Holiday Greetings to Everyone!
I hope everyone's holiday season has been happy and healthy and that your travels will be safe (Dad mentioned another storm may be gracing WI before Christmas arrives).
I am anxiously anticipating my sister's visit to Niger. She'll be here to ring in the New Year, which is almost as good as being able to spend Christmas with family. I've got lots planned for her, ranging from pulling water and pounding millet in my village to hopefully seeing some giraffes and hippos as well...she should have some good stories when she gets home! {from the bush taxi rides if nothing else ;}
After two weeks of being on Standfast in my village (due to a security situation in country), I am very thankful to be in Zinder and able to spend Christmas with my friend and her visiting, parents in her village.
Although, being stuck in the village did allow me to celebrate Tabaski (the big Muslim holiday) with my villagers, which was really enjoyable. The years of hanging around Papa and his brothers and friends cutting up deer meat came in quite handy, as I was able to save the backstraps and "good" cuts of the goats from being completely anihilated by my villagers' "butchering skills". I would never have guessed I would spend the day in my full on Niger getup/Hadjia outfit cutting up meat with Nigerien men....never a dull moment. Thanks Pop!
Well I just wanted to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, my thoughts and prayers are with you.
Jamie
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Sunday, December 23, 2007
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Ga Masala....
Here's Trouble. I have a new addition to my Nigerien family. Now there are three lovely ladies living in my concession...that certainly sounds like a recipie for trouble. Flop (my kitten) isn't so thrilled with having a sister. There is definitely a story behind a name like Trouble....and it's a long one. But let's just say, while she is anything but, where she is, there's Trouble.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
What does 'gobble gobble' translate to in Hausa?
Well it’s Thanksgiving Day in Niger and I must say that as someone who thrives on tradition, I wasn’t expecting much for my first major holiday away from home. However, it is impossible not to get caught up in the excitement of and holiday spirit that has taken over our little piece of America here in Zinder, trying to create our own Thanksgiving extravaganza.
Most of our team is here to celebrate and share in our creative, if not traditional Thanksgiving meal. Everyone has signed up to share a dish. Squash has replaced pumpkin (in four different dishes no less), dankali (a slightly sweet potato) has replaced the yams, and we’ve even managed to locate a turkey, of which will be prepared in the most traditional way possible (either side of the Atlantic). Nothing says Thanksgiving quite like plucking the feathers from a freshly harvested bird…gobble gobb…
While there are a few things that will not be gracing our table (Nigeriens have yet to discover the majesty of a good Wisconsin cranberry), we make up for it in creativity, as there will be mojitos and empinadas at our lovely little gathering. (And as I so keenly noticed at 5 am this morning, nothing says Thanksgiving quite like a heart shaped ice cube.)
So, even though I am thousands of miles away from the place I would love to be to kick of the season I love most, I have lots to be thankful for, and I am so glad that so many people here have put in so much effort to make this a great day for everyone, even though deep down inside I’m sure we all wished we could be with our families today. (Thanksgiving just isn’t the same, not sitting on the steps with Chelsea, and passing babies around Aunt Molly’s, and no one, not a single person could recreate the rolls that Thanksgiving at Aunt Molly’s would not be complete with out.)
It is just about 1pm here but the day of preparation and planning is just getting into full swing. There is no Macy’s parade or drive through Amish country, but we’ve been in the kitchen and have had the oven going since 5am, and we are even anticipating the arrival of family members Henry and Emily, who are making the long trek back from Niamey to be in Zinder with us. (Lucky for them they don’t have to worry about the threat of snow!) So while there are distinct differences it seems it will be a good Thanksgiving after all.
So in addition to being thankful to spend this family holiday with my American-Nigerien family, I’ve had a lot to be thankful for this year. I would be lying if I didn’t say that readjusting to life in Niger has been difficult, following an amazing visit back home. I will always treasure those three weeks, and how much it meant to me to be able to see and spend time with the people I love so much. Even though it is cliché, sometimes you definitely don’t realize how much people mean to you until they are (or you are) gone.
Realizing how much home means to me is something in and of itself to be thankful for, and upon completion of my service here in Niger, I am all too excited to return. I cannot begin to express how thankful I am for the support from everyone at home, who has given me your encouragement and support, of which I would not have been able to pursue this dream and endeavor without. On the really tough days when I question my strength and ability to continue on here, I know that there are people back home who believe in me and my ability to do good here, and on those days that makes all the difference in the world.
I also could not be more thankful for my Peace Corps experiences thus far. Being home and having the opportunity to be able to share what I have learned about the world and myself, has really made me realize how I am changing and growing as a person; that in and of itself is a blessing. I have also been blessed with many Nigerien friends and family who look out for me and support me as I try to find my way in their community. I realize how truly luck I am to have them in my life, if only for a short time.
And even more recently I am thankful for the events of the past few weeks that have gotten me back up on my feet here in Niger. The effort my villagers have demonstrated in holding meetings to discuss what we will take on together during the remainder of my service is encouraging. I have begun successfully tackling the challenging endeavor of introducing science to the kids of my village with Hamissou (my cooperating teacher)…one day soon those kids will be able to also identify which continent they live on, I’m sure of it. I have also had the opportunity to share my village with visitors from America, and it was such a rewarding experience seeing Niger and my community from a fresh perspective (it makes me even more excited to share it with Chelsea in a few short weeks!). And maybe more trivially, but seriously enough, being able to say I’m a horse owner tomorrow, puts a big ol’ grin on my face.
While it shouldn’t take a holiday of giving thanks to realize how truly blessed or thankful I am, I am grateful to have the opportunity to reflect on the blessings in my life, today and everyday.
I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and the very best for the coming holiday season. Enjoy the cold weather, cutting down and trimming the Christmas Trees, and all the joy that comes with the magic and wonder that Christmastime brings.
With all of my love,
Jamie
Most of our team is here to celebrate and share in our creative, if not traditional Thanksgiving meal. Everyone has signed up to share a dish. Squash has replaced pumpkin (in four different dishes no less), dankali (a slightly sweet potato) has replaced the yams, and we’ve even managed to locate a turkey, of which will be prepared in the most traditional way possible (either side of the Atlantic). Nothing says Thanksgiving quite like plucking the feathers from a freshly harvested bird…gobble gobb…
While there are a few things that will not be gracing our table (Nigeriens have yet to discover the majesty of a good Wisconsin cranberry), we make up for it in creativity, as there will be mojitos and empinadas at our lovely little gathering. (And as I so keenly noticed at 5 am this morning, nothing says Thanksgiving quite like a heart shaped ice cube.)
So, even though I am thousands of miles away from the place I would love to be to kick of the season I love most, I have lots to be thankful for, and I am so glad that so many people here have put in so much effort to make this a great day for everyone, even though deep down inside I’m sure we all wished we could be with our families today. (Thanksgiving just isn’t the same, not sitting on the steps with Chelsea, and passing babies around Aunt Molly’s, and no one, not a single person could recreate the rolls that Thanksgiving at Aunt Molly’s would not be complete with out.)
It is just about 1pm here but the day of preparation and planning is just getting into full swing. There is no Macy’s parade or drive through Amish country, but we’ve been in the kitchen and have had the oven going since 5am, and we are even anticipating the arrival of family members Henry and Emily, who are making the long trek back from Niamey to be in Zinder with us. (Lucky for them they don’t have to worry about the threat of snow!) So while there are distinct differences it seems it will be a good Thanksgiving after all.
So in addition to being thankful to spend this family holiday with my American-Nigerien family, I’ve had a lot to be thankful for this year. I would be lying if I didn’t say that readjusting to life in Niger has been difficult, following an amazing visit back home. I will always treasure those three weeks, and how much it meant to me to be able to see and spend time with the people I love so much. Even though it is cliché, sometimes you definitely don’t realize how much people mean to you until they are (or you are) gone.
Realizing how much home means to me is something in and of itself to be thankful for, and upon completion of my service here in Niger, I am all too excited to return. I cannot begin to express how thankful I am for the support from everyone at home, who has given me your encouragement and support, of which I would not have been able to pursue this dream and endeavor without. On the really tough days when I question my strength and ability to continue on here, I know that there are people back home who believe in me and my ability to do good here, and on those days that makes all the difference in the world.
I also could not be more thankful for my Peace Corps experiences thus far. Being home and having the opportunity to be able to share what I have learned about the world and myself, has really made me realize how I am changing and growing as a person; that in and of itself is a blessing. I have also been blessed with many Nigerien friends and family who look out for me and support me as I try to find my way in their community. I realize how truly luck I am to have them in my life, if only for a short time.
And even more recently I am thankful for the events of the past few weeks that have gotten me back up on my feet here in Niger. The effort my villagers have demonstrated in holding meetings to discuss what we will take on together during the remainder of my service is encouraging. I have begun successfully tackling the challenging endeavor of introducing science to the kids of my village with Hamissou (my cooperating teacher)…one day soon those kids will be able to also identify which continent they live on, I’m sure of it. I have also had the opportunity to share my village with visitors from America, and it was such a rewarding experience seeing Niger and my community from a fresh perspective (it makes me even more excited to share it with Chelsea in a few short weeks!). And maybe more trivially, but seriously enough, being able to say I’m a horse owner tomorrow, puts a big ol’ grin on my face.
While it shouldn’t take a holiday of giving thanks to realize how truly blessed or thankful I am, I am grateful to have the opportunity to reflect on the blessings in my life, today and everyday.
I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and the very best for the coming holiday season. Enjoy the cold weather, cutting down and trimming the Christmas Trees, and all the joy that comes with the magic and wonder that Christmastime brings.
With all of my love,
Jamie
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Fall Visit
Two weeks from today I will be back on U.S soil, and I am so excited to be coming home for a visit. I'll be home Sept 26-Oct 18th, and there's lots to fill you in on. So send me an e-mail if you'll be around, I'd love to get together, I've got lots of pics and adventures to share, and I'm excited to hear what you've been up to!
See you soon!
Jamie
See you soon!
Jamie
Sunday, May 27, 2007
A Gentle Breeze
Finally, relief from the remnants of another scorching day in Niger. The gentle breeze lifts the heavy night air.
I partially wake as my feet become entangled in my mosquito netting, but the wind feels good and a quick glance to the sky reveals that the stars and moon have not been overtaken by clouds that threaten rain, so I settle back into slumber.
A short time later the breeze picks up and a few people can be seen stirring, but the only sound is that of a steady, cool, and welcomed wind.
It happens so quickly that the transition goes unnoticed, but the wind is now patterned with intermittent, yet powerful gusts. It is no longer gentle, as sand is now tagging along and riding the gusts.
The mosquito netting takes on the quality of a vaccuum cleaner's filter and sheets become a shield against the grainy peppering of the face by sand. However, the intensity grows, netting comes untucked, taking on the quality of anchored kites.
By this time, a few people have begun taking down their beds and they move with purpose to get inside. It doesn't take long until all bodies are moving and oddly alert at such an unusual hour. The few individuals who have chosen to weather the storm are rousted from their determined slumber, the gusts are saturated with pelting sands. Clearly, the lack of visibility and consant waves of sand will not allow anyone to sleep without becoming caked in dust and dirt that will be found in the oddest of places for weeks to come.
The gusts intensify and now there is a scramble to get indoors. Mattresses take on the role of ship sails as we struggle to get them in, tugging the bearer away from the desired destination. There are a few shrieks, but they are short as a mouth quickly fills with the blowing dust.
The relief of being out of the dust storm is short lived, as the stagnant, hot air stiffels the new inhabitants who are sporadically placed about the floor. The solitary fan does little to create movement of the stale air. At this point I'm quite certain it could be no worse to ride out the now ferocious, gusty storm, as I find myself willing to give anything for a nice gentle breeze.
I partially wake as my feet become entangled in my mosquito netting, but the wind feels good and a quick glance to the sky reveals that the stars and moon have not been overtaken by clouds that threaten rain, so I settle back into slumber.
A short time later the breeze picks up and a few people can be seen stirring, but the only sound is that of a steady, cool, and welcomed wind.
It happens so quickly that the transition goes unnoticed, but the wind is now patterned with intermittent, yet powerful gusts. It is no longer gentle, as sand is now tagging along and riding the gusts.
The mosquito netting takes on the quality of a vaccuum cleaner's filter and sheets become a shield against the grainy peppering of the face by sand. However, the intensity grows, netting comes untucked, taking on the quality of anchored kites.
By this time, a few people have begun taking down their beds and they move with purpose to get inside. It doesn't take long until all bodies are moving and oddly alert at such an unusual hour. The few individuals who have chosen to weather the storm are rousted from their determined slumber, the gusts are saturated with pelting sands. Clearly, the lack of visibility and consant waves of sand will not allow anyone to sleep without becoming caked in dust and dirt that will be found in the oddest of places for weeks to come.
The gusts intensify and now there is a scramble to get indoors. Mattresses take on the role of ship sails as we struggle to get them in, tugging the bearer away from the desired destination. There are a few shrieks, but they are short as a mouth quickly fills with the blowing dust.
The relief of being out of the dust storm is short lived, as the stagnant, hot air stiffels the new inhabitants who are sporadically placed about the floor. The solitary fan does little to create movement of the stale air. At this point I'm quite certain it could be no worse to ride out the now ferocious, gusty storm, as I find myself willing to give anything for a nice gentle breeze.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
What Makes My Heart Smile
I've been so excited to share about my acclimation to Niger and bush life in my previous posts that I think I have neglected some of the smaller details of what makes life in Niger great, so without futher ado, this is what makes me smile at the end of the day and keeps me going after the tough ones...
- my little, two year old shadow, Basilou. He runs to me when I'm in view and cries when I leave. Upon entering his family's concession he takes my hand and says "Atoo (because he can't say Ramatou) ki zamnan, mu ci tuwo (Ramatou, you sit, we eat tuwo) and then we proceed to share a bowl of tuwo, it never ceases to make me smile.
-Kourma, quite possibly the person I communicate best with in my village, since he is deaf we don't have that Hausa language barrier. He never fails to crack me up, and I love watching him interact with the kids in the village, but I can always count on him to keep them out of my concession when they all begin to swarm in.
- trying to earn the love of the toddlers who make me work very hard to do so. In particular my little buddy Awoli, we've made the transition from him screaming when he's in my presence, to his wobbly dance moves when I whistle, to him coming over to my concession to play and even letting me hold him every now and again.
- My best friend in the village, Shawa, she's a 14 year old girl and so full of life. She has been so patient with me and all my language struggles. She has taken me under her wing to help me adjust to village life, and I just love her!
- The first time I told Basilou to 'give me five (bani biyar)' and with a very serious look on his face he curtly replies "babu!" (no/none).
- Going to the evening market in the neighboring town with Shawa and a few other teenage girls (it feels like being a freshman in high school again), but we walk back through the bush led only by the stars and the moon, slightly terrifying but also quite peaceful.
- Playing cards and coloring with my boys in the afternoon, and having uncontrolable laughing fits during a game of UNO or Hatsi.
- Bush taxi adventures and misadventures.
- Receiving an unexpected letter or package from a friend or family member. I love you guys so much and I can't get enough news from home!! (The contents of said packages also bring smiles to PCV faces-- on a hot spring day in the bush velveeta shells and cheese, crystal light, and starbursts are hard to beat!)
- Breaking up the 14 hour journey and stopping halfway across the country to reunite with "long" lost friends.
- having PCV friends come to visit my village/visiting other PCV's villages.
- quiet morning treks through the bush.
-playing with the kids in the street at dusk.
-having someone tell me I hear Hausa (granted that's few and far between).
- the excitement of the first rain of the season/watching the bush be over taken by the storms rolling in.
- the countless moments when I'm doing something completely "ordinary" and I am struck with awe by my surroundings and I realize how grateful I am to be doing exactly what I am doing, exactly where I am, at exactly that moment...I often re-remember that I am living in the middle of the African bush, and for lack of a better word, that is so cool!
- my little, two year old shadow, Basilou. He runs to me when I'm in view and cries when I leave. Upon entering his family's concession he takes my hand and says "Atoo (because he can't say Ramatou) ki zamnan, mu ci tuwo (Ramatou, you sit, we eat tuwo) and then we proceed to share a bowl of tuwo, it never ceases to make me smile.
-Kourma, quite possibly the person I communicate best with in my village, since he is deaf we don't have that Hausa language barrier. He never fails to crack me up, and I love watching him interact with the kids in the village, but I can always count on him to keep them out of my concession when they all begin to swarm in.
- trying to earn the love of the toddlers who make me work very hard to do so. In particular my little buddy Awoli, we've made the transition from him screaming when he's in my presence, to his wobbly dance moves when I whistle, to him coming over to my concession to play and even letting me hold him every now and again.
- My best friend in the village, Shawa, she's a 14 year old girl and so full of life. She has been so patient with me and all my language struggles. She has taken me under her wing to help me adjust to village life, and I just love her!
- The first time I told Basilou to 'give me five (bani biyar)' and with a very serious look on his face he curtly replies "babu!" (no/none).
- Going to the evening market in the neighboring town with Shawa and a few other teenage girls (it feels like being a freshman in high school again), but we walk back through the bush led only by the stars and the moon, slightly terrifying but also quite peaceful.
- Playing cards and coloring with my boys in the afternoon, and having uncontrolable laughing fits during a game of UNO or Hatsi.
- Bush taxi adventures and misadventures.
- Receiving an unexpected letter or package from a friend or family member. I love you guys so much and I can't get enough news from home!! (The contents of said packages also bring smiles to PCV faces-- on a hot spring day in the bush velveeta shells and cheese, crystal light, and starbursts are hard to beat!)
- Breaking up the 14 hour journey and stopping halfway across the country to reunite with "long" lost friends.
- having PCV friends come to visit my village/visiting other PCV's villages.
- quiet morning treks through the bush.
-playing with the kids in the street at dusk.
-having someone tell me I hear Hausa (granted that's few and far between).
- the excitement of the first rain of the season/watching the bush be over taken by the storms rolling in.
- the countless moments when I'm doing something completely "ordinary" and I am struck with awe by my surroundings and I realize how grateful I am to be doing exactly what I am doing, exactly where I am, at exactly that moment...I often re-remember that I am living in the middle of the African bush, and for lack of a better word, that is so cool!
Monday, April 23, 2007
'sha Biyar
Over the past month the potential title for this entry has changed multiple times, quite possibly the "sha biyar" (15) that it ended up being, but I will get to that in due time.
First, I am happy to say that I have officially survived my first month as a PCV, living in the Nigerien bush! I can't believe it has already been a month!!!! Believe it or not, the time really flew by!
Again there is so much to tell, a months worth of adventures, misadventures, mishaps, and heartwarming events, so don't be surprised if this is a bit chaotic.
Refering back to the title, during the first week I was thinking more along the lines of "it is tough all over." I can honestly say that my first week out in the bush was quite possibly the most challenging/difficult of my life. I was expecting it to be hard, so I don't think I was blind sided, but actually dealing with the difficulty of moving into a new village, in a new country, with the equivalent language of "Hausa II" was unlike any other moving in or adjusting I've ever done to date. It's 'slightly' different then moving down the street or even to a new state, and it was intense to say the least.
***For those of you who checked this out yesterday, here is where I left off (for the record I'm feeling much better now that I have medicine so hopefully I'll be heading back to the bush tomorrow).***
A combination of factors contributed to that first week in the bush being so challenging. It was the first time in 2+ months that I had time to think about missing the people I love back home. It was also the first time I really longed for how simple and easy it is to do daily things in the States. For that first week every step I took was a concious effort, and after thinking about how much water you need for the day, how to pull the water, what you should say to your villagers, how to say it....and the list goes on and on, was exhausting!!
The first week my body also switched into survival mode. It was impossible for me to get enough to drink. I was drinking multiple gallons of water a day but I just couldn't quench my thirst. When walking (actually nearly crawling) back from working in the gardens one day, while rationing the horrifically hot water in my Nalgene in order to make it back to my village, I decided then and there that it would be much worse to die of thirst than to die of hunger!
So the combination of getting acclimated to my village, having time to be homesick, not having any connections with anyone, trying to survive, and having way too much time to think all contributed to the stress that made that first week so tough.
When I went into Matameye for market the a week after I'd been out in the bush, another PCV in town just laughed when I came into our transit house with a breakfast of water, liquid yogurt, and tomatoes...hopefully you notice the liquid theme there. I also resolved that once I get back to the states I'm only going to eat fruit....I also have (still do) a strange desire to go to Noah's Ark, which is funny because I haven' thought about that place in years, but the thought of being surrounded by so much cool water is something that crosses my mind on a daily basis....did I mention I how much I love livining in the middle of the bush?!
Well, I survived the first week, in which I attended 2 naming ceremonies of 2 newborns in my village, I think I mentioned it before, but there are babies everywhere!!! Also because I'm new and considered to be a "guest" in the village I was also 'lucky' enough to be given the "choice cut" of the lamb that they slaughter for naming ceremonies, which happens to be the intestine. I didn't like it the first time, and it wasn't any better the second...I'll leave that one right there...
I remember thinking that if the first week was the hardest, of the first month (which everyone says is the hardest) I was going to be okay. And sure enough, each week progressively got better, to the point where on last Thursday before coming in to Zinder to celebrate our month at post, I realized that my thoughts from that initial week of "I'm going to be here for 2 whole years?!?!?!" have become "I only have 2 years to be with these amazing people"....so I think that pretty much sums up that the rest of the month went very well!
Each week got progressively better as I have begun to find my footing in bush life. I have been making some connections in my village and I really love and am so grateful to my villagers for accepting me and letting me come into their lives, I think we are going to have a great two years!
Well some people have asked what I do to occupy my days.... so I'll give a "brief" summary. I am now on the cycle of the sun/moon, which is nice. so I start my day @ 6 with the sunrise, I take a jog through the bush which is nice just to clear my head and get ready for the day. Then I walk through the village, which I have decided would fit inside of a super walmart (with room to spare....it is THAT tiny!) and I greet the villagers that are out and about and in their concessions. I stop by a few families concessions and chat and greet and then hold their newborns for a while (and typically end up getting at least peed on while there). That takes about an hour or so and then I head back to my concession and sweep it out. It's kind of like mowing a lawn, but instead I think of it as manicuring my sandbox (it really does look nice when I'm all done!)
A couple times a week I switch it up by going to the gardens to work. The men there are so funny, the always stop by the plot I work in and say things along the line of "she can do it?!" she can pull and give water?!" It's pretty entertaining, and sure enough I am able to pull water in a calabash bowl and then proceed to give that water to the plants....good thing I spent 4 years in college, not sure I would be able to do this without it ;)
I normally stick fairly close to home in the late morning. It is nice to have some time to myself, I read and do some research for the upcoming farming season. Some days though I go to a woman's house in the village and make Dankuli (fried peanut butter balls) with her and some of the women in the village which she sells to people who come through our village on Thursdays to go to the night market in a neighboring village. It took me a while to get the hang of making them the "right way" but it's nice to sit with them and try to pick up what they're talking about.
Afternoons are by far my favorite in the village. I'm not sure how it came to be, but I have a little "posse/fada" that comes to my concession every afternoon. It is comprised of 5 or 6 guys between the ages of 16 and around 25. We play cards, lots of UNO, and I recently taught my friend Chilou how to play Cribbage, (which was a challenge in Hausa since the words pair and straight/runs don't exist), he has a hard time saying cribbage so now he just says we need to play 15 (sha biyar). We also play a lot of UNO and I am so excited to have brought the game of "spoons" to my village. Although, since we eat with our hands, (no spoons here) I have coined the Nigerien version as HATSI, which is millet in Hausa. So we play with millet stalks, and for all of you familiar with the game you know how crazy it can get, well these guys take it up a notch by hitting whom ever doesn't get a stalk...it is too funny!
The best part though occured last week. One of the guys brought his 2 or 3 year old niece with him. So I brought out a coloring book and some crayons that I brought with me from the States so she had something to do while we played cards. Well, as the afternoon progressed, one by one each of the guys stopped playing cards and started coloring. And for my last three days in the bush before coming into Zinder they asked if we could just color, so for 2 or 3 hours each afternoon these adult guys just sit quitely and contentendly and color their little hearts out!!! I love it so much, it is so cute!!!! They are very good at it and love to make each object about 10 different colors...needless to say we've been having a good time!!!
Around 5pm each day I "kick" all the guys out to go pull water from the well with the women. I started by pulling my water with my own guga (water bucket) but week two it fell off my rope into the well where it still sits, so now I pull together with the women and then take my water back to my concession, on my head. I still have to use my hands to help balance, but hopefully by the time all is said and done, I will be able to walk with "no hands" as gracefully as my villagers do....and most times they have a baby strapped onto their backs!!! (I definitely won't be doing that!!!)
Around 6 I take another round through the village and do evening greetings with the people who are out and about. I play with the kids who are gathered in the "streets" playing local games in the sand.
I then go to eat with a teacher and his wife. I hold their 2 mos old son and try to entertain him/keep him from crying while Binta makes dinner. I eat tuwo with them and then in the past couple of weeks I've been "moonlighting" by eating with my friend Chilou and his wife. It is an interesting story, but everyone is just so eager to feed me tuwo, and no one will accept that I only can eat with one family each night...man that's a lot of tuwo. I tried to let Binta's family know I am only going to eat with them a couple of days a week because I need to get to know other families in the village, well then she guilted me to come over and have "conversation" before going to the other family...well she then forced me to eat her tuwo...and now the new family insisted that I eat with them "always always"....it's nice to be loved, but man I'm not sure how much tuwo I can take ;)
I am back at my concession by 8:30 and asleep by 9:30 almost everynight. And then start the whole thing over again in the morning. While the activities can be a little mundane sounding, I've yet to tire of them and the days and weeks just fly by. I am sure as I begin to undertake actual projects and begin the farming season they will only go faster!!!
In reference to that, the first month was dedicated to adjusting, learning Hausa (which is a daily struggle, I'm not sure if I am getting any better at all, my villagers speak quickly and don't enunciate, so I often think that if they actual spoke Hausa I'd be able to hear it ;), and getting to know my villagers. The second half of May all of us newbies will be going back to Hamdalleye for more intensive technical trainning. Once that's done we will be appraoching the rainy season so we will beging preparing our fields. I am hoping to grow soybeans and try to introduce tofu (lots of protien!!! which my body has really been craving, since hardly any meat is consumed in the village, only on special occasions) to the village. They have it in the bigger cities, and inaddition to offering protein it will also be a good income generating project. I am also contemplating a bee keeping project which also has lots of income generating potential...but we'll see.
I'm looking forward to the farming season, it is going to be a lot of work, but i'm looking forward to being physically busy on a daily basis. I also mentioned to some of you that i was hoping to get a camel or a donkey, but neither are really in my area, so as a consolation I am hoping to get a horse sometime this summer. I've alwayvince my dad we could keep one in our yard, more than once) and I figure if the opportunity never arises again, at least I can at least say I owned a horse once in my life!
Fridays are also great days in the bush. Those are the days I go into Matameye for the market. For the next month I have a PCV neighbor, we live about 2 hours walk from each other, but in June she's ending her service and moving to Sudan. After that I won't have any "close" neighbors. The nearest one will be the PCV living in Matameye (which is an hour walk and a 30-45 min. bush taxi ride from me). But anyway, Fridays are the days I venture into Matameye and get to see the other PCV's in the region. It is nice to be able to speak English and communicate so effortlessly and to just catch my breath and recharge for the next week in the bush. It is also great to be able to have a cold soda and cold water. I never realized how much I would miss cold beverages...pee warm water can be swallowed if necessary (and it's necessary) but it isn't enjoyable!
I typically stay at the transit house Friday night and head back to my village early Sat morning so I am doing my walking before the sun gets too hot. I could go back on Friday nights but I'm normally beat and the thought of walking the hour back to the village isn't altogether appealing then. The first week though, I got a little lost in the bush and was luckily "saved" by this nice little Fulani man who took me to his family's compound, offered me hura (millet/water drink) and then took me back to my village. It was way more scary at the time it was happening, as I realized that all those little "roads" don't eventually meet up, but I survived it and can laugh about my little adventure now...but let me tell you that it wasn't so wonderful coming on the heels of my first week!
Well, I've been rambling for sometime now, so I'll wrap things up. On Friday all of us newbies (in the region) came back into Zinder and all 6 of us survived our first month, all with similar stories of survival and misadventure and the general concensus that the first week was one of the hardest of our lives! We then had a team meeting in Saturday followed by a mango eating contest....which I will again refer to the 'sha biyar' or 15 of the title. So it is an annual tradition to hold a mango eating contest after the newbies 1st month at post. Last year my neighbor Gina and another girl won by eating 12 mangos. The contest isn't timed, its just eat mangos until you can't anymore. Well, this time there was an infiltrator from team Maradi (the nearest region to my West) and he was bound and determined to take the title away from Zinder. My competitive spirit got the best of me and 3 hours and 15 mangos later Corey and I decided to tie at 15 because neither of us were capable of putting another mango into our stomachs...so I am the reigning co-champ of the mango eating contest, but it was the most painful and arguably one of the most dumb things I've done. I can't describe how painfully full the two of us were, and instead of "celebrate" the victory we were sprawled out unable to move....but hey, I didn't get beat and the title is still in Zinder.
Since that fateful event the last 72 hours have been quite unpleasant as inaddition to dealing with digesting all of those mangos...I still can't believe I ate 15 (it will be a long long time until I eat another, let me tell you!), but i also have a touch of e.coli. I'm not sure if it came from the mangos or if it was lying dormant for awhile, but I've been quite a sick little pup for the last few days. Things are one the up swing though and I'll be going back to my village in the morning, health pending.
So that's what I've been up to, I hope you're all doing well and enjoying your Spring. I can only imagine how nice it must be to have green all around again. It is 110 and brown here today, and everyday until the rains come in June. Well I'll leave you with this list I've compiled during my 1st month in the bush....
- I've made myself honestly believe that Hura (millet, sour milk, and a little water) mixed with cinnamon is a dead ringer for blueberry pie...odd since blueberries have nothing in common with millet.
- I have a 'favorite' type of tuwo, which is corn
-I finally have perfect aim (I'll let you put two and two together on that one)
- I look forward to each bush taxi adventure (think livestock, gas pedals attached by strings, and starting them ala Little Miss Sunshine with a push start)
- I can pull and give water with the best of them
- Even when given the chance to sleep inside, I'd much rather sleep outside
- I don't remember the last time I had an actual shower, and won't mention how 'often' I bucket bathe
- I long for fruit and protien instead of for the ice cream and chocolate I anticipated craving
- I can now play UNO in 5 lanuages (English, Spanish, Croatian, French, and Hausa).
Here's to the next 3 weeks in the bush, and hopefully I'll get a chance to talk to you all real soon!
Ciao,
Jamie
First, I am happy to say that I have officially survived my first month as a PCV, living in the Nigerien bush! I can't believe it has already been a month!!!! Believe it or not, the time really flew by!
Again there is so much to tell, a months worth of adventures, misadventures, mishaps, and heartwarming events, so don't be surprised if this is a bit chaotic.
Refering back to the title, during the first week I was thinking more along the lines of "it is tough all over." I can honestly say that my first week out in the bush was quite possibly the most challenging/difficult of my life. I was expecting it to be hard, so I don't think I was blind sided, but actually dealing with the difficulty of moving into a new village, in a new country, with the equivalent language of "Hausa II" was unlike any other moving in or adjusting I've ever done to date. It's 'slightly' different then moving down the street or even to a new state, and it was intense to say the least.
***For those of you who checked this out yesterday, here is where I left off (for the record I'm feeling much better now that I have medicine so hopefully I'll be heading back to the bush tomorrow).***
A combination of factors contributed to that first week in the bush being so challenging. It was the first time in 2+ months that I had time to think about missing the people I love back home. It was also the first time I really longed for how simple and easy it is to do daily things in the States. For that first week every step I took was a concious effort, and after thinking about how much water you need for the day, how to pull the water, what you should say to your villagers, how to say it....and the list goes on and on, was exhausting!!
The first week my body also switched into survival mode. It was impossible for me to get enough to drink. I was drinking multiple gallons of water a day but I just couldn't quench my thirst. When walking (actually nearly crawling) back from working in the gardens one day, while rationing the horrifically hot water in my Nalgene in order to make it back to my village, I decided then and there that it would be much worse to die of thirst than to die of hunger!
So the combination of getting acclimated to my village, having time to be homesick, not having any connections with anyone, trying to survive, and having way too much time to think all contributed to the stress that made that first week so tough.
When I went into Matameye for market the a week after I'd been out in the bush, another PCV in town just laughed when I came into our transit house with a breakfast of water, liquid yogurt, and tomatoes...hopefully you notice the liquid theme there. I also resolved that once I get back to the states I'm only going to eat fruit....I also have (still do) a strange desire to go to Noah's Ark, which is funny because I haven' thought about that place in years, but the thought of being surrounded by so much cool water is something that crosses my mind on a daily basis....did I mention I how much I love livining in the middle of the bush?!
Well, I survived the first week, in which I attended 2 naming ceremonies of 2 newborns in my village, I think I mentioned it before, but there are babies everywhere!!! Also because I'm new and considered to be a "guest" in the village I was also 'lucky' enough to be given the "choice cut" of the lamb that they slaughter for naming ceremonies, which happens to be the intestine. I didn't like it the first time, and it wasn't any better the second...I'll leave that one right there...
I remember thinking that if the first week was the hardest, of the first month (which everyone says is the hardest) I was going to be okay. And sure enough, each week progressively got better, to the point where on last Thursday before coming in to Zinder to celebrate our month at post, I realized that my thoughts from that initial week of "I'm going to be here for 2 whole years?!?!?!" have become "I only have 2 years to be with these amazing people"....so I think that pretty much sums up that the rest of the month went very well!
Each week got progressively better as I have begun to find my footing in bush life. I have been making some connections in my village and I really love and am so grateful to my villagers for accepting me and letting me come into their lives, I think we are going to have a great two years!
Well some people have asked what I do to occupy my days.... so I'll give a "brief" summary. I am now on the cycle of the sun/moon, which is nice. so I start my day @ 6 with the sunrise, I take a jog through the bush which is nice just to clear my head and get ready for the day. Then I walk through the village, which I have decided would fit inside of a super walmart (with room to spare....it is THAT tiny!) and I greet the villagers that are out and about and in their concessions. I stop by a few families concessions and chat and greet and then hold their newborns for a while (and typically end up getting at least peed on while there). That takes about an hour or so and then I head back to my concession and sweep it out. It's kind of like mowing a lawn, but instead I think of it as manicuring my sandbox (it really does look nice when I'm all done!)
A couple times a week I switch it up by going to the gardens to work. The men there are so funny, the always stop by the plot I work in and say things along the line of "she can do it?!" she can pull and give water?!" It's pretty entertaining, and sure enough I am able to pull water in a calabash bowl and then proceed to give that water to the plants....good thing I spent 4 years in college, not sure I would be able to do this without it ;)
I normally stick fairly close to home in the late morning. It is nice to have some time to myself, I read and do some research for the upcoming farming season. Some days though I go to a woman's house in the village and make Dankuli (fried peanut butter balls) with her and some of the women in the village which she sells to people who come through our village on Thursdays to go to the night market in a neighboring village. It took me a while to get the hang of making them the "right way" but it's nice to sit with them and try to pick up what they're talking about.
Afternoons are by far my favorite in the village. I'm not sure how it came to be, but I have a little "posse/fada" that comes to my concession every afternoon. It is comprised of 5 or 6 guys between the ages of 16 and around 25. We play cards, lots of UNO, and I recently taught my friend Chilou how to play Cribbage, (which was a challenge in Hausa since the words pair and straight/runs don't exist), he has a hard time saying cribbage so now he just says we need to play 15 (sha biyar). We also play a lot of UNO and I am so excited to have brought the game of "spoons" to my village. Although, since we eat with our hands, (no spoons here) I have coined the Nigerien version as HATSI, which is millet in Hausa. So we play with millet stalks, and for all of you familiar with the game you know how crazy it can get, well these guys take it up a notch by hitting whom ever doesn't get a stalk...it is too funny!
The best part though occured last week. One of the guys brought his 2 or 3 year old niece with him. So I brought out a coloring book and some crayons that I brought with me from the States so she had something to do while we played cards. Well, as the afternoon progressed, one by one each of the guys stopped playing cards and started coloring. And for my last three days in the bush before coming into Zinder they asked if we could just color, so for 2 or 3 hours each afternoon these adult guys just sit quitely and contentendly and color their little hearts out!!! I love it so much, it is so cute!!!! They are very good at it and love to make each object about 10 different colors...needless to say we've been having a good time!!!
Around 5pm each day I "kick" all the guys out to go pull water from the well with the women. I started by pulling my water with my own guga (water bucket) but week two it fell off my rope into the well where it still sits, so now I pull together with the women and then take my water back to my concession, on my head. I still have to use my hands to help balance, but hopefully by the time all is said and done, I will be able to walk with "no hands" as gracefully as my villagers do....and most times they have a baby strapped onto their backs!!! (I definitely won't be doing that!!!)
Around 6 I take another round through the village and do evening greetings with the people who are out and about. I play with the kids who are gathered in the "streets" playing local games in the sand.
I then go to eat with a teacher and his wife. I hold their 2 mos old son and try to entertain him/keep him from crying while Binta makes dinner. I eat tuwo with them and then in the past couple of weeks I've been "moonlighting" by eating with my friend Chilou and his wife. It is an interesting story, but everyone is just so eager to feed me tuwo, and no one will accept that I only can eat with one family each night...man that's a lot of tuwo. I tried to let Binta's family know I am only going to eat with them a couple of days a week because I need to get to know other families in the village, well then she guilted me to come over and have "conversation" before going to the other family...well she then forced me to eat her tuwo...and now the new family insisted that I eat with them "always always"....it's nice to be loved, but man I'm not sure how much tuwo I can take ;)
I am back at my concession by 8:30 and asleep by 9:30 almost everynight. And then start the whole thing over again in the morning. While the activities can be a little mundane sounding, I've yet to tire of them and the days and weeks just fly by. I am sure as I begin to undertake actual projects and begin the farming season they will only go faster!!!
In reference to that, the first month was dedicated to adjusting, learning Hausa (which is a daily struggle, I'm not sure if I am getting any better at all, my villagers speak quickly and don't enunciate, so I often think that if they actual spoke Hausa I'd be able to hear it ;), and getting to know my villagers. The second half of May all of us newbies will be going back to Hamdalleye for more intensive technical trainning. Once that's done we will be appraoching the rainy season so we will beging preparing our fields. I am hoping to grow soybeans and try to introduce tofu (lots of protien!!! which my body has really been craving, since hardly any meat is consumed in the village, only on special occasions) to the village. They have it in the bigger cities, and inaddition to offering protein it will also be a good income generating project. I am also contemplating a bee keeping project which also has lots of income generating potential...but we'll see.
I'm looking forward to the farming season, it is going to be a lot of work, but i'm looking forward to being physically busy on a daily basis. I also mentioned to some of you that i was hoping to get a camel or a donkey, but neither are really in my area, so as a consolation I am hoping to get a horse sometime this summer. I've alwayvince my dad we could keep one in our yard, more than once) and I figure if the opportunity never arises again, at least I can at least say I owned a horse once in my life!
Fridays are also great days in the bush. Those are the days I go into Matameye for the market. For the next month I have a PCV neighbor, we live about 2 hours walk from each other, but in June she's ending her service and moving to Sudan. After that I won't have any "close" neighbors. The nearest one will be the PCV living in Matameye (which is an hour walk and a 30-45 min. bush taxi ride from me). But anyway, Fridays are the days I venture into Matameye and get to see the other PCV's in the region. It is nice to be able to speak English and communicate so effortlessly and to just catch my breath and recharge for the next week in the bush. It is also great to be able to have a cold soda and cold water. I never realized how much I would miss cold beverages...pee warm water can be swallowed if necessary (and it's necessary) but it isn't enjoyable!
I typically stay at the transit house Friday night and head back to my village early Sat morning so I am doing my walking before the sun gets too hot. I could go back on Friday nights but I'm normally beat and the thought of walking the hour back to the village isn't altogether appealing then. The first week though, I got a little lost in the bush and was luckily "saved" by this nice little Fulani man who took me to his family's compound, offered me hura (millet/water drink) and then took me back to my village. It was way more scary at the time it was happening, as I realized that all those little "roads" don't eventually meet up, but I survived it and can laugh about my little adventure now...but let me tell you that it wasn't so wonderful coming on the heels of my first week!
Well, I've been rambling for sometime now, so I'll wrap things up. On Friday all of us newbies (in the region) came back into Zinder and all 6 of us survived our first month, all with similar stories of survival and misadventure and the general concensus that the first week was one of the hardest of our lives! We then had a team meeting in Saturday followed by a mango eating contest....which I will again refer to the 'sha biyar' or 15 of the title. So it is an annual tradition to hold a mango eating contest after the newbies 1st month at post. Last year my neighbor Gina and another girl won by eating 12 mangos. The contest isn't timed, its just eat mangos until you can't anymore. Well, this time there was an infiltrator from team Maradi (the nearest region to my West) and he was bound and determined to take the title away from Zinder. My competitive spirit got the best of me and 3 hours and 15 mangos later Corey and I decided to tie at 15 because neither of us were capable of putting another mango into our stomachs...so I am the reigning co-champ of the mango eating contest, but it was the most painful and arguably one of the most dumb things I've done. I can't describe how painfully full the two of us were, and instead of "celebrate" the victory we were sprawled out unable to move....but hey, I didn't get beat and the title is still in Zinder.
Since that fateful event the last 72 hours have been quite unpleasant as inaddition to dealing with digesting all of those mangos...I still can't believe I ate 15 (it will be a long long time until I eat another, let me tell you!), but i also have a touch of e.coli. I'm not sure if it came from the mangos or if it was lying dormant for awhile, but I've been quite a sick little pup for the last few days. Things are one the up swing though and I'll be going back to my village in the morning, health pending.
So that's what I've been up to, I hope you're all doing well and enjoying your Spring. I can only imagine how nice it must be to have green all around again. It is 110 and brown here today, and everyday until the rains come in June. Well I'll leave you with this list I've compiled during my 1st month in the bush....
- I've made myself honestly believe that Hura (millet, sour milk, and a little water) mixed with cinnamon is a dead ringer for blueberry pie...odd since blueberries have nothing in common with millet.
- I have a 'favorite' type of tuwo, which is corn
-I finally have perfect aim (I'll let you put two and two together on that one)
- I look forward to each bush taxi adventure (think livestock, gas pedals attached by strings, and starting them ala Little Miss Sunshine with a push start)
- I can pull and give water with the best of them
- Even when given the chance to sleep inside, I'd much rather sleep outside
- I don't remember the last time I had an actual shower, and won't mention how 'often' I bucket bathe
- I long for fruit and protien instead of for the ice cream and chocolate I anticipated craving
- I can now play UNO in 5 lanuages (English, Spanish, Croatian, French, and Hausa).
Here's to the next 3 weeks in the bush, and hopefully I'll get a chance to talk to you all real soon!
Ciao,
Jamie
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