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!

The Newest Member of My Family

And Now, Please Welcome Miss Mabel…: On March 14, 2009, I purchased a strong, healthy, female donkey for 37,000 FCFA (approximately 70 USD). She was brought to my village by a Fulani man from a village 16 kilometers away. She had made the long walk home throughout the night and arrived at my door hungry and thirsty. I immediately gave her a bundle of Subu (dry wild grasses) and a bucket of water.

Look at this beautiful girl!

She is definitely a Nigerien donkey as she is skittish and uneasy around people because her first years on Earth were spent getting hit with sticks and forced to work. She’s a stubborn lady, sort of moody, and all she does is eat, poop, and holler. But, she’s my girl and I love her for it.

We think she might be pregnant!

Mabel's hangar. She was hanging out with one of my favorite Peace Corps friends.

It has been two and a half weeks since I got Mabel and she is making herself right at home. She now comes when I call her, she nuzzles against my leg as I scratch her head and neck, she is getting more and more comfortable with taking food from my hand (she loves treats), and she follows me around the yard whenever I’m out there doing chores. The next step is to get her accustomed to walking around the village.

My villagers are all so excited that I got a donkey and can’t wait to see me riding around on her. They laugh so hard just thinking about it, so I can only imagine the hysterics that will follow once Mabel and I hit the town.

Taming the Beast…I Mean, Naming the Beast: In Nigerien culture, when a child is born, the family waits seven days to give the child a name. On the seventh day after the child’s birth, the family has a celebration, a prayer is said for the child by a religious leader called an Alfa or Marabout, and the parents reveal the name of the child to the Alfa. The Alfa then speaks the name alound to all those attending the celebration. This tradition and the celebration that follows is called a Cabey (pronounced Cha – bay).

I gave Mabel her name according to Nigerien tradition and waited until seven days after purchasing her to reveal her name. My villagers were quite impatient and constantly asked me what my donkey’s name is and when I responded by telling them to have patience and wait until the cabey, they would laugh hysterically. Half the fun of having a cabey for Mabel was going around the village telling my friends and counterparts that I had purchased a donkey and was going to have a cabey for her. They thought it was the silliest thing they had ever heard, but were excited about it and pleased that I was embracing their traditions, even if it was for a donkey.

Saturday, March 21, 2009, was the day of Mabel’s cabey. We had a small celebration at my friend’s house with fari masa and sauce, music and dancing, and many of my friends from the village came to celebrate with me. The women worked their fingers to the bone preparing the food for the celebration and three of my friends from the Peace Corps came to my village to meet Mabel and help her celebrate this momentous event.

The guest of honor, being the stubborn lady that she is, was a bit disagreeable as I labored to get her to walk with me to my friend’s house for her party. I let her off her lead in my yard with the intention of putting her on a sort of leash to walk over to my friend’s place and as soon as she was set free, she took off and went straight for her favorite spot to roll around in the dirt. She promptly plopped herself down in the dirt, rolled to and fro, and kicked up all kinds of dust. Once she was satisfied with her rolling, she proceeded to lounge around in the dirt, refusing to get up and get moving. And, I should add that we were already late to the party. Finally, she decided to get up, but then refused to let me put the leash around her neck. I literally chased her in circles around my concession. My friends were close to rolling in the dirt as Mabel had done because they were laughing so hysterically. After about ten minutes of chasing the crazy beast around the yard, she decided she’d like to listen to me and stopped so that I could put the leash around her neck. We then started the very slow process of walking to my friend’s house, but she kept a pretty good pace and didn’t fight me too much. Upon arriving at the party, she was introduced to her siblings from another mother, John Henry, Jacco, and Bella. Those three weren’t too thrilled with their over-sized guest at first, but eventually warmed to her and all were content. My friends offered Mabel some delicious subu and a bucket of water and Mabel was distracted enough to quit protesting.

She's a stubborn little lady. And, it doesn't help that she's not too fond of kids.

One of my friends from Peace Corps brought scraps of fabric for Mabel and I braided a special collar for her so that when she is finally allowed to wonder freely throughout the village, my villagers will know that she is Samira’s (my) donkey and that her name is Mabel. She was given her pretty new collar at her cabey.

After eating and drinking until we were close to exploding, we gathered under a shade tree and I quietly revealed Mabel’s name to the Alfa. My friend’s younger brother, one of the kindest most vibrant men I have met in Niger, served as the Alfa for Mabel’s cabey. He said a prayer in Arabic for Mabel and then revealed to my family and friends the name I had chosen for my donkey. After the short ceremony, I was congratulated and everyone seemed happy and content. My Peace Corps friends and I then untied Mabel and headed for home. The walk home was nearly as trying as the walk to my friend’s house as Mabel was a woman on a mission and was practically trotting in order to get herself home. I decided to show my friends the comedy that ensues when I try to ride Mabel and my friend whipped out the camera just in time to catch it all on video. One day, I’ll break that donkey, but for now, I guess she’ll be the one doing all the breaking as she hollers throughout the night, interrupting my R.E.M. cycles.

Hanging out at the party...

This is the Alfa as he was saying a prayer for Mabel.

The guest of homor in her fancy new collar.

Family photos...

I know her name is sort of old fashioned, but there’s an inside joke behind it and it makes my Peace Corps friends and me laugh! Plus, listening to Nigeriens say Mabel’s name is seriously hilarious!

"We Can Shake the World"

It has been nearly nine months since I packed my bags, left the Bay Area, and embarked on the craziest adventure of my life. It has taken a while, but I am finally starting to feel very content here and I feel as though I am really starting to thrive. One of my closest friends from Peace Corps Niger came to visit me in my village and he commented on how much he has seen me grow and change in the last 9 months. He even went as far as to say that I was glowing. It was then that I truly realized how much progress I have made here and that for now, this life suits me. I am excited to have reached this point in my service and I am even more excited that others can see it. I hope to be a positive example for others and perhaps I'll even be able to be an inspiration.

Even though I have reached a very positive point in my service, it can often be hard to find motivation and inspiration. I find myself listening more closely to the lyrics in songs or seeing quotations jump off the page at me as I am reading. Often times, these lyrics or quotes are just what I need to remind me of my purpose in Niger and to reignite the fire in me that made me come to Niger in the first place. I know that sometimes we tend to get lost in the day-to-day routine of the American lifestyle, so I thought I would share some of my inspiration with you in hopes that a flame will be lit anew within you.

This entry is the first of many to come, so be ready for a ton of updates!

Yes, I Do Actually Do Some Work Around Here!: My focus as an education volunteer here in Niger is going to be on teaching/tutoring English. I have chosen this area of focus for a few reasons:

1. After completing my service in Niger, I would like to go back to school to get a Masters in Education and teach high school English and English as a Second Language (ESL). Therefore, my experience in Niger will not only make for an irresistible resume, it will provide me with invaluable field experience, something that can never be learned in a university classroom.

2. English is something that I know and understand very well. I feel confident enough in my skills to help others as they learn the language and the students here can definitely benefit from learning from a native English speaker.

3. Teaching/tutoring English is something that interests me and I feel as though I can put a lot of passion into the design and implementation of English language related projects.

4. And, most importantly, the English teachers at the middle/high school in my village have expressed a desire to work with me.

I am in the process of preparing to do an “English Festival” with four grade levels in my village. This is something that the previous volunteer in my village did and it was a hit among the students. I will put my own spin on the project in hopes of making it my own and in order to keep it fun and interesting for the students who wish to participate. The project will run throughout the month of April and possibly a little into May. I will hold tutoring sessions every evening for one hour for four weeks. Each week I will focus on a different grade level: Troisieme (9th grade), Seconde (10th grade), Premiere (11th grade), and Terminale (12th grade). Troisieme and Terminale students have examinations at the end of the year – Troisieme students must pass an examination in order to move on to Lycee (high school) and Terminale students must pass an exam in order to graduate from Lycee. Both of these examinations have English portions, so I will work with those students on preparing for the test. With Seconde and Premiere students, I will focus on supplementing what they have learned in class and encouraging them to speak the language. Of the students who choose to participate in the festival, I will reward the student from each grade level who receives the highest marks in their English class.

After the English Festival, I will start work on preparing for three other projects. I would like to try and find funding in order to get the English department at my middle/high school books. There were books at one point in time, but they were essentially stolen by a teacher who has been moved to a new school. Therefore, my English teachers and their students have been trying their best to teach/learn without having books. This will be an expensive undertaking and finding someone to fund the project will be challenging, but the bottom line is that my school needs these books.

I will also work on designing a teacher training for English teachers in my sub-region. I will create a training curriculum in which my counterpart and I teach classroom management, curriculum design, positive reinforcement, and gender-sensitive teaching methods. I hope to have this project designed, funded, and implemented before the start of the next school year.

Lastly, I am currently working on designing a correspondence project between English students from my village and French students from my high school French teacher’s classes. This will be a letter writing project in which the students will write to one another once a month or once every two months, whichever time frame proves to be feasible. Each letter will have a topic that corresponds to both what the students are currently learning in class and to a specific cross-cultural goal. In this way, I hope to help the students practice what they have learned in class and to provide them with a greater knowledge of the culture of their counterparts. It is in this way that I also hope to address two of the primary goals of the Peace Corps which both involve cross-cultural education at home and abroad.

I would like to combine the letter writing portion of this project with a mini photo project. I hope to get each Nigerien student involved in the project a disposable camera and invite one of my Peace Corps friends who is a fabulous photographer to come and give a brief lesion in photography – how to use a camera, photo composition, etc. After the students learn how to use a camera, I will have them take their cameras home with them and ask them to document, through photos, a day in their lives. I will have them take photos of their home, family, friends, school, favorite places in the village, etc. After each student has taken their photos, I will have the film developed. The students will then write on the back of each image and describe, in English, what is seen in the picture. Once everyone has finished with their photos, I hope to send them to their counterparts in the U.S. I then hope to have the American students do the same thing, except using French, and have those pictures sent to Niger to be given to their Nigerien counterparts.

Organizing this project is a slow process as I have limited access to internet and phones, so communication takes more time than usual and nothing in Niger seems to happen in a timely fashion, according to American standards of time. But, I have about five months to get ready. This again will require that I procure outside funding and it may be difficult to do so, but this is something I truly believe in and can see a great deal of value in it, so if need be, I will fund it myself to make sure that it happens and these kids get the chance to participate in this project, something they may not otherwise have the chance to do.

High Hopes and Realistic Expectations – The 44th President of the United States of America: I know this entry is a little late as President Obama was sworn into office over two months ago, but with the current state of America’s economy and the difficult times many Americans are facing, I thought it would still be poignant to remind people that while it is necessary to put great faith and pride in our President, it is also necessary that we remember that he is just one man, one man who has inherited a very difficult task and has a mountain of damages caused by bad decision making to reverse. It is important that we hold President Obama to a high standard, but we must keep our expectations realistic and always remember that he is only human. We must trust that he will do his absolute best to turn America around and pull her out of this great hole she is in, but remember that this mess was not created over night and it will not be remedied over night. As Nigeriens would say, “Have patience.”

This was a prayer said for President Obama by The Right Reverend Gene Robinson (made famous as the openly gay Anglican bishop). Unfortunately it was not televised because of an "error in executing the inauguration ceremonies."

“Before this celebration begins, please join me in pausing for a moment to ask God's blessing upon our nation and our next president.

Oh God of our many understandings, we pray that you will bless us with tears, tears for a world in which over a billion people exist on less than a dollar a day, where young women in many lands are beaten and raped for wanting an education, and thousands die a day from malnutrition, malaria and AIDS.

Bless this nation with anger – anger at discrimination at home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants; women, people of color; gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. Bless us with discomfort at the easy simplistic answers we prefer to hear from our politicians instead of the truth about ourselves and our world, which we need to face if we are going to rise to the challenges of the future.

Bless us with patience and the knowledge that none of what ails us will be fixed any time soon and the understanding that our next president is a human being, not a messiah. Bless us with humility, open to understanding that our own needs as a nation must always be balanced with those of the world.

Bless us with freedom from mere tolerance, replacing it with a genuine respect and warm embrace of our differences.

Bless us with compassion and generosity, remembering that every religion's God judges us by the ways we care for the most vulnerable. And God, we give you thanks for your child Barack, as he assumes the office of the President of the United States. Give him wisdom beyond his years, inspire him with President Lincoln's reconciling leadership style, President Kennedy's ability to enlist our best efforts, and Dr. King's dream of a nation for all people.

Give him a quiet heart, for our ship of state needs a steady calm captain. Give him stirring words, we will need to be inspired and motivated to make the personal and common sacrifices necessary to facing the challenges ahead.

Make him color blind reminding him of his own words that under his leadership there will be neither red nor blue states but a United States. Help him remember his own oppression as a minority, drawing on that experience of discrimination that he might seek to change the lives of those who are still its victims.

Give him strength to find family time and privacy and help him remember that even though he is president, a father only gets one shot at his daughters' childhoods. And please God, keep him safe. We know we ask too much of our presidents and we're asking far too much of this one, we implore you oh good and great God to keep him safe. Hold him in the palm of your hand that he might do the work that we have called him to do. That he might find joy in this impossible calling and that, in the end, he might lead us as a nation to a place of integrity, prosperity and peace.

Amen.”

I found this prayer to be absolutely beautiful and a wonderful reminder that it is not just President Obama who has changes to make. We, the American people, have the resources and ability to make a difference in this world, whether it be at home or abroad. With the inauguration of President Obama, the United States has stepped into a new era, we have been granted a fresh start, and we have a responsibility to our nation and the world at large to take advantage of this opportunity and start inciting change.

Motivation and Inspiration: My mama sent me the new John Legend CD in a care package and being starved for new music the way I am, I listened to it right away. The last song on the album is called, If You're Out There, and as I listened to it, I got goose bumps from head to toe. It was one of those songs that really spoke to me and has a lot of bearing on my situation here in Niger. So, I thought I would share the lyrics with you and encourage you to listen to the song and take the time to really listen to its message.

If You're Out There
John Legend

If you hear this message
Wherever you stand
Calling every woman
Calling every man

We’re the generation
We can’t afford to wait
The future started yesterday
And we’re already late

We’ve been looking for a song to sing
Searched for a melody, searched for someone to lead
We’ve been looking for the world to change
If you feel the same then go on and say

If you’re out there
Sing along with me
If you’re out there
I’m dying to believe
That you’re out there
Stand up and say it loud
If you’re out there
Tomorrow’s starting now, now, now

No more broken promises
No more call to war
Unless it’s love and peace
That we’re really fighting for
We can destroy hunger
We can conquer hate
Put down the arms
And raise your voice
We’re joining hands today

Oh I was looking for a song to sing
Searched for a leader
But the leader was me
We were looking for the world to change
We can be heroes
Just go on and say

If you’re out there
Sing along with me
If you’re out there
I’m dying to believe
That you’re out there
Stand up and say it loud
If you’re out there
Tomorrow’s starting now, now, now

If you’re out here
We can shake the world
Believe again
It starts within
We don’t have to wait for destiny
We should be the change that we want to see
If you’re out there, oh oh oh

If you’re out there
And you’re ready now
Sing it loud
Scream it out

If you’re out there
Sing along with me
If you’re out there
I’m dying to believe
That you’re out there
Stand up and say it loud
If you’re out there
Tomorrow’s starting now

If you’re out there
If you’re out there
If you’re out there

If you hear this message
Wherever you stand
Calling every woman
Calling every man

We’re the generation
We can’t afford to wait
The future started yesterday
And we’re already late