk to my family on the phone and reassured them things are going well at site. We stayed for 2 nights and came back to site on our bikes also. The return trip only takes 5.5 hrs, as the first leg is all downhill. We are hoping we'll get better at it each time we go. What happens to hole in tire you ask? We are equipped w/ patch kit, so it shouldn't be a problem. Although we were lucky not have encountered it in our 1st trip. I was worried about it, but now I qualified to adjust breaks. Perhaps in 2 years, if nothing else I'll be at least good at fixing bike. So I biked almost 130 km in 3 days. Very proud of myself."

Phantom Limb Sensation

Last night I had this dream, and it has haunted me throughout the day. Basically, without going into too much detail (because the details make me wanna hurl), I was at the dinner table with my family (mom, dad, grandma) and I was talking to my dad. We were getting ready to eat, and I realized that my pointer finger on my left hand was massively injured (I won't tell you how - that's the super-creepy-gross part). So, my mom finally got my dad to realize and he stopped talking finally. My mom, being a nurse, got her medical kit out and began taking care of me, but it wasn't working. She was using this weird kind of band-aid that could heal anything if you just made the colors line up. But we couldn't get the pink to match the pink and the purple to go to the purple, so I mentally accepted the fact that I was going to loose my finger. I woke up and freaked out! But I still had my finger, fortunately, and I fell back to sleep holding my pointer finger in my other hand to protect it. All day today, I have felt very conscious of my pointer finger. It's almost as if I am surprised it is still there - the dream was just so vivid. But typing this, I am very aware of each key I strike with that finger. It just feels weird to have it actually be there and still working. I guess this is the opposite of what docs call "phantom limb sensation." That's when you loose a limb and still feel it there and still try to use it and such. I still have my finger, but I feel like it's not there. Strange. That's all I have to say. Hopefully this will go away by tomorrow.

caoutchouc!

No, that's not a sneeze, it's French for rubber. How do I know that? Mr. Rubberhands told me so.

For those of you who have met Mr. Rubberhands, here's a link to a BBC News photo journal showing the Firestone Rubber Plantation (the biggest in the world) in Liberia. It made me laugh. It also got that song stuck in my head again. Damn.




ps - (It also made me angry that a Japanese (formerly US) firm is paying the workers $3/day. I wonder what their executives make over in Tokyo. But let's not go there.)

Leather Elbow Patches

Last week, I went to an inspiring dinner with three friends in my (former) grad program. Three of the four of us are pretty sure that we want to go on and become professors. I guess this says a lot about the people I hang out with, huh? We're all a bunch of nerds. Which is alright by me.

Anyway, we came to discuss the odd habits of our GSIS professors, including DeMartino's habit of filling up a mug with hot water (no teabag or anything) and proceeding to drink it before he crosses the threshold back into his office. MK says he does this a few times a day. We also spoke of professors that jingle the change in their pocket while they lecture - to the point where you could guess exactly which coins were in there. I still giggle about PVA's overuse of the endearing term, "friend," as in "good job on that paper, my friend" or his use of "guy" in the same manner: "great point you brought up in class today, guy!"

This was followed by a discussion of our future odd habits that our students will notice (and then sit around the same table and discuss). Jim definitely had the most pronounced habits. First of all, his head-tilting habit lets you know what he is thinking. His flipping-pen syndrome is also pretty apparent, although sometimes he mixes that in with the pen moustache (holding a pen tightly between his upper lip and nose before trying to let it fall and catch it in his mouth--we caught him doing it in class). I recommended that he not do the pen-moustache while listening to students' presentations.

Does the fact that Jim has these strange habits make him more likely to be successful at this whole teaching thing? Since this conversation last week, I have been trying to notice my strange habits that will carry over into the classroom. I am sure that they exist, but I just can't recognize them yet. If anyone has noticed any of my habits or has any ideas of habits I can try to incorporate into my repertoire, let me know.

Today's Emotion

I am not really sure if I am done or just beginning.

I handed in my last paper today. Done with grad school. Now I can focus on Peace Corps. Now I can focus on saying good-bye. Leaving the life I have gotten pretty good at.

Stupid me, I thought this would be easy.

Driving the cities of West Africa

This is what driving in Monrovia, Liberia looks like. It's a picture from BBC News, and has the caption: life returns to normal.

Normal? Now, I am a girl from Jersey. I know traffic circles, let me tell you. But I am still not sure what exactly is going on driving-wise in this picture. Who has the right of way, and don't those two yellow cars look like they are about to crash? Oh, and there are two more yellow cars about to clear the intersection that look like they already have! Yes, those two yellow ones right in front of the Red Cross SUV. And there are people scattered throughout the street. How, in heaven's name, do they know when to cross? And which cars are parked and which ones are moving? I guess if I were there in real life, this might make a bit more sense?

Now, I know that I am supposed to be writing about utilizing "intergrated development" to better solve the long-term problems of refugee populations, but I am instead rereading the BBCNews Africa page, like I do way too frequently. I always find some picture to stare at and try to imagine myself there - listening to the sounds, smelling the scents, truly placing myself within the picture. And this picture has made me feel one way only: thankful. Thankful that I will NOT be living in Conakry or Monrovia or Dakar or whatever other city's traffic must look like this. I prefer to cross the street without feeling the need to pray.

An Update:

The list of things I cut off the post-it note in my planner and crumpled up yesterday and today (aka the list of things completed!):

-Applied Field Methods Final exam (18 pages)
-Political Economy of Inequality final paper (16 pages)
-Book review for PE of Inequality (7 pages)
-Statistical Analysis for PE of Inequality (6 pages)
-Group presentation on "the future" (1.5 hours)

I so earned the right to snort wasabi up my nose if I please!

Please Note....

That on Nov 10th, I had 41 pages left to write.

Today, Nov 18th, I have 18 left. I rule.

By tomorrow, I will have 12 left. All due Monday at noon. Not a problem.

You know you're an econ nerd when....

-You would rather continue reading about flat vs graduated income taxes as a means to redistribute wealth than take a break with a friend.

-You tell your friend, "Come look at this before you leave - this MNC tax is AMAZING!"

-You get excited about vertical integration of agro commodities in developing economies.

-You write this and it makes you happier than anything in the world:

"The West will not, out of altruism, reverse the system of trade that continues to exploit the developing world. It is Africa, Asia, Latin America that must fight to force the needed change. As long as the South remains a price-taker in the world economy, especially for agricultural commodities, it will continue to be exploited and global inequality will continue to persist."

Ok, back to taxes and world trade!!!!! Yippeeeeee!

Mind Control

What I am Trying NOT To Think About:

-my future market in Guinea
-stupid boys
-shoes
-not so stupid boys
-packing
-my trip to NY and DC
-Turkey (I wait all year for Thanksgiving)

What I am Trying TO Think About:

-gender justice in the realm of capabilites and income inequalities

C'mon, Brain, work with me!!!!

Sheisse....

The eye twitch has begun.

I only get it when I am stressed. It's kinda like my body's way of focusing my attention on the stress. C'mon, body, like I didn't know I was freaking out without the signal!

The Planner

I am forever indebted to a simple pile of papers held together by a wire spriral. It is my planner, and I love him. Let me show you what this week looks like:





















You can see that it is finals week, and therefore, I have no life. Please note the little green post-it on the right page (the second half of the week). It has a list of all that needs to get done, along with the pages it is and when it is due. For everything I finish, I get to not only scribble it out on that little green post-it, I get to cut it out and RIP IT UP! How much of a stress-relieving symbolic ritual is that?!

To be honest, I go through kind of manic-depressive stages with this list of to-do papers. At one moment, I am on top of it all - so ready for this week - in charge of my own A+ destiny. At the next moment, I feel like I will never make it through - that I am not made for grad school - that I am going to just shrivel up and die still clutching that green to-do list.

So, bear with me these next few days. You may want to stay out of my way (especially when I am driving - I tend to not care as much about pedestrians when stressed).

But I will be DONE with grad school by next Tuesday! How crazy is that?!

Da Punchies Part II

Ummm.... to explain Da Punchies Part I, my lazy butt is going to link to Heather. She wrote it up so nicely!

http://swandive00.blogspot.com/2005/11/when-crazies-get-punchies.html

Oh, and yesterday I successfully wrote 4 pages, not the 8 I had planned. Oh well.

My Bipolar Self

How I Felt an Hour Ago:

Yeah running down a dream
That never would come to me
Working on a mystery
Going wherever it leads
Running down a dream

I rolled on as the sky grew dark
I put the pedal down to make some time
There's something good waiting down this road
I'm picking up whatever is mine

How I Feel Now:

Well I don’t know what I’ve been told
You never slow down, you never grow old
I’m tired of screwing up,
I’m tired of goin’ down
I’m tired of myself,
I’m tired of this town
Oh my my, oh hell yes
Honey put on that party dress
Buy me a drink, sing me a song,
Take me as I come ’cause I can’t stay long

Africa's First Female President

Well, even though Mr. Weah is claiming election fraud, it looks like Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is going to be the first president of Liberia since the war. She has said that she wants to bring "motherly sensitivity and emotion to the presidency." I like this idea, especially in West Africa, where pompous male leaders have lead to the deaths of thousands over the last 15 years. Sensitivity, whether from a male or female, will hopefully work to heal the wounds suffered throughout the region.

Some of Weah's supporters are protesting the election, even though Ecowas has stated that the elections were free and fair. I am worried that this could prevent Liberia's healing. In a nation where people are used to picking up guns for reasons such as this, it is going to be difficult to keep this peaceful. In fact, protesters have already come into conflict with the police - and tear gas was used to disperse the crowd. Hopefully this is all we will hear about. I pray that this is all we will hear about.

If Liberia can do this, it gives me hope for the rest of the world.

Da Punchies.....

The curious incident of the raisin:

"Raisin yo' foes!"

"You're a banana problem."

"I don't want the raisin to do the chewing for me!"

I will explain later. Maybe.

Sleepless Night

Last night, after I finished my AFM Research Design paper (which came out well, I might add!), I went stright to bed. It was early - only 12:30, but I was exhausted.

The only problem was that I couldn't fall asleep! I kept mentally writing papers or correcting the one I had just written - you know adding a half a sentence of clarification here or whatever. I guess the stress of finals is once again getting to me!

So, I decided at around 1:30 to STOP thinking about school. I did some deep breathing stuff and tried to relax myself into sleep. Of course, then I started worrying about my packing list for Guinea! I remember looking at the clock at around 3ish before I dozed off. For some reason, I just couldn't control all these worries....

So, needlesss to say, I am exhausted. I woke up at 6, got to school by 8am, and I will hopefully be home by 8pm. I was so tired during my break from class this morning, I wasn't sure if I had the energy to walk DOWNstairs to visit MK. That's pathetic!

I can only think about one thing right now: I know what I am doing tonight - getting home ASAP and getting into PJ's for a little something I like to call B-E-D.

Update:

Now only 41 pages left! Getting there!


Assignment and Pages Left:

stat paper: 2
book review: 5
research design: 0 (yay!)
AFM final: 12
Ineq Final: 10
Refugee Final: 12

Total: 41

Mystery Solved!

The Symbolism of the Pineapple

Thanks, Rachel!

A New Pineapple

Has anyone else noticed the new emblem on the Building for Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management. Is it just me, or is it a pineapple?

I noticed it today while taking a break outside the library. It made me crack up! I mean - a new beautiful building with a HUGE (and I mean HUGE!) pineapple on the front. Am I the only one who doesn't really get it?

It kinda reminded me of the Barbarini bee. The Barbarini family was a wealthy family in Rome whose signature emblem was the bee. So, on any artwork they commissioned, there is an overabundance of bees (see Bernini's Baldacchino at St. Peter's below - you can see the bees everywhere!) There was also a family that put pinecones everywhere. I forget who they were, but if you see a pinecone in Italy, it was paid for by you-know-who.



























So, if following the Barbarini example, does the pineapple at DU represent some family that donated the cash to DU to build that new building?

Maybe I should decide on an emblem to represent my family. Then I can put it on buildings all over the world, and then generations to come will know who funded it. Or maybe I should put off deciding until I have enough money to build a giant bronze canopy.... maybe that will be my cue to decide on a family emblem.

How am I supposed to get more work done?

When Sara makes me daydream with this picture of a market in Guinea:

My last daydream: My mom is visiting me, and I make her walk across those planks to get into the market. She is scared, just like I was my first time, but I convince her to cross by saying with a giggle, "Ma, do you want to eat or not?" She thinks it is dirty and smells bad, but I remind her that it is my home.

Two months and two days left, right? Wow.

ps - check out those electric lines in the background!

Update:

I have written some pages that have lowered the ticker on the side menu. Check it out ----->>>

Ummmmm.......

If anyone is looking for a job in Conakry, Guinea, check this out:

Vacancy: APCD/Small Enterprise Development
Location: Conakry, Guinea

Looks like they are looking for my future APCD RIGHT NOW!

And knowing how long the PC hiring process takes, I betcha we will have an APCD change in 6-12 months! How WEIRD to see my own APCD's job announcement online!!!!!

Re-Energized

Ten Great Things That Happened to Me Tonight:

1) I left work an hour early.

2) For $3 I replaced the battery in my car clicker thing (aka keyless entry remote)! Who knew Batteries Plus existed?

3) I was made fun of by Rob in front of a classroom of people for still having his Ripples of the Zambezi book.

4) I learned about this really cool Bulgarian crafts organization that I want to buy stuff from to furnish my next home. Hey, it can't all be from Africa.

5) I walked into the ISAID/Peace Corps Community conference as Bernie was presenting about sex, drugs, and drinking.

6) During the breakout session, I was one of the two MIs in a room full of RPCVs from Africa. Got great answers to my questions.

7) I realized I am leaving in two months. Which is less time than a quarter at DU.

8) Chris handed me an African mask from Namibia and told me to smell it. "It smells like the market where I bought it."

9) On ONE single plate, I had Zambian collard greens, Sierra Leonian chicken, baklava, and some Armenian meat wrapped in grape leaves. Peace Corps shin-digs feed you well.

10) I got tipsy at the GSIS again.

Well, folks, I have been reinspired. I am ready for Africa!

My Encounter with Mr. Henry McKoy

How am I going to set up a program that actually helps the people in my village in Guinea?

Today at school, I met the Africa Regional Director for Peace Corps, Henry McKoy. An RPCV and I were able to ask him a few questions about setting up PC placements and he had some very interesting responses. To begin, Charley (RPCV Tanzania) and I asked him how PC assesses the needs of a community before they send a volunteer there. Mr. McKoy said that PC meets mostly with big-wig gov't officials to assess the needs, and because PC is invited into a country, they can't do much more. A single two-week session of meetings with the Foreign Minister and the Ministers of Agriculture or Education or whatever, and PC is good to go.

So, we concluded that PC does not really do any type of research about the needs of a community. I followed up with a question about training volunteers to do accurate needs assessments once they get to their site. He said that volunteers are taught to do an "informal" needs assessments when they get to site, whatever that means. He gave me some examples and told some good stories, but he really didn't convince Charley or I that PC focuses on the real people and not only the government's wishes.

I was somewhat surprised the PC doesn't focus more on finding the true needs of the community or at least rigorously training a volunteer to do so. I mean, do government officials in Guinea know what things their constituents actually need? I was reminded by Charley afterwards that PC is political - involving both the US and the foreign gov't heavily. I guess I just always try to put that fact out of my head. I really want to set up projects that address the actual felt needs of my community, and I am not really sure I will be able to do that.

Sometimes when I start to overthink it all, I just have to say to myself "Forget it, Amy. Just go over to Guinea and have a good time."

It's Friday - I am not going to think about it anymore. I am going to finish up work, go to the Peace Corps event at 4 (which I will hopefully write more about), and then start the weekend!

To-Do List for the Weekend

I am going to write two pages that have 5 page minimums. Two easy ones to cross off. That will feel good.

I am also going to take a bike ride this weekend. Alone. If it is not snowing (hey, you actually never know here in Denver and I haven't looked at the extended forecast in days). Anyway, bike ride.

And becasue every weekend needs some crazy birthday fun, I am going to go out Saturday to celebrate MARA'S BIRTHDAY!

Beep beep beep - the Emergency Alert System has been activated.

Sometimes I forget how mean I actually am.

I mean, generally, I am a nice person, right? But when I get stressed and have to focus (aka, week 8 every quarter), the bitch in me really rears its ugly head. Many of you who know me well recognize that I get this way when I need down time, alone time, Amy-time. At these stressed moments, my Amy-time disappears - alone time turns into work time. And all of a sudden, I turn into a bitch.

Maybe I am sharing this with all of you as a warning. Don't take it personally if I don't feel like hanging out. It has absolutely nothing to do with you - absolutely nothing. It has everything to do with me and I apologize in advance for being a bad friend for the upcoming 2.5 weeks. In fact, I think this may also be somewhat related to Peace Corps stress as well, so I apologize for being a bad friend for the next.... ummm.... 2 months or so.

Thanks for understanding.

Crossing A Paper Off the To-Do List

Meeting with my Liberian friend to finish up the interview today.

I am sooooo excited!!!!

That's all. Back to my lentil and couscous soup.