November 2009: Part II (Read Part I First!)

The Bug Hut: More like a bug fortress! While I was home on vacation, I went on a shopping spree at REI and bought what may easily the best purchase ever: a bug hut. It’s essentially a one-person tent made of mosquito netting that is easily assembled and disassembled. I have taken to sleeping in it every night and once I climb inside it, I feel invincible. Well, I guess it only makes me feel invincible toward creepy-crawlies, but those of you who know me well or have followed this blog know that being invincible to creepy-crawlies is HUGE in my world.

Recently, I have been experiencing some newfound paranoia despite feeling like I’m in a little cocoon when sleeping in my bug hut. I equate this paranoia with the malaria prophylaxis I have been taking since arriving in Niger – a drug that has caused hallucinations, nightmares, and insomnia among other things for me.

My village is full of bats, and normally I am fascinated by them. But, for some reason, the bats have been very vocal lately. I am used to them screeching and screaming once in a while, but lately they have been uproarious throughout the night. I don’t know why they make these noises – whether it’s out of anger, for hunting purposes, or to attract a mate. I’ve tried inquiring of my villagers as to why the bats have been so vocal and I typically get one of two responses: (1) “I go ga ma kani! (They’re feeling happy!); or (2) Ay si bay wala. (I don’t know.) Neither of these responses help me any and I am left feeling as though one of these fine nights, the bats are going to come after me and my bug hut (absurd paranoia #1).

My neighbors across the road from me have a couple of good-sized cats that like to come into my yard to hunt. Cats, along with most animals in Niger, are not typically very friendly and are extremely frightened of people. Sometimes I hear the cats fighting at night and it sounds as though it gets pretty nasty. Because another Peace Corps volunteer was attacked by what we can only assume was a rabid cat while sleeping in her mosquito net inside her house, I am now paranoid that the cats are going to rise against me and attack me and my bug hut (absurd paranoia #2). Just the other night, I was laying in my bug hut, chatting with my parents on the phone, explaining to them how I have been rather paranoid recently. I told them about the cats and later the night I was awoken out of a deep sleep by a strange rustling/scratching sound. I wake up to see a cat with its front paws up on my bed, checking me out. It freaked me out and I wasn’t able to fully fall asleep for the rest of the night.

My daytime, not paranoid self realizes that the cat was not being at all aggressive and that he was merely checking things out and exploring and I have to reaffirm these things to myself every night. I told my best friend in my village about being scared of the cats and to ease my mind, she told me that it wasn’t a cat that had attacked the other volunteer, it was a person. She explained to me that there are people who become like animals at night – some become cats, others become dogs or donkeys or any number of other animals. She said a cat would never attack a sleeping person inside their house without provocation. It had to have been a person. She also explained that when Nigeriens are ill, they hope that a cat will come and be by their side because if it does they are sure to get better. But, if no cat arrives at the side of a sick person, they are likely to die from their illness. Oddly, this did ease my mind and I realized that the reason the cat felt comfortable enough to come explore my bug hut was because it knew that I was not an aggressive person and wouldn’t hurt it. That night I was actually able to get a decent night’s sleep.

Tobay Tobay – A Demented Halloween: August 22nd through September 19th marked the month of Ramadan, an Islamic month of fasting. During this time, all healthy adults fast from sunrise to sundown – no water or food from about 5am until 7pm. As you can imagine, fasting of this nature over a full month can really wear a person out and it is a time when most people are tired, lethargic, hungry, thirsty, and not at all surprisingly, grumpy.

Children aren’t required to fast and thus are able to eat and drink as they usually would, but this doesn’t shelter them from experiencing the effects of a month of intense fasting. The kids still have to help out around the house and do as they are told by their parents – parents who are tired, lethargic, hungry, thirsty, and grumpy. Even though the children aren’t going hungry or thirsty, they are still facing the wrath of their fasting parents, which makes the month of Ramadan a pretty dreary time for kids.

However, there is a silver lining for the kids and it comes in the form of “Tobay Tobay.” Tobay Tobay (which translates to rabbit rabbit) is about a week to two week long event in which kids roam around the village after dark in groups of about ten, banging on drums, singing obnoxious songs, dressing as though they’re involved in gorilla warfare, and visiting all the houses in their neighborhood looking for gifts of sugar cubes, money, or candy.

Somehow I missed out on Tobay Tobay last year, but this year I got the full experience. And let me tell you, it is truly something to behold. Children running amuck with their faces painted white, their arms, backs, and chests painted in white polka dots, flip-flops strapped to their heads as ears, and tree branches tied around their waists in a sort of grass skirt. Each child has a drum that they beat on incessantly and the song they sing at the top of their lungs is almost too catchy. Needless to say, I got sucked in a time or two and the kids scored some American candy. But, despite the obnoxious nature of Tobay Tobay, I got some amazing photos and video of the madness and most importantly, I laughed so hard on multiple occasions that my stomach ached the next day.

See for yourself:

The Place I Call Home: The UN recently released its annual Human Development Index in which it ranks 182 countries from the best to worst places to live. Countries are ranked on the following criteria: life expectancy, gross domestic product (GDP), literacy, and school enrollment (among others). Norway came in at number one, while Niger, my current home, came in dead last.

While I often struggle with living here and I recognize the challenges that Niger faces, it is still hard to see that this country has such a poor rating. I don't deny that it is probably very accurate, but I fear that being ranked in such a way causes people to view Niger as a "lost cause" and to assume that Nigeriens lack quality of life. Yes, Niger does not have all of the resources and opportunities available to the developed world, but the people here are amazing and they live their lives to the fullest, rarely dwelling on the difficulties they face.

If you're interested in reading more about Niger and it's ranking by the UN, check out this website: http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_NER.html.

Shout Outs: This month’s shout out is going to all of the people who have donated to my project. My counterparts and I are so grateful for your support and could not do this without your help. Thank you so very much!!!

November 2009: Part I

Seriously, who could possibly resist this face? I may have mentioned this before, but I plan on hiding him in my suitcase and whisking him off to California with me after my service ;)

It's the beginning of November 2009 and the date that marks my being in Niger for 16 months (November 10th) is rapidly approaching. Sometimes I feel as though it was just yesterday that I arrived in Niger, wide-eyed and eager to find out just what it was that I had signed up for. And other times, I look back and I can feel just how far I’ve come and how much I have learned and grown in the past 16 months.

The last few months have been relatively uneventful and truly quite enjoyable for me. School has been on “summer vacation” since the end of June, so I have been using my time in village to connect with my friends and spend quality time with them. I know that with the start of the new school year, my schedule is going to be rather hectic (by Nigerien standards), so I wanted to take advantage of the time off from school activities to just hang out with my friends in my village.

Despite the lull in work activities, I still have some great stories to share! On to the good stuff…

Exceptional Service Award: Each year, Peace Corps volunteers and staff are asked to nominate volunteers that they feel have met the following criteria:

Volunteers are the heart of Peace Corps. Highly successful Volunteers clearly embody the three goals of Peace Corps by:

1. Working conscientiously and productively on sustainable activities and projects with their communities.
2. Integrating completely into their communities and Niger through acquiring solid language and cross cultural skills, including working professionally with Nigerien staff and colleagues.
3. Expressing the cultural, social, and development realities of Niger and Nigeriens to other Americans, including helping trainees and other Volunteers as they learn to work and live in Niger.

The most exceptional and successful Volunteers usually have the following characteristics:

1. Cultural integration in all aspects of their service - behavior, respect for Nigerien culture, sensitivity to Nigerien cultural norms, dress, etc.
2. Work ethic, skills, creativity, and patience to accomplish sustainable work in the field.
3. Professionalism - collaborator, work as a team member, willing to negotiate, provide honest and are open to feedback/dialogue.
4. Maturity and responsibility towards their commitments.
5. Peer support - willing to listen and support trainees and other Volunteers while modeling appropriate cultural integration and work ethics.
6. Flexibility - able to adjust to pace and approach of living and working in Niger.

There are approximately 120 volunteers serving in Niger at any given time and of those 120 volunteers, about 5-10 are given an award for “Exceptional Service.” On September 8th, I was informed that I had been nominated for and received an “Exceptional Service Award.” This means that my fellow volunteers and/or the staff here in Niger believe that I fit the above criteria and that they recognize the good work that I am doing here.

I try not to let recognition from others, whether it be from my family, friends, or within the Peace Corps, be the motivating factor in all that I am doing here. However, I must say that it feels AWESOME to have received this award and to think that my peers and my supervisors believe in and support the projects I am undertaking while in Niger.

Receiving this award not only reflects upon my efforts, but upon the efforts of everyone at home who has supported me through all the ups and downs, successes and failures, good times and bad. Without all of you, I wouldn’t have the strength and will to successfully complete my Peace Corps service and I am so very grateful to each and every one of you. I wish there was some way to repay you all, but for now please know how truly appreciative I am to have such amazing people in my life. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Book Project Update: As of today, the website says that we have raised $1407.00 towards the purchase of English textbooks for the middle/high school in my village! Looks like we are well on our way to reaching our goal of $3462.00.

For those of you who may not know about this project, here is a brief overview for you and instructions for donating if you are interesting in helping out:

One of the most difficult challenges facing the Nigerien education system is a lack of basic educational materials, such as textbooks and general school supplies. Because textbooks are not available to teachers or students, teachers must use valuable class time to copy lessons onto the blackboard for the students, resulting in long periods of downtime between lessons. This leads to a lack of discipline in the classroom and students frequently lose focus. The goal of this project is to provide the Complexe d’Enseingement Secondaire (CES) in my village, a combined middle and high school, with English textbooks and to establish sustainable methods for the care and usage of these books, thereby improving English language education for both current and future students.

This project was born out of an expressed need by the English department at the CES in my village. Upon beginning my work with the CES, it was brought to my attention repeatedly that one of the greatest problems facing the school, and the English department in particular, is a lack of proper education materials.

By providing the CES with English textbooks, teachers will be better equipped to teach the material and scores on the BEPC, a test that contains extensive English portions and must be passed in order to continue to the next phase of education, will improve. With very few Nigerien students passing this critical exam, access to textbooks will help to increase that number.

Should this project not be implemented, the CES will continue to struggle to properly educate its students, especially in the English language. Scores on examinations and the BEPC will continue to plummet resulting in fewer students continuing their education. Class time will continue to be wasted because in order to teach a class as a whole, a teacher must take the time to copy lessons onto the blackboard. Without these textbooks, students will continue to face the difficult task of trying to learn a second language without the proper materials.

Here are the steps to take to donate to my project:

1. Go to the Peace Corps website: http://www.peacecorps.gov/
2. Click on the Donate Now link on the left
3. Type my last name or the project number, 683 172, into the search box
4. Scroll down a little and you will see my project, which they have titled: English Textbooks
5. Enter in the amount you would like to donate, click donate, and then follow the directions for entering your information.

It’s as easy as that!

Rainy Season and Harvest Updates: After reporting such doom and gloom in my last blog entry, I thought I would give a brief update as to how the rainy season progressed. During the month of August, the rains picked up a bit and in my area the rains were enough to make a decent crop yield. The same cannot be said for most of Niger and unfortunately crop yields in general have been very low this year. While things in my area were not too bad, Niger as a whole faces a difficult year food shortages and hunger.

After the bulk of rainy season passed, we harvested the grains, peanuts, and veggies that were planted in my yard. I made peanut butter from the peanuts I grew and Mabel will enjoy nightly treats of the grains grown in my yard.

This is what my yard looked like before harvest…full of delicious foods.

These are all of the crops harvested from my yard: millet (long stalks), sorghum (redish grains), and peanuts (some are still on the plants and others have been picked). Everything is laid out to dry in the sun.

The bucket on the left is full of all the millet grown in my yard. The bowl in the middle is the sorghum. And the Nescafé can and jar are full of the peanut butter I made with my peanuts.

This is gourgi, a vegetable similar to a cucumber. I had a total of six plants and I could pick this many at least every other day. They were extremely fruitful.

Farming in my yard during the rainy season and reaping the benefits of my efforts in growing these crops has really encouraged me to continue to grow my own food whenever possible. I plan to garden during the cold season and will plant lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, garlic, and green peppers. I’m also having some seeds sent from the states and will try to see if I can get sweet corn and snow peas to grow here. I look forward to working in my garden each day and getting to eat all of the veggies that I cultivate. I hope that despite all of the distractions and the hustle and bustle of American life, I will continue to have the desire and effort it takes to garden once I am home again.

The Fall of an Empire: Ok, perhaps that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but something did fall. I had gone into the capitol to celebrate the swearing-in of our newest group of volunteers in Niger. I was out of my village for about a week in order to take part in all the festivities and to finish up some work on project proposals.

One afternoon while in the capitol, I received a text from my best friend in my village. I had trouble understanding what it was that she was trying to say, but the gist of it was that something had fallen. What that something was, I had no idea, but I wasn’t interested in worrying about it at the time.

I went into my regional capitol before returning to my village and realized that I was going to be out of my village for a little longer than anticipated due to work needs. I called my Baba so that I could let him know that I was going to be gone a little longer and to make sure that everything was all set for him to continue taking care of Mabel. After talking logistics, my Baba tried to explain to me exactly what had fallen at my house, but again, I struggled to understand what he was trying to tell me and I told him to just leave it until I returned home. I later had the Peace Corps Program Assistant in my region call my Baba in order to find out exactly what had happened.

As it turned out, a massive storm had hit while I was away and an entire chunk of my concession wall had fallen. The back of my concession was now wide open and accessible to the public and any wandering sheep, cows, or goats looking for a little something to eat. Once he was given the go-ahead, my Baba sprang into action, swiped the grass mats used to provide Mabel with shade, and created a temporary wall for me. The temporary wall not only provided me with privacy and security, but it served to protect my precious crops from the furry, four-legged, scavengers roaming the roads.

Now that the rains have ceased and the weather is beginning to dry out, I can begin to start the process of having my walls repaired. It will be a bit of a process as a government official from my village is responsible for the upkeep of my property and will have to be willing to pay for the work to be done. Then, I will have to find the best group of men to do the work for the least amount of money. Once the payment and labor are in place, we will have to find the materials to fix the walls – mud bricks and mud. Although having my walls repaired may take a while, when all is said and done, I will have a beautiful concession with plenty of privacy and security.

Meet Oscar…the Worm: It was a day like any other – I woke up to the sound of Mabel screaming at the top of her lungs, did my morning chores, and sat down to have a cup of hot cocoa and read. Suddenly, I notice an intense itching sensation on the side of my right foot, near my pinky toe. I begin to scratch – the kind of scratching that brings instant relief and feels so good – and notice that the bump that has swelled on my foot is a little unusual. It’s not the typical lump created by mosquito bites and the lump itself is sort of, well, lumpy. It’s a lumpy lump, if you will. Anyways, after some good scratching, the itching ceased, and I continued about my business.

A week or so went by and nothing much had changed. My lumpy lump was still there and continued to itch. Finally, I started to wonder if perhaps this lumpy lump wasn’t exactly normal. It was a resilient little lump and it didn’t seem to fade away like a standard insect bite. Despite my concern, I decided it must not be all that serious as it hadn’t grown and it wasn’t causing me any pain.

One night while at my “family’s” house for dinner, my lumpy lump started to itch like crazy and my itching antics attracted the attention of everyone in the family. I showed them my foot and my friend essentially cried out, “Holy cow, that’s a worm!” What followed was a great deal of horror stories about others who had had the worm and the process Nigerien doctors went through to kill them – namely, trying to track down the worm’s head and sticking a pin in it. As I’m sure most of you can imagine, I was starting to freak out a bit. I thought that the thing that had taken up residence in my foot was an actual worm and that I was going to have to have it removed. As it turned out, it wasn’t a real worm at all, it was simply a parasite called Cutaneous Larva Migrans.

Once I had a better idea of what was in my foot, I contacted the doctor and he said I would need to take some pills and use a cream in order to resolve the issue. He arranged to have one of my Peace Corps neighbors deliver the medications to me, but when they arrived, all I received was the cream. There had been a misunderstanding and I was going to have a wait another few days until the pills could be brought to me. Needless to say, I had to live with this little creature for a while and thus decided that it deserved a name. I named him Oscar and whenever I was asked about how my foot or the worm were doing, I would simply reply that Oscar was doing well.

So, I began using the cream immediately – I was to put it on the affected area twice a day. After about three applications of the cream, I began to notice that my lumpy lump had shifted its location. The little rascal was running from the cream! I started to put the cream on Oscar’s new location and within a few applications, he had shifted his location again.

By this point, I had had enough. I was fit to be tied and about ready to strangle Oscar when the pills finally arrived. I started taking the pills and try as he might to run from the cream, Oscar’s strength was zapped by the pills and he was no longer able to fight his impending death. After five days of pills and cream, Oscar finally succumbed to his ailments and could no longer call my foot his home. I think it’s pretty clear after 16 months in Niger that if there is something to be caught or contracted here, I am going to catch or contract it. So, stay tuned for the next adventure in the world of my health.

As a brief aside, I thought I would mention that the pills I was taking to rid my body of a parasite had the words “Jesus Lives” stamped very neatly into each pill. I’m not at all sure exactly where these pills were purchased, but that’s not exactly the thing one wishes to see written on their anti-parasitic medications. I was sufficiently creeped out!

Hitchhiking: One of my favorite ways to travel around my region and into the capitol is by hitchhiking. And, believe it or not, it is easily one of the safest ways to travel in Niger – the massive Greyhound-like buses tip over, bush taxis are so packed full of people, animals, and baggage that if an accident were to happen, no one would live to tell about it, and riding motorcycles is strictly prohibited (not too mention they’re the most dangerous form of Nigerien transportation). So, if I have somewhere to go, I grab my bag and head out to the road in front of my Baba’s house (the radio station next door to my house) and wait for private cars to pass in the direction I’d like to go.

This method of catching a ride isn’t available to most people. I have two things going for me that make it much easier to get picked up: I’m an American and I’m a woman. It’s probably the one and only time that being a woman in Niger is an advantage, so I have no guilt in playing the female card for this purpose.

Throughout the past year, I have caught many free rides and have met many different people. It’s actually a really cool way to meet new people – people I would never have met otherwise – and it sparks some very interesting conversations. I met a couple of young men around my age who are teachers and had an amazing conversation with them about the differences between Niger and America during the 30 minutes it took to get to my regional capitol. I met a couple men who were traveling into the capitol of Niger from Diffa, the easternmost region in Niger, and talked to them about my work, about the Peace Corps, and about learning two languages while here. I met a friend of my Baba’s who is a driver for a local NGO who brought me from my house straight to the door of the Peace Corps hostel in the capitol (this never happens). One of the last rides I caught from my regional capitol to my village was a brand new Jeep that still had new car smell! The guys must have thought I was sick, or crazy, because I just kept inhaling over and over trying to soak up that new car smell. New car smell beats the heck out of dirty, run-down, full of sweaty, stinky people and animals smell!

While most of my rides are safe, uneventful, and pleasant, there are some times when I “get what I paid for.” Since I’m not paying for the ride monetarily, there are times when I pay for it in uncomfortable or annoying conversation. I’d say at least 50% of the time, I end up having to have the “are you married?” and “you should marry a Nigerien!” conversations. But, while these conversations annoy me to no end, as I have gotten more adept at speaking Zarma, I have now learned to enjoy making up stories and lying when asked about my marital status. Some days, I have a fiancé in the U.S. Other days, I have a boyfriend in another region of Niger. And, if I happen to be really quick on my feet, I have a husband that lives with me in my village. Depending on which story I give, I am typically still asked for my phone number, so my latest strategy is to put my phone on silent, lie through my teeth, and tell them I simply don’t have a cell phone because they’re too expensive. The longer I’m here, the craftier I get, and I’ve finally learned how to play the game. (This is where I wish I could insert an evil laugh!)

L’Année Scolaire: It is finally that time of year again when students return to school and resume their studies. The schools year was expected to start on October 5th, but as per usual in Niger, things didn’t happen exactly as planned. The Nigerien government decided to completely alter the scheduling for secondary schools.

In previous years, secondary schools had classes Monday through Friday from the hours of 8:30am to 12:30pm and then again from 3:30pm to 6:30pm. This schedule made it easier for young girls to attend school and accomplish all of their daily chores at home. It was also beneficial to teachers whose families did not live in the village they taught in. It allowed them to return home on the weekends to spend time with their families.

This year, classes are to be held Monday through Saturday from 7:30am until 1:30pm. The government’s thinking in making this change was that it would allow students more time to study their lessons at home as well as completing their daily chores. While this change is better for the students, it puts greater strain on the teachers. Teachers who teach outside of their home village can only return home for a portion of each weekend. Because the classroom hours have been severely cut from previous years, teachers are struggling to figure out how to fit all the necessary curriculum into fewer class hours.

As with most things in Niger, this change was left until the last minute and schools found themselves at the start of the school year without a clear idea of how this change was supposed to be implemented. That being said, the start of the school year was postponed a week and even though classes are now in session, it will take more time for students, teachers, and staff alike to adjust to the change and get into the swing of things.

Despite all of the chaos at the start of the year, the CES (middle/high school) in my village has an excellent staff and will once again be an amazing group of people for me to work with. Three of my counterparts from last year are teaching English at the CES again and we have a couple new English teachers as well. We have already started collaborating for this school year and I am excited for all the great work we are going to do together in the coming months.
I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to work with such amazing people – people who are motivated and care about the work they are doing. The same cannot be said for other schools in other villages. Every time I go to the CES and chat with my counterparts I walk away thinking, “How did I get so lucky?” I don’t know if I have ever mentioned this before, but I definitely believe I was given the best post in Niger!

Bella Has a Baby Brother!: I would like to introduce all of you to the newest member of my animal kingdom here in Niger. This is Lincoln:

Lincoln was born at approximately 1:30pm on Wednesday, October 21, 2009. He joins his sister, Bella, along with Jacco and John Henry in the menagerie I have created in my village. Lincoln is a strapping young lad with striking coloring and was up on his feet within no time.

Double Double, Toil and Trouble

Today is August 8, 2009, and in just two days time, I will have been in Niger for 13 months. This marks the half way point in my service and officially starts the countdown to my return to the U.S. This milestone, like everything else I have experienced or encountered during my time in Niger, has sparked a great deal of reflection and thought.

I look at the time I have left in my service and instantly feel relieved that I am on the home stretch, but also stressed as it seems there isn’t nearly enough time to accomplish all the things I hope to in the remaining year of my service. Needless to say, this next year is certain to fly by and I hope to use this time in such a way as to finish my service in Niger with no regrets.

It has been about three months since I last updated my blog and a lot has happened during that time: I took my first vacation in nearly a year and visited my family and friends in the U.S. for a month, Niger entered into a time of civil and political unrest, the much anticipated rainy season got off to an excruciatingly slow start, I struggled to readjust back to life in Niger following an amazing vacation, a new group of volunteers arrived in Niger to begin their training, and hunger season has created an atmosphere of tension and uncertainty.

Times are hard, not just in Niger with the lack of rains and a countrywide food crisis, but in the world as a whole. As a Peace Corps volunteer, the challenges facing Niger have become my challenges and have created brand new obstacles for me to face in the attempt to accomplish my goals for my service in Niger.

Troubled Times Lie Ahead:

Hunger Season – Hunger season has been upon Niger for about five months. It is a time when Nigeriens face famine due to grain stores having been used throughout the previous year and the obligation to wait for rainy season to bring the water necessary to grow the crops that the majority of Nigeriens live on throughout the year. It is a time of desperation and daily hardship. It is a time in which many Peace Corps volunteers lose their beloved pets due to villagers struggling to feed their hungry children and seeing a source of nourishment in the volunteers’ cats and dogs. It is a time of illness as the rains bring disease-harboring insects and the lack of proper nutrition doesn’t allow for the production of much needed antibodies to fight infection.

Rainy Season – Unfortunately, the effects of hunger season are exacerbated by the fact that this year’s rainy season has been poor to say the least. Typically, the rains begin in mid-June, but are very sporadic. By July, the rains are starting to come more regularly, but still only fall about once or twice a week. In August, the rainy season has usually hit its full swing and the rains are falling at least every third day if not more. This lasts through the beginning of September and then the rains begin to taper off as October opens.

So far this year, the rains have fallen only a handful of times throughout the month of July and when the rains have come, they have been brief – barely enough to soak the ground. We are now over a week into August, a time when rains should be falling every-other-day and we have only seen the rains fall twice in my area. The rains have been so poor that farmers have had to plant and re-plant their seeds upwards of three to four times already this season.

World Food Crisis – A poor rainy season has dire consequences for a country like Niger, a country with little money and the majority of its population surviving on subsistence farming. Without a good crop yield, many Nigeriens will face famine throughout the coming year, especially those living in the bush. Incidence of malnutrition and illness will skyrocket and before long fear and desperation will drive people to extraordinary measures to feed their families.

Niger is not the only country facing such challenging circumstances. The world as a whole is facing a global food crisis and many third-world countries are facing famine. Droughts, desertification, global warming, and a slue of other environmental elements are effecting the world’s food production.

As populations grow exponentially in third-world countries and their national debts continue to spiral further and further out of control, these countries are forced to look toward their agricultural goods as a resource for raising foreign exchange capital. The global economy is such that the wealthiest nations are the ones able to afford the purchase of agricultural goods from third-world countries. With wealth comes power, thus the buyers from the wealthy nations have the power to set the prices of the goods they wish to import. The price of most exports from third-world countries fluctuate frequently and often leave the sellers with little to no profit. The money that is received for their exports is often regulated by corrupt governments and does not get distributed to the people. Consequently, the people of third-world countries are left with no grains to feed themselves and they never reap the benefits of the price their crops earn on the global market.

Despite the global market for export crops instability, many third-world governments continue to put a great deal of money toward export crop systems. More and more land is given to large-scale crop production, therefore taking away valuable croplands from the average citizen. Without access to land to grow their crops, people are unable to grow enough food to last throughout the year. This vicious cycle leads to drastic decreases in domestic food production and an increase in local market prices for grains.

Malnutrition – Niger is a sub-Saharan country with harsh climates and many environmental issues facing its landscape. There are few crops that thrive in such conditions and Nigeriens are at the mercy of the seasons in order to grow their major crops and their off-season vegetables. It is these factors that contribute to a diet that makes it difficult to reach the proper level of nutrition and caloric intake in a given day.

The human immune system is reliant on a constant and steady source of nutrients in order to serve its purpose and to reach 100% of its functioning. In a country that already struggles to find proper nutrition in its food sources, Niger faces an even greater lack of nutrients with the food crisis. As malnutrition increases, the immune systems of many Nigeriens will begin to break down and will no longer perform the vital task of fighting illness and infection. Many Nigeriens will succumb to illness and because their immune systems are not getting the proper nutrients to produce disease-fighting cells, they may not be able to fight off even the most common and basic of ailments.

Illnesses and Maladies – The rainy season, whether the rains are falling frequently or not, is a bug’s favorite time of year. While I would normally take this opportunity to report on my many encounters with six and eight-legged, winged creatures, the appearance of an abundance of insects brings with it a far more troublesome effect than simply annoying me. The rains and the humid atmosphere create a perfect breeding ground for disease-harboring insects.

Rainy season can be just as aptly called Malaria season. Plentiful bodies of standing water allow for the rapid procreation of Malaria-carrying mosquitoes and because most Nigeriens lack the proper protection against mosquitoes – Malaria prophylaxis, mosquito repellent, and mosquito nets – they are that much more susceptible to contracting Malaria. Along with Malaria, this is a season of Typhoid fever, Pink-Eye, and many other ailments.

To date, I have already made two trips to the hospital with my Nigerien family as both my “little brother” and my “father” were afflicted with Typhoid fever and Malaria, respectively. Both illnesses required a three-day stint in the hospital, constant IV fluids, and serum injections twice a day. On top of this being very frightening for the family as existing medical treatments in Niger, while better than nothing, remain very primitive and one never knows if the illness will claim the life of their loved one, hospital stays and the purchase of medications are very expensive. Luckily for my Nigerien family, they are financially stable enough to afford the medical care they require, but if the family continues to get sick, as they undoubtedly will during the next two to three months, the funds will run dry and they will be forced to seek other less effective means of treatment. For most Nigeriens, especially those living in the bush, hospital stays and the purchase of medications are not financially feasible and people are forced to rely solely on traditional medicines to cure their ailment.

For my part, I have tried my best to make sure that my Nigerien family has adequate mosquito nets to sleep in and when they do become ill, I try to contribute to the purchase of important medications and make sure that they receive the care that they need. I only wish I could do the same for all of the families in my village, but unfortunately such a thing is completely unrealistic.

Staying Positive – Despite the myriad struggles facing Niger, Nigeriens remain a very resilient and positive people. They continue to find reasons to smile each and every day and they will never cease to answer greetings with a positive reply. No matter what their current circumstances may be, no matter what hardships they may be facing, the Nigerien people continue to live their lives to the fullest and never seem to wallow in their own self-pity. They are grateful for each day they are given and for everything that they do have.

I have found this to be one of the most inspiring elements of life in Niger. It reminds me that although times may be tough and I may be experiencing daily stresses, poor health, or any of a number of struggles, I am lucky to be where I am and to be having such a unique experience. It’s a great reminder to be thankful for what you have and to live each day as if it may be your last. So, I encourage everyone to live a little more like the Nigeriens – stay positive, be thankful, and remember that tomorrow is a new day.

Calling All Storks – Mabel’s Expecting!: Ok, so maybe I can’t say this with 100% certainty, but with each passing week, it becomes more and more apparent that Mabel’s belly is growing. Let’s put aside the fact that she’s one seriously well-fed donkey for the time being.

A couple of weeks ago, my Baba mentioned to me that he was able to see Mabel’s teats. I believe the conversation went a little something this: “Hey Samira, ay go ga di ni farkay fuffey! Ay man di a fuffey kala sohon.” Translation: “Hey Andrea, I can see your donkey’s boobs! I didn’t see her boobs until just now.” So, it appears as though Mabel’s teats are starting to swell a bit, which leads us to believe she’s brewing a not-so-tiny bundle of donkey joy in that ever-growing belly of hers.

The same day, my Baba and I were taking care of Mabel when my neighbor walked over to the wall to chat with us. She remarked that she thought Mabel was growing and that she had gotten bigger around the middle. So, in Niger, a country in which all it takes to prove your identity is two people who will vouch for you, it would seem that Mabel is indeed pregnant as two people have commented on her current girth.

If Mabel is pregnant, her gestation should be approximately one year and if she’s pregnant enough to have slightly swollen teats, this means she was probably pregnant at the time I purchased her. And, if that’s the case, there may be an addition to the funny little farm I’ve created here in Niger around the end of 2009. So, everyone send Mabel and me your best baby donkey ju-ju so that I can spend the last few months of my service playing with a fluffy little donkey baby!

Interconnectivity: As most of you know, I have never been a religious person, nor have I ever been all that spiritual. However, I recently had one of those moments that revealed just how interconnected humans and nature are and how some greater power, whether it be a god, multiple gods, or some force of nature, maintains a certain balance in this world.

It started when my best friend in my village's husband got ill. He answered the first evening call to prayer in seemingly good health, but returned home afterward and within minutes was violently ill. We quickly arranged to take him to the village hospital and once he was settled in and given his first rounds of fluids and medications, I returned home for the night.

The next morning, upon arriving at the hospital to see my "father," I was told that early that same morning one of the family's prized ram was dead of unknown causes. My best friend then recounted the story of the previous year when she had gotten seriously ill and had to be hospitalized in the capitol. At the time she owned a cow, which are worth a great deal in Niger, and during her illness the cow inexplicably died.

After hearing this story and looking at the current state of my "father's" health, I began to reflect on the significance of the deaths of the family's animals. To some it may seem far fetched, but I truly believe that the animals were taken in order to leave room on this planet for my friend and her husband. Whatever the case may be, I am grateful that my friends are now in good health and that I have another day with them.

Shout Outs: I just realized that I haven’t been giving any shout-outs lately and that is simply unacceptable. So, I'm going to have to give this shout-out to one of my favorite ladies, Shalon. Not only has Shalon been one of the people who regularly calls me and gives me the support I need to continue living and working in Niger, but she has also coordinated with all of our friends at the gym to put together care packages for me. She has been an amazing friend and support system for me and for that I am truly grateful.

Shalon, you ROCK! <3

April 2009 - Stories and Reflections

A Battle of Epic Proportions – One Woman and an Army of Ants: It was the end of another blistering hot day and I was finally getting home after an evening with my Nigerien family. I had no more than stuck the key into the lock on my front door when the phone rang. I got the door opened and answered my cell phone. It was my parents making their weekly phone call. I quickly dumped my things and was getting ready to go back outside to chat with my parents (it echoes really badly inside my square, cement house) when I spotted a big ol’ cockroach on my screen door. I quickly told my mama that I needed to kill the creature quickly and asked her to bear with me for a second. This nasty, prehistoric looking insect was not going down easy and I proceeded to jump about the house chasing the cockroach with a flip-flop as it ran all willy-nilly around my feet. Needless to say, there was some screaming, a lot of missed attempts at smashing the cockroach, and a lot of ridiculous giggling as I hopped about the house. But, after a few misses, I was finally able to squish the roach and properly dispose of it in the yard. With the cockroach problem solved for the night, I went out on my raised patio and chatted with my parents. I put the bug incident out of my mind, but I should have known that there was more to come – the cockroach at my door was surely a sign…

I finished chatting with my parents and by that time it was about 10pm and I was ready to bathe and go to sleep. I went through my usual nightly routine of getting everything ready so that all I had to do after bathing was turn off the lights and climb into my mosquito net. I went into my indoor bucket bath area and inspected and detected, looking for any unsavory creatures that needed squishing. I didn’t see any bugs, but I did notice that there was an odd pile of dirt built up just inside the drain hole from my indoor bucket bath area to the outside of my house. I looked at the pile of dirt for a moment and tried to decide why it was there. Perhaps Mabel was sniffing around the hole earlier that day and she snorted causing dirt to fly in the hole. Or perhaps the frogs that tend to take up residence in my bath area during the heat of the day were back and they brought the dirt in with them. Or maybe it was some sort of insect. I decided to go outside and see what I could see from that angle.

I walk outside and around the side of my house and see a sea of giant ants. These aren’t your average, everyday breed of ants that are almost microscopic in size. These are ants on steroids! They’re about an inch in length and there are at least three different types of ants within the colony: there are slightly smaller ones that are very light in color and tend to blend in with the sand; there are medium sized ones with huge black heads and clearly visible pincher-like things, red middles, and black rear ends; and then there are the ones that are at least an inch long with wings.

So, now I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place. Either I brave a bath and disturb the ants with the run-off from my bucket bath and risk being covered with ants while stark naked. Or, I take some Rambo, the insecticide used in Niger, and Rambo the heck out of the little beasts, risking them overtaking my bath area in their desperation to escape the Rambo and the confusion of their death throws. I opt for the latter, grab my Rambo, and powder every ant hole I see. When finished, I go back inside to see what’s going to happen and sure enough, hundreds upon hundreds of ants start pouring into my bathroom. And of course, they’re running around all willy-nilly because they’re in the process of dying.

Those of you who know me, know that this just isn’t my idea of a good time. I don’t like bugs and no matter how small they might be or how well I have adjusted to life amongst the insects in Niger, they still give me the heeby-jeebies. So, I want you to picture this, it’s 10pm, most Nigeriens are sleeping, and there I am in my bath area with a flip-flop in one hand and a broom in the other. One woman against literally hundreds of enormous ants. I’m standing in the middle of my bathroom floor, smacking ants as thy get close, brushing them down off of the walls, and making sure that none of them get past me and make their way into the main room of my house. This epic battle lasted for an hour and forty minutes. For an hour and forty minutes I stood in that bathroom smacking ants and cleaning up the carcasses until finally they stopped pouring into my bathroom.

Needless to say, I was victorious and finally was able to take a nice, cool bucket bath in peace with only one stray ant trying to come in my bath area and disturb me. I finished bathing and got ready to hit the sack as it was half past midnight and I knew Mabel was not going to care how late I was up and would start braying like clockwork at 6:30am.

Before heading outside to climb in bed, I gave my house a quick once over with my flashlight to make sure the ants hadn’t infiltrated the rest of the house. I shone the light into the room that I keep my clothes and bathroom supplies in and to my utter disappointment, I see that the battle is not over. This time it’s not ants that are challenging me to a dual, it’s a centipede. Centipedes are nasty looking creatures, they’re fast, and their sting is immensely painful. So, of course, I’m freaked out and angry at the world for putting so many unpleasant beings in my home.

I grab my trusty bug-killing flip-flop and prepare for the second battle of the night. This little creepy-crawler puts up quite a fight and zips left and right along the base of the wall. I see an opening for a good whack and I nail him, but it was as if he didn’t feel a thing. He continues to dart left and right. Suddenly he sticks is head in a groove and luckily for me, he’s just like an ostrich. He thinks he’s safe, but to his surprise, I give him another solid whack. This time I know he felt it, but he’s still zipping around as if unfazed. By this point, I am pissed. I’ve given the little intruder two good whacks, but to no avail. I’m ready to end this fight once and for all, so I gather my courage and I give him one heck of a smack. This time I know he’s not going to bounce right back, but the job still isn’t complete. I quickly give him one more really strong smack and finally he’s still. I watch him for a moment, brush him across the floor, but it is finally done. I conquered the beast! But seriously, four whacks?!?! Are you kidding me? Who on Earth decided that I was fit to volunteer in Niger, West Africa where the bugs have mutated into intelligent, fighting machines?

I may have won this battle, but the war is surely not over. The ants will rise again, but I can guarantee you (and them) that they will fall again!

Hot Season Observations:

1. Ducks don’t like the heat – my friends, the two women I eat lunch with each day, have two ducks in their concession, a male and a female. With the temperature topping out at nearly 120°F or more daily and the sun beating down on Niger through a cloudless sky, the desert sand is so hot that it will literally burn your skin. One afternoon on a scorching hot day, I went over to my friends’ house for lunch and sat down to chat with the ladies. During a lull in the conversation, I began to watch the ducks as they walked from their tiny pool of water across the hot sand to the muddy patch of earth just outside my friends’ bathing area. The ducks journey consisted of about 20 yards across the sweltering sand and as I watched them embark on their daring excursion, braving the hot sand just to nibble on some fresh green algae near the bathing area, I was overcome by laughter. A duck’s webbed feet are not immune to extreme temperatures and these two ducks certainly felt the blistering heat beneath their feet. These are large ducks, bigger than any you will find on the lagoons in Alameda, and thus they have very large feet. What this amounts to is a great deal of surface area that must touch the red-hot sand. In order to safely reach their destination, the ducks began to do a “hot sand dance” and hopped, to the best of a duck’s ability, toward the smorgasbord of algae awaiting them. They looked like a couple of scuba divers, with flippers on their feet, trying to run across the beach. Their little duck butts wagged to and fro, ever more pronounced than usual. (If you’ve ever seen the stage performance of Mamma Mia, I’m sure you can picture the scuba divers running around with flippers on their feet.) Perhaps I am simply starved for entertainment, but I was nearly rolling with laughter at the sight of these silly ducks with their waggling behinds. My laughter in turn caused my friends to laugh as they often think I am slightly bizarre simply because our cultures are so different.

Maybe you had to be there in order to fully understand the comedy of the moment, but when you’re sitting in 120°F heat, sweating so profusely that you’re salting your food as the sweat drips from every pore in your body, you take whatever laughter you can get.

2. The maximum temperature I have seen recorded in my area this hot season is 130.5°F. That’s ridiculously hot by the way!

3. Sweating is a constant during hot season. I wake up in the morning and the simple act of rolling over to tell Mabel, “Just five more minutes,” (she starts hollering at about 6:30am) creates beads of sweat on my forehead. During the day, I keep a bandana with me at all times so that I can wipe the sweat away from time to time because I’m dripping on or in everything I touch. I come home at the end of a very hot and sweaty day to bathe and hit the sack, and I’m still sweating! I bathe with some cool water from my guula (a ceramic water container) and as soon as I stop dumping cool water over my body, I start to sweat. I get ready for bed, all the while dripping with sweat, and climb into my mosquito net. After about a half an hour of lying completely still and staring up at the stars or reading a book, the beads of sweat finally disappear. And then, a blissful night of limited sweating. However, some nights I sweat throughout the night as well. The moral here is this: during hot season, I sweat virtually 24 hours a day.

“Festival d’Anglais” – Lessons Learned: On May 1, 2009, I finished my first major project in Niger. I ran a month-long “English Festival” with the students at the college/lycée (C.E.S.) in my village, which is the equivalent of an American middle/high school. I did after-school tutoring with four different grade levels in English for one week each. The goal was to help prepare the students in Troisieme (freshmen equivalent) and Terminale (senior equivalent) for their examinations at the end of the year and to help supplement what the other two grade levels had been learning in class.

The project was by no means 100% successful and did not run as smoothly as I would have hoped, but it was an excellent learning experience and helped me to see how best to run a similar project the following school year. Despite many set-backs, there were equally as many things that made every bit of my preparation for and commitment to the project worth every minute:

During the first week of the project, I was able to get to know an amazing group of 11 Troisieme students. They were incredibly motivated students, worked extremely hard, and I could tell they yearned for the extra help with their English. They enjoyed the tutoring sessions so much that they asked the following week if they could have more classes with me. There excitement about the project was infectious and with this particular group, I know that I actually reached them and that the work I had done with them was worthwhile.

Through preparing for and running the “English Festival,” I was able to develop excellent relationships with my counterparts and other staff at the C.E.S. in Birni. My main counterparts are four English teachers, two men and two women. They are the most amazing teachers and have so much passion for what they do. Teachers, let alone good teachers, are hard to come by in Niger and I truly believe that my village is one of the luckiest villages as it has some incredible teachers for all subjects. My counterparts speak very good English and they are so grateful for any help I give them or their students. I feel that I have 100% of their support in anything that I do and they are willing to guide me every step of the way. Words don’t seem to do them justice, they are just the most amazing people and every single day that I leave the C.E.S., I reflect on just how lucky I am to be able to work with them.

There are many things about this project that I wish had gone better, but the lessons I learned from this first attempt are invaluable and will make me all the more successful in the year to come. I look forward to the next school year and all the doors that have opened to me as a result of this project.

Internalizing the Thinking of Others: I have now been living in Niger for 10 months and I can comfortably say that I have integrated into Nigerien culture – I speak both a local language and the national language, I follow Nigerien customs and cultural norms, and I have become a valued member of my community. With this level of integration comes a great deal less daily stress, I no longer fight intense bouts of homesickness, and I now feel as though I can turn to villagers when I need emotional support or guidance. It is because of this level of integration into Nigerien culture that I have become truly happy and content in Niger.

However, with this level of integration comes new struggles and a new consciousness. Niger is a Muslim country and there are very strict gender roles. Men are the bread-winners, they are the heads of the household, and they are treated with the utmost of respect. Women are stay-at-home mothers, they are the ones who run the household, and they are not meant to be seen or heard.

While many Nigerien women have begun to challenge this oppressive system, many people still cling to these rigid gender roles. No matter how successful a woman may be in her education or career, she is still treated as a second-class citizen and men remain the most highly praised and respected.

After finally finding my place within Nigerien culture and within my village, I find that I am now significantly more conscious of this gender divide. I have become aware of the fact that I have begun to internalize this thinking that women are less than men. In social situations with men, I often find myself sort of cowering away from them and I allow them to treat me as though I am not the educated, successful, intelligent, and capable woman that I am. I allow men to completely disregard me while standing in a queue and move ahead of me. I allow men to climb onto a bus or bush taxi ahead of me even though I have been standing there, waiting patiently for my turn to board. I allow men to ask personal questions and probe into my personal life without reprimanding them. Worst of all, I allow men to treat me as though I am not as worthy of their respect as any other man.

This is something I would never allow to happen in the U.S. I am certainly not the most independent or strong woman, but I am confident in who I am and I believe that I deserve to be treated with respect. I try not to allow anyone to walk all over me and I will not be made to do anything I don’t want to do. I am proud of my accomplishments and I am proud of the woman I have become. That being said, I would never allow anyone, especially a man, to treat me with disrespect and to make what I have accomplished in my lifetime insignificant.

As I have become conscious of this internalization of a sexist system in Niger, I find that I view myself much differently than I used to when living in the U.S. My self-esteem and my pride in my accomplishments is no longer what it used to be. Sometimes I question whether I ever was the person I used to see myself as. I have started to simply accept the way I am treated by Nigerien men, thinking that I must deserve it. I know this thinking is not only unhealthy, but unrealistic as well, but when you live within a system that pounds this kind of thinking into you every moment of every day, you begin to believe it.

Part of the reason that I can’t combat this thinking as successfully in Niger as I would be able to in the U.S. is the language barrier. I simply do not have the vocabulary to shame a man who treats me poorly or acts inappropriately towards me. In the states, I would call a man out for mistreating me and I would make him feel like the scum of the Earth. I would stand up for myself and use my words to make sure there is no question about how I feel about the situation. Unfortunately, I just don’t have the language skills and the ability to think as quickly on my feet in a second or third language to make my feelings known.

Being conscious of this internalization is both detrimental and beneficial to me. Unfortunately, I am conscious of the way I am feeling and it can sometimes get me down. But, knowing what is causing me to feel the way I do gives me the opportunity to consciously try and change my thinking and to try to keep this system from stripping me of my pride and self-confidence.

Only in Niger…:

Only in Niger would you be in the middle of teaching an English lesson when the class is disrupted by a young goat walking into the classroom and making a great deal of racket.

Only in Niger would a child be squatting on the side of the road relieving himself in one form or the other and trying desperately to get you to say hello in response to his incessant “fofos.” (Maybe I’m just crazy, but I’m not all that interested in greeting a child who is squatting on the side of the road.)

Only in Niger would you be willing to plunge your hand into a communal bowl of food with four children who don’t use soap when washing their hands.

Only in Niger would you continue eating from a bowl that a baby chick just walk through and pecked around a bit.

Only in Niger would you sleep outside, under the stars, just 15ft. away from a pooping, braying, donkey.

Only in Niger would you be trying to give an English lesson with nearly 20 guinea fowl outside the window squawking obnoxiously.

Only in Niger would you be cooking at home with friends, using a can of Off! bug spray to roll out your home-made tortillas.

Only in Niger would your feet get so dirty that you can no longer distinguish between tan lines and dirt lines.

Only in Niger would you come home to hundreds of giant ants in your bathroom and then proceed to spend an hour and forty minutes trying to kill them so that you can take a bucket bath.

Only in Niger would you arrive at your house at about 9:30pm to find a scorpion waiting to greet you as you open the door.

Only in Niger are you able to buy a complete meal made from naturally grown and harvested goods for $1.50.

Only in Niger would you witness a chugging contest for a two-year-old little boy. No, he wasn’t chugging alcohol, this is a Muslim country and alcohol is frowned upon for people of all ages. But, he was chugging a cup of coco (a millet drink) to a chorus of children and adults alike chanting, “Wey, wey! Wey, wey!” And upon successfully drinking all of the cup’s contents, he threw his arms in the air and yelled, “Gagner!” (which means to win in French). It was absolutely precious!

Just Because It’s Funny…: I just don’t think it’s fair that none of you get to see just how ridiculous my hair is on a daily basis. So, once again, here’s a little taste of how things are going on the hair-growth front:

My first set of cornrows in Niger!

Lookin' vraiment Nigerien!

And then, I took the braids out...

I was going for a sort of Don King/Side-Show Bob look.

How'd I do?

The morning after braid removal.

I look like a troll doll...

...and to think this took no preparation at all.

The portrait of beauty!

Despite how crazy my hair may be, it is finally growing out and I can honestly say that I am finally starting to feel feminine again. I know that my femininity and my identity as a woman should not be wrapped up in my hair, but for me it is – in my world, long hair is the epitome of femininity. And slowly but surely, my hair, and thus my femininity, is returning!

What was I thinking?!?!

Self-degradation – For Your Viewing Pleasure: Since one of my last blog entries was quite heavy and very unpleasant for many of you, I’ve decided to start this entry off on a lighter note.

Let me begin by saying that I wish I had never cut all of my hair off! Not only do I feel like my femininity was lost the day I cut off two ten-inch ponytails and more from my head, but it has been a source of great embarrassment for me in Niger because Nigerien women do not have short hair.

I cut my hair for two primary reasons: 1) I have always wanted to see what short hair would be like and I thought the timing was right since I would go through any awkward stages away from the people I generally want to look good for, and 2) I knew it was going to be hot in Niger and running water is scarce, so having all the hair I had before cutting it would have made things tough.

Needless to say, I am in the process of growing out my hair and I must admit that I am so glad I’m going through these ridiculous stages here in Niger rather than at home. So, for your viewing pleasure, comic relief, and my personal humiliation, here are the documented phases of hair growth in the seven months since I went all Britney Spears on myself one Sunday morning and completely buzzed my head:

Here's me on my birthday, two days after buzzing my head, looking like the poster child for fari masa. The quote in the picture reads as follows, "Life is like a fari masa. Sometimes it's delicious, and sometimes it makes you feel like shit."

Having fun with friends about three months after buzzing my head.

Rocking a faux-hawk about five months post buzzing.

First thing in the morning. Why I let anyone document this, I have no idea.

A nice profile shot.

At the end of a day of sweating and getting dirty. This is about seven months after shaving my head.

Again I ask, why do I document these things?!?!

Fresh outta bed...bright eyed and bushy tailed! Or should I say bushy headed?

After going to the pump to try and tame this rat's nest.

Alas, there is no taming that rat's nest. I feel pretty, oh so pretty!

8 Months and All I Have To Show For It Is…: Having been in Niger for eight months now, I have created quite the medical resume for myself. In the past eight months, I have contracted or experienced the following ailments:

1. Amoebas and Bacteria (twice)
2. A cold (too many times to count)
3. Ringworm (twice)
4. Unidentified rash on my neck (twice)
5. A period that lasted 30 days (yeah, you read that right 30 days)
6. Strep Throat
7. Food poisoning (really fun when your latrine is 30 yards from your front door)
8. Bacteria (twice)
9. Giardia and Amoebas
10. Yeast Infection
11. Heat Rash

***Numbers 2 – 6 were all contracted at the same time. October was a fun month!***

Ok, so maybe I have a lot more to show for my time here than this list of illnesses, but when I think about all of the ailments I have dealt with and come out stronger on the other side, I just want to pat myself on the back. I’m not the only volunteer in Niger who has been put through the ringer when it comes to getting sick, in fact my statistics are pretty much average. There are others who are always sick and I mean always. Yet another reminder that Niger is one of the three hardest posts in the Peace Corps…man, I am AWESOME!

“Sweat Until Your Clothes Come Off” – Hot As Sahel: Today is March 17, 2009 (that's the date I actually wrote this entry) and it is freakin’ HOT! As I write this entry, I am sitting in my house in nothing but a pair of soccer shorts and a sports bra, hoping that there aren’t any Nigeriens peaking into my house as this is highly culturally inappropriate. As a matter of fact, if I had it my way, I would be stark naked right now. Let me remind you that I am sitting and typing a blog entry, an activity that requires very little movement or physical exertion, and I am literally dripping sweat. Oh, and to top it all off, my fan petered out on me last night, so I have absolutely no respite from the heat.

THIS HEAT IS KILLING ME!

It’s about 5:20PM and the heat of the day has passed, but the thermometer in my house, which may or may not be all that reliable, reads 37°C or 100°F. I think it’s safe to assume that it was around 105°F at high noon today. Now, I know this doesn’t seem that hot to many of you, but consider two things: 1) I am from the San Francisco Bay Area where temperatures in the summer months tend to stay in the 80s, and 2) This is only the very beginning of hot season in Niger, which means that at the peak of the season, temperatures can reach upwards of 120°F. So, if it’s already this hot, I don’t even want to think about what the rest of this season has in store for me.

I’M MELTING!

I’ve become addicted to countdowns. I’m counting down the days until I can come home for a visit. I’m counting down the days until the World Cup. I’m counting down the days until the end of my service. And now, I am counting down the days until rainy season comes, which is roughly 100 days.

OH WOE IS ME!

Peace Corps Niger CRIBS: It doesn’t make any sense to me, but for some unfathomable reason, MTV wasn’t interested in doing a segment for MTV Cribs on my house here in Niger. I simply don’t understand how a plain, rectangular, cement structure with no indoor plumbing and a latrine in the yard doesn’t entice them.

Since MTV won’t do a segment on my humble abode, I have taken matters into my own hands and will now offer you an insider’s look into a Nigerien mansion.

Behold…

This is the view from just inside my front door.

To the immediate left of my front door. This is the kind of kitchen top chefs dream of!

Still looking to the left of my house toward the back. That's my bed. That's where dreams are made!

Looking to the right of my front door toward the back of my house. That's a guest bed, so go ahead and book your flights because you have a free place to sleep.

This is to the immediate right of my front door. This is the "sitting room." Looks luxurious doesn't it?!?!

A closer look at the "sitting room."

And, last but certainly not least, my bathroom. That's right people, that's all I got. Makes for a great bucket bath though!