My First Month of Living
Wow! I can't believe it's already been a month! The days take an eternity to pass but the months just fly by. I've heard it a million times and now I can verify it's true.
Why are the days hard to get through:
1. I have no "job"
2. Except for the college (middle school) students that come by I don't understand what people are saying to me.
3. The Sun's so hot I can't leave to do anything
4. Even if I had somewhere to go (which happens on occasion)I've developped some sort of anxiety about leaving my concession alone...yeah working on this stupid one.
5. I get up at 6 or 7 am and have accomplished all the days 'tasks' by 9 which leaves the rest of the day to figure out what to do.
6. I don't go to bad early either because my friends like to do tea until 1-3 in the morning and well...I do too.
7. Did I mention it's hot?!?
Ok jokes aside. I really do love it and only had a couple of bad days..that weren't even that bad.
Why I love it:
1. I've made friends with someone that has a Mango plantation...bring home 30-40 mangos...I LOVE mangos
2. I have young people in my concession to speak french with
3. I love tea and the whole tea ritual
4. sleeping out under the stars (under my misquito net of course)
5. The "cold" breeze every once in a while when I sleep outside
6. Taking a bucket bath right before I eat dinner
7. Having people love to have me over even if I can't communicate anything but" "it's good" and "it's bad"
8. People laughing at me trying to...speak, pound rice, shell peanuts, eat with my hands, try to make tea, eat mangos (in which several people tell me I look like a monkey)carry water on my head, and the list could go on and on and on...
9. Soccer games come a dime a dozen
10. There's always people around (I guess this could sometimes be bad too...but since I'm a people person I'll put it on the good side)
11. I don't eat fishy fish sauce every night.
12. Haven't had any ants
13. The Niger River it absolutely gorgeous
14. Rumors that I can see hippos
15. I have two great volunteers that aren't that "far" away
16. I think I might have actual work to do soon
17. People are really motivated to work with me
18. They compare me to the old volunteer in which they really liked
19. I have a HUGE market only 1 km away where I can find almost everything
20. Everyone says I have "african style"
21. Dance club will be opening soon
22. Village is full of griots
Reasons why I love my village clearly outweigh everything else. I'm really excited to be there and almost don't like leaving.
posted by rizleymelinda @ 9:24 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Hi Sweetie. So glad to hear you are loving your experiences. Miss you tons! Your family talked about the joy that flows from you-- that's what I miss. But I'm happy for the people who get to experience that now. I'll try not to be selfish! Working on a real letter to you... Love ya, Sue C.
Yeah, what is a griot?
-Greta
I'm working on some other posts, but they're not done yet. anyways a Griot (as far as I know) Is a story teller, history keeper, and advisor all rolled up in one. It's usually one family (or family name) that keeps the griot tradition. In my village there's a few griots because the Doumbouya's came from griot heritage. Anyways there's one that does annoucements (like for exmple someone's sheep is "missing" and they need "help" finding it; or a sim ple meeting. There's also griots that tell stories about someones heritage...or they praise your name a how great your or your families name is) It's always good to give money.period.
Look at all these people who love you! That's fantastic, I really enjoyed reading your some of your entries, and I wonder if we flew in on the same day. I arrived on April 4th 2005 and now I will return on January 4th 2006. I miss Guinee so much. Do you want anything from here, maybe I could bring it.
Kadiatou (in guinee,hee hee) Jessica (state-side)
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