Well, um, I don't really know where to start. I got a few good stories to tell I reckon, so I'll just type as I think.... bear with me.
Well, probably the most consistently exhausting thing that has happened for the last two months is that I got some stuff stolen. As have many of us. But, my situation turned out really well. I got my ipod, a camera, and a blackberry stolen along with some money at my house. Immediately after this discovery, my community sprang into action and conducted an extensive investigation and arrested two suspects. All of my fellow teachers devoted their time and energy to getting to the bottom of it, so the end result was that I went to court about the whole ordeal. The judge was great and gave an astounding monologue to the entire courtroom about the peace corps and their mission in this country and how we should be encouraged to do the job that we came to do. So, the end result is that the suspects have to pay the monetary equivalent of the property and now everyone is watchin my house like hawks and I feel super safe. I was really impressed with how my community stepped up to set a precedence for this situation and how seriously everything was taken. I said it once and I'll say it again.... I got the best village here!
Next on the agenda is my brother's visit. So, Destin came with his friend Stevo (PCV in The Gambia). I picked them up when they got off of the ferry and we high tailed it back to the village because my AWESOME village had big plans for these guys. Even though they were running on small sleep, they were troopers and attended all the special events. It started with a football match that they set up, complete with a sound system to welcome the guys. Most of the village turned out for this. It also doubled as an advertisement for the village jam that was organized for their arrival. So, naturally, we had to make the rounds and introduce to lots of people and my fellow teachers came to the house and presented us with a goat that they all contributed to buy for our "big strangers". So, the first day of their arrival was pretty event filled and exhausting, but my village was super excited to receive them and I believe that they felt honored by the welcome they received. Other notable events during their visit are as follows:
-Destin mentioned his promise made to little Sadie that he would touch a live monkey while he was in Africa, so less than 2 hours after mentioning it, my friend Alhaji shows up with a little baby monkey on a baby monkey leash. His name was Dixon and I'm still not real sure where he ran off and found a monkey. That's how stuff works here. Simply stunning.
-On the way home from the dance the first night, we crossed paths with a cobra. Someone warned us they had seen a giant snake and after we located it in the dark, we realized that someone had already killed it, but we watched it finish dying just to make sure. Welcome to Africa!
- We spent the whole week going and teaching at school. Destin and Stevo did most of the teaching and got to experience exactly what the education system is like here. It is very much different than America. Stevo had had some experience with this, but i'm glad Destin got to see exactly how challenging it can be.
-Every day they guys made the 2 min. walk down to the river to go for a dip. One of the many perks of having the BEST village ever.
-We all got to learn how to kill/slaughter a goat, africa style. And a chicken, but i think we knew that for the most part. We ate the goat meat for the whole week!
So, after the boys visiting, we headed to Freetown for a few days. We enjoyed a day on the beach and walking around the city for a bit before we headed to the Gambia. My other (African) cell got stolen in Freetown. UGH. So we headed out to the Gambia and stayed in the capital for a day until Destin flew out to head back to America. From my understanding, this was quite an eventful, typically Africa, journey. he he he. I'll leave that story to him. So Stevo and I headed back to his village in the Gambia called Jigimar. Right outside of Farafenni. It was a great trip and really nice to see another West African country, but it was also very different than Sierra Leone. It's nuts that they can be so close but so different. There aren't any trees there, there's never any clouds in the sky, and there's tons of sand. It's a lot like the desert. The culture and the way of life seems to be very similar to that of Sierra Leone, but the religion is that 85-90% of the country is Muslim. This meant that clothes were much different and a lot of different times of the day you witnessed prayer time. That happens here, but since the population of Muslims is less, you don't see it quite as often.
So, after my trip to the Gambia, I headed back to the village for a little over a week before I came back into Freetown. Most of our volunteers met up here for the open house peace corps celebration and festivities for SL 50th anniversary of independence celebration. On my way in, it was the worst day of travel ever! That happens sometimes, but it was made better when I got to the last vehicle swap and some guy in an ice cream truck picked me up and gave me a free ride to the last place I had to go. As a result of this, I got to eat free ice cream that is the best that I've had here and I also got to help sell it as we cruised the city streets. It was a hoot.
After the arrival, me and my peeps pretty much spent the next coupla days shopping and beach bumming. While beach bumming on the second day, we saw a Lebanese guy on a jet ski so one of my buds flagged him down and we took turns ridin some waves. It was gnarley!
So, now, I'm ready to head back to the village and enjoy the rest of Mango/Pineapple season and wait for the first rains to come. I just hope tomorrows travels prove to be easier than last Wednesday's and I hope I get to talk to my mommy first! I love you all and miss you all and I'll update you again as soon as I can. I'll also try to see if Destin can get some pictures up. Over and out.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Birthday, staph infections, and freetown.
Well, I've been in Freetown for a long time and not updated the blog, so here ya go. I'm gonna start at New Years Day til now....
On new years day, I went to a wedding in my neighbors village 4 miles off called Semabu. The tradition in this culture is that you have this big party and march in different women and the man accepts or refuses them and then the last lady that comes in is the fiance and he accepts her and asks the family's permission to marry the woman. Well, this one was interesting because the couple had already been living together and had kids together, but the family didn't agree! I just kinda stood there befuddled cuz i wasn't sure what a couple does if the family doesn't agree to let the woman marry. Anyway, after discussion and negotiation, it was worked out, the world was right again, and everyone ate rice and danced the night away. Well, after the wedding, my friend Alhaji and I headed to Njala to dance in the club because there were no festivities in Mano for New Years. It was tons of fun.
The next couple of weeks were pretty standard "wait on kids to decide to come back to school" so there was a lot of cooking, laying in the hammock, drinking of palm wine, and reading of books happening at my house. On the weekend before my birthday, the girls planned and carried out an impromptu weekend at my house. Jessie, Chrissy, and Dia showed up for a fabulous weekend. The girls got there and we sprung into action cooking american food. The menu included fried chicken(that we killed and breaded partly with jalepeno pringles), mashed cassava, cassava french fries, and yams(thanksgivin style with brown sugar). We absolutely threw down on some food. We all sat in the floor and ate from the same plate with our hands..... so, after this, we sat around for awhile and kept time with some Mano folks before heading to Njala to go dance. We found a friend (Bakar) that had a mini van and we got him to take us to Njala to the club. We went, kinda early, and danced the night away before jumping back into the car to head home. Well.... on the way home, we're all asleep on each other's shoulders when the car rolls to a stop in a small village called Pelewahun because there was music bumping for a waking and people dancing everywhere. Our driver stopped to talk to someone he knew, but probably would have changed his mind if he would have known we were gonna wake from a dead sleep, vacate the car, and storm the place with dancing white folks. So, we successfully drive by dance attacked a small african village. YES.
So after this fabulous weekend, my actual birthday was on Tuesday. I woke up and couldn't straighten my left arm that morning and felt like poopie. So, i called the doc lady, and went home and crawled in bed with a fever. My neighbor came over after I woke up with a big ole hunk of deer meat(complete with skin and fur) and I had to ask how to clean in because i had to steam it to cook with it the next day. So, I was close to a breaking point because i didn't feel good and didn't feel like having the army of kids outside my house laughing at me because I didn't know how to clean the deer meat, so I passed out buckets and made them all go fetch water while my neighbor taught me how to do it. So, i got a lesson in cleaning deer and went back to bed for my birthday. The next day, my lymphnode under my arm was swollen and i started antibiotics, but they didn't help, so when i got up on Wednesday and the swelling and redness had spread, I jumped transport to go to Freetown. once there, meds were swapped and i had the best night of sleep of my life in the air conditioned(sick room) and when i woke up the next morning, off to the hospital I went.
The hospital was actually a private clinic where i had a tv, remote control air conditioner, my own bathroom, and the meals consisted of baked chicken, couscous, steamed veggies, etc. It was really nice. I had to have an IV for about 4 days and didn't leave that one room. I read lots of books, magazines, and watched TV. By the end, I was ready to go home! The last night I was there, some small kids came in screamin bloody murder because they were getting IVs and so I gathered up my toys from my American boxes and went on a delivery mission. It definitely saved my sanity as well as theirs i think. We played with yo yos and clackers and had fun at our toy-filled buttless gown party. It was a hoot. While I was there, the country directors came to visit as well as a couple of other peace corps staff members. That was nice of them. I finally made it out and here I am later in February and the Doc has informed me that it's possible that I will always have some sensitivity in that arm. BOOO..... Staph infections are NOT cool. But I did eat some killer sushi while I was in Freetown and spend way too much money on I'm not sure what.
So after my close run in with insanity because i was in Freetown for almost a week and a half with nothing to do but kick it with the security guards and occasionally cook, i was thankful to head back to my village, where I should have known that EVERYONE knew that I was not well. I felt kind of bad that I had just missed a week and a half of school and then had to turn around and go back in a week or so for the Foreign Services Exam. So the buffer week in between was spent at school which did not go very well because the eastern part of the country has started a teacher's strike and it's slowly trickling across the country. So, the teachers at my school are signing the attendance book and sitting down.
On Wed., the 9th, I headed back to Freetown. I woke up on Thurs to take the Foreign Services exam which went ok I guess, but I have a feeling I might be taking it again later.....So, this turned out to be a group trip and about 15-20 people ended up at the hostel. It was pretty chill for the most part and we spent the weekend on the beach(w jessie logerfo) and walking around town and eatin good food. We also had a mexican food cooking night, I made sweet tea for everyone, and we had different meetings on Girls Conference and syllabus stuff. So, it was a chill weekend, but I'm ready to go home. Sorry this was such a factual update and not full of funny stories, but I have put new pictures on FB which was a big accomplishment. ALSO, *VERY IMPORTANT* We have successfully got the magic jack working at the hostel as well as skype and my computer will be stayin here so volunteers to use it whenever they come since it won't hold a charge anyway. I enjoyed getting to skype with family and friends while I was in Freetown. Hope to talk to you guys soon and thanks for all the encouragement!
On new years day, I went to a wedding in my neighbors village 4 miles off called Semabu. The tradition in this culture is that you have this big party and march in different women and the man accepts or refuses them and then the last lady that comes in is the fiance and he accepts her and asks the family's permission to marry the woman. Well, this one was interesting because the couple had already been living together and had kids together, but the family didn't agree! I just kinda stood there befuddled cuz i wasn't sure what a couple does if the family doesn't agree to let the woman marry. Anyway, after discussion and negotiation, it was worked out, the world was right again, and everyone ate rice and danced the night away. Well, after the wedding, my friend Alhaji and I headed to Njala to dance in the club because there were no festivities in Mano for New Years. It was tons of fun.
The next couple of weeks were pretty standard "wait on kids to decide to come back to school" so there was a lot of cooking, laying in the hammock, drinking of palm wine, and reading of books happening at my house. On the weekend before my birthday, the girls planned and carried out an impromptu weekend at my house. Jessie, Chrissy, and Dia showed up for a fabulous weekend. The girls got there and we sprung into action cooking american food. The menu included fried chicken(that we killed and breaded partly with jalepeno pringles), mashed cassava, cassava french fries, and yams(thanksgivin style with brown sugar). We absolutely threw down on some food. We all sat in the floor and ate from the same plate with our hands..... so, after this, we sat around for awhile and kept time with some Mano folks before heading to Njala to go dance. We found a friend (Bakar) that had a mini van and we got him to take us to Njala to the club. We went, kinda early, and danced the night away before jumping back into the car to head home. Well.... on the way home, we're all asleep on each other's shoulders when the car rolls to a stop in a small village called Pelewahun because there was music bumping for a waking and people dancing everywhere. Our driver stopped to talk to someone he knew, but probably would have changed his mind if he would have known we were gonna wake from a dead sleep, vacate the car, and storm the place with dancing white folks. So, we successfully drive by dance attacked a small african village. YES.
So after this fabulous weekend, my actual birthday was on Tuesday. I woke up and couldn't straighten my left arm that morning and felt like poopie. So, i called the doc lady, and went home and crawled in bed with a fever. My neighbor came over after I woke up with a big ole hunk of deer meat(complete with skin and fur) and I had to ask how to clean in because i had to steam it to cook with it the next day. So, I was close to a breaking point because i didn't feel good and didn't feel like having the army of kids outside my house laughing at me because I didn't know how to clean the deer meat, so I passed out buckets and made them all go fetch water while my neighbor taught me how to do it. So, i got a lesson in cleaning deer and went back to bed for my birthday. The next day, my lymphnode under my arm was swollen and i started antibiotics, but they didn't help, so when i got up on Wednesday and the swelling and redness had spread, I jumped transport to go to Freetown. once there, meds were swapped and i had the best night of sleep of my life in the air conditioned(sick room) and when i woke up the next morning, off to the hospital I went.
The hospital was actually a private clinic where i had a tv, remote control air conditioner, my own bathroom, and the meals consisted of baked chicken, couscous, steamed veggies, etc. It was really nice. I had to have an IV for about 4 days and didn't leave that one room. I read lots of books, magazines, and watched TV. By the end, I was ready to go home! The last night I was there, some small kids came in screamin bloody murder because they were getting IVs and so I gathered up my toys from my American boxes and went on a delivery mission. It definitely saved my sanity as well as theirs i think. We played with yo yos and clackers and had fun at our toy-filled buttless gown party. It was a hoot. While I was there, the country directors came to visit as well as a couple of other peace corps staff members. That was nice of them. I finally made it out and here I am later in February and the Doc has informed me that it's possible that I will always have some sensitivity in that arm. BOOO..... Staph infections are NOT cool. But I did eat some killer sushi while I was in Freetown and spend way too much money on I'm not sure what.
So after my close run in with insanity because i was in Freetown for almost a week and a half with nothing to do but kick it with the security guards and occasionally cook, i was thankful to head back to my village, where I should have known that EVERYONE knew that I was not well. I felt kind of bad that I had just missed a week and a half of school and then had to turn around and go back in a week or so for the Foreign Services Exam. So the buffer week in between was spent at school which did not go very well because the eastern part of the country has started a teacher's strike and it's slowly trickling across the country. So, the teachers at my school are signing the attendance book and sitting down.
On Wed., the 9th, I headed back to Freetown. I woke up on Thurs to take the Foreign Services exam which went ok I guess, but I have a feeling I might be taking it again later.....So, this turned out to be a group trip and about 15-20 people ended up at the hostel. It was pretty chill for the most part and we spent the weekend on the beach(w jessie logerfo) and walking around town and eatin good food. We also had a mexican food cooking night, I made sweet tea for everyone, and we had different meetings on Girls Conference and syllabus stuff. So, it was a chill weekend, but I'm ready to go home. Sorry this was such a factual update and not full of funny stories, but I have put new pictures on FB which was a big accomplishment. ALSO, *VERY IMPORTANT* We have successfully got the magic jack working at the hostel as well as skype and my computer will be stayin here so volunteers to use it whenever they come since it won't hold a charge anyway. I enjoyed getting to skype with family and friends while I was in Freetown. Hope to talk to you guys soon and thanks for all the encouragement!
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