tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25761954115750295952024-03-05T20:01:09.263-05:00Francophone MichelleOne Peace Corps Volunteer's stumbles and successes through West AfricaMichelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-14038132785429671822014-05-05T15:31:00.002-04:002014-05-05T15:31:55.349-04:00Carnaval in Cape VerdeOur trip to Cape Verde started off really well, with us being held prisoner in the Dakar airport for two days. Luckily, I had bought over two pounds of cheese and ham in Abidjan, so I didn't starve. I would go into more detail about this, but have done a pretty good job of forgetting it so suffice it to say that the airline was incompetent, the cops were corrupt, and there were feral cats in the departure lounge.<br />
<br />
We eventually made it to Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, the day before Mardi Gras. For those of you not in the know, Cape Verde is a collection of ten islands about 350 miles from the coast of Senegal. It was a Portugeuse colony, so most people are very catholic and speak Portuguese. They also show their knees (!), which after two years in Guinea kind of blew me away. And like other past Portuguese colonies, they celebrate Carnaval, a month long celebration of feathered costumes and masks culminating on Mardi Gras.<br />
<br />
This was our reason for being in Cape Verde, attending the giant party known as Mardi Gras. We weren't on Sao Vincente, the island famed for its Carnaval celebration, but we figured the capital island would have comparable festivities. Plus we didn't want to take yet another flight to another island, considering our recent flying experience. Mardi Gras in America is known for parades, beads, and dionysian shenanigans. While there was a fantastic parade, the other familiar signs of Mardi Gras were nowhere to be found. We found this out after spending the morning celebrating American style, but nothing improves a parade better than rum. There were drum lines, feathered dancers styled like peacocks, and huge floats, depicting anything from a sun king to renewable energy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVwE4z1jcH11zAbjCRRRQWM8x6dC1Ww7bt0xKOQk1_TpQdBXDu2sdurpdK1sy2vyfZpq_abZoN1papfkubssTbhxd7r_FMqqd0e2VDzqCgGSHfy0QTKWmH_VDMwIfPmeZsOrRTLhQfX4/s1600/IMG_3843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVwE4z1jcH11zAbjCRRRQWM8x6dC1Ww7bt0xKOQk1_TpQdBXDu2sdurpdK1sy2vyfZpq_abZoN1papfkubssTbhxd7r_FMqqd0e2VDzqCgGSHfy0QTKWmH_VDMwIfPmeZsOrRTLhQfX4/s1600/IMG_3843.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The next day, we took a mini-bus at much too fast a speed on much too windy a road to Tarrafal, a beach town on the opposite side of the island. Fortunately, the island is only 75 km long, so it wasn't as long a journey as it sounds. Tarrafal has one of the only white sand beaches on Santiago, the island we were on. Cape Verde is made up of volcanic islands, so most of its coastline is dramatic cliffs and jagged rock. The beach was hidden in a sort of cove and definitely held some pirate booty at one time or another. <br />
<br />
The ride back followed volcanic ridge lines and took us through the agricultural heartland. The countryside was an interesting mix of tropical West African life and Portuguese style villages. There were breathtaking rock formations and rich green landscapes as fas as the eye could see, until I had to close my own eyes due to car sickness. Everyone was thankful when we hit the cobblestone and were forced to slowdown.<br />
<br />
Besides its delicious seafood (tuna steak was standard fare) and the Carnaval celebration, Cape Verde is also known for its music, which is in the Afro-Carribeean style. There was an excellent live music place in Praia that had live music everynight, so we went a couple of times. It was also the only place really open after dark, as Praia, and Tarrafal too, turned into seaside ghost towns after dusk.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ERYY8GJ-i0I?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"Sodade" by Cesaria Evora, one of the most celebrated Cape Verdian musicians</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The laidback vibe of Cape Verde, and the fact there were grocery stores with apples, was a perfect transition as I made my way back, slowly, to the states. It helped that I had two great travel partners, Chris and Brittany, who could combine Spanish and French to make a Portuguese sounding language and were always up for wearing sparkling masks. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After our couple days, I headed to Paris with Brittany and found myself extremely unprepared for how cold it is north of 20 degrees latitude.</div>
<br />Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-81497247813184119572014-03-19T06:42:00.000-04:002014-03-19T06:54:42.593-04:00Where in the world is Michelle?For those of you that weren't following the<a href="http://greygoosegaggle.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> Grey Goose Gaggle blog</a>, here's some highlights of our tour of West Africa (photos to come later). On second thought, this may even serve those of you that followed our blog, seeing as we updated it a grand total of 5 times. But hey, we were busy living life.<br />
<br />
<b>Guinea</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>loading all our baggage directly onto the roof and hoping it wouldn't collapse onto us</li>
<li>literally rolling our car into Jesse's compound</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Mali</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Chris and Zach joining Mansa Koulibaly's band for the night</li>
<li>having our car belt break again after going 25 km out of Bamako and getting stuck for the day. And eating Cheetos to cheer us up</li>
<li>serving as apprentice cobbler while Clara bought everything the market had to offer</li>
<li>sneaking into a hotel after no one would let us put four people in a room (Peace Corps volunteers are as cheap as they come)</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Burkina Faso</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>walking on top of giant water pipes from a rock formation to the waterfalls</li>
<li>Happy Hour with other PCVs in Ouagadougou</li>
<li>playing soccer at the stadium in Banfora</li>
<li>catching the Festival au Desert and hearing amazing touareg musicians</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>Benin</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Pendjari National Park, where we saw lions eating breakfast and a group of elephants waved at us with their trunks</li>
<li>flying the Grey Goose into a bus</li>
<li>hyperventilating when they put a snake around my neck at the python temple</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNTDzkZwHcu2gx5G1yiXnvbpq_7YfsACerWjR6RzrNkmCsIYBy12lP-9HPc3k2-_9BBOW71xO51QM2ynHiiaq39ep5BOit1tgnhPV67m8nwPOKhlDNFzt-_NbBXvWgKotc_JtIRH_0sc/s1600/10001081_10203202267438980_2020075797_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNTDzkZwHcu2gx5G1yiXnvbpq_7YfsACerWjR6RzrNkmCsIYBy12lP-9HPc3k2-_9BBOW71xO51QM2ynHiiaq39ep5BOit1tgnhPV67m8nwPOKhlDNFzt-_NbBXvWgKotc_JtIRH_0sc/s1600/10001081_10203202267438980_2020075797_o.jpg" height="257" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, it was kind of like that. (Photo credit: Chris Austin)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<ul>
<li>getting schooled by Lebanese car importers in pool</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Togo</b></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>spending two hours motoing all over Lome with Clara in search of grilled fish and plantains. Then finally eating it!</li>
<li>running berserk all over a playground that serves as a restaurant at night and still finding sand in my pockets</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Ghana</b></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>ramen! pancakes! sausages!</li>
<li>going to Accra mall to see the Hunger Games movie, and then being so disappointed when it wasn't showing that day</li>
<li>visiting Cape Coast castle, a departure point for millions of slaves during the 1700 and 1800s</li>
<li>surfing in Busua</li>
<li>using benedictions and blessings to get out of police checkpoints</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Cote D'Ivoire</b></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>almost seeing P Squared at a club</li>
<li>eating so much <i>loco</i> (fried plantains) at Allocodrome, basically the capital of <i>loco</i></li>
<li>being bosses at a club and drinking champagne</li>
<li>cold cut champions!</li>
<li>selling the Grey Goose</li>
</ul>
<div>
It was an amazing trip and I still can't believe it happened. There were times during it where we thought we might not make it. We fought (sometimes literally) car trouble, visa delays, corrupt cops, labyrinths of border crossings, horrible roads and conmen sock sellers. It even rained once. Luckily our two years in Guinea had trained us well and we were able to talk, "MacGyver", and wait our way out of most situations. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For anyone thinking of an overland West Africa trip, I highly recommend it. Besides visas, lodging and food is very affordable if you like camping and eating local dishes. There are so many different things to see: mountains to beaches to historical sights to giant night clubs. Here is some advice I can offer to those of you contemplating this grand adventure (also check our our trip's blog, where we are <i>supposed</i> to be putting information about all the logistics of driving through borders).</div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Do your research ahead of time. I realize there's not much info out there, but it we had known that Ghana required drivers to wear closed toed shoes, it would have saved us a lot of time.</li>
<li>Allow 3-4 days to get visas. Someone is always out of the office or there is a holiday or they don't have the stamp they need to do visas. As a note, most embassies require you to drop off passports in the morning and pick them up in the evening. Or just get them ahead of time if you're in your country of residence and save yourself all the hassle.</li>
<li>DUCT TAPE. And lots of it.</li>
<li>Spend the extra money on a better car. The headaches it will save you is worth it. Or import your own. Cars in West Africa are three to four times the price you would pay in Europe or America and you can ship a car for about $1000 plus customs fees. Of course then you have to deal with the bureaucracy that is francophone customs officials.</li>
<li>Have at least three copies of the Lonely Planet guidebook with you.</li>
<li>Find Peace Corps volunteers to tell you all the backstreet places to go.</li>
<li>Always have snack with you, preferably cold cuts.</li>
<li>Never, never take Senegal Airlines.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>***Next up - Cape Verde: Where is everyone?***</b></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-11335774596509211602014-01-21T05:13:00.000-05:002014-01-21T05:13:37.437-05:00The Greatest COS Tradition of All<span style="color: #cccccc;">So starting January 23rd, I will officially no longer be a Peace Corps volunteer. And I will be embarking on a crazy adventure of a road trip.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">We will be visiting eight countries over about 6 weeks.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdID-sK0w0263Dv6E306LnChmuHFRAUyIiNFqb8gLOwqJPapl4Y82MBlCmxRQ-RPg9kdPTXmtEBnfjJnVasfQUeuIJXfPNmXwm5_ikJJ-3xzuTiDYdD0eo7tGgFtsgYrKFIRqd04PAK1Q/s1600/trip+map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdID-sK0w0263Dv6E306LnChmuHFRAUyIiNFqb8gLOwqJPapl4Y82MBlCmxRQ-RPg9kdPTXmtEBnfjJnVasfQUeuIJXfPNmXwm5_ikJJ-3xzuTiDYdD0eo7tGgFtsgYrKFIRqd04PAK1Q/s640/trip+map.JPG" height="221" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">In this car:</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.webcarcenter.com/guide/peugeot/806/1998/peugeot_806_1998.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" src="http://www.webcarcenter.com/guide/peugeot/806/1998/peugeot_806_1998.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">So here is our (rough) itinerary:</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>January 23:</b> Conakry - Kankan</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>January 24:</b> Kankan - Bamako</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>January 25-28:</b> Bamako</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>January 28:</b> Bamako - Bobo (there are baby elephants here!)</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>January 29:</b> Bobo</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Janurary 30:</b> Bobo - Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>February 4:</b> W Park (Benin)</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>February 5-7:</b> Northern Benin, where there are lots of national parks and houses that look like castles</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>February 8-12:</b> Porto Novo and Cotonou (Benin), visiting a village on stilits, the home of voodoo, and beaches</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>February 13-15</b>: Lome (Togo), honestly don't know what we're doing here yet, but they are said to have the best national beer in West Africa</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>February 16-19:</b> Accra (Ghana)</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>February 20-22:</b> Cape Coast, beautiful beaches and english speakers</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>February 22-March 1:</b> Abidjan (Cote d'Ivoire)</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>March 1 - March 7:</b> Carnival at Cape Verde, daiquiris, feathered costumes and snorkling!</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Or course, these dates will probably change as we find cooler things to do in other places or if we get flat tires. If you want to follow the trip's official blog, you can find it here:</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://greygoosegaggle.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #cccccc;">greygoosegaggle.blogspot.com</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">And now, off to Bamako!</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<br />Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-33955185018883365402014-01-14T14:05:00.000-05:002014-01-15T07:49:12.025-05:00Two Years in Guinea : The Highs and the Lows<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Well my Peace Corps service is almost over and I am about to
embark on a great adventure across West Africa, but first some highlights (and
lowlights) of my time in Guinea.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>That Time I Felt Like a Stereotypical Peace Corps Volunteer:
</b>On one visit to Balandou, where I did a big reforestation project in 2012, the
farmer we were working with gave me a live chicken. I had biked there, loading my bike into a
wobbly canoe to cross a river, but it would have been rude to not accept the
chicken. So I took it, threw its tied
legs over my handlebars and biked back through the villages, holding it in my
lap as we paddled across the river. And
yes, I did eventually eat it, and it was delicious.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>That Time I Forgot I Was in Guinea:</b> Going out to eat at a
fancy restaurant in Conakry. You can eat
a burger, have a drink that is truly cold, and listen to live music. Also, basically the whole time I was in
Dakar. That place is literally Little
Europe.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jjD5HA6jZpRjrsIp29B3nVR6bZTRwZboY3VCoymi-nWbeUpqmfn9TFg_bzvF1-fRFc6gMQuyPgv622irV5UiLVlAOIaOX_a10ilhVrwsaBeBmq44VtKS1zaR1yB9DqsQdzMUi0rJqkQ/s1600/IMG_2213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jjD5HA6jZpRjrsIp29B3nVR6bZTRwZboY3VCoymi-nWbeUpqmfn9TFg_bzvF1-fRFc6gMQuyPgv622irV5UiLVlAOIaOX_a10ilhVrwsaBeBmq44VtKS1zaR1yB9DqsQdzMUi0rJqkQ/s320/IMG_2213.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">They even have trampolines in Dakar</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>One of My Best Days:</b> Going to visit my host family’s
maternal village for someone’s village wedding.
It rained all day and we had to ford several rivers, so we were soaked
through when we arrived. But everyone
there treated me like a member of the family, even though we had never met,
welcoming me into their huts with open arms.
And not a single child screamed “Toubabou” at me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>One of My Worst Days</b>: One of my first days living in
Kankan. I didn’t have a gas stove yet,
so was cooking over charcoal outside, which isn’t bad in itself, except
everyone in the whole neighborhood comes to watch the toubabou cook. And they have no problem telling you that you
are doing it wrong or just reaching their hands right into your food to add a
whole handful of hot peppers. Eventually
I had had enough of being a show for everyone, and at this point I was hungry
and frustrated, so I shouted at them all to go away, screaming the few Malinke
words I knew. Then I felt guilty for
acting so rashly and, even worse, the food wasn’t very good. How was I going to live in this country if I
couldn’t even make lunch? Luckily, since then I have developed a tough enough
skin that people can shout at me and stare all they want and I can just ignore
it, or deal with it more tactfully (i.e. tickling all the kids until they run
away).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>One of My Best Bush Taxi Rides:</b> That time I was lucky enough
to catch a ride with the professor of the study abroad program in Kankan. We made it to Conakry in 16 hours and I had a
whole bench to myself!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>One of My Worst Bush Taxi Rides: </b>Basically every ride going
to or from Mamou, my own personal transportation hell. Returning from our In-Service Training, there
were enough PCVs to rent out a whole car, but there were no cars at the
station. Eventually one came and we left
by 2 pm, but had to stop by the garage on the way out because it turned out the
gas tank was leaking. They removed it
from the car and ran off into the woods with it. Two hours later they were back with a
“repaired” gas tank and we were off.
Then we got flat tire after flat tire, eventually forgetting our jack at
a pit stop. And that repaired gas tank
was not doing so well, so our driver patched it up with a paste of instant
coffee and soap. All that in mind, we
were making pretty good time until it was reaching midnight and we kept getting
flat tire after flat tire, always waiting for a sympathetic passerby to lend us
their jack and a ride into town to patch the tire. Running on fumes, we finally made it to
Kankan, where we promptly ran out of gas about 3 km from our destination. The only saving grace was I had all my
friends to keep me company. And a cat.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>That Time My Project Was a Success:</b> Watching the development
Green Hand Action, the NGO I work with, has made over the two years. The first year we did our reforestation
project, I felt like I had to hold their hand at every step and there were so
many logistical problems. This year,
after I helped with the preparations, all I had to do was show up and they
organized themselves into work groups and managed all the details on their own.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bmnpgmgcyvPba4s0FnkLhu4qr2OZlRz3XX0ph8TvmTAEDDZekxYihDfISGHw7AuxAU7hnWk9sWtT_ciBxIqqDLn9kbRDFDX7Hh25UbmCwzKLruXGlWsBaiDETYAHEwS0W9DzgBQ42u0/s1600/IMG_1586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bmnpgmgcyvPba4s0FnkLhu4qr2OZlRz3XX0ph8TvmTAEDDZekxYihDfISGHw7AuxAU7hnWk9sWtT_ciBxIqqDLn9kbRDFDX7Hh25UbmCwzKLruXGlWsBaiDETYAHEwS0W9DzgBQ42u0/s320/IMG_1586.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">The boys of Green Hand Action </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>That Time My Project Failed: </b>Let me paint a not so
hypothetical picture. When planting trees in an urban area, there are so many
things that can go wrong. Children can
come play soccer on top of your seedlings, so you meet with them and tell them
about the importance of trees. Then a
fire comes, burning them all to crisp, so you remove all the weeds and dried
brush surrounding the trees. Then a herd
of sheep arrives, munching all your trees down to a short stump, so you put up
fencing, keeping all the herbivores out.
Then, in the middle of the night, a mysterious someone comes and steals
all your fencing, trampling the trees in the process. Then you give up and think maybe planting
trees there wasn’t such a good idea after all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>A Thing I Will Never Accept in Guinea</b>: The crying baby
ringtone. I had a neighbor who had no
music on his phone, so would just listen to this on repeat, the loudest most
jarring cry I have ever heard. Isn’t
everyone supposed to instinctively hate this sound?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>A Thing I Got Over Pretty Quickly</b>: The water method. Suffice it to say that sometimes you are
visiting a village or your car breaks down and you desperately need the
bathroom, but you have no toilet paper.
Luckily water is always available.
Please at least use soap afterwards though.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>Worst Meeting I Ever Attended:</b> During the first week of
pre-service training, we attended a meeting at the local office of
environment. The official didn’t seem to
be informed we were coming and proceeded to give veiled, defensive answers to
all our questions. Added to the fact
that few of us understood French at that point and the room was uncomfortably
hot, I would venture to say at least half of us, including our trainer, dozed
off.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>Best Meeting I Ever Attended: </b>A meeting put on for all the local gardening
associations by a group that offers pest control training. They used powerpoint to show graphs of the
attendance of each group and the increase in their earnings and projected
future activities. Most of the crowd was
illiterate, so they explained the meaning of every image in the local language,
and you could see the appreciation these old ladies felt in being treated as
equals. Plus, it started on time and we
got lunch.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>Thing I Use Everyday Day</b>: Feel free to judge me,
but it’s my smartphone. I can GPS my
farmer’s land, look up proper spacing for watermelon mounds, and check my
e-mail, all from the field.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>Thing I Never Use:</b> A watch. Most things start late anyways, so wearing a
watch just makes you anxious about the fact that it is two hours after the
start time and only five people are there.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>Guinean Skill I Have Mastered:</b> The social joking that gets
everything done here, from scheduling a meeting to buying tomatoes. I call all Traores thieves and ask everyone
coming from a trip where my gift is. I
even manage a laugh when all those old men say they will marry me, although I
usually tell them they will have to be my fourth husband and do all my laundry,
which shuts them up pretty fast.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>Guinean Skill I Still Fail At:</b> Carrying water on my
head. I have to fill all my buckets up
only 4/5 of the way or it splashes all over me.
Luckily I live very close to the well, so I can carry the buckets by my
side and stay dry.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>Favorite Town In Guinea: </b>Besides Kankan, which I really
believe is the best, I would have to say Lola, which is where we stayed before
hiking Mt. Nimba. The people are polite
and speak great French. It is at the
start of the mountains, surrounded by forested countryside. Plus, because it is a Christian village,
there is pork and palm wine everywhere.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFL2twFLOz7btBGnRC2hSN4T3xROfHWXE_tvw7F9LG9kboe92i4nkKdYK8B02qMqnBclePNxwHX74-3Z3PX-tJ_vSzRpmkQiuB3B_WbRRIaLiGJimKx4CM0grZs4842wr0gJvjlcMKAk/s1600/IMG_2118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFL2twFLOz7btBGnRC2hSN4T3xROfHWXE_tvw7F9LG9kboe92i4nkKdYK8B02qMqnBclePNxwHX74-3Z3PX-tJ_vSzRpmkQiuB3B_WbRRIaLiGJimKx4CM0grZs4842wr0gJvjlcMKAk/s320/IMG_2118.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">A vine bridge near Lola</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>Least Favorite Town In Guinea:</b> Linsan, the truck stop
between Kindia and Mamou. This town
located along the main road is always full of traffic because people will park
their cars along the side of the road, turning a national highway into one
lane. There are hundreds of vultures and
a disproportionate amount of beggars and general crazy people, making the whole
scene like something out of a horror movie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>Hottest I’ve Ever Been:</b> Anytime during hot season in Kankan. Most days, I would come home after lunch,
strip down and pour a whole bucket of water over me, then lay on the floor
fanning myself until the temperature dropped enough to be a real person again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>Coldest I’ve Ever Been:</b> Coming back from the forest, which
is much colder than the rest of Guinea, in winter in our taxi with the windows
down. It may have only been 60 degrees
out, but wearing a tank top and having the wind in your face for three hours
made it feel like 30.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>Favorite Child:</b> I know you’re not supposed to choose
favorites, but mine is definitely Le Vieux, the youngest child in my
family. We eat breakfast together every
morning and chat as we both speak about the same level of Malinke. Since he is the baby of the family, he has
everyone else wrapped around his finger and gets away with everything and
totally knows it too.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>Least Favorite Child: </b>Just kidding, that would be too mean.
Although those kids that bang on my door at 6 in the morning are pretty close.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>Best Thing I’ve Eaten:</b> This really has two categories. One is all the amazing things the Kankan
volunteers make for our weekly dinners: cinnamon rolls, fried cheese, onion
rings, egg rolls, pizza, lime pound cakes, smoothies. The other category of Guinean food would have
to be the pork we got special ordered for New Years in the Forest region. It was grilled and came with plantains and
pineapple.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>Worst Thing I’ve Eaten:</b> <i>Toh</i>.
This is ball of play-doh consistency usually made from rice, corn, or manioc
flour mixed with water. It is not the <i>toh </i>itself, I dislike, but the sauce it
comes with, made with okra and usually dried fish. The okra makes it slimey and green, and as
everyone eats it with their hands, you can’t help but be reminded of snot.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">(EDIT: It seems unsavory to end my blog post with the word "snot", so here's some more highlights)</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;"><b>Some of my Best Memories: </b>Squatting in the garden, planting onions next to my host mom. Dancing with the members of my gardening groupement.wearing our matching outfits. Digging up a wild yam with my master farmer and roasting it over a fire in the middle of the woods. Dancing in the first rain of the season with all the kids in my compound. Selling my family's produce in the market, bartering with all the market mamas. </span><span style="color: #cccccc;">Biking at night and looking up to see the whole milky way turning around me.</span><span style="color: #cccccc;"> </span></div>
Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-29578721476616148552013-11-25T05:07:00.000-05:002013-11-25T05:07:22.342-05:00Going To Church<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Call me a bad Christian, but after
nearly 2 years in Guinea, I have finally gone to church for the first
time. I probably should have gone
for Christmas last year, when I was in a Christian region, but drinking palm
wine with the locals was more appealing than a 6 hour service in a language I
didn’t understand. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Guinea is a majority Muslim
country, the actual statistic escapes me, but I imagine it’s around 80%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christians are sprinkled all over the
country, but most live in the Forest region to the south.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even in Kankan, almost all the
Christians are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Forestière</i> (their
families come from the Forest Region).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">There are two churches in Kankan:
catholic and protestant, which are the two sects of Christianity found in
Guinea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We chose to go to the
protestant one because that is where one of our old guards goes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We arrived at 9:30 and the service had
already started, but luckily you can never be late in Guinea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An usher with an orange-blue-red
bandana around his neck like a boy scout seated us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were a group of four and arriving later, there weren’t
many seats left, so it was a tight fit. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">The service followed a similar
program as in America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was
singing, readings from the gospel, the Lord’s prayer, the exchange of the
Peace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything was said in
French, and then repeated in Malinké.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The music was accompanied by a keyboard, djembe drum, and a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">koran</i> (a gourd surrounded by a net of
beads that has a maraca-like sound).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It wasn’t southern gospel church intensity, but there were some raised
hands, exclamations of “Hallelujah” and “Amen”, and the music had more rhythm
than your average Anglican hymn.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">About thirty minutes after we
arrived, we realized the church was divided into men and women and my male site
mate was sitting on the wrong side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No one said anything, so I guess it wasn’t a big deal and the gender
separation was done more out of habit than enforced by the church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was kind of awkward for a second
though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What surprised me the most
was the absence of crying babies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Outside the church, there are crying babies everywhere, so the calming
of them during the service is a true act of god.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">The sermon was about serving god in
different ways, based on that reading about individuals being different parts
of the body (hands, feet, head) that together make up the metaphorical body of
Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t horribly long,
which was a pleasant surprise considering most Guinean’s penchant for
grandstanding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the sermon,
the Boy Scout ushers patrolled the pews, waking up any dozing followers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit;">Next came communion, which was
prefaced by a scolding by the reverend about who is allowed to take
communion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Among the excluded: the
unbaptized, sinners, casual churchgoers, those who covet, people with any
doubts about their faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then he
called the congregation to take communion, but after that reprimanding no one
stood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gradually, they started to
line up to take their bread and wine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We Americans refrained since based on the recently listed qualifications
of a good Christian, we didn’t’ seem to fit the bill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus that bright pink “wine” looked too much like kool-aid,
and, as a rule, I don’t drink kool-aid in an organized fashion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;">The service ended at noon and
everyone milled about outside, chatting with friends.</span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;">It was interesting to see how community ties were formed
around the church, compared to the mosques that tend to be more of a place to
pray than a community center.</span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;">The
whole experience was surprisingly similar to church in America.</span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;">However we all agreed that the biggest
thing missing was a nearby restaurant for after-church brunch.</span></div>
Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-48974474429130947392013-11-03T15:40:00.000-05:002013-11-03T15:40:39.974-05:00My Peace Corps Alphabet Part II<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">M is for maggi, a bouillon type cube that is used in
literally all foods. It is full of
MSG and therefore delicious.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">N is for N<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">é</span>r<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">é</span>, a local tree with bean-like
fruits that we eat twice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First,
the yellow powder surrounding the seeds in the pod that acts as an appetite
suppressant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the seeds
themselves are prepared to make <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sumbara</i>
powder, basically a local maggi.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">O is for Oser Reposer (dare to relax) because you have more
free time than you know what to do with as a Peace Corps Volunteer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many use this time productively: to
reread Harry Potter, learn the harmonica, unsuccessfully brew various wines,
build a brick oven, or, in my case, learn to snap (but only with my left hand).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">P is for the Peugeot 405, perhaps the most durable
automobile ever built.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We use the
several decades old station wagons from Europe as nine-person bush taxis. Or
ten. Or eleven.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Q is for Quinn, my first cat (RIP), who like to sneak into
neighbors’ huts and jump on their faces while they slept.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">R is for rice and sauce, the staple, and often only, food in
Guinea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sauce choices are usually
one of the following three: 1) soup sauce, which is like a less hearty beef or
fish stew; 2) peanut sauce, which is like a watery peanut butter and 3) leaf
sauce, which is reminiscent of creamed spinach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will have eaten at least 400 bowls of this by the time I
leave Guinea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">S is for Sarata, the best club in Kankan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where the beers are cold and the dance
floor is hotter than my tin roof in April.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">T is for toubabu, or ‘white person’ in Malinke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This, along with its variations of
toubabumuso (white woman) and toubabumusonin (small white woman), is the ever
playing soundtrack to my life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">U is for my own little USA, e.g. all the other volunteers
who keep me sane after yet another passenger in a taxi throws up into my hair.
(Yes, I realize this one is kind of a stretch, but ‘U’ is a difficult letter.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">V is for my <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">velo </i>(‘bike’
in French) that takes me everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Kankan-centre is about 6 km across, not counting the extra belt of
‘suburbs’ that surrounds it, and I spend the majority of my day biking from
place to place.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">W is for waiting, which I spend around 30% of my time
doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used to get mad, now I
just get a lot of reading done.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">X is for XXL, the green apple flavored energy drink that
basically takes the place of beer in this Muslim country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When everyone goes out, it’s this that
fuels the hours of sweaty dancing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Y is for yogurt, which is cultured in buckets in peoples’
houses and sold out of plastic bags or plastic cups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is delicious though and if you’re lucky, cold and with
tiny millet balls or tapioca mixed in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Z is for the Zagat’s Guide to Ice Cream in Kankan, a dream
project of my site mates and I to rate all the soft serve machines in Kankan.</span></div>
Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-57522065878864858462013-09-27T14:54:00.001-04:002013-09-27T14:54:50.533-04:00Planting Trees and Getting Connected<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I cannot believe my time here is almost
up. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Well, relatively, at least. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The wonderful Lily Schorr
is coming to visit, then it is Tabaski and Halloween, then G21’s Close of
Service (COS) conference, then my parents visit, Thanksgiving, Christmas/New
years, and suddenly it’s January and I leave to embark on an awesome COS
trip. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Plus, in between all of that I need to finish up some projects and
ensure that others will continue after I’m gone. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It always
amazes me how time here is so fluid. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some days I feel like I
have absolutely nothing to do, then I think of the next couple months and feel overwhelmed
by work and want to start it all now. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Something Peace Corps has
taught me is that, in Guinea at least, you really can’t force things to happen
and it’s better to just enjoy your downtime while you have it. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When you
over-prepare here, chances are it will change the day of and all your
preparations will have been for naught. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It does teach you to think
on your toes though.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I started the summer with a World Environment
Day conference, put on by Green Hand Action. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
morning was a presentation and debate on the biodiversity of a local lake, led
by a professor at the university. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We invited all the
stakeholders: the ministry of fishing, the prefect, and the local group is
charged with the conservation and management of the lake. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was a rare
opportunity for all these groups to get together and have a frank
discussion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 4.8pt 4.8pt 4.8pt 4.8pt;">
<tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="padding: 4.8pt 4.8pt 4.8pt 4.8pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGv-JwOXTlcM9JpawNLhU-7yoMYGY08eB0vbVRShovMv7FGTRJPytwldDPAMjFbFjmkMohMW51aaT29x6DEvDZfMJy-kwmgiLcELWr1eHqNQmrmkMxalAoYI7JZXRqUVA0GEbBIQLnkqk/s1600/IMG_2433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGv-JwOXTlcM9JpawNLhU-7yoMYGY08eB0vbVRShovMv7FGTRJPytwldDPAMjFbFjmkMohMW51aaT29x6DEvDZfMJy-kwmgiLcELWr1eHqNQmrmkMxalAoYI7JZXRqUVA0GEbBIQLnkqk/s400/IMG_2433.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75"
coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe"
filled="f" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/>
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/>
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/>
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/>
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_i1027" type="#_x0000_t75"
alt="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXS-CaaU4q69BnwLTmp_5hPJkhL0ee0gmWU-TzatPL7gvyfWaR0MQ8_SDPFvorV-QlgxcsCSqw9j4nx_m-Yc8eL4La1PzUr__TfiorPnnmstRyQ_2xbkoNflQFs8KTTA9SuQwyrL9TWlI/s320/IMG_2433.JPG"
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXS-CaaU4q69BnwLTmp_5hPJkhL0ee0gmWU-TzatPL7gvyfWaR0MQ8_SDPFvorV-QlgxcsCSqw9j4nx_m-Yc8eL4La1PzUr__TfiorPnnmstRyQ_2xbkoNflQFs8KTTA9SuQwyrL9TWlI/s1600/IMG_2433.JPG"
style='width:320pt;height:240pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'
o:button="t">
<v:fill o:detectmouseclick="t"/>
<v:imagedata src="file://localhost/Users/admin/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_image001.jpg"
o:title="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXS-CaaU4q69BnwLTmp_5hPJkhL0ee0gmWU-TzatPL7gvyfWaR0MQ8_SDPFvorV-QlgxcsCSqw9j4nx_m-Yc8eL4La1PzUr__TfiorPnnmstRyQ_2xbkoNflQFs8KTTA9SuQwyrL9TWlI/s320/IMG_2433.JPG"/>
<v:textbox style='mso-rotate-with-shape:t'/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="padding: 3.2pt 4.8pt 4.8pt 4.8pt;">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.5pt;">Green Hand Action members at World
Environment Day<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Once the
discussion was opened, claims started flying around that NGOs only work to get
projects so they can graft the money. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This in turn prompted the
NGOs to shoot back that the government does the same thing and, what’s more,
doesn’t even support those civil societies who are actually working to improve
their communities. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">These accusations from both sides are, at times, true, but I have
also worked with NGOs and government officials who are doing genuinely good
work. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I hope that this conference has encouraged these positive deviants
to work together and not get discouraged by those just in it for the kickbacks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">* * *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Condé and I have been leading a weekly SRI
course at the agricultural school that we started in July. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We’ve had
over 50 participants and have been able to create and introduce a new
appropriate technology, a hand-pushed weeder/aerator.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 4.8pt 4.8pt 4.8pt 4.8pt;">
<tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="padding: 4.8pt 4.8pt 4.8pt 4.8pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojJv9f9fcb57L2BCq3z09UBcp6b5nD4gIgdSE2BdvbQDSLTluS5TSIPRo3-udS2yW6mgloX2-2ib7EqvvaDOt7q7Y3ZIzJYV0OUSWkJCM0wvo-7RRJRxOTm7Eu8__E3nowHPBcQlkOM8/s1600/IMG_2978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojJv9f9fcb57L2BCq3z09UBcp6b5nD4gIgdSE2BdvbQDSLTluS5TSIPRo3-udS2yW6mgloX2-2ib7EqvvaDOt7q7Y3ZIzJYV0OUSWkJCM0wvo-7RRJRxOTm7Eu8__E3nowHPBcQlkOM8/s400/IMG_2978.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh710ubi3pSfY5e9soRtlB6oFW-G09lRpVvfqG9VPjYOyNYyYoZHmWkErgwD9_SZVPm_C1it-bhb3OOP8uLZD4d9irZ5ToolkaxzMP8Abb2XLVPwRUre7O7TIsdfe9nZGoVIeWMMz67JJk/s1600/IMG_2978.JPG"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_2"
o:spid="_x0000_i1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh710ubi3pSfY5e9soRtlB6oFW-G09lRpVvfqG9VPjYOyNYyYoZHmWkErgwD9_SZVPm_C1it-bhb3OOP8uLZD4d9irZ5ToolkaxzMP8Abb2XLVPwRUre7O7TIsdfe9nZGoVIeWMMz67JJk/s320/IMG_2978.JPG"
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh710ubi3pSfY5e9soRtlB6oFW-G09lRpVvfqG9VPjYOyNYyYoZHmWkErgwD9_SZVPm_C1it-bhb3OOP8uLZD4d9irZ5ToolkaxzMP8Abb2XLVPwRUre7O7TIsdfe9nZGoVIeWMMz67JJk/s1600/IMG_2978.JPG"
style='width:320pt;height:240pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'
o:button="t">
<v:fill o:detectmouseclick="t"/>
<v:imagedata src="file://localhost/Users/admin/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_image003.jpg"
o:title="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh710ubi3pSfY5e9soRtlB6oFW-G09lRpVvfqG9VPjYOyNYyYoZHmWkErgwD9_SZVPm_C1it-bhb3OOP8uLZD4d9irZ5ToolkaxzMP8Abb2XLVPwRUre7O7TIsdfe9nZGoVIeWMMz67JJk/s320/IMG_2978.JPG"/>
<v:textbox style='mso-rotate-with-shape:t'/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span></a><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="padding: 3.2pt 4.8pt 4.8pt 4.8pt;">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.5pt;">Condé pushing our sarcleuse<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The only problem is some mysterious animal or
pest that is eating our rice stalks down to the ground. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Our
demonstration plot is right next to the student dorms and one student recently
told me he saw the animal eating the rice when he came back from the dance club
late one Saturday night. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We think it is some sort of wild rodent and have set up a trap
nearby, so hopefully I will be eating bush rat stew sometime soon and our rice
will be growing tall. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">* * *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mid-July through Mid-August was Ramadan. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I decided
not to fast this year and it was a completely different experience than last
year. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For one, I didn’t sleep 18 hours a day. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even
though I’m not Muslim and therefore not required to fast, I felt guilty every
time I ate and tried to do it in secret. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There was still unprepared
food in the market, but all the street meat, snacks, and rice bars were gone
from the sides of the roads. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Luckily, there is a
Christian Togolese lady who runs a restaurant that become the lunchtime haven
of Forestières (of whom the majority are Christian) and expats (ie PCVs and
other West Africans). </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some days, I fasted accidentally simply because I was too lazy to
search out food. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Other days, I did so purposefully because I was tired of feeling
excluded. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My family still let me eat the break fast meal with them
regardless, but that rice porridge tasted so much better when I knew that I had
earned it. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Because I didn’t spend most of my days in a hunger nap this year,
I was able to see just how much people secretly cheat. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If only I
had known that last year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">* * *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The timing of Ramadan forced us to push Green
Hand Action’s annual cashew reforestation project back to late August, the very
end of the ideal planting time for trees in this region. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is
hard enough to get people to work when they’re eating, so I can only imagine
the struggle we would have faced had we done the project during Ramadan. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Our group
was smaller than last year and therefore easier to manage and, since this was
their second year of the project, I was able to take more of a back seat and
just be another volunteer. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This was easier said than
done. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Watching four people do a job that could have been more easily by
one, it was difficult to not take the reins. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the end, we planted 6 hectares (about 15
acres) of cashew trees in less than a week with a minimal amount of intra-team
bickering. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I did have to take a quick session on the best way to give
constructive criticism (some tips: don’t call the receiver stupid and yell in
their face) and offer friendly reminders to keep good notes, always get
receipts, and maybe not buy several pounds of candy because it would make
everyone happy. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At times, it felt like I was chaperoning a high school service
trip, which, in effect, I was, since most of the members of Green Hand Action
are high school students. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fortunately, we were greatly helped this year by Mr. Sanoh, my
Pioneer Farmer partner and the owner of the land on which we were
planting. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He is a cashew expert and did the work of five of my high school
students, even during a torrential downpour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m really proud of all the members for managing
the project themselves this year and I think that they are too. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It gives
me confidence that the NGO will continue to function after I leave in February,
which is really the goal of all my projects: forward progress that can and will
be continued.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">* * *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The biggest thing going on in Guinea right now
are the legislative elections. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">BBC has a kind of</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24179390" target="_blank">“everything you need to know” site</a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> and
this</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt;"><u><a href="http://africasacountry.com/elections-and-ethnicity-in-guinea/" target="_blank">article by a fellow American inConakry</a></u></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">gives a more detailed backdrop for the current situation. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Basically,
after the election of the President in 2010, legislative elections were meant
to be held, but for various reasons (mostly logistics and the innate inability
of political parties to agree) they kept getting pushed back. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">They were
most recently scheduled for September 24<sup>th</sup>, now the 28<sup>th</sup></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(which
incidentally is the anniversary of the stadium massacre in Conakry).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is the closest we’ve come to the elections
actually happening since I’ve been in country, which is exciting because it means
the official campaign has started. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">According to campaign
rules, candidates can only campaign starting from 30 days before the
election. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In Kankan, at least, the campaign is pretty fun and mostly
chaotic. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Everyone wears their party colors and ties bandanas on their
motos/cars/bikes/babies. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Posters are plastered on cars, shops, and cars. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One party
even has a 6-foot wide beach ball with a picture of the candidate’s face on
it. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then every day, outside each parties’ headquarters, there are
actual parties, with speakers, DJs, and dancing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The most chaotic parts (and frightening, if you
happen to bike through them accidentally) are the huge motorcades. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hundreds
of party supporters hop on their motorcycles, usually with another 2-3 people
on the back and race through town at 50 mph, sounding horns, popping wheelies,
swerving madly from side-to-side, and generally disrupting traffic. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
scariest I’ve seen was a van doing unbelievably tight donuts with fifteen
people on the roof. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At one point, two wheels were off the ground and I nearly had a
heart attack thinking I was about to witness a gruesome accident. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Besides
the need to bike more cautiously, the upcoming elections haven’t affected life
in Kankan too much, which makes me hopeful there will be no need for Peace
Corps to disrupt its program due to political instability or violence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">* * *<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Starting this summer, Orange, one of Guinea’s
main cell phone carriers, lowered the costs of its data plan and started
promoting mobile connections, whether with a phone or an internet USB
stick. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This has been great for me because I can receive e-mail everyday
for less than $3 a month. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The network does go out for hours or days at a time, but I don’t
even have reliable electricity, so that is the least of my problems. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Simultaneously, there has been a big push in
smart phones from Chinese manufacturers. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I would estimate that in
urban areas at least 1 out of every 5 new phones purchased is internet
capable. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This has opened internet access up to a whole new group of
Guineans, especially the youth. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kids who have never used a
computer are now posting pictures on Facebook from their phone. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The lady
who runs the rice bar I go to was updating her status while spooning out bowls
of rice and sauce. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’ve been opening e-mail and Facebook accounts for people almost
daily and it is amazing to see how fast it has spread. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While a
lot of new users are just posing selfies everyday (picture MySpace circa 2005),
others are using the internet to become more informed about world and national
news. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For a country with an isolationist history, this is a big change
and I personally am excited to see how this IT revolution can help Guinea in
the future. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Okay, we may not be at the revolution stage just yet, but for the
moment at least everyone can watch this Nicolas Cage/Miley Cyrus parody:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/U0Og4LaB1Zc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="BLOG_video--0vB1-ChB_E"
o:spid="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png"
style='width:425pt;height:344pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'>
<v:imagedata src="file://localhost/Users/admin/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_image005.png"
o:title="//img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png"/>
<v:textbox style='mso-rotate-with-shape:t'/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And isn’t that what free information and open
access is all about?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-58188271049701985332013-09-09T19:04:00.000-04:002013-09-09T19:04:30.027-04:00My Peace Corps Alphabet Part I
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
When people talk about Peace Corps, they always talk about the big "experience" of it all, but there's also a lot of little things that I think characterize my two years here. Following is a collection of a few of them, according to the alphabet:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A is for Allah Akbar, otherwise known as my 4 AM alarm. This is the start of the call to pray
that crackles over the mosque’s loudspeakers five times a day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
B is for bucket baths, which I take <i>usually </i>daily.
Apparently there is a hotel in the south of France that actually charges
extra for this ‘luxury’, although they call it a tropical shower.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
C is for “Chop My Money”, the number one hit by Nigerian duo
P-Squared that is constantly playing in clubs, cars, radios, phones, etc. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZslcTuKYeDk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
D is for disease, the number one plague of Peace Corps
Volunteers. Unfortunately, living
in a place where everyone east with their hands and toilet paper, or even soap
is at that gas station 100 km away, means you are often sticken by something
else that starts with the letter ‘d’.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
E is for “Eh, Allah”, the exclamation meaning anything from
“Oh my gosh” to “I don’t believe it” to “Say what now?!?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
F is for Faso Démén, the gardening group I work
with and a never-tiring bunch of women who keep me stocked with fresh veggies. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtke3DStMt0nJNf5sbP1n0MsEo4IHoZk27YObNH0eyW1g7OixpkVLUSC4mTLJoiXzkdCmOlxIYM6jVaijDiQu5mA6IuILeyUeISxPFqUCRe3Q2XzszNKBWO09LvpckaqYaxXXd0AHlsTU/s1600/IMG_1908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtke3DStMt0nJNf5sbP1n0MsEo4IHoZk27YObNH0eyW1g7OixpkVLUSC4mTLJoiXzkdCmOlxIYM6jVaijDiQu5mA6IuILeyUeISxPFqUCRe3Q2XzszNKBWO09LvpckaqYaxXXd0AHlsTU/s320/IMG_1908.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
G is for Guiluxe, the national beer of Guinea. It’s not too horrible if it’s cold, as
unlikely as that is.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
H is for handholding, which everyone does all the time and
is an important sign of frienship here.
I especially like when 2 burly gendarmes stroll down the street
hand-in-hand, old Soviet AK’s strapped to their backs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I is for “Ifo, huh?”, quite possibly my favorite Malinke
phrase. It means ‘sorry’, but changes depending on the tone. You can say it after a kid trips and
falls or if someone loses a family member, but also if you buy the last cold
Fanta, as in “sorry I’m not sorry”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
J is for jaro, a type of bitter eggplant native to Guinea
that is something of an acquired taste.
I eat it raw now, though, so I guess it only takes a year to acquire.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
K is for Kankan, my site and second biggest city in
Guinea. It’s got all the city
amenitites, cold drinks, an internet café, Pringles, but still has enough of a
village feel that you know everyone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
L is for latrines, which you learn to love. Or at least
tolerate.</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-43301521180867304932013-08-10T05:30:00.001-04:002013-08-10T05:30:19.786-04:00Happy Ramadan! <p>So for the end of Ramadan, everyone goes to mosque for a big service/prayer but since our mosque isn't big enough, we have an outside prayer at the intersection near my house. I would say almost a thousand people come to line their prayer mats up on the soccer field and road. </p>
<p>Please note the awesome rainbow umbrella to block the sun. </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUxASiY3NE9ILJ8lzM4cbSjBI3ICqowW4JkbXIxkMNWik7DMZDMkOacvOWpWiEYbM2P5GuinlsYkCaogS1a8-l-Vlv67Iuworc05ivI_4pVzieaYhF1ySXTJqAz41EcRfBhK7_L8JYqs/s1600/IMG_20130808_100851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUxASiY3NE9ILJ8lzM4cbSjBI3ICqowW4JkbXIxkMNWik7DMZDMkOacvOWpWiEYbM2P5GuinlsYkCaogS1a8-l-Vlv67Iuworc05ivI_4pVzieaYhF1ySXTJqAz41EcRfBhK7_L8JYqs/s640/IMG_20130808_100851.jpg"> </a> </div>Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-74012698423016656692013-07-09T17:00:00.001-04:002013-07-09T17:00:39.617-04:00My Pantry <p>... And by pantry I mean tabletop next to where the cockroaches live</p>
<p>(not shown: the million packages of bacon I already ate) </p>
<p>P. S. I am posting this from my phone so sorry if the formatting is a little crazy </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxyPq2NX7sajI2QFx36gl3SorWQ2MYfxgU3a0_33AoflCEYf_mwlP7gupaOf6ndkT5EGhNGp-I8CetGsuaFDKtCQEILI68UmQvgvdM4uofVbg6ellu7WmjKll97OGrDmTK3ftUB0SHMU/s1600/2013-07-09%25252019.45.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxyPq2NX7sajI2QFx36gl3SorWQ2MYfxgU3a0_33AoflCEYf_mwlP7gupaOf6ndkT5EGhNGp-I8CetGsuaFDKtCQEILI68UmQvgvdM4uofVbg6ellu7WmjKll97OGrDmTK3ftUB0SHMU/s640/2013-07-09%25252019.45.15.jpg"> </a> </div>Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-18340128776833632352013-06-29T11:53:00.001-04:002013-06-29T11:53:39.874-04:00Photos from World Environment DayThis past Saturday, June 22nd, I hosted World Environment Day with an NGO I work with, Green Hand Action. We held a science conference in the morning about the diversity of fish in a nearby lake and then in the afternoon had some public skits performed by a theater group and a gang of neighborhood kids who helped us plant trees in 2012. It was a really big success with over 100 people attending the conference. People were talking about it all around town the next day and the young volunteers in the NGO were so happy and proud of themselves.<br />
<br />
Here's some photos of it on my Google+ account:<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/109284563137945907097/albums/5894919859266836273?authkey=CKDKnJmcgbLeDg">https://plus.google.com/photos/109284563137945907097/albums/5894919859266836273?authkey=CKDKnJmcgbLeDg</a><br />
<br />Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-56273862926179008692013-06-25T10:48:00.000-04:002013-06-25T10:48:08.858-04:00My Dream Sensibilisations
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the activities almost all PCVs do during their
service is lead <i>sensibilisations</i>. As many times as I’ve asked, no one
knows what this really translates to in English, but it is basically when
volunteers go out into the community and spread some sort of knowledge. For example, going door to door with a
picture book and explaining the causes and preventions of malaria. Or leading a short skit about
responsible life choices and condom use.
Basically, the goal of a <i>sensibilisation</i>
is to give community members the knowledge necessary to make informed choices
and incite behavior change.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Usually <i>sensibilisations</i>
are similar to what I mentioned before, dealing with nutrition, malaria,
environmental protection or conservation, or girls’ education (to name a few),
but sometimes I really wish I could give a <i>sensibilisation</i>
that would help improve my own life here.
Some of the ones I’ve dreamed up:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">how to
make a pizza</b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">: Pizza making is really most limited by the lack of ingredients,
but it never hurts to be prepared for when cheese finally makes its way to
Kankan.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">proper
street crossing behavior</b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">: This would generally center around what I
consider a golden rule: look both ways before crossing the street.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">I would bet at least 65% of traffic
accidents are caused by someone literally stepping into a moving motorcycle.</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">arriving
on time</b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">: One of the first things we were told in PST was how nothing ever
starts on time in Guinea and to expect it and bring a book, but after hours of
reading my kindle in waiting, it would be nice if people were a little more
prompt.</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">the joy
of puns (plus a side <i>sensibilisation</i>
on sarcasm)</b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">: People aren’t much into wordplay here, which means I am
approximately 50% less funny than in America.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Also no one ever laughs at the following joke:</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">An English and French cat, both
named 1-2-3, have a race to cross </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">the English Channel. The English cat won
because un deux </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">trois quatre cinq (that’s 1-2-3-4-5 in French, for you
Anglophones, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">pronounced ‘un deux trois cat sank’).</span></div>
</span><ul>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">customer
service</b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">: A favorite joke among volunteers is how hard it is to get people
to sell you something.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">You walk
into their restaurant and no one is there, then search around and when you
finally find the </span><i style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">madame</i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> she looks
really offended that you’ve asked to buy a bowl of her rice.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">There has been many an occasion where I
haven’t bought what I sought out to just because it was so difficult (and I am
lazy).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">line
forming</b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">: In general, occasions that would normally call for lines in
America (the bank, buying something at the corner </span><i style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">boutique</i><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">, mosquito net distributions), are dealt with in a somewhat
orderly crowd.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Usually, at the
bank, everyone puts their ID cards in a perfectly straight line in front of the
teller and then stands in a jostling crowd just behind, straining to hear their
name called.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">The crowd thing tends
to work because people get exasperated and demand service in about the same
order in which they arrived, but sometimes I just don’t feel like pushing my
way towards the front to shove my money into the rice lady’s hand.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">Luckily, there is always a kind-hearted
Guinean crowded next to me who is more than happy to do so for me.</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">girl
scouts</b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;">: While the girls empowerment and training part of this would no
doubt be great, I’m really just in it for the cookies.</span></li>
</ul>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><br />
<!--EndFragment-->Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com0Kankan, Guinea10.38404 -9.305553000000031710.321564500000001 -9.3862340000000319 10.4465155 -9.2248720000000315tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-3535777428693345262013-05-07T10:36:00.002-04:002013-05-07T10:36:30.237-04:00SRI in the NewsLast September, I attended a Peace Corps Training in Benin on a new method of rice cultivation, called System of Rice Intensification (SRI). My counterpart Conde and I will be holding a big training this summer at a national agricultural school. Over 40 students and professors will attend and most of the training will be hands-on, allowing us to set up a demonstration plot comparing SRI and current practices. We will then invite other community members, researchers from the local agricultural center, Eaux et Forets officials, agricultural extension agents, average farmers, to visit our plot and talk to them about the benefits of SRI. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguUT6FmHhUk6ZMl78KUiOiE4YXN8EmwfUdubHqt3A5B_REleBmkzLMFWqlIUUOTDQD8-4f626TO5I20nVVOoIiNqowIzikQ0R5F0elpdQ2ORQ7M-2O__ax9KbKev4PJE_d5nZS_4tgdjs/s1600/IMG_1819.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguUT6FmHhUk6ZMl78KUiOiE4YXN8EmwfUdubHqt3A5B_REleBmkzLMFWqlIUUOTDQD8-4f626TO5I20nVVOoIiNqowIzikQ0R5F0elpdQ2ORQ7M-2O__ax9KbKev4PJE_d5nZS_4tgdjs/s320/IMG_1819.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Transplanting rice at the training in Benin</i></div>
<br />
<br />
Anyways, NPR recently posted something about SRI on their website and I thought I would share it with anyone who is interested.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/03/180821486/unraveling-the-mystery-of-a-rice-revolution?sc=17&f=1001">http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/03/180821486/unraveling-the-mystery-of-a-rice-revolution?sc=17&f=1001</a><br />
<br />
It's kind of cool when stuff we're doing over here in "no-one's-ever-heard-of-that-country" Guinea is also being talked about on NPR.Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-59369869014566108642013-05-02T15:45:00.002-04:002013-05-02T15:45:24.028-04:00May Day!Well after celebrating May Day (which apparently is an international holiday celebrated everywhere but America), it is now officially May, which means Malaria Month is over. So what have I been doing to keep my mind off all those delicious mangoes I'm allergic to?<br />
<br />
- teaching my university English classes about malaria and the parasite's life cycle. Imagine trying to explain red blood cells to low level English speakers. Luckily I had a biology major in my class who assured everyone that our blood is in fact made up of billions of tiny cells. It was also great to see how many of my university students were already really knowledgable and passionate about malaria's impact on their community.<br />
<br />
- painting a malaria mural at a local health center with my site mates. Considering our complete lack of talent, it came out pretty good.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGszmhziC4J-QjFgpSnOulOt_Vb7sUd6goqt8gppNTfDCkAepxC9JhSmlF-q4FEPdH81tqM_Za_cs3B6BPJ4S_ZdeoxHwWdeCbnAxPoESpB08QQXMMnmegD9AClm3mkdlQq1v70plH9o/s1600/IMG_2331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGszmhziC4J-QjFgpSnOulOt_Vb7sUd6goqt8gppNTfDCkAepxC9JhSmlF-q4FEPdH81tqM_Za_cs3B6BPJ4S_ZdeoxHwWdeCbnAxPoESpB08QQXMMnmegD9AClm3mkdlQq1v70plH9o/s400/IMG_2331.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I only covered three of my five shirts with paint while doing this, so it was a success?</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
- having a public information stand to celebrate World Malaria Day. We set up an info booth right outside the university with posters and music and invited people to come talk to us about malaria in their community. An interesting mix of people came, from young girls on their way home from school who giggled and gave us flowers to put in our hair to health workers who wanted to give their 2-cents on the distribution campaign. We even got a visit from Population Services International, who is funding the distribution campaign.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But just because it's May does not malaria is done. In fact, since the rainy season has just begun, the disease is just gearing up for its onslaught again. The bed net distribution campaign that I talked about in another blog post has gotten pushed back to later in May, so there are still a lot of 'sensibilizations' (basically public trainings and mass PSA type events) and preparation work to do for that. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Some activities I have coming up in the future are:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
- the start of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) course at the national agricultural school, funded by the Small Project Assistance fund, that Conde and I will be leading. We will be teaching over 40 students and professors in a several month-long course in this new method of rice cultivation, working with them to create a demonstration plot that compares SRI with current cultivation practices. Other PCVs have done this and seen over a 70% increase in yields! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
- a second year of cashew reforestation with Green Hand Action. We will be working in collaboration with my Master Farmer to plant another 5 hectares of cashew and train some of the local cashew planter associations. Both my Master Farmer and GHA members just attended a cashew training we hosted in Kankan, so they have lots of information to share.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
- planning for Faso Demen's seed bank. I'm currently in the process of applying for a grant to start a seed bank with my gardening groupement, Faso Demen. This will provide them with cheaper seeds at more appropriate times of the year and encourage them to save their own seed. Seed conservation is great because it means they don't have to buy new seed each year and, by choosing seed from the best plants each year, the bank's stock of seed will gradually become more and more adapted to our climate. This project involves a lot of trust between the groupement members as they will be sharing seeds with each other, so takes a lot of planning and politicking on my and Conde's part.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSCCG4Hx31DvmfyFEi5DPAF_SeHZqf4w5d8CW4NR7p4Vs33WRmaWj8Y8PQCdJTHOoISQ-NlR5tz4Lahxpu_oJa0Ja14qO8winxKQPPIq1QUWpT8xoAsr8xvME1Fc0fbVY9YQX2vKz6P8/s1600/FD_logo_BW.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSCCG4Hx31DvmfyFEi5DPAF_SeHZqf4w5d8CW4NR7p4Vs33WRmaWj8Y8PQCdJTHOoISQ-NlR5tz4Lahxpu_oJa0Ja14qO8winxKQPPIq1QUWpT8xoAsr8xvME1Fc0fbVY9YQX2vKz6P8/s200/FD_logo_BW.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Faso Demen's fancy new logo</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />Now I'm off to go continue waiting and praying for the rains to come. When its over 110 each day, every little gray cloud in the sky gives you hope.<div>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/6376364032/h5ABD1B85/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/6376364032/h5ABD1B85/" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Listening to Weezy and praying fo' drizzle</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-65374375085188354842013-04-10T11:03:00.000-04:002013-04-10T11:03:09.016-04:00Happy Malaria Month!
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
No, we are
not celebrating the disease, but the fight against it. As part of PC Guinea’s celebration of
malaria month, we have all been challenged to get involved in malaria projects
at our sites. Our malaria
coordinator even made a competition out of it, and the region with the most
points at the end of the month gets a prize! I’ve taken this opportunity to get involved with the
national bed net distribution campaign, a project that aims to get all Guineans
sleeping under a mosquito net this year by distributing millions of them. Since you can’t have malaria without
mosquito bites, zero bites means zero malaria. Here’s something I wrote a couple months ago, when I
first started working with them:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
As an agroforestry volunteer
entering the Peace Corps, malaria was only on my radar as the reason I had to
take that little pill each week.
Since then I’ve witnessed the detrimental impact this disease can have
on my community, so I was especially excited when asked to participate in the
national bed net distribution campaign. Specifically, I’ve partnered with a
local NGO, <i>Association pour la Promotion
des Initiatives Feminin (APIF)</i>, who is charged with the distribution of
nets for the prefecture of Kankan.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Together,
we attended a training organized by Catholic Relief Services on how to organize
the census data that had been collected over the past several weeks. The NGOs from the other prefectures
were there as well, each paired with a Peace Corps Volunteer. Two days later, the <i>chefs de santé</i> from our prefecture came
into Kankan with all the data they had collected from their assigned
localities. We all went around the
room introducing ourselves and when it came to me someone asked, “Why is the
Peace Corps here? What is their involvement?” You see, Peace Corps volunteers are usually involved in
small community-based projects, not internationally funded nationwide
campaigns. Once we started
working, however, it became apparent that I had a lot to contribute. As someone who understands Excel and
had attended the prior training, I was able to help input the census data into
the spreadsheet, effectively cutting the time it took in half. Because I understood the logistics of
the whole campaign, I could also offer advice about which logistical issues
might arise and how to prevent them at these early stages of planning. At the end of a long day typing in names
of remote villages (And just <i>how</i> do
you spell Gbangkonkorokansin?) and strings of numbers, the staff of APIF and I
decided to meet at their office the next day to go over what we had collected.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
next morning, as we looked over all we had collected, we realized just how much
work there was. Not all the census
takers had followed the standardized layout and others had omitted crucial
information. We would have to make
sense of any errors and resolve questions with the <i>chefs de santé</i>. For
the next two days, Cabinet, Junior, and I poured over Excel spreadsheets and
submitted data forms. For someone obsessed
with order, this was at first a very frustrating experience. There was no perfect way to make sense
of the information and each person had a specific way they wanted to do
things. It took a lot of
discussion and trial-and-error, but eventually we worked out a system of how to
map out the distribution routes and calculate how many and what type of vehicle
we would need. Seen as a kind of
‘outside party’, I was able to point out flaws and offer suggestions without
ruffling too many feathers. Whenever
a computer or IT problem arose, I could step in and fix it before it caused too
much damage. We worked long into
the afternoon both days, a feat considering Nigeria was playing in the African
Cup of Nations, but eventually finished, the first prefecture to do so, if I’m
not mistaken.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It
was a great experience working with everyone at APIF. As a Peace Corps
Volunteer, I have experience planning and running projects and as a geeky
American, I have an obsession for detail and logistics. Because of this, my voice matters and I
know how to help prevent any future logistical nightmares in this project. In fact, I’m going to continue working
with APIF several days a week until the distribution in April, consulting on
each step of the project. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Personally, knowing I’m working on
a project that will make a noticeable difference in the malaria situation in
Guinea gives me a huge sense of accomplishment. When we finally finished, Cabinet looked at the numbers we
had calculated. “Look,” he said, “we’re going to give over 500,000 people
mosquito nets.” Helping prevent malaria in over half a million people? Not too
bad for a stint in the Peace Corps.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>UPDATE</i>: Since I wrote this blog, I followed through on my
word and have continued working with APIF a couple days per week. They are a really motivated group of
people who don’t mind working through the afternoon break and have put a lot of
work into this project. On April
25<sup>th</sup>, we will finally get to distribute the bed nets we have been
planning for all year!</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-7010390196092135632013-04-02T15:44:00.000-04:002013-04-02T15:44:09.383-04:00NEW PHONE NUMBER
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
So the Guinean government has decided that it cannot provide
enough phone numbers for everyone it keeps all the numbers at 8 digits, so it
has decided to add an extra one on starting April 1st. It’s unfortunately not simply adding a
‘0’ to the end of all the numbers or something easy to understand like
that. It adds a number in the
second place depending on your service provider and current first and second
numbers. Watching the confusion
that is bound to unfold over the next month will be no doubt hilarious, but
hopefully it means all those random Guineans who somehow got my number will be
confused and stop calling.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Without further ado, my new number is:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
628 06 11 41</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I.e. there is now a ‘2’ between the ‘68’ that used to start
my number.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s hoping the addition of that 2 will be give me better
cell signal in the future!</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-60959790178162325002013-04-02T15:43:00.000-04:002013-04-02T15:43:29.755-04:00How To Hold a Quintessential Guinean Meeting
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>All of these things
have happened to me at least once, but never all in the same meeting, thank
god. But that level of hilarity is
what makes a satire a satire. Ou bien?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So you want to hold a meeting? Maybe your groupement is
starting a seed bank, your NGO is electing a new board, or a group of health
workers is getting trained.
Somehow you need to get your group of people together to have a big
talk.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You decide to have it Saturday afternoon, at 4 PM, after
everyone is done with work and should, technically, be free. Inevitably, some people will by Friday
evening or Saturday morning, curious as to where everyone else is. On the day of the meeting, around noon,
it’s generally a good idea to call everyone again to reassure them that yes,
the meeting is happening.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By 2 PM, it’s time to start collecting chairs. No one has enough chairs at their house
to properly supply the meeting, at least not the fancy plastic kind, so you go
around to neighbors collecting chair until your compound looks like a Rainbow
Brite moved in. Oh, and don’t
worry about returning the chairs afterwards. Neighbors will send their <i>petites</i> (kids aged 3-12) to collect them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once that clock strikes 4 (or for those really <i>au village</i>, when the muezzin starts his
call) it is time to get dressed for the meeting. Remember, the brighter and ‘sparklier’ the better, and, as
leader of the meeting, you should have <i>Bejeweled</i>
infomercial levels of sparkles.
Now it’s just a waiting game.
If you’re lucky, people will start arriving by 4:30, but a better bet is
5. As guests arrive, be sure to
provide drinking water and a shower to splash off in (this only happened once,
but was ridiculous enough I felt I had to include it). By 5:45, you should have enough of a
quorum to start your 4 PM start time meeting. Have your local “more than averagely religious man let out a
string of benedictions. Don’t
forget good health and plenty of offspring.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s now time for the meeting to start. Choose a moderator and president for
the meeting, whose roles are basically interchangeable, but who are both
absolutely necessary. Ask for a
volunteer to take minutes. Most
likely no one will be aching to do this, so feel free to pick a victim at
random (some advice: make sure they are literate first!). Now write down the ‘Order of the Day’,
a kind of schedule of the meeting ending with a ‘Miscellaneous’ category. The president will say a few words
worthy of their honorific and announce the meeting open. The first topic can now be discussed,
with the permission of the moderator, of course.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is the real meat of the meeting, the
back-and-forth. Five minutes in, a
baby should start wiling, prompting all the other infants to join in. But have no fear, tops will come off,
breasts will come out, and all the babies will be quietly nursing in the blink
of an eye. Any particularly strong
personalities, and there’s always at least one, should have taken over by
now. Each will need to talk about
each topic at least twice, so try to account for this in your timekeeping. At about the halfway mark, you should
have anywhere from 50-75% attendance, with stragglers continuing to arrive
every couple minutes. It is the
perfect time for a group of vendors to enter your meeting space, selling candy,
shoes, or cologne. Half your
meeting will most likely want to form a ‘commerce’ sub-group and will signal
this by throwing off their shoes and running over to try on those bright pink
flip-flops that are so popular nowadays.
You can continue in this divided state if you choose, but one of your
previously mentioned strong personalities will probably take offense that he
doesn’t have everyone’s full attention and commence a 10 minute lecture about
the seriousness of the meeting.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Between all of this, you should have been able to at least
touch on most of your topics and be ready to summarize and conclude. If your meeting is outside, a herd of
5-20 sheep will walk through as you try to voice your final thoughts, drowning
you out with their shockingly human-like screams (listen to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpccpglnNf0" target="_blank">this</a> if you don’t
understand what I’m talking about).
The most efficient and cute way to deal with this is to name your
youngest petite head sheepherder and have him chase them away. You can now signal your religious man
again, who should have plenty of unused blessings left in his artillery. Someone should start a round of thanks,
thanking everyone from you tot heir mother to Obama that will spread to the
rest of your attendees faster than the bird flu. If it was an especially good meeting,
this may even culminate in a song and dance in your honor. With that, your meeting should be
over. Attendees will rush over to
buy that last “Titanic: Jack and Rose” perfume before ht others and the
neighboring petites will start to arrive.
Now you can relax and bask in the glory of your successful meeting,
watching the rainbow parade of plastic chairs streaming from your compound.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Sidenote/background</b>: I remember having a session during
Pre-Service Training about meetings in Guinea and thinking it was a waste of
time to devote two hours to the topic, but, after attending my share of
meetings, I can see why. It is one
of those instances where the Guinean culture mixed with French bureaucratic
history makes for a very frustrated American. Guineans are nothing if not verbose and meetings are the
perfect soapbox for just about everyone.
That mixed with the never ending regulations and minute details of the
French system make meetings seem slow and tedious to Americans. This is not to say they are necessarily
bad. Because the meetings aren’t
rushed, everyone gets a chance to talk and rarely gets cut off. Also every detail about the meeting is
recorded so you can look back at a later time. In spite of this, I still have those days when I get so
frustrated I just have to laugh out loud as we pass the fifteenth minute
debating whether ‘Alpha broke his arm’ should come second of third in the Order
of the Day program.</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-31116734646576585982013-01-24T17:26:00.000-05:002013-01-24T17:26:12.262-05:00Not a new post, but...I do have some photos!!<br />
<br />
Sorry I haven't had time to write a new post, but it is a good thing because I've been busy. It's the middle of gardening season so we've been harvesting lots of lettuce and salad. Green Hand Action has been going through some major restructuring and preparing to launch all our projects for a great 2013. My Master Farmer, Abu, and I have been hard at work clearing our 1 hectare experimental plot and starting our live fence. And I've been helping out with a huge Guinea-wide moisquito net distribution campaign, part of the global effort to fight malaria. So, you'll have to excuse the lack of actual blog post.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/109284563137945907097/albums/5837121539258524849?authkey=CM6GzOymsuO63wE" target="_blank">The photos are pretty funny though...</a><br />
<br />
(if the above link doesn't work: <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/109284563137945907097/albums/5837121539258524849?authkey=CM6GzOymsuO63wE)">https://plus.google.com/photos/109284563137945907097/albums/5837121539258524849?authkey=CM6GzOymsuO63wE)</a>Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-29518004907634525952012-11-29T11:04:00.003-05:002012-11-29T11:04:52.665-05:00One year in Guinea<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">Today marks the one year anniversary of my arrival in Guinea. Congratulations G21!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">490 </b>cashew trees planted in Balandougou with Green Hand Action</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">56 </b>books read</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">14 </b>flat tires replaced</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4 </b>regions in Guinea</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">500</b> (estimated) bowls of rice and sauce eaten</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2</b> host families who welcomed me with loving arms</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">5 </b>pizzas eaten from the beach bar in Conakry</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">693 </b>kilometers from Conakry to Kankan</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><strong>18+</strong> hours in the taxi from Conakry to Kankan</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">29 </b>days fasted for the month of Ramadan</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2 </b>times talking on Guinean radio</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">10</b> people minimum in the average station wagon bush taxi</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2 </b>poultry that I killed and plucked myself</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">0 </b>meals of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">toh</i> eaten that I enjoyed</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3</b> times that I’ve been on Guinean national television</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">26</b> wheels of Laughing Cow cheese eaten by my cat</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">80 </b>volunteers currently in Guinea</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2 </b>other countries (Sierra Leone and Benin) visited</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">5 </b>Guinean outfits received as gifts</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1 </b>trip to the Guinean dentist (not THAT scary)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">51</b> mephloquin pills taken</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">300 </b>moringa trees planted at Fasso Demen</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">31 </b>heads of cabbage harvested in my garden</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">7 </b>dance parties at the regional house</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4 </b>nights that I’ve seen shooting stars</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2 </b>water pumps that we’ve installed at the garden</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">136</b> days without rain during the dry season</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">100s</b> of times that I have heard the song <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Makale<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">19 </b>greetings shouted during the fifteen minute bike ride to my garden</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3</b> cans of oatmeal eaten</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">15</b> boxes of matches used to light my stove</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">365</b> days in this great adventure...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">and</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><strong>457</strong> days to come!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-3666717574256949072012-11-18T14:58:00.001-05:002012-11-18T14:58:18.853-05:00Better Link to my Newest PicturesSorry, flickr is being weird and not letting me have a lot of photos and hiding them or something, so here is a better link to the newest pictures i've uploaded:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mvevans/sets/72157632014261475/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/mvevans/sets/72157632014261475/</a>Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-7179820984036734272012-11-18T14:36:00.002-05:002012-11-18T14:36:42.623-05:00Tabaski and the Rain
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Forewarning</i>: I
wrote this at the end of October and have only just got around to uploading it
(sorry!), so some of the stuff might be a little dated.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Happy peanuts season! And I am not just talking about the
fact that Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin are on TV all the time. Here in Kankan, most of the rainy
season crops are being harvested, including rice, yams, beans, and yes
peanuts. For my part, people love
gifting me peanuts right as they’re pulling them up from the ground, so I am
always biking around with a bag full of peanuts. Luckily, the taste of raw peanuts has grown on me (I used to
think they tasted like grass), so I’m in peanut eating heaven. Plus nothing completes a lazy afternoon
of tea drinking like a bag of fresh peanuts.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
end of rainy season crops means that dry season gardening is starting again,
which is the meat and potatoes of my groupement. Water has begun receding from the garden area and we are
slowly reclaiming all of the beds.
And as everyone comes back to the garden, I’ve started my series of gardening
workshops. The first, held in the
beginning of October, was about a bed preparation technique called double
digging. By removing the topsoil,
working compost into the subsoil, and then replacing the first layer, you can
open the soil up deeper, allowing the roots grow bigger and faster. This is especially important for clay
soils like at <i>Fasso Demen, </i>where the
subsoil has compacted to be nearly rock solid. Besides the workshop, I’ve also created a demonstration
plot, where gardeners can see double digging and normal bed preparation side by
side and judge the benefits for themselves. Future topics will include mulching, intercropping, and
organic inputs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When
I’m not toiling away in the garden, I’ve been working on rice. In September, my counterpart and I
attended a training on a new method of rice cultivation, System of Rice
Intensification (SRI), in Benin.
It was a great training, run by Peace Corps and USAID at an agriculture
school/research center outside Cotonou.
We got to meet PCVs and their counterparts from other countries in West
African and I even saw a friend I studied abroad with in college. The visiting
volunteers got to experience Cotonou, which is an awesome city with a beachy
feel to it. It also has ice cream
and Indian food! It was also my
counterpart’s first time on a plane and he returned to Kankan a minor
celebrity. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When
we got back, we immediately started planning our trainings. Our neighbor attends a local
agricultural school whose graduates become extension agents and agricultural
advisors, so we decided to have our first training there. Over 65 students showed up, and some
professors too. Once we got over
the initial hurdles of my strange American accent, which way the desks should
face so as to best get the slight breeze, and a generator that no one could
start, the training was a success.
As it is the off season, we could only go over SRI theory, but we will
return next year for the practical segment, and to set up an experimental plot.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Fasso Demen</i> finally got to use our Super
Moneymakers! That’s a water pump, by the way. Conde and I attached all the piping and hooked it up to the
well in our compound to see if the thing even works, and it does! So what is it? Picture a Stairmaster
with two hoses attached, one in a water source, be it well or river, and the
other with a spray wand on the end.
There is also one that looks like a giant bike pump in place of the Stairmaster. The pressure from them can shoot water
over 20 feet in the air, so of course the whole neighborhood came to see what
was going on and we had everyone try it, from my seven year old host sister, to
the wizened old lady next door.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kenny,
one of my site mates, and I have been preparing for our Agribusiness
Conference, to be held later this November. In a nutshell, agribusiness encompasses business skills and
topics specific and applied directly to agriculture. We’ve invited members of the local gardening federation and
will be covering topics such as record keeping and marketing. Since most gardeners sell their produce
themselves at the local market, business skills will help them better plan and
organize their gardening and hopefully increase their profits.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Besides
work, I have been enjoying hanging out with my family and neighbors. Since we now have semi-regular
electricity, I’ve been able to watch Guinean news more often, as well as
Guinean and American movies. Usually
this results in me trying to explain some plot point. Lets just say as confusing as <i>Inception </i>already is, it makes even less sense when I explain it in
French. Plus we all, myself and
Guineans included, agree that Leo was better in <i>Titanic</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We
also just celebrated Tabaski, one of the biggest holidays of the year, if not
the biggest. This is the <i>fete de sacrifice</i>, when everyone buys a
big ram to sacrifice, although goats and cows are acceptable substitutes. It is meant to be symbolic of Abraham’s
almost sacrifice of his son, who at the last minute was switched for a sheep by
God. Our sheep spent its last two
weeks tied up outside my house, befriending Quinn, my cat. I guess that they weren’t great
friends, however, since she had no problems eating her share of the sacrifice.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tabaski
is especially big in Kankan because we have the <i>Mamaya</i>, a traditional women’s dance that draws Guineans from as far
as Europe and America to attend. It
is held every night for a week in a round point called, unsurprisingly,
Mamaya. Several associations of
people, called a <i>sere</i>, are formed and
get to host it for three nights each, which basically means they all wear
matching <i>bazin </i>(a type of fancy wax
fabric) and are official dancers.
Anyone else can dance too, but its still a big deal. There are several dances going on
during the Mamaya, all kind of spiraling together around this circle. It is pretty cool how the lines all fit
together as they move in opposite directions. My favorite is the men, who dance with this cane in a dance
that has these silly looking tiny steps and reminds me of the Mr. Peanut
mascot. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
This year, we also had several big names
in Guinean music give concerts in Kankan, including Sekouba Bambino and Takana
Zion, who was recently named Africa’s top reggae artist. I unsuccessfully tried to attend both
these concerts, arriving too early for one and too late for the other. After nearly a year, it is still hard
to understand the timing of events in Guinea. In my defense though, I was with Guineans and even they
didn’t understand when they would start.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I also totally forgot that I wanted
to continue adding little tidbits about random Stuff PCVS Like, so I am now
bringing it back with a vengeance.
First on the list: mayonnaise!!!! (a favorite of Lilly Schruben)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Mayonnaise<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Okay, this isn’t actually something PCVS especially like,
but he myriad uses of this condiment never ceases to amaze me. There is the <i>café francais</i>, coffee or tea with a lot of sugar and a dollop of
mayo floating on top. The first
time I regrettably mistook this for some type of sweet cream and ate it in one
bite. Every sandwich comes with a
layer of two of mayo. And of
course there ist he plain mayonnaise sandwich, a local favorite. Recently I had <i>bouille</i>, a type of rice or corn pudding, with mayonnaise stirred in
(this was actually pretty good).
Perhaps the strangest thing about the mayonnaise phenomenon is the fact
that, because practically no one here owns a refrigerator, it is never refrigerated. As someone who
worked in a restaurant where the temperature of the mayo was serious business,
this shocked me. Now, after using
mayo that has sat opened on my table for three months and living to tell the
tale, I still don’t understand how this works. It seems to have the same ingredients as American mayo (oil,
eggs, salt) and the brand I buy, BAMA, is even found in Publix across the
southern US. So what keeps it
fresh after months of desert heat?
I guess it is just another miracle of Guinea.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Daytime Television<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unless you have a satellite dish, the only channel you can
get on a normal antenna is <i>Radiodiffusion
Televsion Guinee</i> (RTG). At
night, it basically only plays the news and tons and tons of commercials. During the day however, there is
usually at least one afternoon movie.
Sometimes, if there is nothing going on for them to talk about, we even
get a double feature. Any <i>café </i>or gas station worth its name
usually has a TV tuned to this and it is a great place to relax during the heat
of the day in which it is really too hot to leave the shade. The best part about this, however, is
the variety of films that get shown on RTG. I’ve seen <i>Scorpion
King 3</i> (straight to DVD), <i>The Full
Monty </i>(I have no idea how this was approved by RTG), and <i>Hard Rain </i>(Morgan Freeman was in this, so it is pretty legitimate I guess). I don’t know who is choosing RTG’s
afternoon line-up, but we would definitely be friends.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Dead <i>Toubab</i> Market<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Dead Toubab Market is the used clothing area of the
market in Kankan. It’s not
actually called that, but a volunteer started calling it that (toubab being the
Malinke word for ‘white person) and it stuck. It is where nearly my whole wardrobe is from at this point,
as the combination of intense UV rays and washboards has ripped several of my
garments to shreds. Everything can
be found in the Dead Toubab market, and I do mean everything. If you’ve ever donated a shirt, pair of
slightly (or very) used shoes, or even American Flag patterned leggings, it may
have ended up in Guinea. The day
after the new shipment comes in, I always try to go and spend a bit looking
through the piles of pre-worn clothes, searching for that long lost St. Louis
Cardinals jersey or original Backstreet Boys 1998 Concert Tour shirt. Even better than finding gems is when
non-anglophone Guineans walk around in what turns out to be some very ironic
shirts. Some of our favorites are:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I <3 Vaginas</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->THE SPERMINATOR (with “I’ll be back” written
below)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->middle-aged men wearing Dora the Explorer or
Hello Kitty shirts</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->“I love poopies!” with a brontosaurus on top
(this one was finally gone from the stall last week which means someone bought
it!)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->I <3 Consensual Sex, although I guess this is
a nice message?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also, I have recently uploaded pictures to my flickr
account. Hopefully I’ll get to add
some captions while I’m in Conakry next week helping with training. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst">
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mvevans/</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hope everyone has a great thanksgiving! I’ll be thinking of you
and all the delicious food you’ll be eating!</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-63112069336855694572012-10-05T06:50:00.003-04:002012-10-05T06:50:53.496-04:00Guinea is Back
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Semi-trucks in Guinea usually have some
sort of good luck or inspirational phrase hand painted on the back of them,
“God is good”, “Don’t forget Your Mother”, “Wide Load”, but the other day I saw
one that really struck a chord with me: “Guinea is back”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"> Since
I arrived in Guinea almost a year ago, I’ve seen some remarkable changes in the
country, especially in Kankan. And
I started thinking maybe Guinea (whose GDP is currently less than my
university’s endowment fund) really <i>is</i>
back. To put this into context,
allow me to briefly go over Guinea’s political history since independence. For those of you already familiar with
this, feel free to skip my amateurish account of the past half century. Or read
<i>Designing West Africa</i> by Peter Schwab,
which does a much better job of this with fewer pop-culture references.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"> Guinea,
or Guinea-Conakry, as it was referred to then, was one of the many French
colonies in West Africa until 1958, when It gained its independence. In that year Charles De Gaulle, then
President of France, offered French colonies political independence, on the
condition they be basically cut off from paternalistic French aid, not unlike a
young 20-something in the plot of many a 90s-sitcom. Guinea, under the leadership of Sekou Toure, was the only
colony to accept these terms. The
French left in a haste, bring their investment and infrastructure with
them. Note that his is meant in
the literal sense, as there are reports of power lines and railroads being
ripped up and shipped out of the country with the French. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US">In a sitcom, this
is when the newly independent, rebellious offspring would learn how to cook and
do laundry with the help of a gang of wise, street-smart friends. Unfortunately, Guinea found itself
friendless, although it did end up allying (to little gain) with communists
states, most notably Cuba, bonding over their shared socialist
governments. Led by Toure, who
became increasingly paranoid and authoritarian as the years went on, Guinea
started to fall behind its West African neighbors, who were being propped up
monetarily by colonial powers in exchange for natural resources and markets
where they could sell their products of industry. Neighboring Senegal, to go back to the overdone sitcom
metaphor, was the prodigal son, attending an Ivy school on the parents’ money
and emerging a refined socialite with all the opportunity in the world. So favored was the country, there was a
time that Senegalese born in Dakar, the capital, were eligible for French
citizenship.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US">Eventually Toure,
who at this point was resembling more notorious African leaders (i.e. Mobutu,
Moi), fell ill and passed away in Cleveland, Ohio. This was the first time Cleveland let down a crazed,
egotistical leader, the next being in 2011 when Lebron left for Miami. Toure’s death left an inevitable power
vacuum that was filled by a string of corrupt heads of state, leading to Alpha
Conde, who is so far relatively clean, but not without his faults. Since his election, things have been
somewhat stable, encouraging foreign investments and allowing Guinea to makes some
major progress.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US">Anyways, back to
my ‘semi’-inspired revelation that Guinea is back. As I said, there is a whole wave of change happening in the
country. When I got to Kankan, I
lived off a dirt road, used candles at night, and got my water from a well or
borehole pump several houses away.
Now, I can get almost anywhere on a paved road, have a fairly reliable
12 hours of electricity each night, and fill my buckets at a spigot right
outside my house. There have been
lots of other infrastructural improvements too: solar-powered street lights,
street signs and “traffic cops” (pre-teen boys with rubber whips that stand at
intersections and enforce the rules), renovations of the university and
agricultural school, better cell phone service, WIFI at the local internet
café. There has also just been a
lot of general construction around.
Someone once told me that construction sites are a sure sign of economic
growth and I never took economics in school, so I’ll have to take their word
for it. Regardless, it does seem
to create opportunities for unskilled, paid labor, giving subsistence or smallholder
farmers (generally one of the poorest demographics) a chance to earn a little
extra something during the off-season.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US">For Kankan, I
think the most important development in electricity, however not because people
have a lot of appliances or electronics (most just have a light bulb and maybe
charge a cell phone). I’ve heard
that Kankan is a lot like Bamako, the nearest, comparatively developed
commercial center and capital of Mali, but ten years ago, before electricity. With electricity, manufacturing and
industry enterprises appeared in Bamako and a booming tourism industry started
up. Now there are hospitals,
grocery stores, and international universities. This has already started in Kankan, with the opening of a
new, more mechanized and hygienic bakery.
With the coup in Mali, study abroad groups have discussed moving their
Bamako programs to Kankan, and one already has! To say that a university believes
Guinea stable enough for its students is a lot, not to mention it helps put
Guinea on the map (and not as the partner isle of Papua in the Pacific, which
is where most people, including the US Postal Service, believe it to be).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US">*I wanted to put a picture of the electricity in my house here, but the Google server in Guinea is being uncooperative. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US">Guinea is clearly
in a stage of growth, pretty amazing considering the current global economy,
but it is not in the clear yet.
The country is still waiting for its parliamentary elections, scheduled
for December 2011, pushed back to July 2012 and currently under a deadline for
the end of this year. the delay
has the opposition party, and some members of the international community,
crying unfair play and it is still unclear whether elections will actually
happen before the end of 2012. Nto
to mention charges of corruption sprinkled through all levels of the
government, alleged ethnic nepotism and increased military presence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US">As unfortunately
tends to be the case in many countries, the two main political parties are
strictly aligned with the two larges ethnic groups, the Peuls (opposition party)
and the Malinke (currently in power under Alpha Conde). This makes it infinitely easier for
politicians to whip people into a fervor and carries the added risk of
political action quickly turning into simple ethnic violence. A lesser form of this has been taking
place in Conakry over the past couple weeks, which protests and boycotts by the
opposition party, culminating in riots and the death of an opposition
protester. <i>The Washington Post </i>had an <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/guinea-police-use-tear-gas-to-disperse-fighting-between-ethnic-groups-in-conakry-market/2012/09/21/5cbe1b7c-03e8-11e2-9132-f2750cd65f97_story.html" target="_blank">article</a> on the protests, (although
its focus on the ethnic issue is a bit much, in my opinion) for those that are
interested.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span lang="EN-US">This is not to say
Guinea is on the verge of political revolution. Not at all. If
anything, the fact that opposition protests are allowed to happen shows Guinea
is giving democracy a fair chance.
Given that things calmed after the riots, when they could just as easily
have escalated following the death of a protester further proves this point. For the moment, Guineans want to remain
a stable country, enabling them to continue this progress they are
enjoying. In the end, it seems the
real question is not if Guinea is back, but if it is here to stay.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-80566577457504653902012-09-07T08:18:00.000-04:002012-09-07T08:18:48.710-04:00Ramadan 101<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: inherit;">What is Ramadan?<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ramadan is a month long fast practiced by Muslims.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following the fast is one of the five pillars of Islam (the others being believing in God and the prophet Mohammed, prayer 5 times daily, giving to the poor, and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hajj</i> to Mecca), so it is pretty important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides the fast, it is also a month when Muslims strive to be especially religious and pious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lunar month is brought to a close by a party, which, from what I can tell, is what everyone is most excited about.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Pre-Game: Endless Marriage Ceremonies<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The two or three weeks preceding Ramadan are host to far too many marriages to count.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seriously, I tried to count the number of marriage convoys/parades going past my house one evening and stopped after there were more than five in an hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reasons for this are two-fold.1) You cannot have celebratory ceremonies during Ramadan, so anyone thinking of getting married over the next month rushes to get it done before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can get married during Ramadan, but all the fun parts (dancing, fasting, consummating the marriage) are banned so most people don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, there are the scrooges that don’t want to pay for the DJ, the meal, renting the chairs and tents, etc. and so have a marriage during Ramadan, but those are rare since all Guineans love a good party, even at their own expense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2) Ramadan is a month of two extremes: fasting and feasting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means there is a lot of food preparation and cooking involved, so men rush to find wives to cook for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This isn’t just a push by the men, though, as some wives hope their husband will take on another wife to help shoulder some of the extra work during Ramadan.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why Fast?<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For Muslims, fasting represents putting oneself in the shores of the poor and hungry, humbling those who never feel the pangs of an empty stomach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I fast both because I like what it represents and because it is a great way to be integrated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone gets really excited when they find out the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">toubabu</i> is fasting and I’ve even won points with some of the more reserved members of my community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, I just wouldn’t feel right working alongside the women in my groupement, asking them to undertake projects and the extra work that comes with it, if I weren’t fasting with them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: inherit;">What You Can and Can’t Do<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are a lot of things that are restricted during Ramadan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The big ones are:</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>eating and drinking between the first and last prayer of the day (about 4AM – 7PM).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This includes saliva, which means a whole lot of public spitting.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>playing music aloud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People can’t sing, play instruments, or listen to the radio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The exception to this is the readings from the Koran.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have heard a lot of suspiciously pop-sounding Koran renditions this past month</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>having sex during the day, although with all the spitting going on, I can’t see this being too big a temptation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Besides those, there are some less faux-pas such as swearing, getting into heated arguments, and beating your wife and/or child that seem to take place with the same regularity as before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially the arguing one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Strangely enough, fasting doesn’t make peaceful conflict resolution any easier.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As with all codes, there are also behaviors one must take up, or are at least strongly encouraged, such as:</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>women dressing more conservatively, although this only affects the hip, mini-skirt-and-leggings wearing girls from Conakry</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span>extra prayers, especially at evening prayer time, which means the normal 10-minute prayer lasts up to an hour now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the last ten days of Ramadan, there is also a 4-hour prayer session starting at midnight that you are supposed to attend.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Who Fasts?<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The general rule is any Muslim over the age of twelve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, there are exceptions for the extremely old, women who are pregnant, nursing, or menstruating, and people with a disease or disability for whom fasting may be dangerous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also bad luck to fast while traveling.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: inherit;">But who really fasts?<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">From what I can tell, basically everyone who is able fasts, from those I have never seen go to mosque to women in head-to-toe coverings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is just as much a cultural part of life as it is religious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, those fasting get to break the fast with special dishes, tea or coffee, salads, juices, and extra-sugary <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bouille</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It only ends up being about a third of my community who fasts, however, since 50% of the population is younger than 15 and, save the rare instance of family planning, women are more often than not pregnant or nursing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Hardest Part<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Surprisingly enough, the lack of food part of fasting wasn’t that hard,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I’m working in the bush, I often won’t eat until I get back around 4 PM, so it’s only a few extra hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not drinking is a completely different story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is hot here, and I usually average 4L of water a day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trying to meet my day’s H<sub>2</sub>0 quota in the two hours before going to sleep is a bit difficult and results in a lot of midnight trips to the latrine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily, Ramadan falls during the rainy season this year, so it is not nearly as hot and dry as March or April.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have no idea how people manage when that happens.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The other part I struggled with was waking up at 4 AM to eat, I would roll out of bed in a daze, cram a couple handfuls of rice in my mouth, and attempt to fall back asleep just as the very loud prayer from the next door mosque would start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Afer several restless hours, I would finally get up at nine or ten, extremely groggy and having wasted most of my morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Towards the end, I decided I preferred to be hungry rather than tired and slept through the 4 AM mealtime.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Et le gaspillage commence… (and the wastage starts)<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This was what my counterpart said the first day of Ramadan, when his sister-in-law showed him the 90 000 GF three-piece suit she had bough for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Le Vieux</i>, who is two years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also came with 30 000 GF shoes (brown ones, and I didn’t have the heart to tell her they really clashed with the black suit).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ramadan in Guinea is a little like Christmas in America, with lavish spending on unnecessary things, although I, as of yet, haven’t heard of anyone being stampeded at the local market in the rush to buy the newest soccer cleats (EDIT: The last three days of Ramadan, leading up to the big <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fete</i>, the market was absolutely nuts and verging on 3 AM Black Friday Wal-Mart chaos).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Through the month, in contrast to the fasting, families buy new clothes, cellphones and weaves (as in the hairpiece).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kids also have spending money for once and buy balloons, candy and juice with every last 500 GF bill they have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then there is the celebration at the end of the month, with a giant feast, DJ or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">griot</i>, and sodas all around (I drank three that day).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to mention the fancy clothes for that night, which can run up to 500 000 GF for a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">complet</i> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pagne </i>wrap, shirt, and headscarf).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To put that in perspective, my salary, which I live very comfortably on, is a little less than 1 000 000 GF.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The timing of Ramadan this year is right before hunger season, when rice has not yet been harvested, so prices are high and people have little saved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the spending of Ramadan, even those families that had planned to save something for this season may be struggling, having spent their savings during Ramadan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most Guineans, as evidenced by my counterpart’s comment, are aware of this predicament, but just as we cannot resist that shiny new iPad or pair of designer shoes come December, the tradition of spending doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Moment We’ve All Been Waiting For<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After 30 days of fasting, the moon finally appears in the sky and Ramadan is over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The funny thing is we don’t know it’s the end until the day of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some Islamic countries will reference the lunar calendar and set a date for the final celebration, but others, Guinea among them, prefer their citizens to live in suspense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This results in everyone running around like crazy the last 4 or 5 days of Ramadan trying to prepare for the fete and not wanting to be caught unawares.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The market was kind of like a grocery store before a snowstorm hits or on Thanksgiving morning.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The actual day began with a mass prayer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because we wouldn’t all fit in the mosque, we lined up along the road and large space used for soccer games and markets next to my house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we sat waiting for the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">imam</i> to start the prayer, the poor walked through the crowded prayer mats collecting ablations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shortly after it began, it started raining so I ran home with my counterpart’s wife (we’re only ‘fair-weather’ believers).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spent that morning sitting around talking and drinking tea as the women prepared the big meal for that afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone had brought home part of a cow that had been slaughtered at her office, which we had left smoking over a charcoal stove for two days, that was to be the highlight of the meal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ate until we were stuffed and then spent an hour relaxing, not unlike Thanksgiving in America.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The afternoon was spent greeting everyone and their brother (and their brother’s brother).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a really important part of the holiday and everyone visits all of his or her relatives, friends, colleagues, bosses, and acquaintances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tagged along with Conde as he made the rounds, being welcomed with more rice, soda, candy, and other delicious goodies at each house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Along the way children ran up to us saying “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I ye salima fo</i>”, basically ‘Happy Holidays’, after which we’re supposed to give them money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this way, I guess Ramadan is a little like Halloween too.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The festivities continued on for three days, with most people having the day off work or skipping it if they didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the children spent their ‘trick-or-treating’ money on sunglasses and mini soccer balls and the teenagers got together to rent speakers and have dances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Photographers roamed the streets asking people if they wanted their photos taken for a small fee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually it all wound down, kids popped their soccer balls, and all the photos were distributed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things have eventually returned to normal, at least until Tabaski comes, the even bigger celebration 70 days after the end of Ramadan.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span>Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-46880912048236636342012-08-10T08:01:00.000-04:002012-08-10T08:01:25.057-04:00Eat. Mange. Damaninke.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It wouldn’t be a ‘travel/life adventure blog’, if I didn’t
reference that Julia Roberts movie that references that book, Eat. Pray.
Love. My version is more like Eat.
Eat (in French). Eat (in Malinke).
I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but my life here revolves around
food (even more than in the US!).
My Guinean friends and neighbors seem to have a similar mentality, as
they are always commanding me with one of the above words while handing me some
form of rice and sauce. Guineans
are either extremely hospitable or trying to fatten me up for a
Hansel-and-Gretel style feast. I’m
fairly sure it’s the former, but they’re certainly succeeding at the later. Additionally, friends and relatives
back home are always asking what I’ve been eating, scared I might be starving
in a place where food security is a legitimate issue. Even my first host family in Dubreka asks me what I ate that
day when we talk on the phone.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8dBxAvxuM9ZQHpc6kyAYAaJJuuaPP2eudwSh_8MsGjjKtrFr6W0u8k877BrW6t9NtJdWGuolGNeW1bNrtkpub_B6mE7pGkX9TgP4MFoflmnzWIJarjQrcy5M2mB-q6DHvU9fkTLhQdxs/s1600/chicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8dBxAvxuM9ZQHpc6kyAYAaJJuuaPP2eudwSh_8MsGjjKtrFr6W0u8k877BrW6t9NtJdWGuolGNeW1bNrtkpub_B6mE7pGkX9TgP4MFoflmnzWIJarjQrcy5M2mB-q6DHvU9fkTLhQdxs/s320/chicken.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My 'pet' chicken that then became dinner.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So,
to appease the masses, here is what I ate for a whole week (May 2<sup>nd</sup>-9<sup>th</sup>). I will qualify this by saying that this
was the week after IST and the first real rainy week for me in Kankan, so I was
feeling especially energized by the ability to not sweat 24/7.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Monday<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>BREAKFAST:</i> Quaker
Oatmeal (purchased at expat store in Kankan) with cinnamon and sugar with
Nescafe instant coffee</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>LUNCH: </i>Rice with
soup sauce ( a broth with some onions, given to me by my host family</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>DINNER: </i>potatoes
and chicken, again lovingly prepared and give to me by my host family</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Tuesday<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>BREAKFAST: </i>beans
(bought prepared across the street), spruced up with cumin, chili powder and
sriracha; poor man’s mocha (instant coffee with hot chocolate mix)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>LUNCH: </i>Terriyaki
Lo Mein from America (thanks mom!) with cabbage, green onions, garlic and eggs
from the market</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>DINNER: </i>reheated
lunch (I still eat leftovers!)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Wednesday<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>BREAKFAST: </i>Nutella
(from the expat store) on bread; Nescafe</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>LUNCH: </i>fish tacos,
courtesy of CED volunteers passing through on their way back from IST</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>DINNER: </i>potato
leaf salad with cheese I made myself</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>DESSERT: </i>yogurt and
an orange Fanta from my counterpart</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Thursday<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>BREAKFAST: </i>Peanut
butter and honey sandwich; Nescafe</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>LUNCH: </i>manioc
balls from the Togolese restaurant with a sweet tomato sauce</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>DINNER: </i>pasta with
cooked potato leaves (it’s like spinach!) and cheese</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Friday<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>BREAKFAST: </i>Oatmeal
with honey and milk; Nescafe</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>2<sup>nd</sup>
BREAKFAST: </i>fried eggs with potatoes; Green Cucumber Tea (all courtesy of
Adrian)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>LUNCH: </i>mangoes and
raw peanuts (the taste of these grows on you)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>DINNER: </i>hamburger
balls with a boiled egg inside with fries and a beer at the Bofanta restaurant</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>2<sup>nd</sup> DINNER:
</i>Rice and soup sauce; cold Coca-Cola</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Saturday<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>BREAKFAST: </i>beans a
la Michelle; tea</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>LUNCH: </i>Riz Gras
(fried rice) from the Senegalese restaurant</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>DINNER: </i>rice and
sauce</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I forgot to write Sunday down, but I am betting it
involved oatmeal and lots of rice and sauce. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As you can all see, I am <i>not</i>
starving in Guinea. There’s a lot
of fresh produce available and my family is always trying to force feed
me. In addition to these meals,
there’s plenty of snacks available like peanuts, popcorn, fried dough balls,
frozen juices, and meat kabobs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will take this opportunity, however, to point out that
just because I’m not starving doesn’t mean food security isn’t a real problem
in Guinea. There are even some
volunteers whose villages are so isolated they complain of a lack of produce at
their markets (don’t worry PC parents, they’re not starving either), and those
don’t come anywhere near the most isolated places. There are some parts of the
year when vegetables simply cannot be harvested and even I, in the big city of
Kankan, have trouble finding a nice variety. Besides a lack of food in certain places and at certain
times of the year, a lot of people simply cannot afford a well-balanced diet,
especially in the protein department.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is why PC Guinea has recently started a major focus on
food security, including a Food Security Task Force and a lot more food
security trainings. Our goal is to
have as many people involved in food security projects as possible, from a 5
minute lesson on hand washing or nutrition to starting a school garden. I’m really interested in this and my
work as an agroforestry volunteer fits in perfectly with this PC-wide focus, so
expect to hear a lot more about it in the future.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">That’s all for now. I’m most likely off to go eat
something, of course!</span><br />Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2576195411575029595.post-64188623800420889472012-07-29T16:38:00.004-04:002012-07-29T16:38:45.429-04:00New Pictures!I've posted some new pictures of my time so far at site and of Sierra Leone (if the internet holds up) on flickr.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mvevans/">www.flickr.com/photos/mvevans/</a><br />
<br />
Take a look if you get a chance!Michelle E.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17935555104316823228noreply@blogger.com0