Four months in ...

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24 March 2008
I’ve been having some bad days and getting dis-spirited. I often feel like my French is getting worse and that I’m not learning any Pular. I always feel like I’m not doing enough and often that I’m doing nothing at all. I was horrified when I realized in one week I’d finished reading 3 books (compared to the 5 I read in the first two months.)

But then there are little signs of success here and there. My elderly neighbor, Nenne Kanne, who only speaks Pular (to others, but mostly to herself) has started using some French with me including “merci” and “c’est bon.” This may seem insignificant, but if you knew this woman ...

The little girl who lives with Nenne Kanne, also named Oumou (that’s my name here) use to run and hide from me (at least she didn’t cry just from seeing me as some kids do.) But now she often comes and lays her head in my lap and puts an arm around me.

I haven’t thrown up in a month.

I got my health center to start weighing babies when they come in for vaccinations and subsequently talk about nutrition.

There are my proudest accomplishments from my month here.


25 March 2008
The sky is beautiful right now filled with soft greys, blues, and pinks. A valey and two giant tree covered hills stand between e and the sunset. In front of me are two mango trees, behind them a masive ree at least four stories high. I never thought this would be my life. It’s hard to belive that this isn’t temporary. This is my home now. But does that mean that one day this will all become unremarkable to me? Would that be a good or a bad thing?

I talked to my Dad, Lindsey, and Justin on Sunday. The Guineans made fun of me because I talked to my Dad and my sister for almost an hour each. Lindsey told me she had printed out a picture of me from my blog and posted it at work. Everyone told her they thought it was Photoshopped 😊

30 March 2008
Justin was here and it was amazing. I finally found both water pumps, climbed the mosque, and got some Moringa seeds. It was just really god to have him here and have life make sense again. He left yesterday morning on the back of a truck. After a pretty good market day, I actually cleaned and made dinner (salad, lots of work!) 😊 Then I decided “screw everyone” and went out. I went to the cafe and was really sad to find out that Sekko (my best friend here) is in Conakry for the week. After that a creepy guy from Tougue asked me to go home with him. Just when I thought me pushing myself to leave the house was a bad idea, Rugiatu todl me to follow her and her friend. Someone was getting married the next day. There was a song circle with all the unmarried girls. “Oumou & Alseni” came up in most of the songs.

[Alseni is Justin’s Guinean name, I told everyone he was my fiance so they’d leave me alone about marriage proposals, and not think I was a slut for having a male in my house that wasn’t a relative. It’s working out quite nicely because the women respect me more now because they don’t think of me so much as a little girl.]

Rugiatu was the star of the night and I was her guest. It was incredible. I felt like this was the reason I came here. Nights like this. Did I mention the really good rice and sauce afterward? (Not being sarcastic, it was really, really good!)


2 April 2008
I decided to go for a walk yesterday. I thought I'd walk for about an hour and visit one of the other villages in my district. I met some girls along along the way that go to the high school that's next to my house. I walked for an hour with them but they still weren't home. I decided to keep going. Two hours and 15 minutes after I left my village (or 9km later) we got to their village. They told me they make the walk Monday-Friday. They leave at 5 AM. School gets out any time between 10:30 AM or 2 PM. But sometimes the teachers just don't show up, so there's no class. I asked where they ate breakfast and lunch. They laughed and said at home. Reaching the village center at 12:30, I was exhausted. I know I'm the weakest person in the world but 9 km, out in the Guinean sun, on a "hilly" road isn't that easy. Also, I, like the girls, was wearing Guinean flip-flops ... just imagine hard plastic shoes that are probably a size or two too small and are likely to break in a week. I immediately went to the first porch I saw and within seconds a chair appeared for me. I was at the tailor's house apparently. Random people came and greeted me and we talked a bit and then they all went about their business (we all sat their in silence). I started falling asleep in the plastic chair. I had only brought one liter of water with me. I'd already drank half and was trying to save some for the walk back. The tailor commissioned some kid to get me oranges, lots of them. Just as my head was starting to bob the kid returned with 6 oranges for me. The tailor's daughter quickly and expertly peeled them all. After just one I felt much better and woke back up. Minutes later little girls inside the house were staring and giggling at me. They gave me the hand sign for "come here" and I followed them to the "kitchen" in the back of the house. Again a stool appeared and now a spoon as well. The woman of the house had made some fonio (with unidentifiable sauce) which we ate together. She had been in Sierra Leone for about 10 years and so used her Krio to tell me "Eat!" and ask, "You like? It's sweet?" Afterwards, one of the primary school teachers invited me to his house. For the next hour I sat on his porch and compared Guinean society with American. While he and one of his fellow teachers idealize the US, I told them that for example, in the US I wouldn't be able to do what I did today: walk to a place where I know no one and know without a doubt that I'd be taken care of. Around 4 PM they offered to find me a place to sleep for the night. I declined because I hadn't told anyone in my village where I was going and knew I had to get back before anyone started worrying. I started back around 4:30, the teachers walked me a little ways and then said goodbye. A couple stretches along the way I walked with random women who perhaps appropriately thought I was nuts ahen I told them where I was coming from and where I was going. I gave them each an orange. About midway through the trip there are 2 pumps of water. In Guinea there's well water and pump water. I'm not suppose to drink well water unless I first boil it, filter it, and finally put some bleach in it. Pump water is much better and we're just encouraged to filter and bleach it. A number of my compatriots drink straight pump water and my Nalgene bottle was almost empty and I still had an hour to go. Diahhrea seemed like a better option than passing out in the middle of nowhere. Lo and behold, here I am today sick as can be, body aching in every possible place. The cuts and blisters on my feet make me walk with a limp. And just like my Dad use to do for me when I was little, there's a bucket next to my bed with some water in it just in case I need to throw up. I think sort of as a joke ( it was funny to me) my Dad sent me some Matzah last month. Thank G-d he did because it's all I've been able to eat all day. (Thanks Dad!) I'm gonna try to make some chicken noddle soup san chicken or noddles. Broth sounds amawing right now.

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Photos

Really Good Road in Guinea
This is what I saw on my walk back to my village for two hours ...

Health Center
Where I hang out sometimes

Cafe Where I Hang Out
It's closed at the moment ... but just so you can get an idea of what I mean when I say Cafe

Cell Phone Service Tree
This is the tree that everyone stands next to when they want to make a phone call. .... photo as requested by Lindsey :)

My Village
You can see most of the village here, the mosque on the right, my house is really far away on the left ...

Comments

[Adriana]

hi sam!
we got your letter here a couple days ago! Thanks for thinking of everyone (we all miss you!) Hope things are going well, and keep on posting so we know how you're doing! :) miss you!