More random exerts

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Doing great, 2 weeks left of training. Visited my site this week. Wonderful. If you want to know where exactly ask my Dad, Nina, or Claudia.

More random exerts:

Sunday January 20
A Day in the Life
8:37 AM - Leave Counterpart Workshop in Bush Taxi with two other trainees and two of our Guinean Counterparts
8:45 AM - Lost my counterpart
8:50 AM - Stopped by driver's house, not saluated, not offered any rice. We're all offended.
9:04 AM - Stopped to get tires.
9:13 AM - Counterpart shows back up.
9:20 AM - Nick & Neil randomly find us. I meet my counterpart's brother.
9:30 AM - Leave Mamou!
10:22 AM - Breakdown outside Bouliwel.
11:45 AM - Tune up/bathroom break outside of Pita
12:30 PM - Made it to the PC office in Labe
12:45 PM - Counterpart convinces Ousmann to let us take a PC car to site.
2:00 PM - I start missing paved roads more than running water.
3:15 PM - My site is beautiful. So are the 60+ people I met in the past 3 minutes.
5:00 PM - GUINEA vs. GHANA!!!!
7:00 PM - Guinea loses 1-2, next match on the 24th vs. Morocco. I'm torn.
7:15 PM - sit at cafe for a couple hours. Eat a sardine salad. Meet old volunteer's best friend. Fell asleep a little.
10:00 PM - Return to Villa, the key to my house is with the grandmother who is at a funeral out of town.
10:30 PM - SLEEP!

22 January 2008
Some highlights of my day :

* I was sort of pertrified to open the bucket next to the latrine. I figured I'd get to it eventually, but for now I'd let it be. My luck with opening up random stuff hasn't been that great. But just now, as I was squatting, I decided it was time. I told myself that this was a bad idea as my underwear was around my knees and I should be fully prepared to run because something could jump out at me the moment I touch the bucket. I poked at it a bit. Nothing happened. So far so good. I moved it. It was light. I began to think it was empty and I had gotten worked up over nothing. Finally, I grabbed the dirt covered lid, removed it, to find a roll of toilet paper inside. There I was, squatting over a hole, underwear at my knees, pagne tucked into my shirt, laughing my ass off. Although I've been on the "water-method" since I got here, I figured this was a special occassion.
* I decided it was finally time to clean the kitchen. I had opened the cabinet befoe to find it ful of chewe opened containers. When I opened the doors further, I heard the scuttling of little feet. I knew there was a possibility that the mice would still be there today, but I figured if I made a lot of noise they would scurry off. Now I know why they say when you assume you make an ass out of u and me. I got the top shelf all cleared out and dusted without a problem and fearlessly moved onto the 2nd. I went to move something and a little baby mouse rolled out. Almost immediately, a much larger mouse jumped down, but I didn't see to where. I must have made some sort of noise because Abdelrahmane came running in. He saw the baby and shrieked like a little girl. (Guineans generally are only afraid of snakes.) After he got ahold of himself he swiftly sweeped up the little guy and put him out the window. By then, I'd discovered 4 other babies helplessly nestled in a carefully collected pile of paper scraps. Abdelrahamane didn't quite see the situation so endearingly and quickly put them out the window as well. At this point I told him that the mother was still around but I don't think he understood me (my French being spectacular and all). He insists on helping me finish the kitchen and I know better now than to argue. As he starts taking things off the 3rd shelf, he picks up an open, knocked over Pringles can. (Yes, you can find Pringles in Guinea, but only in gas stations.) As soon as he stands up straight and looks inside, a mouse flies out of the can almost onto his face. The shrieking re-commences. His friend, my neighbor, Mamadou now comes in with sticks and they chase the mouse out of the kitchen into the hallway. The mouse is hiding in the shelves but they find it and he quickly scuttles away. He has now crawled underneath my couch (I have a couch by the way!) and up inside of it. Both the mouse and the boys decide it's time for a 10 minute repose. Unfortunately the story ends badly after this. After sitting for awhile, the boys go back into the house, tip over the couch and chase the mouse around the salon for a bit. Before I know it, there's a mouse hanging onto a stick before me on the porch. After a 5 minute struggle, it finally dies and Abdelrahamane removes it from the porch. Later I see the baby chicks "playing" with the baby mice and I have to walkaway.

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Photos

Home!
Me chilling in my new house :)

View From my Porch
Little bit of incredible

Comments

[nina]

Sammy
I ate a sardine salad today! I love you